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Last posts

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Channels the Ghost of Glam Rock: PART 2

Mónica Boixeda Barcelonian, Only-Be

We talked in an earlier article on the cult phenomenon inspired by the musical and the movie “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”, similar in some respects to the fan movement that sprang up around “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” In both cases the impact of the film was such that shortly after its premiere, fan clubs that regularly projected the film and sang while dressed as glamorously as their favourite characters got together. In the case of Hedwig, diehard fans of the film are called “Hedheads”, a nickname probably related to Hedwig´s huge blonde wig … In effect, during the film Hedwig´s fans appear at her concerts are with huge yellow polystyrene wigs as they pay tribute to Hedwig. Hedwig´s own name could have been chosen as a play on words, as “head wig ” literally means “wig “. At the Hedwig parties that happen worldwide, it is customary to project the film and dance and sing to the popular songs in the room, both during the projection as well as in some kind of karaoke later. There are usually hundreds of colourful gummy bears, like those in an important scene from the movie … Overall Hedwig parties are fun events, very frantic and crazy, which revive the glam spirit of this playful and transgressive movie. In Barcelona there are places that occasionally organize screenings of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” especially in alternative venues such as the Scorpion´s Nest http://www.nidodelescorpion.com, a basement of Raval in the recently held a full-fledged Hedwig party, complete with a screening of the film, good music, many costumes and a truly memorable performance by... read more

Hedwig and the angry inch channel the ghost of glam rock

Mónica Boixeda Berliner, Only-Be

Platform shoes, feather boas, exotic hairstyles and kilos of glitter … What do you get when you mix these ingredients, with good music and spice everything up with a spoonful of sexual ambiguity? Glam rock was a genre in which over the top stars like Marc Bolan, David Bowie-Ziggy Stardust and David Johansen triumphed. But if we could choose from among the glam of imaginary characters created by film and theatre, Hedwig, star of the cult film “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” would certainly be elected to the pantheon of Glam… The Hedwig phenomenon was born in 1998 as an off-Broadway musical, written by John Cameron Mitchell with music by Stephen Trask. The musical tells the story of Hedwig, a transsexual singer and the leader of glam-rock group called “The Angry Inch.” Hedwig monologues and songs explain his childhood as Hansel in East Berlin, a few years before the Wall fell, his youth in the U.S. after a disastrous sex change operation and a frustrated marriage, and his adulthood as a singer who relentlessly pursues Tommy Gnosis, a hugely successful rocker who may have stolen her songs … In 2001, the musical became a film, with the help of the John Cameron Mitchell, and shortly after its release it went on to win multiple awards, including the International Film Festival in Berlin and the Audience Award at Sundance. And, more importantly, it found favour among a large group of fans worldwide, who began to hold parties during which they masquerade as their favourite characters and sing along to the most popular songs (“The origin of love”, “Tear me down... read more

What we dream will happen in 2050

Mónica Boixeda Istanbulite, Only-Be

Clairvoyance is not a very exact science, in fact it’s not a science at all. But people keep making predictions about the future, because it is our nature to want to know and prepare for what might happen. According to a recent study, the life of the future will be very different from life as we know it today. The respondents feel that: 66% of people said that artificial arms and legs will be more powerful than natural arms and legs. Given that 58% believe that there will be another world war or nuclear attack before 2050, chances are, you will have an artificial limb if you survive until 2050. If these predictions seem very pessimistic, comfort yourself knowing that 71% of people say a cure for cancer will have been found by 2050. Economic conditions will be worse, according to the 58% who say the gap between rich and poor will increase. 86% believed that retirement age will be at age 70 years or even later. And that’s if a computer or a robot isn’t already doing your job … Science will advance to the point where robots and computers will be indistinguishable from people, according to 81% of the people. To find out all these changes, will have to read about it in a blog or see it on some sort of electronic device, because the respondents were pretty sure that paper news is about to go the way of the dinosaur. The best part of the future? We may have space alien friends, or go on holiday in a spaceship. When I read this survey, I... read more