[MUSIC] Judy Garland, "Over the Rainbow"
Apr. 12th, 2012 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rfmcdonaldRobert Leleux's New York Times opinion piece describing his somewhat sad surprise at Judy Garland's status as a gay icon has met with a fair amount of surprise itself--see here at Livejournal's ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
ohnotheydidnt. Leleux's undoubtedly right to suggest that Garland has an actual importance to him that's historical for others. two factors he names--the devastation of the AIDS epidemic and his own childhood being raised by (female) Judy Garland fans--ranking highly, as does a third raised by his 30-something gay friend Brodie. For Brodie, Garland's status as an artist of escapism, who can escape from quotidian life, isn't relevant.
Lady Gaga who certainly does escape from quotidian life on a regular basis is definitely a gay icon. Perhaps there's a difference by Lady Gaga's more outré escapism and the escapism of a Judy Garland who just wanted to be loved?
All of this is a minor issue, I know, but Leleux's surprise does touch upon things I've been considering for the past few months. How should I relate, exactly, to gay history and to actually existing gay cultures and communities? What's archaic, what's still living, what should be revivified? How does gay identity work--how should it work--for me in my position in early 21st century Toronto? The subject fascinates.
For starters, below is Garland's performance of "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz. (The first time I remember watching the entire film from start to finish was when I was 26, but I did learn "Over the Rainbow" in violin class in elementary school, so there is that.)
ohnotheydidnt. Leleux's undoubtedly right to suggest that Garland has an actual importance to him that's historical for others. two factors he names--the devastation of the AIDS epidemic and his own childhood being raised by (female) Judy Garland fans--ranking highly, as does a third raised by his 30-something gay friend Brodie. For Brodie, Garland's status as an artist of escapism, who can escape from quotidian life, isn't relevant.“I guess I’m just not interested in glamour,” [Brodie] said. “I’m interested in artists who can tell me about real life.”
Given that perhaps the common denominator of virtually every gay idol — Garland, Callas, Piaf — was her ability to transcend reality, this comment struck me as significant. That such ladies have, to an extent, gone out of style suggests how very much real life has changed for gay men of my generation.
Not that I’m Judyism’s last adherent by a long shot. I remind Brodie of this and ask whether he even believes it’s important to preserve our cultural traditions. “For instance,” I said, “the way Rufus Wainwright recreated Judy’s Carnegie Hall concert.” But this seems to occur to him as stagnation.
“If that’s what he wants to do, great,” Brodie said. “It’s just not my idea of being gay. Today gay can be anything.”
This is, I suppose, what progress sounds like, though for some reason I find it vaguely depressing. Near the inevitable end of “End of the Rainbow,” a bleary, bloodshot Garland says wishfully, “Immortality might just make up for everything.” That’s the new millennium for you, Judy, I feel like telling her. Immortality just isn’t what it used to be.
Lady Gaga who certainly does escape from quotidian life on a regular basis is definitely a gay icon. Perhaps there's a difference by Lady Gaga's more outré escapism and the escapism of a Judy Garland who just wanted to be loved?
All of this is a minor issue, I know, but Leleux's surprise does touch upon things I've been considering for the past few months. How should I relate, exactly, to gay history and to actually existing gay cultures and communities? What's archaic, what's still living, what should be revivified? How does gay identity work--how should it work--for me in my position in early 21st century Toronto? The subject fascinates.
For starters, below is Garland's performance of "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz. (The first time I remember watching the entire film from start to finish was when I was 26, but I did learn "Over the Rainbow" in violin class in elementary school, so there is that.)
