A reporter from the US magazine Circus who attended the legendarily debauched launch party for their 1978 album Jazz noted with surprise: “Brian May seems to be the true organiser of the night’s carnival.” Yet watching the film, you think: “God, imagine being in a band at the height of the most sybaritic decade in rock with this bunch of prigs.” Anyone with a passing interest in the band knows this is nonsense. It also seems to give him a taste for hedonism that makes him unreliable and unprofessional: according to the film, the rest of Queen seem to have spent the late 70s and 80s tutting and rolling their eyes at Mercury’s behaviour before demurely excusing themselves from whatever deranged bacchanal their singer was leading the charge at and going to bed early. You watch the film and think: 'God – imagineīeing in a band with this bunch of prigs' It drives a musical wedge between the band and their frontman, whose ideas for songs and styles are increasingly founded on his experiences in gay clubs and viewed as antithetical to the spirit of the band. His homosexuality leaves him lonely, unable to share his bandmates’ domestic happiness as they settle down into marriage and parenthood. It’s a film that seems to view the fact that Mercury was gay as little short of a tragedy. But its depiction of his sexuality is more troubling. We see Mercury facing down racist abuse while working as a baggage handler at Heathrow and from an audience member at an early gig. So much for the workings of the average mind.”īohemian Rhapsody isn’t bad on the issue of Mercury’s race, a subject usually ignored or dismissed as beside the point in the story of Queen. “Wow, they dig Monsieur Freddie and they call me queer. “ shouted, ‘Fuck off, you queer!’ at me,” recalled an incredulous Cope. In his autobiography Head On, Julian Cope recounts the experience of supporting Queen at Milton Keynes Bowl in 1982, as part of the Teardrop Explodes, and being showered with homophobic abuse by their fans. Perth contestant Scarlet Adams came under fire in March after images emerged of her performing in blackface in 2012 (she has apologised), while it was revealed online that Melbourne contestant Karen from Finance once had a tattoo of golliwog dolls (she has also apologised).‘They dig Monsieur Freddie and they call me queer’ Photograph: Anwar Hussein/Getty Down Under has already attracted controversy After the US version did Night of a Thousand Madonnas as a runway challenge, a Night of a Thousand Kylies seems inevitable. The first guest judges for the series have also been revealed: Taika Waititi and both Minogue sisters. Nicholson will be on hand every episode to translate local references for his fellow judges – although RuPaul, married to an Australian, already has a strong affection for our culture – and you can pretty much guarantee a Neighbours or Home & Away spoof. The Drag Race Down Under trailer already reveals glimpses of road signs featuring local fauna, a “Perth-onality” pun, and RuPaul’s famous workroom greeting has switched from “hello, hello, hello” to “g’day, g’day, g’day”. Drag Race Down Under will have a truly local flavourĮvery international edition of Drag Race has embraced the culture – both high and low – of its host nations.
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