Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs ...

You know queer artists are gonna grab the zeitgeist by the throat and get away with murder while looking fab and camping it up to high heavens. You also know they're going to give a spin to whatever it is that they do to make it very 'it'. What I found fascinating with these videos is that Todrick Hall managed to spoof himself while bringing faggotry to the forefront. And that's quite the feat, given how campy he already is.

I also find quite telling that both videos (the original and the COVID-19 PSA) manage to skew the obsession some gay men have with masculinity (or what they think being masculine is) by subverting the gaze in both videos and using gay slang (hunty, slay, puss puss, shade, etc) to deliver a 'She Works Hard for the Money' message that is much more evident in the original than in the spoof, but that it still translates. You see, some people think that doing drag is 'easy' and not hard work. They think it's just putting on a wig and heels and prance around a stage. Nothing further than the truth. I'd say doing drag requires, apart from the make up and costuming artistry, to be quite physical. Dancing on heels on a stage five nights a week does require stamina. 

There's also the idea that 'fem' men are weaklings. As it has been the theme lately (see Sam Smith's How do you Sleep) incredibly skilled dancers have shed the need to appear macho at all costs in order to let their talent as artists shine. It does take gumption and strength to do that drop in heels, honey. Or to dance in heels at all. Being feminine does not take away from powerful performances. Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did. Only backwards and in heels. Think about it for a second. 

I can almost hear the Masc4Masc crowd scream from the back: HE DOES NOT REPRESENT ME!!! Take a seat, Mary. He's representing himself. Well, himself and the thousands of sissy boys who will go through life tearing down obstacles so you can have that -very masculine- Adonis on Grindr eat your ass without having the police tearing down your bedroom door and taking you to the nearest police station. Some people have yet to accept that Fem guys are the first line in the defense for visibility and gay rights. They are the ones who get the burnt of the attacks both from society at large and by other gay men. Oh, yes, there's the picket fence gays who get in their Banana Republic knees to suck dick in back alleys but they can also be vicious because the Fairies will just not stop mincing around. The fight for heteronormativity is ongoing. The struggle is real.

And back to Todrick. So he spoofed himself and created a campy, witty, fun rump of a video with the help of some friends and allies. Because thanks to some queens back in the day nowadays we do not have to read between the lines to get the gay subtext. There's a gay text to be read by whomever is able to do that. It's not transparent, mind you (even Mr. Shife in Idaho will be able to read it) but opaque. Gay lingo still exists (sorry to the Banana Republic gays) and it's alive and kicking. Thanks to Paris is Burning there's always a whole new generation that can appreciate the lingo, because it's the fem gays, the fairies, the sissies, who have kept that part of the culture alive and high kicking. 

So the Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrub plays nicely along Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels and it manages to pack so many references to the pandemic and the moment that I had to listen twice to get them. It's also an ode to the resilience and inventiveness of the gay community. Drag queens and queer artists are now broadcasting from their living rooms and adapting to the moment while keeping their creativity and sharp wit intact. Quarantine Queens indeed.

Hands on your knees for me, your knees for me..

XOXO

Oh, in case you were wondering, the kids are all right...



Those two boys at the beginning? Yes, please. TAKE MY MONEY!