X-mas Task #6: Introduction, 1st & 2nd paragraphs

Popular music has changed rapidly over the last 30 years in terms of LGBT artists, and there have been many influences that have challenged & successfully changed the views of society. Popular music is known to appeal to mass audiences, therefore to keep artists in the mainstream they have to appeal to what the majority of people want to see, rather than educating people and creating awareness of LGBT groups. It could be argued that popular music is one of the main sources of awareness for LGBT groups as music has been known to create social and political change. However there is still many issues with the fact that LGBT groups are not being represented fairly, or in a heterosexual view and the issue regarding censorship and why young people are not being educated about LGBT groups. 

One of the first groups to represent LGBT groups and values of equality in Britain during the 1980’s were Culture Club whose hit song ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’ “focuses on the misunderstanding of sexual diversity with the line”[1], not only during the time that the music video released but also during the different periods of time in which it was set.. The lead singer of Culture Club, Boy George, openly expressed his sexuality during a time of radical change socially and politically. British society was gradually becoming more exposed to LGBT groups however Britain was extremely conservative and homophobic. The 1980’s was arguably one of the most controversial and pivotal era’s musically in the 20th century for LGBT groups, as there were many artists that conveyed their pro-homosexual values through their music videos. Pete Burns is an example of an artist who through his costume and make-up challenged the conservative homophobic views of society in his music video ‘You Spin Me Round’. The medium shots of Burns body language would, at that time, seem unusual as there was and still “is social prohibition against the feminization of men”[2], it would seem that during this period of time popular music culture was becoming more aware of LGBT groups however the response to it was not as open.However not all artists were open about their sexuality, artists such as George Michael and Elton John did not ‘come out of the closet’ until society had become more aware of LGBT groups. It was not until the mid 1990’s that George Michael ‘came out of the closet’ after the release of his music video ‘Fast Love’; however even during this period of time homosexuality was still a controversial issue with the AID’s epidemic increasing rapidly. So there were still many problems surrounding the awareness and acceptance in society as a whole.Groups such as Bronski Beat, who were all homosexual, not only challenged the representations of LGBT groups in popular culture but directly addressed the political issues surrounding Gay Rights in the UK. During the mid 1980’s there was not only radical change to the music videos and popular culture in Britain but politically there was more question into both feminism and gay rights.

Although artists such as Madonna were not part of the LGBT groups, her music videos such as 'Express Yourself', challenged what it meant to be feminine, most people would have labelled her behaviour, costume and dancing to be 'butch' as “A woman attired as a man may be seen as ‘power dressing’ or as adapting the mannerism of lesbianism”[3]. It could be argued that this alternative representation of women in Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ created awareness of LGBT groups and was described as "an encouragement for all women and all oppressed minorities to resist, to express their ideas and their strength faced with tyranny." [4] as the music video challenged tried to empower women and LGBT groups from oppression. It would seem that the music videos at that time had changed in terms of the values as there were more music videos which were challenging the dominant ideologies of gender roles. From a Marxist point of view it would seem that music videos like ‘Express Yourself’ and even ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’ portray the oppression that  the proletariat, in this case “women” and “minorities”, face in society and life from the bourgeoisie, the majority. Marx argues that in order to gain equality a “revolution is necessary”[5], in terms of popular music culture there was arguably a revolution of more LGBT artists and change to gender role in the music videos of the 1980’s. Pete Burns and groups like Queen whose lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, who were both described as being ‘openly gay’, also questioned gender roles through the use of their flamboyant attire and behaviour.However it could be argued that this in itself did not create awareness of LGBT groups but ridiculed LGBT groups as there were a limited amount of  homosexual artists in the media, therefore because of the lack of diversity and the conservative values of society LGBT groups would have been seen as bizarre and outspoken like the persona’s of the artists. So it did not help create awareness, but created more prejudice.