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Myra Breckinridge

 Myra Breckinridge
type
TVTItem
 Myra Breckinridge
label
Myra Breckinridge
 Myra Breckinridge
page
MyraBreckinridge
 Myra Breckinridge
comment
A 1970 film based on the novel of the same name by Gore Vidal, it stars Raquel Welch and Rex Reed, along with Mae West and John Huston.Mousy, neurotic Myron Breckinridge (Reed) secretly receives gender-reassignment surgery in Copenhagen and returns to Hollywood as the glamorous, charismatic Myra (Welch). Posing as her own widow, Myra Breckinridge goes to her uncle Buck Loner's acting school, claiming that Myron is dead and that she is owed half the school and a huge inheritance. To pacify her while he verifies her claims, Buck gives Myra a teaching position. But Myra has bigger plans.Myra's ultimate goal is to save humanity from itself by destroying the entire concept of traditional masculinity, thus bringing about gender equality. She plans to do this by sleeping with a lot of people. Myra's unlikely partner-in-crime is...Myron, a mental manifestation of her former self. The two of them have already lined up Myra's first test subjects: Rusty, a young, hunky, clueless would-be actor, and his sweet, submissive girlfriend Mary Ann, who together represent the very binary Myra believes is the root of all human misery.This synopsis makes the plot sound much, much more coherent than it actually is.In reality, it's a psychedelic rollercoaster full of random public-domain movie clips, musical numbers, costume changes, over-the-top stereotypes, and a questionable grasp of how gender and sexuality (not to mention human beings) actually work. A legendary box-office flop, creator Gore Vidal later disowned it, the cast won't talk about it, and lead actress Raquel Welch once commented, "The only good thing about it was the clothes."
 Myra Breckinridge
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2023-10-11T12:22:08Z
 Myra Breckinridge
parsed
2023-10-11T12:22:08Z
 Myra Breckinridge
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Dropped link to Blackmail: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Myra Breckinridge
processingComment
Dropped link to DoubleEntendre: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Myra Breckinridge
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DBTropes
 Myra Breckinridge / int_1ba8eb64
type
Visual Pun
 Myra Breckinridge / int_1ba8eb64
comment
Visual Pun: While Myra rapes Rusty, the stock footage shows a clip of dockworkers literally laying plank. That this is the funniest of the dozens of similar visual puns in this movie may indicate the general quality of the humor.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_1ba8eb64
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_1ba8eb64
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Myra Breckinridge / int_1ba8eb64
 Myra Breckinridge / int_2d409194
type
Unsettling Gender-Reveal
 Myra Breckinridge / int_2d409194
comment
Unsettling Gender-Reveal: Myra, when she lifts up her skirt and drops her panties in front of Uncle Buck and his lawyers, declaring "Gentlemen…I am Myron Breckinridge!"
 Myra Breckinridge / int_2d409194
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Myra Breckinridge / int_2d409194
 Myra Breckinridge / int_2ed5e99d
type
Depraved Bisexual
 Myra Breckinridge / int_2ed5e99d
comment
Depraved Bisexual: Myra, who seems to be bisexual only to further her obscure, insane goals at the cost of other people.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_2ed5e99d
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_2ed5e99d
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Myra Breckinridge / int_2ed5e99d
 Myra Breckinridge / int_30e6200f
type
Missing Steps Plan
 Myra Breckinridge / int_30e6200f
comment
Missing Steps Plan: It's unclear just how, exactly, sleeping with a bunch of people will result in universal gender equality, but that's a risk Myra's willing to take.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_30e6200f
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_30e6200f
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Myra Breckinridge / int_30e6200f
 Myra Breckinridge / int_33d5b7f2
type
Adapted Out
 Myra Breckinridge / int_33d5b7f2
comment
Adapted Out: In the book, one of Myra's colleagues at the academy is the lesbian teacher Miss Cluff. She also became acquainted with a hippy called Clem, whose orgiastic parties she attended. Both are unaccounted for in the movie (although the scene where Myra is singing in a bathtub at a party does come from one of Clem's parties in the book).
 Myra Breckinridge / int_33d5b7f2
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Myra Breckinridge / int_33d5b7f2
 Myra Breckinridge / int_377bd97c
type
False Widow
 Myra Breckinridge / int_377bd97c
comment
False Widow: Myra claims to be Myron's widow in order to get her own inheritance.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_377bd97c
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_377bd97c
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Myra Breckinridge / int_377bd97c
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4856ac40
type
Stock Footage
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4856ac40
comment
Stock Footage: Old movie clips appear often, many times for comedy's sake. Many of the depicted people complained and sued about this, and the White House downright asked for the removal of a Shirley Temple clip given she was by then an U.S. ambassador.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4856ac40
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_4856ac40
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Myra Breckinridge / int_4856ac40
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4a5fcde
type
Adaptational Alternate Ending
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4a5fcde
comment
Adaptational Alternate Ending: In the novel, Myra is injured in a car accident, has to have her breasts removed, and ends up reverting to her life as Myron and living in a Sexless Marriage with Mary Ann. Myron's actor Rex Reed refused to portray this ending and it changed to the All Just a Dream resolution of the film.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4a5fcde
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_4a5fcde
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1.0
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Myra Breckinridge / int_4a5fcde
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4c851777
type
Black Comedy Rape
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4c851777
comment
Black Comedy Rape: In arguably the film's most (in)famous scene, Myra rapes Rusty with a strap-on, set to a psychedelic montage of old movie clips and one-liners.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_4c851777
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_4c851777
 Myra Breckinridge / int_5a365ed2
type
Incompatible Orientation
 Myra Breckinridge / int_5a365ed2
comment
Incompatible Orientation: Myra attempts to seduce Mary Ann as part of her plan to Take Over the World, only to be thwarted in the simplest possible way: Mary Ann is straight. Ironically, Mary Ann tries to let her down sweetly by saying that Myra is exactly the sort of person she'd fall for if only Myra was a man.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_5a365ed2
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_5a365ed2
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1.0
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Myra Breckinridge / int_5a365ed2
 Myra Breckinridge / int_6d6dfca1
type
Wearing a Flag on Your Head
 Myra Breckinridge / int_6d6dfca1
comment
Wearing a Flag on Your Head: Myra's iconic star-spangled swimsuit.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_6d6dfca1
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_6d6dfca1
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Myra Breckinridge / int_6d6dfca1
 Myra Breckinridge / int_6f19054d
type
Coming-Out Story
 Myra Breckinridge / int_6f19054d
comment
Coming-Out Story: The film is basically a gay man's fantasy about his struggle with coming out of the closet.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_6f19054d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_6f19054d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_6f19054d
 Myra Breckinridge / int_722b3319
type
Camp Gay
 Myra Breckinridge / int_722b3319
comment
Camp Gay: Irving, who wears makeup and jewelry.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_722b3319
featureApplicability
1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_722b3319
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_722b3319
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7b5c69c8
type
Dirty Old Woman
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7b5c69c8
comment
Dirty Old Woman: Leticia Van Allen keeps a king-sized bed as a casting couch for the hot young men who step into her office. (It's Mae West, what the hell do you expect?)
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7b5c69c8
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_7b5c69c8
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_7b5c69c8
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7b8b3def
type
Celebrity Paradox
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7b8b3def
comment
Celebrity Paradox: Among the films whose clips appear in this film is One Million Years B.C., which features this film's star Raquel Welch. This appears to be Foreshadowing that the events of the film are actually Myron's dream while in a hospital, and that he modelled Myra's appearance on Welch herself, from a magazine.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7b8b3def
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Myra Breckinridge / int_7b8b3def
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7f298d3d
type
Lame Comeback
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7f298d3d
comment
Lame Comeback: When Buck and Charlie Flagler Jr. accuse Myra of having never been married to Myron, she says she'll bring a witness to prove her case. Thus, this exchange:
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7f298d3d
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_7f298d3d
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_7f298d3d
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7fbb2a3
type
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7fbb2a3
comment
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: In the book, Myra (and the reader) finds that in spite of his sexism and homophobia, in practice Rusty was gentle and considerate towards the women in his life, but that after the assault, he began taking his rage out on women, even raping Leticia violently enough to put her in the hospital. (Fortunately, Leticia's into that sort of thing, but Rusty didn't know that when he did it.)
 Myra Breckinridge / int_7fbb2a3
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_7fbb2a3
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_7fbb2a3
 Myra Breckinridge / int_87ede6fc
type
That Man Is Dead
 Myra Breckinridge / int_87ede6fc
comment
That Man Is Dead: Aside from Myra pretending to be Myron's widow to fool Buck, Myra genuinely thinks of her pre-op self Myron as a separate person who died, and from whom she emerged. He's a very lively ghost, though.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_87ede6fc
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_87ede6fc
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_87ede6fc
 Myra Breckinridge / int_89434320
type
Protagonist-Centered Morality
 Myra Breckinridge / int_89434320
comment
Protagonist-Centered Morality: Assuming she isn't an outright Villain Protagonist, our protagonist Myra is a seductive, manipulative, blackmailing, sex-maniacal sadist, and the story doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_89434320
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_89434320
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_89434320
 Myra Breckinridge / int_898ff050
type
Villain Protagonist
 Myra Breckinridge / int_898ff050
comment
Villain Protagonist: Unless it's just Protagonist-Centered Morality, Myra is a seductive, manipulative, blackmailing, sex-maniacal sadist, and she's the protagonist of the story.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_898ff050
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_898ff050
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_898ff050
 Myra Breckinridge / int_8c5f5c97
type
The Movie Buff
 Myra Breckinridge / int_8c5f5c97
comment
The Movie Buff: Myra is fascinated with Old Hollywood movies and extremely knowledgeable about cinema.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_8c5f5c97
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_8c5f5c97
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_8c5f5c97
 Myra Breckinridge / int_94ce222f
type
Sobriquet Sex Switch
 Myra Breckinridge / int_94ce222f
comment
Sobriquet Sex Switch: After undergoing a sex change, Myron becomes Myra.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_94ce222f
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_94ce222f
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_94ce222f
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9a0870ae
type
Screw Yourself
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9a0870ae
comment
Screw Yourself: Myra kisses Myron and goes down on him. Then Myron has a fantasy about Mary Ann and Myra seemingly vanishes while Myron masturbates. (Note that nothing like this is in the book.)
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9a0870ae
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 Myra Breckinridge / int_9a0870ae
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_9a0870ae
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9cdef1ef
type
Lovable Sex Maniac
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9cdef1ef
comment
Lovable Sex Maniac: Subverted and arguably deconstructed with Myra.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9cdef1ef
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-0.3
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9cdef1ef
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_9cdef1ef
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9d12bbc1
type
Foreshadowing
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9d12bbc1
comment
Foreshadowing: Among the films whose clips appear in this film is One Million Years B.C., which features Raquel Welch, something particularly conspicious given that it was a relatively recent film at the time and most of the films featured were old black-and-white films. This appears to predict the reveal that the events of the film are actually Myron's dream while in a hospital, and that he modelled Myra's appearance on Welch herself, from a magazine.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9d12bbc1
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_9d12bbc1
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_9d12bbc1
 Myra Breckinridge / int_a18fda9c
type
Dumb Muscle
 Myra Breckinridge / int_a18fda9c
comment
Dumb Muscle: Rusty comes off as a man's man, but turns out to be incredibly gullible.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_a18fda9c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_a18fda9c
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_a18fda9c
 Myra Breckinridge / int_a4c37cbe
type
Mood Whiplash
 Myra Breckinridge / int_a4c37cbe
comment
Mood Whiplash: The aftermath of the aforementioned rape scene. The whole movie up until now has been a batshit trainwreck, and the scene itself is clearly supposed to be Black Comedy Rape. But afterwards Rusty seems so numb with shock that he's almost been reduced to a child, asking if he can please leave now and obediently thanking Myra when she demands it. It's a disturbingly plausible reaction to being raped.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_a4c37cbe
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Myra Breckinridge / int_a4c37cbe
 Myra Breckinridge / int_abad35b4
type
Soundtrack Dissonance
 Myra Breckinridge / int_abad35b4
comment
Soundtrack Dissonance: Goofy music plays during a rape scene.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_abad35b4
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_abad35b4
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Myra Breckinridge / int_abad35b4
 Myra Breckinridge / int_b53ba00f
type
Easy Sex Change
 Myra Breckinridge / int_b53ba00f
comment
Easy Sex Change / Magic Plastic Surgery: From Rex Reed into Raquel Welch. Justified, though, as It was All Just a Dream.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_b53ba00f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_b53ba00f
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_b53ba00f
 Myra Breckinridge / int_bef696dd
type
Mind Screw
 Myra Breckinridge / int_bef696dd
comment
Mind Screw: The entire movie is very bizarre and doesn't have much of a coherent plot (some of this is because it leaves out a lot of context from the book).
 Myra Breckinridge / int_bef696dd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_bef696dd
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Myra Breckinridge / int_bef696dd
 Myra Breckinridge / int_c8db76f6
type
And You Were There
 Myra Breckinridge / int_c8db76f6
comment
And You Were There: Part of the All Just A Dream ending above. Myron awakes after his accident to find that his alter-ego Myra was inspired by a magazine cover of the real Raquel Welch and that Mary Ann is his nurse.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_c8db76f6
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 Myra Breckinridge
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Myra Breckinridge / int_c8db76f6
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ce165390
type
Casting Couch
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ce165390
comment
Casting Couch: Inverted by Leticia Van Allen, who does this with hot male actors rather than would-be starlets. (Her office has an enormous satin-draped four-poster bed hidden behind a wall.)
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ce165390
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Myra Breckinridge / int_ce165390
 Myra Breckinridge / int_e2d457
type
The Ditz
 Myra Breckinridge / int_e2d457
comment
The Ditz: Mary Ann is sweet and trusting, but not exactly bright.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_e2d457
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1.0
 Myra Breckinridge / int_e2d457
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Myra Breckinridge / int_e2d457
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ea85d6ea
type
All Just a Dream
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ea85d6ea
comment
All Just a Dream: It's strongly suggested through the scenes at the start and at the end with Myron in the hospital that Myra's life—complete with Myron's own sporadic pop-ups as her alter ego, the last of which was him running her over in order to die as himself—was all a dream of Myron's prior to a gender reassignment surgery that presumably didn't take. This is honestly the least unfortunate and terrifying interpretation of the story, and Rex Reed wouldn't play the part otherwise.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ea85d6ea
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Myra Breckinridge / int_ea85d6ea
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ec0bf4a1
type
Take Over the World
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ec0bf4a1
comment
Take Over the World: Part of the motive for Myra's reassignment surgery is that she plans to singlehandedly destroy the very concept of gender by sleeping with everyone, thus bringing equality to the sexes. Or something.
 Myra Breckinridge / int_ec0bf4a1
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Myra Breckinridge / int_ec0bf4a1
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Myra Breckinridge

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Myra Breckinridge
hasFeature
Adaptational Alternate Ending / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Easy Sex Change / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Insult to Rocks / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Karmic Rape / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Magic Plastic Surgery / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Non-Actor Vehicle / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Queer People Are Funny / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Rape and Switch / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Real Life Writes the Hairstyle / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Screw Yourself / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Sobriquet Sex Switch / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Stock Footage / int_5d4e3cbe
 Myra Breckinridge
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Trans Character, Cis Actor / int_5d4e3cbe