Film- Hairspray

Apparently, I am in a John Waters kind of mood. I ended up watching "Hairspray" circa 1988. And for those of you who don't know, that is Ricki Lake and Divine. 

One thing I definitely notice is how much was changed in the 2007 version. Of course, that is an adaptation of the Broadway musical, which is an adaptation of the 1988 film. Either way, some of the best parts were taken out! 

In the 1988 film, Penny's mom gets electroshock therapy and guess who is giving it to her? No other than Mr. Waters himself. Sadly, I think that there was an attempt to "clean up" the film, and in the end, the story has been straightened out and claimed by the mainstream culture.

Here's the trailer for the 1988 version.

And for kicks, here's the trailer for another great Waters film, "Crybaby." Oh yeah, that's Johnny Depp.

Film-Pink Flamingos by John Waters

Pink Flamingos follows the competition for the "World's Filthiest Person," and famously, includes a shot of Divine eating dog poop. 

Supposedly, that scene alone earned the film its NC-17 rating, as it was unsimulated. The MPAA must have weak stomachs.

Either way, the characters attempt to carry out every depraved act they could think of, hoping to seal their victory. 

Great film. Eventually, Waters would find his way into mainstream culture with films like Hairspray and CryBaby.

Below, you'll find a clip to the infamous scene of Divine. 

Have a look!

Music-Klaus Nomi

I stumbled upon Klaus Nomi on a forum and decided to read up on him. Interesting guy. 

My brother knows a bit of trivia about Nomi and decided to share a few tidbits for the blog.

He told me that Nomi actually got his start on SNL as a backup dancer for David Bowie. Nomi typically takes well known songs and does classical opera covers. 

Also, those who listen to Rush Limbaugh get enjoy Nomi's cover of Leslie Gore's "You Don't Own," which is used for Limbaugh's "Gay Update Theme." This is most likely because Nomi does not change the gender of the song, singing "Don't say I can't play with other boys."

In addition, Nomi's own style has been cited as influencing many designers collection. Most recently, Jan Paul Gaultier's Spring 2009 collection is said to be inspired by Nomi.

Nomi died in August 1983, becoming one of the first celebrities to die of complications due to AIDS.

Would you calm down and drink some more coffee?

What better way to begin this blog than with a quote from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?" Of course, it actually has nothing to do with the whole purpose of the blog, but what the hey? 

The overall mission of this blog is to log what I deem queer or LGBT related in my daily consumption of pop culture. Fortunately, I am no stranger to any of it, so I plan to pull from a lot of resources. One post might be on a musician I've stumbled upon or returned to, while the next might be on a magazine article. My ultimate goal is to draw on many sources that exist. However, there might be some concentration on one form of media. There is my disclaimer. I might end up harping on television or music. But it's early, so who knows? 

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys reading this as much as I'm sure I'll enjoy writing it. In addition, I hope that I can open your eyes to the queer and LGBT messages that are in pop culture today. You just might be suprised.