In which music is queer.

Imagine me... minding my own business. Googleing to my hearts content and I find these two links.

This is a link to an Amazon list that names the Best Queer music. Of course many Ani DiFranco albums are on this list. She is queer because of the disruptive nature of her songs. They each outline some kind of social problem. For example, in the song "Not a Pretty Girl" on the album of the same name, Ani DiFranco completely disowns the image of the typical "pretty girl". She sings, "I am not a pretty girl that is not what I do I ain't no damsel in distess and I don't need to be rescued so put me down punk maybe you'd prefer a maiden fair isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere". I found this list informative, mostly because I wouldn't have thought of most of the artist on it. It also made me realize the obvious, that queer musicians use their craft to point out social problems that politicians wouldn't really be able to discuss.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Queer-Music/lm/3ROJQI6IA1TYX

Then I found this site. Queer Music Heritage is a radio show based in Houston, Texas. The website catalogs lesbian/gay/queer music for future generations so these artist will not be forgotten.

http://www.queermusicheritage.us/

In which we discuss art...

Ok here is a traditional painting;

As you can see it follows all of the rules of art. There is an emphasis on the woman in the middle of the painting, the colors are gentle to the eye, they aren't garish, and the whole effect is more or less harmonious.

Now, here is a queer painting;

This is a painting by Yoko d'Holbachie. As you can see the colors are vivid and jarring. The topic of the painting is odd, it has multiple eyes, horns and tentacles. The viewer is at first shocked and can't make out what this is. This is a excellent example of queer art because it goes against the normal rules of art. I think it is fabulous! It's whimsical and fun and nothing like the art we are forced to study in school.

First, an Introduction

I am taking a queer class at Kennesaw University. The whole title is Queer Pop Culture and one of our assignments is to create a notebook full of queer things in pop culture. But because I am very creative I'm making a blog instead!

Let me clear up queerness as I'm studying it. It's not neccesarrily gayness, although it does privilege gayness. Queerness is that which is disruptive and defies the norm. So, for example, HiFructose magazine would be queer. The art it represents is very avante garde, it doesn't fall with the normal rules of art and sculpture.

So anything that defies normal rules of society could be considered queer. It's really fun, actually. So this blog is part class project, part homage to anything Queer I see in my day to day life.