Apparently, everything old is new again. OMG Blog has posted their list of the Top Ten Gayest Songs of 2010 (via). Among them is 'Somebody to Love Me," sung by Boy George and produced Mark Ronson (who I must assume is related LiLo's ex, DJ Samantha Ronson - please correct me if I'm wrong). The video features a young (and presumably female) Boy George look-alike, though I can't for the life of me figure out why a 25 year-ago androgynous pop-star's image is still relevant in the 21st Century. Especially given his recent prison stint and failure on Broadway. Bitchy? Maybe. Relevant? Hardly.
By signing the repeal of DADT into legislature this morning, President Obama took yet another step toward moving counter-culture into the mainstream. No longer are Americans shocked by images of effeminate men, masculine women and/or the androgynous in-betweens. Gay icon Cher has a transgendered son; America's most popular sitcom features a pair of gay dads; one the most critically admired films of the year features a lesbian relationship and the number one daytime talk show in America is hosted by a woman who is legally married to another woman.
Here's the thing: I personally cannot wait until the day when my "Gayest Thing" posts are no longer relevant. We are on the verge of the second decade of the 20th Millennium (according to the Julian calendar). We should have long ago gotten past this issue. Gay, straight, bi, transgendered should all be terms which have long fallen out of use, especially when music is concerned.
As an audiophile since I first discovered the power of music, I have long thought that music transcends race sex and class. If it makes you move, if it inspires you or if it relaxes you, then it shouldn't matter who wrote, sang or interpreted it. Like any art form (or maybe even more so), music is the one thing that should unite us. Why then, should we give music labels?
I suppose labels are somewhat important, so we can make distinctions between genres and types. Still... do we really need o classify 'gay' music? I, for one, look forward to the day when 'gay' is no longer a special classification, but simply an adjective applied without prejudice, used to describe people who are not in any way abnormal. Is that too much to ask?
I think I may have gotten a bit off topic, tonight. But that's what happens when I'm tired, cranky and ready for an upcoming vacation. Don't look for anything new or pertinent from Uncle P in the next few days. I'm off to celebrate the Holidays. As I've said before, I'm tired. Rant over...
More, anon.
Prospero
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