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Has Prince Deliberately Used A Blurring Of Sexual Images In Order To Sell Records? Is It Really BI-SEXUAL? Coming out in the late 70's wearing Shorts,Garters, Belly Chains and Having Long Hair. Was this DELIBERATE to Be DIFFERENT and SELL RECORDS Or IS THIS THe Real Prince? | |
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Androgyny and playing with gender-expectations was very de rigueur in the early 80s, don't you remember? | |
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Of Course I Know.... So Do ARTISTS USE THE GAY COMMUNITY For their OWN PROFIT? | |
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Zelaira said: Of Course I Know.... So Do ARTISTS USE THE GAY COMMUNITY For their OWN PROFIT?
They do now yes, the term is 'the pink pound', and it's a very established and formulaeic marketing strategy these days, although it wasn't in the era we're talking about was it. I don't think Prince's appearance was about tapping into the gay market, it was about the Post-punk and New Wave trends at the time, like New Romanticism, which clearly influenced all the ruffles in Purple Rain, and The Family and Sheila E (especially Romance 1600 era). I imagine Prince picked up a Human League or Soft Cell record or two around the time of Controversy and 1999. Wish he'd pick 'em again now.  | |
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And Prince was blurring or mixing several different boundaries: gender, sexuality, race as well as the musical territory he was increasingly exploring.
In a hamfisted way at the outset, he deliberately sent out false messages about his own ethnic background. Then he made the smartest move: he kept quiet, let the music do the talking, presented a medley of images for the media to speculate over, and then stepped back to let the press lap it up and fill the vacuum of information. His band was male and female, black and white, gay and straight, they preached sexuality and carnality, and they played funk, rock, soul and pop. Was Prnce exploiting a community? No. He was playing Pop Life. And what was so exciting was that he was seemingly doing it all at a breakneck pace. By the time the latest album had reached the store, he had already recorded the next one, had enough material for two more, two protegee bands releasing side project music on the sly, was thinking of the next font, clour, look, hair-do, film script, band change, and was planning a cryptic retirement announcement. . [Edited 11/27/05 12:20pm] ALT+PLS+RTN: Pure as a pane of ice. It's a gift. |
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I think a lot of artists were doing it in the 70s, David Bowie for instance and Marc Bolan, it was also the era of glam rock.
.... [Edited 11/27/05 12:44pm] | |
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I dont think Prince was the first artist to portray himself as sexually ambiguous, but he did put his own unique interpretation on it and of course his talent was obvious, which gave him credibility. | |
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langebleu said: And Prince was blurring or mixing several different boundaries: gender, sexuality, race as well as the musical territory he was increasingly exploring.
In a hamfisted way at the outset, he deliberately sent out false messages about his own ethnic background. Then he made the smartest move: he kept quiet, let the music do the talking, presented a medley of images for the media to speculate over, and then stepped back to let the press lap it up and fill the vacuum of information. His band was male and female, black and white, gay and straight, they preached sexuality and carnality, and they played funk, rock, soul and pop. Was Prnce exploiting a community? No. He was playing Pop Life. And what was so exciting was that he was seemingly doing it all at a breakneck pace. By the time the latest album had reached the store, he had already recorded the next one, had enough material for two more, two protegee bands releasing side project music on the sly, was thinking of the next font, clour, look, hair-do, film script, band change, and was planning a cryptic retirement announcement. . [Edited 11/27/05 12:20pm]  Always such a joy to read your well-written posts." I´d rather be a stank ass hoe because I´m not stupid. Oh my goodness! I got more drugs! I´m always funny dude...I´m hilarious! Are we gonna smoke?" | |
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LleeLlee said: I think a lot of artists were doing it in the 70s, David Bowie for instance and Marc Bolan, it was also the era of glam rock.
.... [Edited 11/27/05 12:44pm] That´s true, but as langebleu so eloquently pointed out above, a lot more factors were involved in Prince´s case...race, gender, social class, even his homestate Minnesota...a truly weird and fascinating mix of ingredients probably unmatched to this day. Sure, there were Sly and the Family Stone, JB, Hendrix, Santana,Bowie etc. and others before him, and he borrowed ideas and strategies here and there, but the endresult, IMO, is unparalleled in showbiz. " I´d rather be a stank ass hoe because I´m not stupid. Oh my goodness! I got more drugs! I´m always funny dude...I´m hilarious! Are we gonna smoke?" | |
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He steals and steals so well | |
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LleeLlee said: I dont think Prince was the first artist to portray himself as sexually ambiguous, but he did put his own unique interpretation on it and of course his talent was obvious, which gave him credibility.
Everyone that came before him who dressed "ambigously" actually were gay or bi, right? Little Richard, David Bowie, Elton John... Is Prince the first artist to dress sexually ambiguously who actually (by almost all accounts) is straight? Thanks for the laughs, arguments and overall enjoyment for the last umpteen years. It's time for me to retire from Prince.org and engage in the real world...lol. Above all, I appreciated the talent Prince. You were one of a kind. | |
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langebleu said: And Prince was blurring or mixing several different boundaries: gender, sexuality, race as well as the musical territory he was increasingly exploring.
In a hamfisted way at the outset, he deliberately sent out false messages about his own ethnic background. Then he made the smartest move: he kept quiet, let the music do the talking, presented a medley of images for the media to speculate over, and then stepped back to let the press lap it up and fill the vacuum of information. His band was male and female, black and white, gay and straight, they preached sexuality and carnality, and they played funk, rock, soul and pop. Was Prnce exploiting a community? No. He was playing Pop Life. And what was so exciting was that he was seemingly doing it all at a breakneck pace. By the time the latest album had reached the store, he had already recorded the next one, had enough material for two more, two protegee bands releasing side project music on the sly, was thinking of the next font, clour, look, hair-do, film script, band change, and was planning a cryptic retirement announcement. . [Edited 11/27/05 12:20pm] 
great post! | |
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