Tarhearted.

CRUISING.

How on Earth did I go thirty years without seeing the Al Pacino film, Cruising? It looks HILARIOUS. How is a movie in which Pacino plays a cop sent undercover to investigate a serial killer within the gay leather scene of 1980's New York NOT in the canon of great American films? GOD. The year 1980 gave us so many good things.

 

 

And, just because I'm obsessed right now, please enjoy Hunx and his Punx's "Cruising."

 

TWO THINGS.

1. This footage of the subway 25 years ago is fascinating to me. A lot of people I know, especially native New Yorkers,  talk about how the city is so much nicer than it used to be. I don't know... I've always wanted to live in the grittier, tougher New York. The New York of After Hours. The New York of C.H.U.D. sans the cannibals in the seweres, I guess. It seemed like it was a lot more fun. I was hoping that when the economy crashed and everybody was as poor as I am the city might slide back, but no such luck. Another thing: where the hell did the K train go? A friend and I were just talking about the letters that were unused by MTA and wondered why: H, I, K, O, P, T, U, X, Y. I guess we can cross K off that list?

 

2. When I was in college I was obsessed with the band Gravy Train!!!! If you don't know them, they are (were?) a queercore electro band from Oakland, California who sang and rapped their way through hilarious and filthy songs like "You Made Me Gay" and "Cotton Mouth BJ". Now one of the gay boys from Gravy Train!!!!, Hunx, has a side project in Hunx and His Punx. This album combines so many things that I love, you don't even know. It's inspired by girl groups of the early sixties set through the lens of contemporary gay dudes.

It. Is. Awesome. This will definitely be the only thing I listen to for the next six months.

Here is the video for You Don't Like Rock N' Roll, which could have been my theme song when I was single and dating years ago. I once dumped a dude on the spot because he'd never heard of R.E.M. I'm not even an R.E.M. fan per se, but come on. That's 101 shit.

 

FALL FASHIONs.

The Harper's Bazaar movie from 1971 about the "new fall fashions" is heaven. What I wouldn't give to live in 1970s New York. And who knew Betsy Johnson was so adorable?

 

 

AMERICA OR WHATEVER.

Wisonsin Republicans did some sneaky maneuvering last night and managed to pass their Union Busting Bill. Rest assured this will go to the courts, and labor leaders have vowed to lead a recall against the politicians who voted for this.

Still...

I have to admit, I'm pretty frightened by all of this. The right wing has been selling our government to corporations since Reagan. This is obvious. I don't understand how Americans are swallowing the rhetoric- that teachers are somehow to blame for our econimic problems and tax increases on billionaires is beyond the pale.

Unions are responsible for the five day work week, child labor laws, safe working conditions and so many other things Americans take for granted. This just doesn't make sense.

Bye, America. It was nice knowing you.