In 1982, George O’Dowd was twenty-one and the lead singer behind one of the year’s most successful pop tunes. With distinctly falsetto alto vocals, O’Dowd gained immediate recognition. Radio airplay of his moderately-produced recordings showcased accessible lyrics and infectious beats. Within a year following MTV’s debut, O’Dowd’s songs weren’t the only thing drawing the public’s attention.

American cable’s music television provided listeners a face with a name and images to coincide with mellow refrains and throbbing melodies. Although videos provided an additional layer to the music experience, an artist’s image would become as important as the music—sometimes eclipsing the relevance of performer’s artistry.

O’Dowd’s band, Culture Club, appeared with him in the music video for “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” Yet, it was O’Dowd’s alter-ego, Boy George, who was the primary object. (The use of the word object seems relevant here since this was the world’s introduction to “the Boy.”) Along with extras, who throughout the video seem perplexed by Boy George, television viewers also were trying to sort the man from the image.

At the video’s beginning, Boy George emerges into a public setting, shuffling, fingers snapping, aware, singing to his audience members. They are aghast.

He is fragile.

With skin pale contrasting with dark dreadlocks topped with a wide-brimmed hat tilted back, he is dressed all in white. Wearing an oversized tee shirt, he is fully made up—brows darkly penciled, eye shadow, eyeliner, lipstick. He is not a beauty yet, there is a certain softness and purity which lends itself to a look that can be described as subtly pretty.

As front man, O’Dowd is a confident vocalist which may offer him allowances to experiment with his looks “understanding (that) identity (is) something that could always be reworked, improved upon, and even dramatically changed” (Ouellette 120).

Following success of their first singles, fame offered the band higher video production values and, for O’Dowd, public affirmation of his Boy George. A more refined image—glamorous, even virtuous—would emerge. Still shapeless in colorful caftans and muumuus, the fashion industry began to look at Culture Club’s lead as an incomparable source of insight of what was always a female-driven commerce.

O’Dowd’s Boy never seemed to take himself too seriously. Dolly Parton identified with the pop singer’s flamboyance, hinting of a possible future duet recording.

Writes educator Pamela Wilson, personas like Dolly Parton and Boy George are “a social parody, hyperbolic stereotype, a tongue-in-cheek charade that playfully and affectionately subverts the patriarchal iconography of female sexuality’” (Brown 85).

Later, O’Dowd’s personal life would unravel amid allegations of sexual promiscuity and habitual drug use. O’Dowd became overweight, looking haggard and out of shape. The persona of Boy George, once youthful and virtuous, was now a pop icon for the history books and fodder for media tabloids. Neither O’Dowd nor Culture Club would ever regain the success of their earlier years.

Still, remarkably, even the likes of George O’Dowd achieved the American Dream on some levels, although short-lived. Like his and many other well-documented celebrity cases in which dreams are shattered or irrevocably diminished, the real question is not about its achievement; rather, it is about sustainability, building upon dreams in a meaningful, hierarchical fashion.

Only in instances involving well-grounded individuals surrounded by higher-grounded support systems is there any chance for permanence beyond the dream’s achievement.

Brown, Jeffrey A. Class and Feminine Excess: The Strange Case of Anna Nicole Smith. London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2005.

Ouellette, Laurie. Inventing the Cosmo Girl: Class Identification and Girl-style American Dreams. Thousand Oaks: Sage P, 2003.

Straight people love a good charity case. They love to put on their finest buckles, armor, and smug expressions and spend all afternoon feeling sorry for those they deem less fortunate than themselves. Never mind that the Native Americans—like the homosexuals before them—were doing pretty well in the first place, without the help of a bunch of straight, white people zooming around Plymouth Rock in their gas-guzzling buggies and building thatched-roof McMansions as far as the eye can see. “Oh, if I could only help them in some way,” Sally Farthington thinks to herself, “If only my fried chicken were good enough—maybe they’d learn to be more like us…” Thanks but no thanks, Dear Breeder.

Oh please, painter of group nationalistic portraits foregrounded by fuzzy buildings and trees: We know this representation is a bold-faced lie. We know, for instance, that chocolate chip cookies were not served to a seated crowd of Native Americans by a Jane Austen character. We know that it would not become fashionable to wear electric blue stockings with green velvet pants (and to cross your legs in such a manner) until 1885, the year of Boy George’s birth. And we also know that Shirley Temple and her dog Sparky most certainly were not the guests of honor at what you so artlessly hail as “The First Thanksgiving.”

I will, however, compliment you, Painter of a Thousand Inaccurate Details, on your fine rendering of male facial hair. The drag kings who read our blog are going to be ecstatic.

And isn’t that, after all, what Thanksgiving is really about?

Parece que a apresentação de Lambert no AMA causou polêmica nos Estados Unidos. A rede de TV ABC supostamente cancelou a apresentação do cantor no programa Good Morning America de amanhã devido à sua performance “homo-erótica” na premiação, e está com medo do que poderia acontecer quando as câmeras fossem ligadas.

Fonte : Perezhilton.com

Tá certo então….parafraseando Perez Hilton e uma amiga : se fosse a Lady GaGa seria normal? Cadê a Geisy pra botar ordem na casa?

Conta tudo pra sua mãe, Adam :

PS: Há rumores que um outro programa de TV, o The Early Show da CBS, já o chamou para o mesmo horário amanhã. Vuash!

Letícia

Explico-lhes já : o Sr. Lambert deu uma procuradinha nos looks de artistas que ninguém lembra mais, como Marilyn Manson e Boy George, e, em homenagem ao lançamento de Lua Nova, baixou o Edward Cullen no AMA 2009. Baixou o nível também : fez uma pessoa/traveco? quase engolir a virilha dele e baixou um pouquinho mais pra sair rolando na escada.

Só tá faltando voltar pro caixão – volta, vai!

Letícia

Dear Me

It’s really good to be able to talk to you. I think I know you better now I’ve had another 27 years to think about everything we’ve been through together. I understand that now’s not a good time, and you’d rather I didn’t talk to you directly because it all seems a bit much and its wayyyyy too embarassing anyway! So you might find a letter an easier way to hear what I’ve got to tell you. That way you can pick it up when you’re on your own and want a friendly ear.

There’s sooooo much I want to tell you I don’t know where to start. I guess the single biggest thing you’ll find different in years to come is that, believe it or not, you’ll be able to talk to people about all the shit that’s going on in your life rather than keep it all tucked up inside making you feel like you’re going to explode. I know it doesn’t feel like that now. I know that when you’ve tried to open your mouth before it’s all felt too overwhelming and intense. It’s frightened you and it seems to scare other people so you’ve learnt to keep your gob shut unless you’re clowning around, being a smart-arse or having a pop at someone close by.

That’s all going to change one day. But if I could offer one piece of advice – you don’t need to take it, it’s your choice mate – pop round and speak to Jan next door. I know mum’s got enough on her plate right now and it would be just too hard to tell her what’s going on anyway. But Jan is really cool and she’ll listen and you won’t feel so bad.

Remember that shit in the summer with Action Man Scuba-Diver. He was bang out of order mate and it wasn’t your fault. I know you feel like you must be a slag because you were pissed on all the vodkas he bought you and you didn’t fight him off. But, and there’s no easy way of breaking this to you mate, what he did was rape you. Yes I know you think that rapists are ugly men in balaclavas who pounce on innocent girls in dark alleyways like it says in the newspapers. But in years to come you’ll realise that rape is when you don’t say yes to sex and when a 26 year old man who is your scuba/canoeing coach buys loads of vodkas for a 15 year old he’s not doing it because he likes you. He’s doing it so you can’t say no.

You remember that he asked to take pictures of you without any clothes on before that night. Well that made you feel like he was a bit weird right? It gave you that uh-oh feeling in your tummy even though you never told anyone! Well if you tell Jan what happened she won’t think it’s because you’ve been a slag mate. She will want to speak to mum about it, but mum also has a funny feeling about that night too so don’t worry about that. What you don’t know is that mum will also be fucking angry about what happened – but not at you – at HIM. You know how she shouted at Action Man Scuba Diver later when he tried to drop you off halfway down the road gone midnight. Well she’s always remembered it mate and I’m sure that Jan and her will get their heads together to help you deal with this sooner rather than later. In fact I just talked to her about it and she said if you didn’t feel comfortable talking to her then Jan would be exactly the right person to turn to.

You’re brave mate. You don’t feel it yet but later this year you’ll dive into a river to save your friend’s little brother from drowning. Be brave now and trust Jan to talk to and you’ll save yourself years of carrying the secret and the rage and the shame around with you. You get there in the end but if you sort it out now mate you can focus your anger into something that will make you feel strong and confident again… and you’ll stand a much better chance at getting the A level grades you need for veterinary college.

But right now you’re angry. Really pissed off about everything, including yourself. Channel it mate. You’ve got every right to be bloody angry. But go easy on yourself for crying out loud….because right now it’s eating you up, making you hate yourself, telling you that you ain’t worth anything anyway. Why do you think you keep wanting to get drunk? Even though what ends up happening is that you’ll either make a complete tit of yourself or you’ll burst into a blubbering heap of snot sooner or later. I know I sound like an old fart and that you don’t get bad hangovers yet so why should you care what I think? But you’ll thank me in years to come if you backed off of the binge-drinking because, believe you me mate, the hangovers last forever now!

Now for something even more shocking mate. IT’S OKAY TO FANCY GIRLS!!!!! It’s even okay to kiss and have sex with other girls. It’s okay to be a lesbian. There….I’ve said it. The L-Word. You’d love to have a girlfriend really. But wait a minute, there’s also that other feeling you’ve had all your life. Something you can’t really put into words without feeling mad so stand no bloody chance of being able to explain to anyone else yet (though I am sure again that Jan next door would have listened to you try and work it out).

I’m really a boy

It’s always been there mate. One day you’ll work it out that it’s okay to be bigendered and it’s okay for your inner boy to go through puberty and become a man, just like your girl is even now becoming a woman. You know how much you respect and admire Boy George. How you’re drawn to the gender-ambivalence of his image. He’s gay of course! You’ll meet him one day….but you were recovering from a drink being spiked so you didn’t get to say hello. He ends up serving time for enacting violent revenge against a guy who he believed had posted naked pictures on something called the ‘internet’ (in the future when home computers can do zillions more things than dad’s ZX81 from BT). But that’s a  whole other story which you’ll just have to wait and see…

But stick with the Boy George thing!! You’ll get to college in a couple of years and then the Evil Witch Thatcher will try bring out a disgustingly prejudiced new law against lesbian and gay people called Section 28. You’ll meet loads of girls, women, boys and men and realise that it really is okay to be proud about who you are!! You’ll also get really left-wing and discover revolutionary socialist political activity. That’s a great channel for your anger but you do also need to concentrate on your education. Don’t keep giving up so easy….especially when you set yourself such high standards that it’s hard always to continually achieve them. But don’t walk away. Learn to be ‘good enough’….it will save you much stress-related illness and cycles of depression in years to come.

Get back into judo mate!! It’s only been a couple of years really and you were dead good! I remember you really wanted to train with the Olympic coach but tore off your toe-nail in the warm-up exercises. Well, you’re ‘good enough’ mate and there’s no reason at all why you couldn’t be ‘good enough’ for the Olympics in time. Your 43 year old fitness levels would really appreciate that too!

It’s been really good to catch up with you after all these years. I hope I haven’t blown your mind. But give me a shout if you want to talk about anything I’ve said. I’m always here. If you can’t talk to me then talk to Jan or mum or find someone else you can trust.

With all my love and respect mate

xxx

ABOUT THE BOOK

If you were to write a letter to your 16-year-old self, what would it say? In DEAR ME: A LETTER TO MY SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF, some of the world’s best loved personalities have written just such a letter.

They range from the compassionate to the shocking via hilarity and heartbreak, but the letters all have one thing in common: they offer a unique insight into the teenager who would grow up to be….
Stephen Fry, Alan Carr, Kim Wilde, Annie Lennox, Paul O’Grady, Jackie Collins, Fay Weldon, Peter Kay, Debbie Harry, Brenda Blethyn, Jonathan Ross, Liz Smith, Will Young, Alison Moyet, Rosanne Cash, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Yoko Ono and Emma Thompson… to name but a few! And it’s all for a fantastic cause: the Elton John AIDS Foundation will receive £1 for every copy sold.

BASICALLY IVE BEEN SAYING “I WILL UPDATE THE BLOG MORE OFTEN” ,BUT I HAVEN’T IV’E BEEN REALY busy at nme (one night i was ther till like 2 am in the morning). also at college its been hard work and partying lol !

Thanks 4 the support. More big features about grime ! Also I was going to go to paris this friday for this Tony hawk quicksilver launch and buy the brand new SUPRA sky tops in Paris. There’s a launch for them Paris on the same day !!!!

SUPRA SKYTOP 2 WORLD TOUR FLYER

THANKS 2 COREY 4 THEM GRIME MIXTAPES THEY ARE THE HARDEST IVE HERD IN TIME !!!!!

ALSO i was at a fashion show it was a top man/topshop/burtons/dorothy perkins/ evans / miss selfridge / wallis . basically they were showing off all of their new collections and boy george was djing. THERE WAS FREE CHAMPAGNE AS WELL WOIIIIIII !! here’s a picture of me and NIYI with Boy George .

NIYI , BOY GEORGE AND ME !!

Thanks again to the supporters !
FUCK the haters !!!!!!!

THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO ALEX VALLEY !!

follow me on twitter

http://twitter.com/mrtremix

MR.T REMIX

BBC ENTERTAINMENT, 22:00 HRS, JUEVES 12 NOVIEMBRE

SKY 203, CABLEVISIÓN 206

BBC Entertainment estrena con exclusividad para América Latina, los nuevos episodios de la irreverente e inteligente serie The Jonathan Ross Show. Con encanto y humor, Jonathan Ross crea un ambiente que permite que invitados del calibre de Jamie Oliver, Eva Mendes, Sir David Attenborough, Shakira y Boy George se relajen y respondan con sinceridad a sus preguntas casi siempre impredecibles. La nueva temporada de The Jonathan Ross Show estrena en América Latina exclusivamente a través de BBC Entertainment, todos los jueves a las 22h00 (Horario de México), a partir del 12 de noviembre.

Jonathan Ross / BBC / 2009

Para iniciar esta temporada sus Invitados son: Jamie Oliver, un famoso Chef Inglés, Ricky Gervais, creador de THE OFFICE,  y Mika el cantante inglés que tanta fama ha tenido con hits como “Grace Kelly” y “Love Today”.

So after the toys 4 big boys show we had a while to wait until the train back to Sligo.

As Jono and I aren’t into shopping (well not much), we decided to go to the National Wax Museum it’s been closed for quite a while undergoing refurbishment so we were expecting to see up to date wax works……we were wrong. Luckily most of them had names or I wouldn’t have known who they were.

There was Madonna (as she looked in the 80’s). Also Boy George and David Bowie (very up to date!) Also waxworks about the 1916 rising and a room devoted to Irish writers.

The chamber of horrors consisted of two small rooms. One featuring the Silence of the lambs, the other with Dracula and Frankinstein.

A childrens room had a ‘cinema’ showing the first Harry Potter film. There was also a waxwork of Santa in his log cabin.

There was a ‘wax factor’ were you could make a youtube video, but it wasn’t working when we were there. A room all about science was there too (which was OK for younger kids….but really nothing to do with waxworks).

All in all it was very outdated and I wouldn’t imagine that young children would know many of the waxworks. I have to say I thought it was quite amusing. More pics here.

Madame Tussauds it ain’t.

BRITNEY, JACKO, JESUS AND RON JEREMY

“Dear User, عفواً، الموقع المطلوب غير متاح. Sorry, the requested page is unavailable. إن كنت ترى أن هذه الصفحة ينبغي أن لا تُحجب تفضل بالضغط هنا. If you believe the requested page should not be blocked please click here. لمزيد من المعلومات عن خدمة الإنترنت في المملكة العربية السعودية، يمكنك زيارة الموقع التالي: For more information about internet service in Saudi Arabia, please click here: www.internet.gov.sa”

If the screen 0n your desktop shows this message, you might have typed one or more of these words on your search engine…breast, boobs, tits, ass, butt, sex, Britney Spears, Micheal Jackson, Jesus Christ, Ron Jeremy, jew, Judaism, anal sex, rimming, fellatio, gay, homosexual, Madonna, Pamela Anderson, Tommy Lee, bisexual, erotic, erection, ménage à trois, blow job, Pope John Paul, pig, Piglet, pork, bacon, pork chop, Budha, Budhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Scientology, glory hole, butt plugs, hymen, penis, vagina, foreskin, clitoris, Playboy, Playguy, Basic Instinct, Babe: Pig in the city movie, honcho, Seancody, slut, hooker, Chichilarue, transsexual, transvestite, lesbians, dikes, semen, sexual intercourse, fuck, uncut, bottom boy, circumcised, cybersex, Paris Hilton, Ana Nicole Smith, dildos, twinks, fags, deflower, virgin, vibrator, dominatrix, hoar, erectile dysfunction, naked, stripper, blackjack, poker, casino, BangBus, Girls Gone Wild, xxx, crucifix, holy rosary, bible, Christianity, Mother Mary, sadomasochism, David Bowie, Boy George, George Micheal, Israel, masturbation, kinky, bdsm, fetish, leather daddy, bareback, hand job and now even the new term “gay chicken” and Oprah’s “vajayjay”

BABE: PIG IN THE CITY

In 2000 my second job was in Riyadh for more than a year, in Dhahran for 2 years, and it’s really hard for a movie buff like me to search info in the net when you’re a graphic designer who likes American Movies, and I’m not even talking about porn,  just mainstream movies like “BABE: Pig in the City”, even my friends who are doctors and nurses can’t search for “breast”cancer because of the word “breast”-even for medical research purposes your not allowed to see tits. Saudi Arabia ranked 161st out of 173 countries for “freedom of the press” according to Reporters Without Borders in 2008. Going online in Saudi Arabia where internet censorship is common is rather like visiting a parallel universe run by the world’s strictest, most bigoted parents. Entire sites disappear without warning. Keyword filtering and ISP blacklists prevent you from accessing any sites that the kingdom doesn’t think you should see. The most aggressive censorship focused on pornography, drug use, gambling, religious conversion of Muslims, and filtering circumvention tools.

SEXUAL NATURE

Incoming press is strictly controlled by censorship officials, primarily for content of sexual nature. Photos of women in books, magazines, and product packaging are routinely censored with black markers if any skin is showing and sometimes pages are just ripped right out. Meanwhile, books, videotapes and electronic media brought into the country may be subjected to censorship at customs. Pork in any form is prohibited, and so is pornography.

Other countries that have censorship in the internet and other medias are Belarus, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Libya, Maldive, Nepal, North Korea, Syria, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Turkmenistan and China.

Ser un estrella de rock o del pop implica muchas veces que sus imágenes se vuelvan icónicas y se nos grabe su cara o sus fisonomía por siempre, pero cuando desaparecen por mucho tiempo y luego los volvemos a ver, nos llega a sorprender como los años han pasado sin misericordia sobre ellos, igual que pasa con cualquier ser humano común y corriente,  aquí algunos ejemplos de algunas personalidades que cambiaron drásticamente.

Todas las fotos son del sitio inglés NME.

Cyndi Lauper fue una cantante que llegó alto en los 80’s con “Girls just wanna have fun”, y cuando se pensaba que estábamos frente a una de las intérpretes más importantes de la década, apareció Madonna, y ella dejó de brillar. Ahora su imagen es muy distante de la extravagancia que la caracterizaba.

Cyndi Lauper ahora luce más "elegante"

En esos mismos 80’s había un tecladista llamado Howard Jones, quien también cantaba y sacó varios temas pegajosos, para después desaparecer de la escena, no lo había visto hasta que encontré esta foto de él.

Howard Jones fue considerado en un tiempo el mejor en el sintetizador

¿Se acuerdan del otro de Wham!? El ignorado Andrew Ridgeley, quien siempre estuvo a la sombra de George Michael, pues ahora menos lo reconocerían, ya que el tiempo no ha tenido compasión con este músico.

Andrew Ridgeley siempre fue opacado por George Michael

Boy George siempre buscó gustar con una imagen andrógina en Culture Club. Actualmente es un artista en decadencia por sus vicios y tras perder su gran cabellera, está muy lejos de aquel muchacho talentoso que se ponía diariamente lápiz labial.

Boy George ya no tiene glamour

Gary Glitter fue todo una estrella del glam rock inglés, sin embargo su decadencia llegó a los extremos donde se ventiló su gusto por la pedofilia, por lo que fue detenido por las autoridades llevándolo a juicio.

Gary Glitter actualmente ya no tiene prestigio

Limalh, el ex cantante de  la banda Kajagoogoo, impuso todo un estilo con su original cabellera, con las puntas rubias. Es de los cantantes que han luchado por resucitar su carrera y mantener la nostalgia de los buenos tiempos.

Limahl lucha por mantener el estilo

Axl Rose cuando inició con Guns N’ Roses tenía una figura espigada que fue su carta de presentación para atrapar a sus millones de fans, y luego conquistarlos totalmente con su voz y su música. Ahora con kilos de más, miles de litros de alcohol consumidos, ya no tiene la misma presencia, aunque su ego sigue siendo muy grande.

Axl Rose nunca perderá su ego, aunque pasen los años

A Bono siempre lo tenemos presente y  se nos olvida que usó el pelo más largo, que se veía más fresco y contrasta con su imagen actual donde los años ya lo han marcado, pero todavía,  para beneplácito de sus fans, sigue cantando con U2 como si tuviera 20 años.

Bono comenzó muy joven en el rock

Ya todos nos habíamos acostumbrado a ver a Billy Corgan de Smashing Pumpkins, totalmente calvo, pero hubo un tiempo en que tuvo cabellera.

Billy Corgan también tuvo pelo

Some images from the new book by Glitterati, Untouched,  depicting celebs before retouching was invented…just all natural harsh lighting and cake makeup here…especially on Boy George.

WEDNESDAY 28th OCTOBER

Hello and welcome to this week’s random selection of nonsense. Have you really got nothing better to do?

*****

Hallowe’en is here and there are some seriously scary sights in Telford.

Oh insert your own punchline…

*****

Anyway, we’ve got the big event covered at Pussycats this weekend and are hoping the beautiful people of Shropshire and beyond will chuck on their horror-themed fancy dress and come out to party on Friday and Saturday night. Don’t forget that admission is free before 11.30pm every Friday with a special pass which you can get from Whispers Bar next door.

My latest photos from the club are in the gallery at www.djwanker.com as usual so feel free to see what state the clubbers got into last weekend.

*****

As someone who would make the perfect contestant on Can’t Cook Won’t Cook, I do tend to frequent fast food joints a little more regularly than I should. I don’t actually have Pizza Hut on speed dial but you get the idea.

The reason I mention this is because I was in McDonald’s on Monday and, before ordering, I went to use their toilets. I was confronted by a spotty teenager clearing up some sick by the urinal.

On the back of his T-shirt it said: I’m Lovin’ it.

Trust me, he wasn’t.

*****

Facebook Status Update Of The Week (1): “Im fukd of wi u fuckin wi ma head nd treatin me lyk a c*** well guess wha nt anymr Fuck You!!”

And the hand of friendship is extended…

*****

I got added on Facebook by someone last week who I didn’t know. Nothing desperately new in that but he was a 53-year-old married bloke from America and we had no mutual friends. By scanning his page, it seemed he was a Mafia Wars freak.

He was also very quickly deleted.

*****

I read that a man had been arrested trying to smuggle two kilos of cocaine into the USA. Then I heard a man got arrested trying to smuggle 10 kilograms of cocaine OUT of the USA. I wish they’d make their minds up… do they want the stuff or not?

*****

More excellent television last week – Boy George was on with Jonathan Ross and was very candid about his recent ‘problems’. He’s one of those people – like John McEnroe, Ian Botham, George Michael etc – who I always listen to intently.

I’ve met him twice – once in Ibiza, where we hung out for quite a while, and once in London – and he was in extremely good form, probably because he was ‘clean’ at the time and had his mental faculties in correct working order.

Another person I always listen to, although I disagree with a number of his views, is Morrissey. I had the radio on in the car on Sunday morning when the news bulletin started: “The singer Morrissey has…” and my heart sank, fearing the worst as it was the first item on the news.

They went on to say he’d been rushed to hospital after collapsing on stage but fortunately he appears to be okay now. I love his music, especially the old stuff with The Smiths.

*****

Back to the telly and Katherine Jenkins was a surprisingly good guest with Piers Morgan. The bit where she talked about the death of her father was incredibly moving.

A good friend of mine lost his dad last week after a long battle with cancer. Losing a parent, a brother, a sister or child must be the worst thing in the world yet my mate dealt with it with incredible strength and dignity.

I can’t begin to think how I’ll cope when something as terrible as that happens to me but he showed a steely resolve which impressed me greatly and I hope I would display that kind of strength in similar circumstances.

*****

This new police knife amnesty is a bloody nightmare. I dutifully handed all my knives in and now I’ve got nothing to eat my dinner with.

*****

David Beckham is unquestionably a stylish man and a fashion icon. But that beard really has to go.

*****

I could write page after page after page about Nick Griffin and the British National Party but I’ll try and keep it relatively brief. Having been interested in politics since my teenage years, I know a thing or two on the subject yet it staggers me how naive some people are.

I can’t understand why anyone with a grain of intelligence would vote for them because they are, without a shadow of a doubt, a racist party. They play on the fears of the public about immigration and the main political parties must take some blame for a lack of control.

One person on Facebook described me as “another brainwashed student” when I put on my status how awful Griffin was on Question Time and that the BNP were utter scum. Now obviously I don’t expect a reasoned debate with a Telford teenager at the best of times but I thought this was a bit much.

Yes, we need to control immigration to a certain extent but I’ve grown up in a wonderfully multi-cultural society in Leicester and can see the benefits of allowing freedom of travel and work. If people want to come here and bring something to the table then we should welcome them.

It’s the scrounging minority from abroad who give the rest a bad name. There are plenty of lazy, shameful, white British people playing the system – why can’t we kick them out?

It’s not about the colour of someone’s face or their religion or where they were born – it should be about the quality of person because, underneath the skin, we’re all pretty much the same.

*****

A good friend of mine is Manish Bhasin who presents high-profile football programmes on the BBC. He’s from a hard-working Asian family who have been here for years and years. Manish, like me, was born and raised in Leicester.

If you ask him what he is, he’ll tell you he’s a proud Leicester boy – exactly the same as me.

*****

We’re also both big Leicester City fans and are enjoying our start to the season. After getting promoted from that horrible division below, we’re currently fifth in the Championship with 24 points from 14 games. No-one has lost fewer games – the top four, in fact, have all lost more.

However, having watched them play since 1981, I’m used to things going horribly wrong but, whisper it quietly, we’re doing okay.

*****

Men vs Women – Part 1 of 6

NICKNAMES

If Deborah, Katie and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Deborah, Katie and Sarah.

If Bob, Tony and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.

EATING OUT

When the bill arrives, the guys will each throw in £10, even though it’s only for £18. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.

When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

Part 2 in this series next week.

*****

From the letters page at Viz magazine: “These so-called speed bumps are a joke. If anything, they slow you down.”

*****

Now some of you know that I’m not just a potty-mouth, button-pushing DJ – my other work is as a football journalist. I was in London last week commentating on games in the Champions League and Europa League. These matches get broadcast on the internet as well as being streamed worldwide to TV stations who can use the feed live or part of delayed coverage.

I have subsequently discovered that my commentary of Real Madrid against AC Milan was a featured live game on the Al Jazeera sports channel in the Middle East – wow! Some other ones I’ve done have been on the Fox Sports Channel network in the USA and last year I did a game which was shown live on Indonesian television.

It’s all a bit bizarre, you know.

*****

Big Gay Tom at Pussycats (jovial barman, president of the Telford branch of the Barbara Streisand fan club and openly a ‘friend of Dorothy’) finally believes that I wrote and published a book (about football) in 1998. He found it on Amazon and exclaimed in his trademark high-pitched tone: “Oooh get you, Geoffrey.”

If ever Gok Wan needs a sidekick…

*****

For information, you can find my book (or even buy it) here… http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0953284905

*****

And finally… I wouldn’t say boo to a goose. I’m not a coward, I just realise that it would be largely pointless.

Cheers for now,

Geoff / DJ Wanker
Leave a comment here or send feedback via Facebook or email

www.djwanker.com

www.facebook.com/djgeoffpeters

www.twitter.com/djwanker

The DJW blog is brought to you in association with:

Tantalize Beauty Salon, Madeley 01952 585853

http://tantalizesalon.blogspot.com

Silver Fish Chippy, Wellington 01952 254627

JJB Gym, Telford 01952 201113

www.jjbfitness.co.uk

Central Taxis 01952 50 10 50

www.501050.co.uk

For the best, sexiest bedroom furniture, check out…

www.slideandhide.co.uk

Sophie’s Choice Cleaning, Telford 01352 779099 / 07816 519627

www.sophieschoicecleaning.co.uk

To add your company here, please get in touch!

“Boy George” used to be a port short written by Rob Pena. Collaborating with alumni and students alike, they’ve joined Bloodshots to make the film within 48 Hours! After 47 Hours and 54 minutes of blood, sweat, and tears, they’ve brought this zomedy to life! (source)

This awesome zombie short was directed by my friend, Vince so vote if you love zombies!

TO VOTE:

EMAIL - bigsmashproductions [at] gmail [dot] com
SUBJECT line – “BOY GEORGE”
MESSAGE – “I vote for ‘BOY GEORGE’ as the best film of Bloodshots Canada 2009″.

Just finished watching ‘the Jonathan Ross Show’ and it was much better than I thought it would be. On the show was Joanna Page (Stacey in Gavin & Stacey), Boy George, Aussie comedian Tim Minchin and Jamie Cullum. Joanna Page was hilarious, she kept talking a load of rubbish but it was so funny. Tim Minchin was also quite an entertainer, reminded me of Russell Brand. He also did a great duet with Jamie Cullum at the end of the show (singing ‘Hit the road Jack’) . The only downer was the fact that they were giving beers away to people that were there to watch Harry Hill but nothing for Jonathan Ross.

Sorry couldn’t take any pics otherwise they would have taken my camera and put it on Ebay.

‘Your pain makes a beautiful sound’ pode ser lançada em 2010.
Cantor inglês passou quatro meses preso por cárcere privado.

O cantor inglês Boy George revelou ter composto uma música sobre a cantora Amy Winehouse durante a temporada em que passou na prisão. Intitulada “Your pain makes a beautiful sound”, a canção diz: “Você é um gênio, é um estrondo / É difícil dizer o que você faz melhor.”

Em entrevista ao jornal “The Times”, George disse ter escrito muitas coisas na cadeia, além de diários. Segundo ele, as músicas inpeditas serão lançadas no ano que vem.

Boy George deixou a prisão de Edmund Hills, em Surfolk, na Grã-Bretanha, no dia 11 de maio. O ex-vocalista do Culture Club foi solto após quatro meses de reclusão – menos de um terço de sua sentença inicial, de 15 meses.

George foi preso no dia 16 de janeiro deste ano, após ser condenado por manter o garoto de programa Audun Carlsen em cárcere privado em abril de 2007, e foi solto por bom comportamento.

Ele encontrou Winehouse uma vez, no clube Koko, em Londres, onde falaram sobre uma de suas músicas favoritas, “He hit me (and it felt like a kiss)”, composta por Carole King e Gerry Goffin e gravada pela banda The Crystals com produção de Phil Spector.

Personajes andróginos maquillados, con imponente lápiz labial, bailando  intensamente con un movimiento de hombros o de caderas que ni tu novia lo podría hacer. Así son algunos rock stars que con su ropa y sus cabelleras te hacen pensar dos veces si realmente son muy machos, como presumen cuando hablan de sus groupies.

Aquí algunos ejemplos:

Paul Stanley: Cuando era niño siempre me causó curiosidad los movimientos afeminados de Paul Stanley de Kiss, en mi cabeza de apenas 8 años de edad, no podía comprender que un hombre se moviera como mujer y que además usara lapiz labial rojo, como el que debe usar “toda mujer decente”, palabras textuales del Starchild.

En algunas de las biografías no autorizadas de Kiss, llegué a leer que había ex colaboradores de él que bromeaban con su forma tan delicada de moverse y hasta decían que Paul era gay, pero que aún nadie se lo había informado.  Stanley tiene tres hijos y ya va por la segunda esposa.

Paul es el frontman de Kiss

Mick Jagger: El video de “Start me up” es un ejemplo a detalle de cómo Jagger mueve las caderas como toda una dama y con esa boca prominente casi te besa al otro lado de la pantalla. Aunque en sus inicios algunos músicos ya habían notado que era “demasiado” afeminado, su masculinidad pocas veces ha estado en duda, bueno… a excepción del supuesto “camazo” que se aventó con David Bowie, según dijo Angela, la ex esposa de Ziggy Stardust.

Sino fuera porque ha tenido bellas esposas como Bianca Pérez o Jerry Hall, quizás mi imaginación estaría volando  con el supuesto romance con Bowie.

Jagger en su boda con la guapa nicaragüense Bianca Pérez

Marilyn Manson: Una vez un ex baterista que tuve llegó impresionado porque vio un video de Manson besándose en la boca con el bajista Twiggy Ramírez, no podía creer que su ídolo se diera “calor” con su compañero de composición.

En una entrevista con Manson, cuando le preguntaron sobre el proceso de grabación de un álbum, contestó sin inmutarse: ”Compongo con Twiggy, comemos juntos, nos drogamos juntos y nos acostamos juntos”. No se asusten, Manson ha tenido a mujeres muy bellas en su vida como Dita Von Teese. ¿Y el beso con Twiggy? Pura publicidad (aja).

Las provocaciones de Manson últimamente ya no funcionan

Nick Rhodes: De todos los miembros de Duran Duran, el que más se maquillaba era el tecladista Nick Rhodes, lo que en sus tiempos de gloria me hizo a pensar que era un nuevo Boy George pero de bajo perfil.

Curiosamente me recordaba a esos hombres de los años 20’s que se arreglaban el bigote con mucha delicadeza, sin faltarles el lápiz labial y un poco de rubor en las mejillas. Su cabellera rubia siempre estaba muy bien cuidada para estar a tono con esos sacos rosas que usaba a mediados de los 80’s.  En su vida personal ha estado casados dos veces y con bellas modelos, así que pensar otra cosa de él es definitivamente ocioso (…¿ a poco?).

Nick Rhodes en una pose muy fashion

Robert Smith: El cantante de The Cure creó un personaje oscuro y extravagante con esa cabellera alborotada y su maquillaje exagerado. En alguna entrevista que escuché por la radio FM a mediados de los años 80’s, recuerdo que Smith declaraba que su banda ya no podría dejar de usar labial debido a que su música exigía que fueran glamorosos.

“Ya no es sólo una imagen, sino un estilo de vida, The Cure ya no podría dejar de ser glamoroso”, declaró en aquella ocasión este gran músico.

Lo más chistoso fue ver que en su boda, los labios de Smith llevaban más labial que los de su esposa Mary, a quien conoció a los 14 años de edad, y con la que se casó en 1988 y aún siguen juntos.

Robert Smith y su acostumbrado peinado

Iggy Pop: Es un tornado en el escenario y quizás esa sea la razón por la cual sus movimientos  a veces salen de control y te pone el trasero como si te invitara a algo más que verlo cantar.

A sus 62 años sigue en activo, moviéndose como un jovencito, poniendo sus manos en la cintura de forma muy delicada, mostrándose sin camisa, como lo ha hecho desde hace mucho tiempo, sin importale que le digan “abuelito”  o “afeminado”.

Iggy tuvo un hijo con una admiradora, la cual muchos años después le informó que era padre. Lo último que supe de sus primogénito, es que era el encargado de su seguridad, y quien lo sacaba personalmente de las manos del público, cuando se aventaba desde el escenario.

Iggy Pop en un clásico movimiento, cuando fue joven en 1970

Poison: En la época glam metalera de los 80’s, casi todas las bandas se maquillaban como mujer, pero los que más explotaron el estilo fueron los integrantes de Poison, que desde la portada de su primer disco, hicieron palidecer a los New York Dolls, quienes en los 70’s también eran exageradamente afeminados con sus disfraces.

De hecho al verlos por primera vez, el nombre de la banda me recordaba al famoso perfume de mujer Poison y no a su significado: veneno. 

Fuera de los millones de discos que vendieron, todos los integrantes de Poison tuvieron una vida normal heterosexual, aunque el más publicitado en ese aspecto ha sido Bret Michaels (que según mis cálculos, ya tocó en León, Guanajuato este sábado 17), quien hiciera el primer video porno con Pamela Anderson. Así es, llegó a ser novio y amante de la ex playmate, mucho antes de que Tommy Lee de Mötley Crüe la pidiera en matrimonio.

Poison mostrándose al mundo en su primer disco

Caifanes: Cuando surgieron en la escena del rock mexicano, tenían una imagen tipo The Cure. Saúl Hernández de plano se había copiado el peinado de Robert Smith.

Alguna vez contó Sabo Romo que cuando fueron a una disquera, algún ejecutivo les dijo que “ellos no contrataban a pinches putos (homosexuales)”.  Sin entender este tipo que lo único que buscaba Caifanes era mezclar su buena música con una imagen fuerte y llamativa.

A final de cuentas, lograron hacer su primer disco y demostrar que su música era excelente, pero descartaron la imagen glamorosa para siempre, lo que fue una excelente idea a largo plazo. Por cierto, casi todos son casados.

Caifanes cuando usaron look extravagantes

Prince:  Algunas portadas de sus discos o su forma tan femenina de caminar, llegaron a provocar cuestionamientos sobre la sexualidad de este genio de la música.

En escena puede ser tan bisexual como Jagger y tan intenso como Hendrix cuando requintea, pero a final de cuentas su calidad se impone aunque se haya peleado judicialmente con una disquera, lo que impidió que algunos años usara su nombre y también ha demandado a sus propios fans por usar sus fotos, una decisión que se ha considerado muy polémica.

A pesar de todo lo que se diga sobre su sexualidad, Prince ha estado casados dos veces y desafortunadamente llegó a sufrir la pena de la muerte de un hijo.

Prince mostrando su lado sensual

En conclusión caminar, moverse o mezclar una actitud femenina con la masculinidad, siempre genera gran interés en las audiencias, que desean ver algo diferente y mientras más extremo sea, será mejor.

Nota: No incluimos a David Bowie, porque ya se ha hablado demasiado de su bisexualidad, aunque es un hombre bien casado.

“The Crying Game” is a song written by Geoff Stephens, and first released by Dave Berry in July 1964. It reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was covered by Boy George in 1992 as the theme to the Neil Jordan movie, The Crying Game. Produced by the Pet Shop Boys, it turned out to be his last major hit single, reaching #22 on the UK Singles Chart in 1992, #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and #1 in Canada the following year.

I was never a Boy George fan but loved this song from the start. It probably has to do with the fact it has Pet Shop Boys written all over it, especially the “Behavior” era production style. One of the most recognizable synth sounds of “The Crying Game” is also used on one of the tracks from that album, “This Must Be The Place I Waited Years To Leave”. Click here to listen.

Label:

Spaghetti Recordings, Polydor

Catalog Number:

CIOCD 6, 863 489-2

Track Listing and Details:

1. The Crying Game (3:22)

2. The Crying Game (Extended Dance Mix) (7:00)

3. I Specialize In Loneliness (3:18)

Tracks 1, 2 produced and mixed by Pet Shop Boys

Track 3 produced and mixed by John Themis

Disc is manufactured in Germany

Rip Information:

Source: CD

Format: mp3

Bitrate: 320 kbps

Password: steptothebeat

To rate this post, click on the comments hyperlink below its title.

I didn’t care that
Boy George
Looked like a girl.

I wasn’t entirely sure
What a fag was.

But I believed in Karma,
And knew if I was a
Chameleon
I’d come and go.

I’d come and go.

Young American Poets

Nick: I’ve actually heard of them!

she’s big.

yeah I can see why it’s popular.

easy melodies, danceable rhythms.

but the old story, not enough variety.

and the first number sort of seems to promise variety.

{track 5 – Kiss With A Fist}

oh, that’s different.

she sounds like someone.

who is it?

Speedy Gonzales?

certainly not.

it’s good.

but not great.

you tire of it quite rapidly.

yeah it’s very full on.

too full on.

and I keep expecting it to go somewhere else.

but it doesn’t.

I guess the producer isn’t the most subtle.

three producers.

really? all with the same attitude?

maybe she’s just a natural shouter?

she sounds like someone very well known.

who is it!?

“I want my music to sound like throwing yourself out of a tree, or off a tall building, or as if you’re being sucked down into the ocean and you can’t breathe.”

well…{shrugs}

when she sings rather then yells, she has quite a good voice.

you know who I heard this morning?

Boy George! what’s he up to these days?

you don’t want to know.

On Flo’s website you can find some tantalising recipe ideas with Knorr Ready-to-Serve sauces. Which is great.

http://www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachine