I am not sure that the message Queer as Pop wants to send that, men, music and moments that have brought pop music out the closet is really much of a secret. It has been well known for years that a lot of disco/dance music culture including fashion have emerged from a gay underground scene.
There is nothing much new in this bland documentary featuring an array of talking heads and archive footage that shows gay artist had to remain closeted at a time when homosexuality was illegal yet artists were thrusted to a female teen audience but also surreptitiously to a gay audience. Artists were prompted to change their names to more virile sounding one such as Billy Fury.
Of course when homosexuality became legal, in the 1970s gay clubs flourished and at the same time this had an impact on music and culture. However artists still hid their sexuality. George Michael came out much later in his career and only after he was arrested. Elton John was forcible outed and was uncomfortable about sexuality for years. I recall even the flamboyant Boy George was obscure about his sexuality at first when he burst upon the pop scene.
In the course of things we go through the 1980s with the more explicit videos of Frankie goes to Hollywood, the rise of House music led by Frankie Knuckles and the spectre of AIDS. We come to the present day with the cynical targeting of gay audiences from artists such as Lady Gaga.
There are omissions though. Where was Tom Robinson, one of the few British artists singing he was glad to be gay in the 1970s or Rob Halford, a heavy rock singer who is openly out. The biggest omission was the lack of discussion of lesbians in pop music. No mention of Dusty Springfield, Wendy Carlos, KD Lang, Tracy Chapman. Instead we get the lazy story of the cultural significance of Mick Ronson and David Bowie putting their arms around each other on Top of the Pops. Football hooligans chanting on the terraces at football matches in the 1970s was a common sight in the 1970s as well. Does that mean they were all gay!
There is nothing much new in this bland documentary featuring an array of talking heads and archive footage that shows gay artist had to remain closeted at a time when homosexuality was illegal yet artists were thrusted to a female teen audience but also surreptitiously to a gay audience. Artists were prompted to change their names to more virile sounding one such as Billy Fury.
Of course when homosexuality became legal, in the 1970s gay clubs flourished and at the same time this had an impact on music and culture. However artists still hid their sexuality. George Michael came out much later in his career and only after he was arrested. Elton John was forcible outed and was uncomfortable about sexuality for years. I recall even the flamboyant Boy George was obscure about his sexuality at first when he burst upon the pop scene.
In the course of things we go through the 1980s with the more explicit videos of Frankie goes to Hollywood, the rise of House music led by Frankie Knuckles and the spectre of AIDS. We come to the present day with the cynical targeting of gay audiences from artists such as Lady Gaga.
There are omissions though. Where was Tom Robinson, one of the few British artists singing he was glad to be gay in the 1970s or Rob Halford, a heavy rock singer who is openly out. The biggest omission was the lack of discussion of lesbians in pop music. No mention of Dusty Springfield, Wendy Carlos, KD Lang, Tracy Chapman. Instead we get the lazy story of the cultural significance of Mick Ronson and David Bowie putting their arms around each other on Top of the Pops. Football hooligans chanting on the terraces at football matches in the 1970s was a common sight in the 1970s as well. Does that mean they were all gay!
