August 28th – Put, Britney, Madonna, Christina and
Justin into the same news-flash and what have you got? Two things. Firstly, proof
positive that they’re in it for the self-promotion and the money and don’t care
how far they push back the social advancements that’ve been made; secondly,
their antics are quickly interrupted by a prolonged visit to the sick-bucket.
We've done this before, you and I, this thing that we all
have to guard against; the taking of things at face value with no introspection
or dissection as to the purpose of whatever it is we’re being told or shown is.
I’m really trying not to come over all nanny-state but we do have to pay
attention otherwise really fanciful things might happen to us, say, oh, I don’t
know…something really ridiculous like…like the government spying on us by
tapping into our E-mails and FB chats and such; not that it would ever happen
or anything but, you know, really wacky things like that. No, OK, bit extreme
but you get my drift. So at the risk of being accused of a real piece of
naval-gazing, I’d like to dissect and offer up the social complications
involved in that kiss (more questions
than answers, but you know me by now…and this is just my take on it; I have no
doubt you have your own). I reproduce it
first as writ.
‘On this day in 2003 at
the MTV Video Music Awards Britney Spears and Madonna share a big, juicy kiss during the opening
performance. Madonna then plants one on Christina Aguilera, but we only get a glimpse of it because
the director cuts to a shot of a thunderstruck Justin Timberlake in the audience.’
Firstly it’s an interesting style of
sensationalist language used in that bit of reportage; sort of sets the tone,
I’d say.
Next up. The on-going battle for same-sex
partnership recognition.
Don’t forget the UK
1) By openly advertising the purely sexual side of
such liaisons, both parties smothered all previous talk of such partnerships
being of a loving nature, of being about two people who wanted to be together,
of previous talk that had sought to dampen the Lesbo sluts together lobby.
2) Dressed as they were, the image of two women so
scantily clad and snogging each other (supposedly all men’s ultimate
fantasy…not mine; mine is, when I’m feeling particularly…you know…mine is of being able
to drink three mugs of tea, one after the other and not have to get up six times in the night, but, let that pass) the image of two women so scantily clad and snogging each other was cemented in the minds of many as the obvious rightness of having a top-shelf or one-handed
literature selection and page three open-season. You know, like, if it was OK for this
show of sexual bravado to be broadcast on a prime-time TV show then it’s OK to
have tits and bums (female in the main) on show in the newsagents’.
3) Like a persistent criminal appearing in the
dock for the umpteenth time, their appearance together also carried their previous with it. Madonna’s difficulties
with some venues on her 1990, Blonde
Ambition, tour when she simulated masturbation, her use of profanities to
crew on the tour when she was off-guard but on-mic, her publication of the
book, SEX, her reported levels of
arrogance and ill temper on tour and film set… (No, I’m not passing judgement
on these things; like it or lump it, this is the baggage she carried onto the
stage at the MTV awards) Britney’s adventures with tears, drugs, booze, tears,
cops, the paparazzi, tears, hairdressers, fights, attitude…tears… All of these
things joined them onstage and attached themselves to the tongue-in-throat
moment. What that added up to is a confirmation of the view taken by Sun-Man or Daily Star-Man, The view that same-sex love is all about shagging
and sensationalism. There was some reporting (probably by their PR people) that
the whole incident was unplanned…read on.
As an aside to all this, when Ms. Madonna kissed Ms.
Christina, how was it they could cut straight to the face of Mr. Timberlake? I
mean, they didn't switch off the camera when Ms. Madonna was kissing Ms. Britney so why do that for the Ms. Aguilera moment? I mean, it was a great
shot, right on target, no refocusing or camera swing but on the money, sort of
ready-set, if you follow…still, probably just luck.
What happens in these cases is that as much as we
fight it and deny it and particularly if we don’t question and rationalise it,
the lowest common denominator kicks into action and things are taken at face
value all helped along by the sensationalist press we live and love with and
that taken out of context, like domestic violence and 50 Shades… is it OK to just fuck someone, OK to trade off love for
lust in a public place with minors present, slap a woman about during sex?
Well,
Peter, now you’re being silly; you’re not thinking this through…
See what I mean?
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