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Where were all the lesbians in Queer as Pop? Where were all the lesbians in Queer as Pop?
(about 2 hours later)
In these post-Queer as Folk times, the word "queer" is rarely said on TV. Not with any approval, anyway. That might be why Channel 4's documentary Queer as Pop: From Gay Scene to Mainstream, initially seemed so exciting. If you're part of a subculture whose existence is generally ignored – despite its considerable influence on wider culture – you grasp at any mainstream attempt at representation.In these post-Queer as Folk times, the word "queer" is rarely said on TV. Not with any approval, anyway. That might be why Channel 4's documentary Queer as Pop: From Gay Scene to Mainstream, initially seemed so exciting. If you're part of a subculture whose existence is generally ignored – despite its considerable influence on wider culture – you grasp at any mainstream attempt at representation.
Yet in promising to explore "the men, music and moments that have brought pop music out the closet", this documentary replicated mainstream prejudices by writing women out of its cultural history. Featuring a bland narrative peppered with sweeping generalisations (including the frankly fantastic claim that David Bowie putting his arm around guitarist Mick Ronson on stage was "more important in British pop culture than all the Pride marches, and Stonewall"), the show was livened only by the undeniably great pop music.Yet in promising to explore "the men, music and moments that have brought pop music out the closet", this documentary replicated mainstream prejudices by writing women out of its cultural history. Featuring a bland narrative peppered with sweeping generalisations (including the frankly fantastic claim that David Bowie putting his arm around guitarist Mick Ronson on stage was "more important in British pop culture than all the Pride marches, and Stonewall"), the show was livened only by the undeniably great pop music.
The makers of Queer as Pop must know that "queer" cannot be reduced to "white gay man". But by the time we got to "if you love dancing, you've probably got a gay man to thank", I found myself checking in the mirror to see if lesbians were still a thing. While they lingered on the formerly male-only London club Heaven and New York's Fire Island with loving nostalgia, women-only clubs like Gateways, open from the 1930s to the 1980s and frequented by bisexual Dusty Springfield, did not receive a single paltry mention. Nor did Springfield herself. The only two female talking heads, Martha Wash, of The Weathergirls, and Angie Bowie, lifted the programme, but there's not much you can do against such a barrage of historical revisionism.The makers of Queer as Pop must know that "queer" cannot be reduced to "white gay man". But by the time we got to "if you love dancing, you've probably got a gay man to thank", I found myself checking in the mirror to see if lesbians were still a thing. While they lingered on the formerly male-only London club Heaven and New York's Fire Island with loving nostalgia, women-only clubs like Gateways, open from the 1930s to the 1980s and frequented by bisexual Dusty Springfield, did not receive a single paltry mention. Nor did Springfield herself. The only two female talking heads, Martha Wash, of The Weathergirls, and Angie Bowie, lifted the programme, but there's not much you can do against such a barrage of historical revisionism.
Given the sheer amount of important music lesbian, trans and bisexual women have made during previous decades, our omission from the documentary is no oversight. They even used contemporary queer electroclash artist Peaches' music, without bothering to mention her name. They talked about Sylvester, but what about Joan Armatrading or Tracy Chapman? Why feature Frankie Goes to Hollywood or the Pet Shop Boys while ignoring Wendy Carlos, whose album Switched-On Bach and soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange, helped to make synths a mainstream instrument?Given the sheer amount of important music lesbian, trans and bisexual women have made during previous decades, our omission from the documentary is no oversight. They even used contemporary queer electroclash artist Peaches' music, without bothering to mention her name. They talked about Sylvester, but what about Joan Armatrading or Tracy Chapman? Why feature Frankie Goes to Hollywood or the Pet Shop Boys while ignoring Wendy Carlos, whose album Switched-On Bach and soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange, helped to make synths a mainstream instrument?
For that matter, what about riot grrrl, the women-led early-90s movement that paved the way – in prettified and sanitised form – to the Spice Girls? Bands like L7, Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill shaped the direction of 90s music, though Queer as Pop would apparently prefer to forget about all that. Perhaps the sophisticated links between lesbianism, feminism and gay liberation were a bit complex for a one-hour special pushing the line that the straights loved the queers really.For that matter, what about riot grrrl, the women-led early-90s movement that paved the way – in prettified and sanitised form – to the Spice Girls? Bands like L7, Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill shaped the direction of 90s music, though Queer as Pop would apparently prefer to forget about all that. Perhaps the sophisticated links between lesbianism, feminism and gay liberation were a bit complex for a one-hour special pushing the line that the straights loved the queers really.
But what about the myriad women DJs, club promoters and producers who were neither discussed nor asked to discuss themselves? DJ Hannah Holland told me me about Smokin Jo: "She was the first and only women to win DJ Mag top 100. She was the resident of Trade, London's seminal gay after-hours house night." There wasn't a peep about her. Holland also reminded me of 1930s-40s "undercover lesbian" singer-guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was an influence on Elvis Presley and Little Richard. They, of course, were featured while she was not. Speaking of the bravery of early lesbian musical pioneers, I want to know why the show didn't at least briefly mention Alix Dobkin (despite her problematic politics), whose 1973 album Lavender Jane Loves Women couldn't really be more overt. And what about Melissa Etheridge, Meshell Ndegeocello, KD Lang, The Raincoats, Skin of Skunk Anansie or Joan Jett? But what about the myriad women DJs, club promoters and producers who were neither discussed nor asked to discuss themselves? DJ Hannah Holland told me about Smokin Jo: "She was the first and only women to win DJ Mag top 100. She was the resident of Trade, London's seminal gay after-hours house night." There wasn't a peep about her. Holland also reminded me of 1930s-40s "undercover lesbian" singer-guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was an influence on Elvis Presley and Little Richard. They, of course, were featured while she was not. Speaking of the bravery of early lesbian musical pioneers, I want to know why the show didn't at least briefly mention Alix Dobkin (despite her problematic politics), whose 1973 album Lavender Jane Loves Women couldn't really be more overt. And what about Melissa Etheridge, Meshell Ndegeocello, KD Lang, The Raincoats, Skin of Skunk An
ansie or Joan Jett?
This kind of revisionism, part of the process by which women are so regularly erased from history, is a common, outdated archiving tactic that gives rise to spurious claims like "women just weren't making good music at the time": an argument which is thrown out blandly about any field of history you might mention, to derail those who know otherwise. This one-dimensional approach to the past gives rise to books like Ernst Gombrich's The Story of Art, which did not include not a single woman artist and should more accurately be titled The Story of Art Made Predominantly by White Western Men.This kind of revisionism, part of the process by which women are so regularly erased from history, is a common, outdated archiving tactic that gives rise to spurious claims like "women just weren't making good music at the time": an argument which is thrown out blandly about any field of history you might mention, to derail those who know otherwise. This one-dimensional approach to the past gives rise to books like Ernst Gombrich's The Story of Art, which did not include not a single woman artist and should more accurately be titled The Story of Art Made Predominantly by White Western Men.
People who argue that these histories reflect past merit often naively believe that there will be a tipping point when increasing equality will mean that historical archives reflect social diversity. When future cultural historians look back on today's LGBTQ subcultures, will they credit the sheer amount of exciting, talented women musicians whose work now influences – or is part of – the pop mainstream? I'd like to think that The Gossip, Le Tigre, Angel Haze, The XX, Planningtorock, The Knife, Azealia Banks, Tegan and Sara, and many others, will be given their dues, and that's not even to mention the many artists operating outside of the US/UK imperial hegemony.People who argue that these histories reflect past merit often naively believe that there will be a tipping point when increasing equality will mean that historical archives reflect social diversity. When future cultural historians look back on today's LGBTQ subcultures, will they credit the sheer amount of exciting, talented women musicians whose work now influences – or is part of – the pop mainstream? I'd like to think that The Gossip, Le Tigre, Angel Haze, The XX, Planningtorock, The Knife, Azealia Banks, Tegan and Sara, and many others, will be given their dues, and that's not even to mention the many artists operating outside of the US/UK imperial hegemony.
Everyone, whatever their sexual orientation, deserves to see portrayals of the past that dig deeper than this. In telling only part of the story, Queer as Pop did us a disservice. But with eternal optimism, I'm eagerly anticipating Channel 4's: Queer as Pop: Everyone We Left Out the First Time. Who else needs to be in it?Everyone, whatever their sexual orientation, deserves to see portrayals of the past that dig deeper than this. In telling only part of the story, Queer as Pop did us a disservice. But with eternal optimism, I'm eagerly anticipating Channel 4's: Queer as Pop: Everyone We Left Out the First Time. Who else needs to be in it?
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