Vanishing Gay Cultural References

[cabinfever]

A while back, a younger friend of mine was talking about seeing Lady Gaga in "A Star is Born". We got on the subject of how it compared to the previous version.

The younger friend got a puzzled look on his face. "Previous version?".



The Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga vehicle was at least the 4th version of the same story.



A Star is Born (1954) - Judy Garland/James Mason

A Star Is Born (1976) - Barbra Streisand/Kris Kristofferson

I have seen two of the four and I liked both Garland and Streisand's versions.

 

[KaraBulut]

I have seen two of the four and I liked both Garland and Streisand's versions.

The Cooper-Gaga version isn't bad. It has some really good songs.

I remember seeing the Streisand-Kristofferson version and thinking, "Kris Kristofferson is so hot and Barbra is so not" and "Why does Barbra have an afro?" (this before I heard the term "Jew-fro").

Comparisons of the music:

"The Man That Got Away" was Garland's big hit from the 1954 version.

"Evergreen" was the big hit from the 1976 version:

"I'll Never Love Again" was eclipsed by "Shallow" but "I'll Never Love Again" is probably the true love song of the movie:

 

[cabinfever]

 

[Peloso]

I don't believe I've said more than three words to any gay men under 25 in a decade but by all appearances, the genius (EARLY!!) comedies of John Waters seem to have been forgotten, or at least not as highly regarded.

Speaking of forgotten, in my never ending quest for obscure/underground post punk and new wave music from the late seventies/early eighties, I just uncovered this gem.

I find it interesting that in 1982, it apparently wasn't all that scandalous for ambiguously gendered people to try and fit in and appear normal, although if you listen here, the narrator seems to be mocking normalcy as she (?) pines for it.

 

[KaraBulut]

I don't believe I've said more than three words to any gay men under 25 in a decade but by all appearances, the genius (EARLY!!) comedies of John Waters seem to have been forgotten, or at least not as highly regarded.

Circa 1988 "Hairspray" came out. I went to see it with a group of friends who were familiar with John Waters' previous films. At the end of the movie, we looked at each other and said, "What did we just watch?". It wasn't exactly what we expected from John Waters.

I'm sure people who have gone to see the Broadway musical version and the 2007 remake with John Travolta would make the mistake of watching vintage 1970s Waters like "Female Trouble" or "Multiple Maniacs" will likely say, "What did we just watch?".

Divine also had a series of disco hits in the early 80s that are now collectors items.

Some of the songs were released on picture disks.

I find it interesting that in 1982, it apparently wasn't all that scandalous for ambiguously gendered people to try and fit in and appear normal, although if you listen here, the narrator seems to be mocking normalcy as she (?) pines for it.

Earlier than that, there was a glam rock period in both the UK and US where sexual ambiguity was all the rage.

If you go back to 1974, there was Jobriath- a gay artist that experimented with gender presentation.

Over time, disco artist Sylvester James moved more and more into presenting as a woman:

Dick Clark: "What is it about San Francisco?"

Toward the end of his life in the late 80s (yes, that's Debbie Allen dancing):
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It continued into the early 80s:

Then the Reagan years happened... not that there weren't a bunch of closeted homos working in the Reagan White House - by some estimates about 20% of Reagan's appointees and hangers-on were gay. There were even rumors about Reagan himself that went back to his years as California governor.

There were still acts like Dead or Alive with lead signer Pete Burns:

And here we are in 2023 and Madonna now looks like Pete Burns.

 

[cabinfever]

^^^Divine - You Think You're a Man packed the dance floors. It was a good last call song.

 

[Peloso]

Circa 1988 "Hairspray" came out. I went to see it with a group of friends who were familiar with John Waters' previous films. At the end of the movie, we looked at each other and said, "What did we just watch?". It wasn't exactly what we expected from John Waters.

For me it was "Polyester". Too tame.

I'm glad "Hairspray" made him some money but I will never forgive him for films like "Crybaby" and "Pecker". "A Dirty Shame" was reasonably funny, and I liked "Serial Mom" but Kathleen Turner elevates every film she's in.

 

[Peloso]

Divine also had a series of disco hits in the early 80s that are now collectors items.

Some of the songs were released on picture disks.

So did Edith Massey!



Sadly, she never caught on.

Earlier than that, there was a glam rock period in both the UK and US where sexual ambiguity was all the rage.

If you go back to 1974, there was Jobriath- a gay artist that experimented with gender presentation.

Over time, disco artist Sylvester James moved more and more into presenting as a woman:

Dick Clark: "What is it about San Francisco?"

Before that there was Little Richard and the like. He wasn't all that flamboyant but that's all you got back then.

Earlier than that, there was a glam rock period in both the UK and US where sexual ambiguity was all the rage.

BOWIE!!!
He was a direct influence on the 80's. Boy George was huge. I remember talking to some idiot at work who was convinced he was really a woman.

Then the Reagan years happened...

Groan. It's amazing how one man can exponentially fuck up the lives of generations to come. He also ushered in a wave of new conservatism, which to be fair, was also a reaction to the civil rights victories of the 60's. Even gay culture was involved: remember the early eighties when it was okay for men to sexualize themselves with short- shorts and those glorious midriff cut off shirts? All that went out the window by his second term.

I'm too far removed from current pop culture to know if there are any gay pop stars who flaunt their sexuality the way today's female pop whores do. There probably are, but then again everybody's shoving their genitalia in our faces these days.

 

[KaraBulut]

For me it was "Polyester". Too tame.

I'm glad "Hairspray" made him some money but I will never forgive him for films like "Crybaby" and "Pecker". "A Dirty Shame" was reasonably funny, and I liked "Serial Mom" but Kathleen Turner elevates every film she's in.

Agree.

I can never say "pussywillows" without laughing though.

And I still don't look at recycling the same way.

 

[Peloso]

Agree.

I can never say "pussywillows" without laughing though.

I always loved Mink Stole. She can channel anxiety like no other actress. "I'm a divorced woman, please help me!"

 

[pigface]

Difficult to think John Waters without thinking Pink Flamingoes.

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

Agree.

I can never say "pussywillows" without laughing though.

And I still don't look at recycling the same way.

"Wear your seatbelt! It's the law!"

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

"What do we do now?"
"Try not to get on her nerves."

 

[LoveMyPeppermill]

Groan. It's amazing how one man can exponentially fuck up the lives of generations to come. He also ushered in a wave of new conservatism, which to be fair, was also a reaction to the civil rights victories of the 60's. Even gay culture was involved: remember the early eighties when it was okay for men to sexualize themselves with short- shorts and those glorious midriff cut off shirts? All that went out the window by his second term.

It wasn't just the one man who fucked up the lives of generations to come. Ronald Reagan was simply the standard-bearer people could rally around.

And while reaction against the '60s civil rights movement was part of it, I think the social conservatism we're talking about here was much more a backlash against the sexual revolution of the 1970s.

 

[cabinfever]

I just remembered today in another thread how once a week in the 1980s the bigger clubs were PACKED with everyone sitting/laying/standing watching Dynasty,

 

[cabinfever]

.....and scenes like this

 

[KaraBulut]

"What do we do now?"
"Try not to get on her nerves."

 

[KaraBulut]

I just remembered today in another thread how once a week in the 1980s the bigger clubs were PACKED with everyone sitting/laying/standing watching Dynasty,

I remember attending "Dynasty" watch parties at friends' homes. We loved the catfight scenes, the over-acting and seeing what the writers would do to ensure that Steven wouldn't get any cock after season 1.

 

[KaraBulut]

I ran across an article about the merciless campaign to rid America of Anita Bryant after her anti-gay screeds that started in Miami-Dade county.

Bryant succeeded in overturning one of the first municipal anti-discrimination policies passed in the US (and in Florida, no less!) but she paid for it with her career, her marriage and her bank account. She lost her commercial endorsements. She was booted from her position as the face of Florida orange growers. She became the butt of jokes. She was vilified for years by liberals and the community. Her name is still synonymous with a Betty Bowers brand of backward, holier-than-thou busybody evangelical Christianity.

It's a bit nostalgic to remember how the gay community would mobilize against its enemies back then. Instead of Tweeting their derision, they mobilized and changed American culture. And they sent busybody homophobes like Anita Bryant into obscurity where they belong.

Anita Bryant is still alive, even though her career is long dead.

 

[Peloso]

It's a bit nostalgic to remember how the gay community would mobilize against its enemies back then. Instead of Tweeting their derision, they mobilized and changed American culture. And they sent busybody homophobes like Anita Bryant into obscurity where they belong.

Exactly. You can't affect change no matter how many memes you re-tweet.