Wednesday, December 16, 2020

A Very Camp Post


This sign is in the window of our local ceramics shop, reminding people to get their art done early for Christmas. I wonder if this place will even stay open now that we're in a Tier 3 lockdown. I'm guessing painting ceramics is not deemed an essential activity.

The image of George Michael isn't the most flattering. It looks more like Jeane Kirkpatrick. (Spell check keeps trying to change that to "Jeans Kirkpatrick," which would be a good drag name for someone really into denim.) Michael lived in nearby Highgate, so he's kind of a local hero – hence the halo, which surely overstates his purity of nature.

I remember when I first saw him in a music video, back in the summer of 1984, when I was on a long weekend with some friends in Daytona Beach. It was the video for "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," and like every other teenage gay boy I was smitten. I loved his hoop earrings most of all -- one in each ear, which was not the way guys wore earrings in those days. A single stud in the left ear was the only permissible way, at least in suburban Florida, and even that was pretty daring. So George seemed brave and beautiful and although it seems hilarious now -- because that video is the gayest thing ever -- none of us knew he was actually gay.


Speaking of gay, remember how I donated to the ultimately successful effort to save director Derek Jarman's former oceanfront home, Prospect Cottage, for public use? Well, this is one of my rewards for donating -- an art print of the house by Michael Craig-Martin. It arrived just the other day, in its own little portfolio. I had planned to get it framed, but I like the portfolio so much I may just keep it in that. (You may remember that I visited Prospect Cottage myself a couple of summers ago.)

I'm also supposed to get a photograph of the gardens, but that hasn't come yet. Supposedly everything has been slowed down by Covid.

Otherwise, not a lot of news around here. Time to walk the dog!

21 comments:

Moving with Mitchell said...

Great print. I, too, remember being "whammed" by George Michael and his two hoop earrings. By the way, thanks for telling us that IS George Michael in the window. I was thinking, "Must be the owner of the studio. Not the most inviting visage." I didn't catch the musical reference.

Anonymous said...

Exactly the same. I was mesmerised by George's legs in the same clip and I'd never really been interested in legs before. He had fantastic hair too. He was a bit of a frail person and his early death is sad.

So who else were there that the obvious never occurred to us? The Village People or Ricky Martin? Please don't tell me Liberace? Surely not.

crafty cat corner said...

Not sure what George would think of that paiting, lol. He looks a bit fed up and angry.
Briony
x

The Padre said...

Too Funny Drew

Cheers

The Padre said...

I Am So Pleased About The Cottage Folks Acknowledging Your Contribution - Good On Them - Almost Made It Through The Week - Hang In There - Be Well

Cheers

Vivian Swift said...

Oh, I LOVED Wham! Those shorts! The only thing Andrew Ridgely ever contributed to the duo was his note to his mother for her to "Wake me up before you go", which George saw and made into a hit. It's surprising where inspiration comes from.

Boy George, too, was one that I didn't think was gay when Karma Chameleon came out. I thought he was just a typical English eccentric.

My life so far said...

I like the sign and I didn't realize it was George Michael either. I just assumed George was gay when I first saw him though. I didn't realize he had died.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Walkin' the dog,
Just walkin' the dog
If you don't know how to do it,
Steve'll show you how to walk the dog...

(by Rufus Thomas 1965)

Bob said...

I'm glad you confirmed that was George Michael on the window. I thought it was the shop owner or someone's grandmother!

37paddington said...

Beautiful print! I vote for framing it! Although I haven't seen the portfolio, so my vote is not based on full information. And I for one did not doubt for one second that George Michael was gay.

John Going Gently said...

The cottage has an interesting seaside garden

Ms. Moon said...

I swear to god, my mother once asked me as we were watching Liberace on TV performing in all of his flaming glory if I thought he might be gay.
"Ummm, yeah," I believe I said.

Ms. Moon said...

So I don't really think that the picture of George Michaels is a very good advert for "art". But, hey! Better than I could do.
I've always loved the hoop earrings in both ears look on men too. "Come here, you pirate!" Very, very cool.

ellen abbott said...

I gather the pink paper has some significance but if not...pink?

Sharon said...

I was a huge fan of George Michael. When took that consulting job that first sent me to St. Louis, my good friend David joined the team about month after me. I used to go to a couple of gay bars with him and the DJ in one of the bars would always put George Michael songs on when he saw me come in with David. We had so much fun working in a variety of great cities.

Anonymous said...

I didn't recognize George Michael in that picture. I can't remember what I was up to in the late 80s and early 90s, but listening to popular musicians of the day was not a part of it. Nice print and a lovely gift for your donation.

Linda Sue said...

LOVE the sign, LOVE the print especially , thank you for helping with the saving of such a worthy little cottage. Your priorities are always admirable- Glad you got something fabulous in return. So cool.

Sabine said...

Oh yes, many knew about George Michael being gay. We shared a house with a gay couple, A&L, when "Wake me up before ..." was on Top of the Pops, a show we used to watch with my toddler, all of us dancing wildly, and when the song came on the first time, A got quite emotional about the prospects of George Michael in the show business with all the rumours and the dreadful efforts of pretending to be straight. It was not a good time then, the early/mid 80s, AIDS related homophobia and so on.

Janie Junebug said...

I thought George was pretty damn hot, pre-gay knowledge and post.

Love,
Janie

Ellen D. said...

Well, the cross earring is the only part of that pic that looks like George Michael! I just listened to several of his songs on YouTube while I did my exercycling and I remember liking his music. He did rock a great hairdo! Was that a mullet? Did you ever wear a mullet, Steve? He really was a beautiful man with lovely hair! And of course, a great singer.

Sarah said...

That is a truly terrible portrait of him but lively nonetheless! I expect you have read Derek Jarman's autobiography and his book about developing his garden, but if you haven't do! Both very beautiful.