Todrick Hall - "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" (information, video, & selected comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision: June 5, 2019 , 7:38 AM

This is Part I of a four part pancocojams series on Todrick Hall's "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" song and video.

This post presents an excerpt of an interview with Todrick Hall and showcases the official YouTube video of "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels". Selected general comments from the discussion thread for this video are also included in this post along with a link to this song's lyrics and a link to another video published by Todrick Hall entitled "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels - Behind The Scenes".

WARNING: This song contains profanity and other language that may be considered inappropriate for children.
Unfortunately, there's no clean version of this song available (yet?).
This post presents definitions of & comments about some of the gay lingo that is found in Todrick Hall's song "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels".

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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/06/online-definitions-of-article-excerpts.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents online definitions of, article excerpts, & comments about some of the gay lingo that is found in Todrick Hall's song "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels".

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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/06/examples-of-comments-from-youtube.html for Part III of this series. Part III presents some examples of comments from the discussion thread for the official music video for Todrick Hall's song "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" that refer to "wigs being snatched".

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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/06/examples-of-internet-jokes-question-how.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. Part IV presents some examples of the "Question - How many ___? Answer - Yes" jokes from the discussion thread for the official music video for Todrick Hall's "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels". Some comments that are part of these exchanges are also included in this post.

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The content of this post is provided for socio-cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Todrick Hall and all those who are associated with this video. Thanks also to Chris Malone, author of the article excerpt given below, and thanks to others who all those who are quoted in this post.
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This series is part of a larger ongoing pancocojams series that showcases the creativity of Gay cultures. Posts in that series can be assessed by clicking on the "Gay culture" tag that is given below. This post is also related to an ongoing pancocojams series on African American Vernacular English [AAVE]. Those posts can be assessed by clicking on the African American Vernacular English tag given below.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels by Todrick



todrickhall, Published on May 23, 2019
-snip-
Statistics as of June 4, 2018 at 3:21 PM
Total # of views -324,967
Total # of likes - 204,000
Total # of dislikes - 3,700
Total # of comments - 12,619
-snip-
Click https://genius.com/Todrick-hall-nails-hair-hips-heels-lyrics for the lyrics to this song.

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikq_CLlF4hU&t=1s for the YouTube video published by Todrick Hall entitled "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels - Behind The Scenes".

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ARTICLE EXCERPT:
From https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8512924/todrick-hall-interview-pride-month-haus-party
Todrick Hall Talks Pride Month, His Inspirational Fans & His New EP 'Haus Party, Pt. 1'; 5/23/2019 by https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8512924/todrick-hall-interview-pride-month-haus-partyhttps://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8512924/todrick-hall-interview-pride-month-haus-party
Todrick Hall Talks Pride Month, His Inspirational Fans & His New EP 'Haus Party, Pt. 1'
5/23/2019 by Chris Malone
“Todrick Hall is one of the hardest-working people in show business. The triple-threat artist often balances behemoth solo projects like his Straight Outta Oz and Forbidden visual albums with his duties as RuPaul’s Drag Race’s resident choreographer, and is now gearing up for a jam-packed Pride month.

Today, Hall is releasing Haus Party, Pt. 1, the first installment in a series of EPs he created specifically with the LGBTQ+ community in mind. Following the EP’s release, Hall will be headlining a dozen different Pride celebrations all around the country throughout the month of June, performing some of his favorite tracks from Haus Party, Pt. 1, along with some fan favorites, before embarking on a thirty-city tour later this fall.

To celebrate the release of this love letter to the LGBTQ+ community, Hall spoke with Billboard on why he wanted to create this project, why this Pride month specifically means so much to him, and what he hopes will inspire his fans who often inspire him.

[...]

Let's talk some more about the music on the EP. Besides “I Like Boys” What songs do you hope will resonate with fans?

Well, my favorite one is “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels.” That was such a random song. I was walking to get breakfast one morning and I just started writing the song. Most of the time I have a very clear narrative of where I'm going with the song, but this song came to me and it was just out the blue. And normally when I get a really random idea like that, I'd just shake it off and laugh to myself about it, but with this one, it was like really, really hauntingly catchy and I just kept singing it over and over and over again. It was difficult to say at first, but then I started being like, “I think people would actually like this song because I don't have a beat or anything in my head and the song is still catchy.”

When I first started going through the club before I was even old enough, any time “Get Me Bodied” by Beyoncé would come on, the floor would be completely flooded with people. It was like Simba being in the stampede with the wildebeests; you could not get to the dance floor fast enough to do your version of the dance, specifically when it got to the end of the song. Gay people love that song -- and it wasn't even made specifically for us and our community, but so many of the things we popularized were there. “Snap for the kids” and “Pat your weave” and “Do your Naomi Campbell walk” were some of the things that drag queens and people who were part of the queer community had clearly taught to Beyoncé and that she had seen.

I don't remember a song coming out since then that I've been that excited to see when it came on at the club, and I was like, “I want [‘Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels’] to be that song.” When it gets to the second half of the song, I want everybody to run to the dance floor and know all of the moves to do. So that's the song I'm the most excited about, because if it does what I hope it does, it will become like an LGBTQ+ phenomenon. That's what I'm hoping for."...

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SELECTED GENERAL COMMENTS* FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THE OFFICIAL YOUTUBE VIDEO OF TODRICK HALL'S "HAIR,HAIR, HIPS, HEELS" (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
Note: I didn't read all of the comments in this discussion thread, but I read a lot of those comments. I selected these comments for their informational, socio-cultural, and/or witty/entertainment value/s.

All of these comments are from May 23, 2019 to June 4, 2019, and are given in relative chronological order excerpt for replies.

*These comments don't include examples from the two sub-categories of comments that are showcased in Part II and Part III of this pancocojams series.
1. Britney Lee
"If you don't understand this language then we can't be friends"

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2. Maria Wool
"Okey I am russian

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3. Guilherme Albuquerque
"Aff, i'm brazilian"

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4. Not a prodigy!
"I'm Brazillian and I understood almost everything..."

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5. Greder23
"That's...not what she means, guys. Not understanding english, understanding the fierce sassiness of the rhythm, lyrics and dancing."

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6. Sean J
"guys she mean the gay lingo lool guuurl!!"

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7. Greder23
"@Britney Lee no problem, darling, it was a light read. 💅🏿"

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8. Theory Guy
"Not every gay guy speaks like that.
Its really a stereotype that hes feeding right into. Tbh"

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9. Sean J
"@Theory Guy n we love it thats why we here!"

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10. jordan pastry
"Shablam"

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11. Arthur Adams
" "shablam" is the new "hi""

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12. Enrique Castillo
"Gay culture is having this inner strength that no one gets, only you do"

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13. Toby Toast
"Yas queen"

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14. Theory Guy
"@Jaken Lich12 oh i got the joke, its just i didnt think it was a funny joke."

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15. Consuela Lemon
"@Sean J It isn't "gay" lingo. It's specifically black and latino lgbt lingo from the ballroom scene."

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16. Sean J
"@Consuela Lemon if u wanna be specific .. sure. Gay lingo is and has always been borne out of urban settings...free for all to use."

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17. LOL LOL
"All you people talking about how your russian and brazillian she means if you dint understand the slang and sass😂"

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18. foiv1
" "I don't play, I slay"

my new favorite catchphrase"

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19. Diana Martinez
"The first time I heard it: I like it!
The second time I heard it: I LOVE it!
The third time: THIS IS AN ANTHEM!!!!"

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20. Lauren Cook
"I love the evolution of todrick. From singing in Burger King to this. Sis, work."

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21. Natural4CHairPassion
"Vogue has been redefined. Thank you Todrick Hall for reclaiming it."
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"Vogue" here refers to the dance form known as "voguing". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/08/voguing-death-drops-death-drops-in.html for a 2014 pancocojams post entitled "Voguing Death Drops & Death Drops In Other Performing Arts (information, speculation & examples)"

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22. Lovechild84 Booming
"Redefined what are you even talking about how can you redefine something that is already thriving and flourishing"

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23. Natural4CHairPassion
"@Lovechild84 Booming this has the feel of the oldschool underground voguing in the 60's-80's. The scene had changed, and this brings it back, with a modern twist.

Art styles get redefined on a regular. I love the imeragery this envokes!"

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24. Lovechild84 Booming
"Natural4CHairPassion i think your wording just made it sound as if vogue was irrelevant but the present scene is thriving it’s changed to fit this generation"

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25. Natural4CHairPassion
"@Lovechild84 Booming the original vogue evolved into what is now. Vogue now is a wonderful amalgamation of cultures, history, dance styles, and the struggle of LGBTQ2+.
This song brings back the undergroundness of the original Vogue. The fact that most of the dancers are African American feels like an homage to the originals of Vogue, their struggle, and the fact that men were not supposed to love men.
To me, it elicits nostalgia."

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26. dimas rafael rodriguez
"This power ranger reunion was so sassy, i loved it"

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27. jodem7
"dimas rafael rodriguez 🤣🤣🤣🤣💀💀"

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28. 천사 NOIR
"I DIED"

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29. Yoyo Fred
"😂🤣🤣"

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30. Rubie Ketsal
"The intro drew me in, but the on-point choreography and the song had me beyond hooked!"

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31. vlog on a buget
"This would be a great zumba class i would 100 percent go to"

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32. Kent Mattern
"I would love that!"

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33. RanchoFundo
"Have some respect for the gay art"

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34. Wilbur J
"My husband is a Zumba Instructor and by the guidelines they technically aren't supposed to use music with curse words in it. Many do tho... He wanted to get Dem Beats but its got cuss words..."

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35. HomeztuckTrazh 413
"Gay Zumba"

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36. Natasha Garcia
"Oh my god right?!"

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37. Guillermo Carvajal
"What kind of Black Panther suits are those? LOVED IT!"

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38. ellie
"Remember Head, shoulders, knees, and toes? This is her now.

Feel old yet?"

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39. Remy Cheonsa
"I'm laughing so hard omg 🤣"

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40. Hiuska
"I AM HOWLING"

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41. Chris German
1 week ago
ellie wow! Only a few hours later and your comment is over 1k likes and trending lol

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42. ellie
"@Chris German hahahaha, me too! I just went to bed, woke up, and it's already a thousand likes. I'm honestly overwhelmed. Hahahaha"
-snip-
As of 4:26 PM on June 4, 2019 that comment by Ellie has 8.9K likes and 1 dislike.

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43. Reece Williams
"I'm just imaging little kids doing this now in class 😂"

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44. Lil Kay
"You win the comments section"

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45. jordan pastry
"GARL!.... dam that's funny"

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46. Dean Merritt
"Baby graduated 😂"

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47. *•Gacha Lune•*
"SHE TURNED INTO A BADDIE!!"

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48. rachel kiarie
"Yaass , Imma do head, shoulder , knees and toes like this from now on."

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49. Joelle Priscilla Estrera
"This is probably the gayest workout music there is. I love it."

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50. Muzingaye Thaka
"😂😂😂😂😂idk why i died to this"

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51. Cheyenne Ellzey
"Joelle Priscilla Estrera hey we are gonna get fit the fabulous way."

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52. Lesley K
"As soon as I heard this -- this workout gunna kill me."

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53. Yue Zhan
"yeaaa gonna be my workout music too and I’m not even gay😂😂"

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54. Jaemin Jung
"This song is such a bop I literally lost it. LMAO "You're doing great sweetie!!" 😂😂😍"

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55. DarkStar 2225
"You did THAT PERIOD!!!!!!!!"

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56. Boo Johnstun
"A drag queen Cha-Cha Slide. And we are living for it"

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57. Sugarsh0ck 13
"Loving the look of this new Power rangers movie.


Love Todrick!"

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58. Faith
"The fact that he sticked on fake nails to those gloves just makes this whole Video perfect😂♥️"

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59. Ashley Taylor
"Omg this choreography is sickening!!! 😍"

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60. Jared Lum
"I, for real, just love the YASness and aesthetics of this video. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥"

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61. Julie Morales
"The impact that this has, the slayage this has, the production level this has, the importance that this has, PERIODT! 🔥🔥🔥 Where can I sign up?!"

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62. Just Pose Queen 😍😍😍
"Ballroom Fever is in da House

Greetings from Cologne Guuuuuuuuuurl 😘"

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63. Setiawan Jodi
"This is super gay.






and i live for that .


slayyyyy mama..."

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64. DarkStar 2225
"You did THAT PERIOD!!!!!!!!
No if’s, and’s or but’s PERIOD!!!!"

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65. Susie W.
"Welcome to the 2019 version of the 'Head, shoulders, knees and toes' song. Enjoy."

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66. RobertLoveLiveLife
"In time for Pride Month. Nice to see him use so many QPoC seeing how this is our culture. Werk Todrick!"

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67. Jenny Boom
"Yesssssss!!! This video is poppin!! WERK Todrick!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️"

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68. Keifer Bellajaro
"This is what Black Panther would look like if he was part of the LGBTQ+ community"

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69. Crystal Bruno
"Keifer Bellajaro OMG, I was thinking the same! 😎😎"

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70. Trimaine Elliott
"😂😂😂😂😂😂"

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71. Sharon Mahana
"I cant unsee it"

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72. Deyoncé W
"Lol Rainbow Kat 😂😂😂"

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73. Mario Fuertes Muñiz
"This is the true Black Panther!"

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74. ii_Graysxn
"😂😂❤️❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈"

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75. ERIN PYPER
"Keifer Bellajaro, FACTS! 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥"

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76. Zzz Zz
"Rainbow panther!!"

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77. Asakei Alel
"pink panther"

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78. Photobomb
"* steps out of the portal with his entire nation *"

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79. Anna Roy
"😂😂😂😂"

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80. Jae L.
"I'm weakened by this comment lmfaooooooo"

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81. Julio Rojas
"Keifer Bellajaro I live for these comments 🤣🤣🤣"

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82. Liz like friz
"Truuuuue! See him running into battle in stilletos lmao"

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83. Nina Eripete
"Yassssss🤣🤣"

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84. Gregory Ray Dorff
"T'Challa chants: "Yibambe"
Wakanda warriors: "Yaaaaaaaaassss" ...Fan Sound
T'Challa chants: "Yibambe"
Wakanda warriors: "Yaaaaaaaassssss"....Fan Sound"

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85. EnniK Dance
"Who's to say that Black Panther ISN'T part of LGBTQ+?"

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86. Amiera Rice
"U RIGHT 😂😂"

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87. C. Kelly
"Period 💁🏾‍♂️"

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88. Jared Lum
"The pride parade in Wakanda is gonna be lit! 🔥🔥🔥"

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89. Lady Red
"@PhotoBomb 😄"

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90. Zia Sia
"This Song n Vid actually made me feel emotionally strong n confident bout myslf.. This oozes positivity n m feel proud to be Me.. Love it!!!!"

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91. JodiiAmber
"This video is beyond anything I've ever seen. It's giving me life! 👏"

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92. Ms TeaKnee
"My jaw is on the floor!!! YOU ARE A STAR BABE!!"

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93. Tyi Blackmon
"Watch this every time I need some positive energy"

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94. Shaunie James
"Yyyyaaassss Queen you did that... My summer banger 2019... I don’t play I slay 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥"

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95. Amya Enlow
"I STAN QUEEN TODRICK YASSS QUEEN 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🥰😍😍‼️🥵"

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96. tashabear16
"This gave me all types of life yaaaaaaaassssssss!!! 💃💃💃🎶🎶"

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97. S Monique
"You’ve got me!! Updating my curriculum: goodbye head and shoulders, knees and toes! Hello Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels!! Best deliciously gay video ever!! I love it💥"

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98. Rose Salvatori
"Always amazed by the choreography Todric. I stan."

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99. Jackie H
"Youtube Recommendations came THROUGH! 👏🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥"

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100. Rieko Crowe
"My favorite was blink for these how's
OMG I LOVE IT!!!! This Sooo going on my music list."

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101. Dee Jay
"This is both the gayest and greatest thing I’ve ever seen in my life"

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102. V. Scott
"Dee Jay if this is the gayest thing you've ever seen, let me tell you you are living a sheltered life."

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103. Alejandro Blanco
"hanny, pls move to LA and go to hamburger mary'and 33 on a saturday night and you will LIVE"

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104. Eric Hufford
"Seriously? Guys dancing in heels is like day 4 of week 1 of gay 101 and this is actually kinda basic"

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105. Cyan N
"I love how when he says "sashay" they do a chase. I love word play. (im just being a nerd ignore me)"

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106. Forsaken
"Sisters' anthem. This is as iconic as YMCA. I pray this song makes history in the same way."

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107. monica gloom
"This is the gay cha cha slide I didn't know I NEEDED"

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108. Chiara Weiss
"I don't know why, but I can't stop watchin this! It's just so awsome xD"

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109. Selma Doll
"very this."

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110. Juan McCrory
"Come thru Todrick! I loved every second of this. ❤️"

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111. Carnaisha Baby
"Best version of Simon Says ever"

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112. King Tunchi
"I'm so proud of him he made our community proud thanks"

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113. K Qualls
"This is like the gay cha cha slide...I love this man 🤦🏾‍♂️"

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114. Aidan De Bruno Austin
"K Qualls the cha cha slide is already gay girl 😂😌"

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115. K Qualls
"@Aidan De Bruno Austin u know what...your rite🤣"

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116. Kelly B Creation
"Omg yass this gave me life hunty!"

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117. Jack
"I love it, I love them, I can't stop playing it. This is everything"

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118. Lady Dusk
"Happy pride month!! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜"


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119. Not Carlie
"Y'all failed he didn't say Simon Says."

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120. Shemaine Fox -Pickens
"Omggggggggg!!!!! Yaaasssssssss Toddy!!!! Give the world LIFE HUNTY!!!!!! I love you to the GAWDS and BACK!! Please come back to Charlotte!!!"

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121. kanamekuran23
"I love the DIVERSITY"

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122. Kiki Qbaum
"This is the definition of Fabulous"

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123. Kyle Hearman
"This song is literally a gay dictionary lmao"

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124. Adora
"this is gonna be the drag linedance and i love it"

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125. Emy Pierre-Louis - Taeddie
"I don't dance, I WORK.
I don't play, I SLAY.
Words to live by."

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126. Rebecca Archibold
"How is this video so simple, complex, chaotic and organized at the same time?? Pure art, we stan"

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127. Michael De La Cruz
"MISS THING, this is my new anthem, my new walking tempo, my new EVERYTHING until your next work"

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128. Oh God
"So this what blackpanter did after End game. Oh yes we stan!"

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129. John Laurens
"Oh God 😂😂😂"

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130. Jordan Rayner
"This needs to be a lipsync for Drag Race"
-snip-
"Drag Race" refers to the television series RuPaul's Dray Race.

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131. Julie Morales
"The impact that this has, the slayage this has, the production level this has, the importance that this has, PERIODT! 🔥🔥🔥 Where can I sign up?!"

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132. Wig
"Iconic"

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133. Elizabeth Sinclair
"I agree would be great for a lip sync"

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134. Ralph Richter
"Im sure they' re gonna use it!"

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135. Cameron Shaw
"It will be."

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136. Brace Face Lace
"This would be a tough song to lip sync but yass they need to do this song"

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137. nanami akemi
"Black Panther: My costume is classy enough, nothing could be better
Todrick: Hold my heels"

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138. Teru _
""I'm livin for the nails over the gloves 😂"

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139. Jalen
"They gay Power Rangers preping for battle lol I can dig it! Been a while since I've watch a TH Vid."

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140. Carrie Like the Movie
"I absolutely love this! I suddenly found myself whipping out my fan and shablamming! And I felt absolutely fabulous doing it!"

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141. Klára Skořepová
"How do I suddenly feel so fabulous after watching this?"

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142. Monica Stewart
"I know right?!

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This concludes Part I of this three part pancocojams series on Todrick Hall's song & video "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels".

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Attitudes About Homosexuality In A Discussion Thread For A South African Music Video

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post documents attitudes about homosexuality in a discussion thread for the 2013 YouTube video "Khona" by Mafikizolo featuring Uhuru.

The official video for that song is also embedded in this post along with brief information about what that song means.

An excerpt from an online article about homosexuality in South Africa is provided as background before that video and comment compilation.

****
The content of this post is presented for historical, sociological, and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in or are associated with the production of this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

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EXCERPT FROM WIKIPEDIA PAGE ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_South_Africa "LGBT rights in South Africa"
"South Africa has a complex and diverse history regarding LGBT rights. The legal and social status of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people has been influenced by a combination of traditional South African mores, colonialism, and the lingering effects of apartheid and the human rights movement that contributed to its abolition. South Africa's post-apartheid constitution was the first in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and South Africa was the fifth country in the world, and the first—and, to date, only—in Africa, to legalise same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples can also adopt children jointly, and also arrange IVF and surrogacy treatments. Nevertheless, LGBT South Africans continue to face considerable challenges, including social stigma, homophobic violence (particularly corrective rape), and high rates of HIV/AIDS infection."...

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Official MAFIKIZOLO ft Uhuru KHONA



Kalawa Jazmee Published on Apr 19, 2013

KALAWA JAZMEE RECORDS PRESENTS MAFIKIZOLO KHONA
-snip-
This video presents the award winning South African duo Mafikizolo featuring Uhuru, another South African vocalist. This genre of music is called "Afro House" and Zulu is the language that is used for this song.

As of the date and time of this post's publication, this video has received 7,437,123 total views and has 2,926 comments.

Here's one comment from that video's discussion thread about the group Mafikizolo:
TheLoxionKasie, 2014
..."Mafikizolo came out when there were a lot of bigger stars in the Kwaito music scene in South Africa. Their roots are kwaito, but this is obviously house music. To understand South African house, it helps to read up on the music of the 80s, then kwaito (which really was house beats slowed down) and then the re-emergence of house proper in Pretoria in the late 80s/early 90s."

****
Here are four comments that provide explanations in English about the song's title and its overall meaning:
Chelseababe 1, 2015
..."Khona means “there” in Zulu (South Africa) and [the song] is about getting their love back from someone they once loved."...

**
kelsey sinkala, 2014
"For those that want to know what Khona means here it goes: it means "There or that place,so all of them that are there or [in] that sad place should come back.It is a sad plea. It is a unification of their sad experiences as individuals . So their calling back their long lost loved ones to come back.

Where is my love?
Please return it,
To where you found it
I want it to return to me,
From that place.

So that is the basic gist of the song.Hope that helps."

**
DeeNutella Styles, 2016 [written in response to a question about the meaning of the word "khona"]
""where is my love”
cela ulibuyisele – “Please return it”
Lapho ulithathe – “where you took it”
Ngiyalifuna – “where it came from”
Lapho liphuma – “where is arose”
Ngiyalifun – “I want it”
Libuyisele, sele – “Return it”"

**
Kitte Kat, 2016
"Khona is a sad plea, being an euphemism for death’s hades and cracks of a broken heart. About loved ones gone and a plea to come back. One of the Trio of Mafikizolo, Tebogo Madingoane was shot after an argument. Theo Kgosinkwe lost his love; Rose, who is either his sister, daughter or lover. Nhlanhla Nciza, the beautiful lady singer lost her 5 year old daughter in a car accident. Uhuru sings about his deceased mum. For more info and the lyrics http://www.nairaland.com/1518502/khona-mafikizolo-actually-song-dead "khona’ By Mafikizolo Is Actually A Song For The Dead".

****
SELECTED COMMENTS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE YOUTUBE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THE OFFICIAL VIDEO OF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhk52GlkhVA

Pancocojams Editor's Notes
Most of the comments in that video's complete discussion thread don't refer to the subject of homosexuality. Instead, most of the commenters praise the vocalists, dancers, the song, and the video production, and indicate that "Mafikizolo's record "Khona" is a mega hit in their nations.

This compilation presents a representative portion of individual comments and sub-thread comments (comments plus replies) from that discussion thread and doesn't purport to include all of the comments to date (September 11, 2016) that refer to the subject of homosexuality.

Because this compilation is representative of the wide range of comments about homosexuality in that discussion thead, I've included comments that are quite homophobic. By no means am I supportive of the attitudes and opinions expressed by those homophobic commenters.

Some commenters use the referents "fags" or "faggots". For the record, I don't support the use of those pejorative referents.

Some comments include profanity. As per the policies of this blog, I've used amended spelling for profanity. However, for this specific pancocojams post, I've retained the amended spelling for profanity that some commenters used.

With regard to demographics, it's likely that most if not all of the commenters are Black men or Black women. In one of these comments, a blogger indicates that everyone participating in that video discussion is Black. That is likely not true- and certainly can't be proven given that participants in YouTube discussion threads may be anonymous and may post under another person's name, even if that person's profile picture is Black. Also participation in any YouTube discussion thread is free and open to anyone who signs into that internet website.. For example, read this comment from Kamile Gae (2016)
"Im white but I always felt inlove with African beat and music Its so attracting and effective with big power of rhythm and beat :) And dont understand also what they say but Its makes me to learn of this language to be able to sing as well as they do"
-snip-
Although they may not be included in this compilation, I recall reading comments from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. These comments may often consist of only the blogger's name and their nation's name. Those "shout outs" demonstrate that the song under discussion is known in that particular nation.

Also, the fact that these comments are from a YouTube discussion thread for a South African music video doesn't mean that all the commenters in that discussion are from the nation of South Africa. That said, it's likely that a large number of the participants are from South Africa. And it's also likely that most of the participants are from some African nation as indicated in their comments. But, based on their comments, at least two commenters are from the United States and at least one commenter is from the UK.

****
These comments are presented in chronological order with the oldest comments given first except for replies. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order.

I've assigned numbers for referencing purposes only.

2014
1. bigboyvit mbiko
"Not proud that too much the Gay dancers at the beginning irritates our pure black culture otherwise its great."

**
2.TeanoZ
"WTF?

Homosexuality isn't a cultural thing! Its Biological!"

**
3. bigboyvit mbiko
"Don't put a comment if u find this post homophobic I repeat"

**
4. bigboyvit mbiko
"+TeanoZ since when it's been bilogical?? Was this the Freedom that Mandela fought for us even God created man to be man woman to be woman"

** 
5. TeanoZ
"Homosexuality has always been around, it's not a new thing!

And don't dare bring Mandela into this matter, he fought for FREEDOM and Human Rights, not the discrimination of people based on sexuality!

Gay men are still men! Gender is determined by ones sexual organs, not by who they chose to sleep with!

**
6. bigboyvit mbiko
"+TeanoZ have you ever search on YouTube to find out whether heaven or hell exist?? If u haven't then search for videos of people who said God showed them hell you be so shocked if you watch these videos take all of them and compare them to see who's lying,you even gonna find an African testimony which is similar to an American testimony Hell is real don't adopt western thoughts of setting sin to freedom,everything that is not associated with the word is sin, not only Homosexuality God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for many reasons.Had it been there wasn't a place like hell I would have said let sinners have rights.. "

**
7. bigboyvit mbiko
"Africans went through slavery why should they receive the torment of Gods wrath don't just allow anything to destroy you completely wake up."

**
8. Boitumelo Mak
"+bigboyvit mbiko Actually South Africa's post-apartheid constitution was the first in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and South Africa was the fifth country in the world, and the first in Africa, to legalise same-sex marriage...so yes that is exactly the sort of Freedom Nelson fought for...that was his constitution. Please do not bring Nelson into this if you r going to say such ignorant things"

**
.....
[Commenter Adekunle Abiodun used a lot of profanity to basically say that people shouldn't care who someone else has sex with.]

**
9. bigboyvit mbiko
"+Adekunle Abiodun it has something to do with culture tho it's not common in other EUROPEAN countries it's only For America and UK, I've been all over Europe you can't see a gay couple in Germany,swizz,Poland,Spain or in some European countries and they don't give any hints about homosexuality,they only tell you Africans to agree that because they give us Aid,do u think OBAMA OR CAMERON would tell Germany or Russia to push the Gay Agenda wouldn't that be imperialism?? You need to read more books all travel the world to see different cultures,most people can't speak or write English we Africans are better than them 4 example East Europeans,they were never colonized by west there countries were powerful in those days,its only we Africans who can't stand for ourselves because they give us books to read and they taught English they want to control to Control us,since when have we Africans come open to be gay?? Is it cause we watching American and British programs or did it come from our ancestors or is it in our mind or are we brain washed??"

**
10. TeanoZ
"+bigboyvit mbiko Homosexuality is extremely prevalent in Europe!

One of the German Ministers in government is gay. The Netherlands is one of the "gay capitals" of the world. In fact, same sex marriage is recognized in ALL of Western Europe.

You're obviously not as well traveled as you claim!"

** 
11. Sarfaraz Hussein Merchant
"+bigboyvit mbiko No sociologist, psychologist or scientist would agree with you. Homophobia is an example cultural imperialism imposed on Africans through religion. "

**
....
[Another statement from bigboyvit mbiko such as those given above.]

**
12. Victor 'Simar
"Bigots like you irritate our pure Black culture. Hateful disgraceful creature!"

**
13. bigboyvit mbiko
"Irritate in what way mate muslims dont take acohol or eat pork has anyone protested on why they should do that. our pure black culture is not homosexual,we were enslaved and colonized that's why we are lost,have u ever seen anyone in the middle east telling You that there gay??? Don't be ridiculous"

** 
14. Joshua Boole
"+bigboyvit mbiko pretty sure there is a death penalty for being "gay" in most of "the middle east"

Stands to reason they wouldn't bring up the fact with much of anyone."

**
15. Sphamandla Zulu
"Didn't see gay dancers, I just saw dancers. Don't be that person guy"

**
16. bigboyvit mbiko
"If I dint see any gay dancers then why was I arguing with People"

**
17. Baby T
"+bigboyvit mbiko you don't just wake up one morning to be gay. Its not a disease that's you can turn on or of or spread. No country is to blame for the influence of homosexuality. The reason why some people are afraid to come out gay in Africa is because of uneducated ignorant people like you. And BTW I'm a lesbian and African and proud. Oops come at me bro!"

**
18. bigboyvit mbiko
"The only way you show more ignorance is when you copy things from somewhere I dispute all the Bullsh&t* that your talking about When God made u woman he knew that there were men outthere unless you wanna live like English or Americans and end up in hell because them they even say that God doesn't exist plus I live in UK I know the whole truth behind this Gay thing."
-snip-
*The complete spelling is used for this word in that comment.

**
19. bigboyvit mbiko
"+Atari Viktoria Promoting Gay culture in Africa is what has brought Boko Haram,r u happy with that?? Boko Haram means Against western education"

** 
20. Baby T
"+bigboyvit mbiko boko haram has other reasons to attack not just gays. But what is the relevance between homosexuality and education?"

**
21. bigboyvit mbiko
"The relevance between homosexuality and education?? Have you forgot that you just said I was ignorant where did you get that From?? Education means learning. Education is not only school If you live in Places like America or UK they're now teaching people about Homosexuality about Homophobia and all that,On Boko Haram,did you recently heard that Nigeria Banned Homosexulity?? The main reason behind was the rise of extremist who are against the Government by allowing Gay activities in there country it would let to the rise of Terror and Extremist."

**
22. Mihir shah
"+bigboyvit mbiko hi dummy. did you know white people fooled you africans into believing god said this and god said that. god himself hasnt done a great job by giving birth to an incompetent race. You see when you don't remember that it was colonialism that brought you this fake religion of yours that they themselves don't follow because they realised its utter bullsh&t*. you my friend are a bigotted and misinformed person about life in general. whatever knowledge you have gained from the bible is actually just a story. I really hope you are not catholic. its not gays that have brought out boko haram. you live in the uk and are claiming you know a lot and western education is ruining africa. I am sorry to tell you its not. If you live in the Uk and not africa, Please do not speak on behalf of all the africans who actually do live here unlike you who ran away. Please keep your ignorant brain at bay so your fingers don't end up typing something stupid like you just have.
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in that comment.

That sub- thread includes several more comments in which bigboyvit mbiko insults Mihir shah writing "your name doesn't sound like African you seem Asian".

bigboyvit mbiko further writes "your the one who must stay away from this forum stop the Prejudice and unravel your stupid tantrum.I have the right to express my views with issues concerning Africa and that does not mean am speaking on behalf of Africans."

bigboyvit mbiko also writes that he bets that Mihir shah is an Indian and says "their Hindu religion means that they should "bow down to animals" and they want to "take Africa as yours"...

To date, that sub-thread ends with that comment.

**
23. Jayb Bee
"Gay ass video"

**
Reply
24. Jayb Bee
"Yea... gay video"

**
Reply
25. Jayb Bee
"Yea... gay video"

**
Reply
26. alwayz
"+Jayb Bee such an awesome song and all you can say is " gay video ? " Not shallow at all !"

**
Reply
27. simamukele khanyile
"get one person to sign u, compose a hit song and make a video that will at least get you 500 000 views on Youtube, then u can judge which videos are gay and which are not, but until then, get a life and take off those glasses, ngathi igwinya elishile elidayisa emgaqweni..."
-snip-
These Zulu words may be profanity.

**
Reply
28. Jayb Bee
"F&&k* yu always.... gay ass too"

**
Reply
29. Jayb Bee
"+alwayz f&&k* yu
-snip-
*The complete spelling is used in this comment.

**
Reply
30. simamukele khanyile
"* waiting for the hit song *"

**
Reply
31. Jayb Bee
"+simamukele khanyile w/o maame tw3.... stupid fool... such people's promoting gay in Africa. .. fire burn yu... aboa kwa..."
-snip-
These last two words may be profanity.
This is all the comments in that particular sub-thread.

**
32. Adnan Kashogi
"South Africa has a gay problem"

**
Reply
33. msawenkosi mkhize
"Yes it's not an African culture but we can't wish them away can we? Anyways they are not killing any1 so lets leave them be. It's their lives, they should spend them as they see fit."

**
Reply
34, Tsholofelo Ranyane
"The rest of Africa has a "institutionalizing the ostracizing/imprisoning/killing of people for their sexual preferences" problem. This makes me glad to be a South African living in South Africa :)"

**
Reply
35. somrazy3
"+Tsholofelo Ranyane
Thank you so much!"

**
Reply
36. msawenkosi mkhize
"For what somrazy?"

**
Reply
37. Black NinjaHD
"you racist"

**
Reply
38. msawenkosi mkhize
"Chikenbone Shifu. What the hell are you talking about? It's all black people talking here. Besides, nobody said anything about race."

** 
Reply
39. Shirley Mlotywa
"loool dude what are u talking about"

**
Reply
40. Emmanuel Campbell
"+msawenkosiiiP mkhize"
-snip-
This is the end of that particular sub-thread to date.

**
41. Victorine M.
"I love the the dance moves that are in this video :) #TeamAfrica But what are those gay dancers doing in a African music video ?"

**
42. xMaNrEbOrN78
"This is my favourite African song this year! Killer bass! Though the crazy looking guy kinda weirded me out...well that and the guys dancing in drag lol. Awesome video nonetheless"

**
43. MrSivram28
"South Africa has too many gays. Geez"

**
44. gwandumi mtuhuru
"thoz gay mothafakaz ruined the video....what african we have become? disgusting!"

**
Reply
45. Terence Makapan
"Go climb back in the hole from which you came you ignorant fool."

**
Reply
46. Sbonelo Thusi
"lol you have ruined the comments with your hatred toward people"

**
Reply
47. gwandumi mtuhuru
"r u gay too? my bad...ofcoz i hate em so what?"

**
Reply
48. gwandumi mtuhuru
"+Terence Makapan
and go fuk yourself fag...."
-snip-
This is all the comments to date in that particular sub-thread.

**
49. battementtendu88
"AMAZING!!!! LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL BLACK PEOPLE...I LOVE US..EVERY SINGLE ONE...GAY STRAIGHT BISEXUAL TRAN SEXUAL, WE'RE HERE!!!"

**
50. Willi Hoeseb
"I see you guys can serve it too, I see my Gays working that floor, you better Work!!! I am so proud of South Africa to be the first country in Africa to recognize Gay rights and feature their artist in stuff like this.I wish Mafikizolo could come out to USA and Bless us here with some of that lava from Home!!! This Singers are awesome, great song will promote it around here in the USA, Will have a friend play it at his club!!! Glad they moved into Tribal House then stick to Kwaito, either way they still Rock!!!"
-snip-
"Tribal House" appears to be a less often use and not as accepted term for "Afro House" (music genre).

**
51. Pandora
"Too much homo in South Africa,very very sad"

**
Reply
52. Mzansi4sho
"+Pandora It's everywhere... It's just that in South Africa it's protected by the constitution that's why you see more of it. All countries have it"
-snip-
That is the end of that particular comment exchange to date.

****
2015
53. Mohamad Gamal
"It's strong music as hell but what about gays"

**
54. Zediyah Prods
"The guys in gold are dressed like fags, dont understand it"

**
55. simbasugu
"There is a gayy theme going on here. Sad."

**
56. Zintle Mvana
"For everyone saying the video is gay, it's not. The dancers are however.South Africans will remember them from Step UP or step Out season 2, their name is VINTAGE"

**
57. ooperdoopersnails
"On no gay people! They are taking over the world! Save me!
Some on the comments on this video are incredible. Y'all need to chill out and worry less."

** 
Reply
58. Lopanto Lulu
"+sooperdoopersnails not taking over, just ruining a classy video."

**
Reply
59. Straw Bee [2016]
"+Lopanto Lulu I think it's people like you who are classless"

**
Reply
60. Lopanto Lulu [2016]
"+Timothy Otieno Sorry I forgot how classy it was to lust after another mans hairy butthole."
-snip-
This is all the comments to date in that particular sub-thread.

**
61. James Kiawu
"This whole video is 65% Gay..Get this right..."

**
Reply
62. luesInMySoul
"+James Kiawu RIGHT! I thought they frowned upon that sort of thing. It was HELLA gay!"

**
Reply
63. Tai Tai
"+BluesInMySoul clearly there is a lack of appreciation lurking here. Classy."

**
Reply
64. BluesInMySoul
"Who the hell are you to tell me what I should appreciate?"

** 
Reply
65. Tai Tai
"But, you see, I didn't tell you what to appreciate. No need for animosity. Stay happy. ✌"

** 
Reply
66. BluesInMySoul
"You are annoying."

** 
Reply
67. Quinton Mtyala
"+James Kiawu In South Africa you can be who you want to be, you are protected by the laws of the country. We have freedom of speech and association...no-one dictates to you what you do in the privacy of your own home."

**
Reply
68. James Kiawu
"+Obese Burn Victim That up to you and Jacob Zuma...who care about that fake freedom of speech!! Freedom is dangerous to some extent....It is the same freedom of speech that led you people to upgrade your intention concerning Xenophobia!!!!"
-snip-
"Obese Burn Victim" must have changed his screen name to "Quinton Mtyala".

**
Reply
69. James Kiawu
"+Tai Kurosaki But who are you to tell someone to appreciate this kind of crap....this video is gay..take 8 or leave it....."

**
Reply
70. James Kiawu
"+BluesInMySoul They don frown on it..they kill people recently during the xenophobia, just few months ago!! then they will frown against gay activities.....They suckkkkssss"

**
Reply
71. Tai Tai
"+James Kiawu If you read my comment carefully and with precision, you would have clearly seen that I did not tell anyone to appreciate anything. There is a distinct difference between stating a simple fact and forcing it upon another individual. Take 8 or leave it. "

**
Reply
72. James Kiawu1 year ago
"Okay I got this Tai Kurosaki..You such a respectful person..some people will come back insulting and saying crappy things,but naaaah that not you..stay calm, be blezzzzz Gurl."

**
Reply
73. Quinton Mtyala
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with gay people. They're part of our society, we should not discriminate against them or any social minority. In South Africa no one mentioned that the dancers could possibly be gay we just enjoyed the music video. "

**
Reply
74. James Kiawu
"That up to you and your xenophobia people..are you gay?? If yes, then no quams....hope you have self-esteem doing it."

** 
Reply
75. Quinton Mtyala
"Not gay but I don't like discrimination. This video has no relation to xenophobia. South Africa is always welcoming to foreignersunless they come here to commit crime. If your peaceful you should come and visit South Africa. Very beautiful and dynamic country. "

....
[I didn't include a comment about a blogger's profile picture being gorgeous. I also didn't include the other commenter's thank you reply.]

**
76. Reply
TheLoxionKasie
"+BluesInMySoul Who's "they"? This comment is HELLA ignorant."
-snip-
This is the end of this particular comment sub-thread to date.

**
77. cjadream7
"Nice song and video. I just don't understand why it's ruined by having guys dancing like females in tights. Black people: please wake up.
ADDED 2/17/2015: PS, to all have been replying, you've been talking to yourselves and none of your comments have been read. Replies now disabled. Have a nice life. :)
ADDED: to +Favour Odoemena below, you can keep your pious, arrogant attitude that some Africans have, as if they're so much better than African Americans. You don't know me or my mindset, idiot. And +Tasha McNabb Moore, please stop trying to be all deep. I can see you're a black female from your profile pic. I have not read your entire dissertation, so you've wasted your time and breath. Another arrogant statement overall, by the way! I grew up around many different types of people too, moron. I am very well able to relate to ANYBODY -- and HAVE -- but when I come to a video just to enjoy music, I don't want to be force-fed mess I don't want to see. I also refuse to take people making sick and retarded comments as if they're making sense when they're not. A few of y'all are plain crazy and delusional, but glad to see there are some with common sense here!"
-snip-
There is a total of 28 replies to cjadream71 initial comment to date. Here are a few of those comments:

Reply
78. Jaden3459
"No matter how I look at it and try to understand your point of view, this statement is ignorant and close-minded."

**
Reply
79. BlackSpartan3
"You are committing the error of assigning gender specific roles and activities. You'll find the world a limited place with that habit. As an alternate and possible (of many possibilities) side: What if, crazy thought, they were homosexual and this is how they chose to expr3ss themselves? Are we to look down upon them as betraying blackness in such a case? Just curious how one so convinced of the suppressive nature of the Western world (suppression which exists) is, herself, suppressed by her own limited perspective in life.

Like I said: More disappointing that frustrating."

**
Reply
80. C Will
"+cjadream7 Just because you are black does not mean that you have to be Homophobic. Nor are these black people eurocentric. Homosexuality has been in Africa before Colonization, Before slavery, Before the White man got into Africa.

I am black and let me tell you there is nothing wrong with being Gay. Gays are created by God, it is a gift from God. Stop being so narrow minded and judgemental. And live your life like Jesus did: YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

**
Reply
81. spookymao
"leave ppl be who they want be. if them wanna dance like female isnt your prob i cant agree with your words specially cose u are black and u should know better then others what means not to be accepted for what you are. u should think about it. just watch them and enjoy their soul. your struggle still on cose your soul struggle still on and this goes for all yours comments"

**
Reply
82. Favour Odoemena
"please do not bring ur western ideas and views on here..this is africa..a man is not determined by the way he dances"

**
Reply
83. Tasha McNabb Moore
"+cjadream7 I am a black female that is all for black empowerment, I have grown up around all types of people. I cannot express how much I love my people and everything that we stand for. But, I have a question for you and this is honestly coming from a place of trying to understanding, Why do you care how other people choose to live their lives? Is there a strong correlation between their lives and yours? I really try to be understanding to everyone's situation because at the end of the day, no one is perfect. Everyone has a story, everyone has been through something and a lot of people are so quick to judge someone based on one aspect of their being. God forbid you should ever be put in a situation where people hate you JUST BECAUSE, it would probably be a very humbling experience for you. I do not believe that everyone has to agree with one another but what I do believe is, if someone has not set out to hurt you then you should probably leave them alone and worry about yourself instead of spreading hatred. "
-snip-
This is the end of the selected comments from that particular sub-thread.

**
84. Mzala Kay
"South Africa Leads and the rest of Africa follows,Mere fact that you think that the dances and looks are gay means that you are as backward as the asses you rest of Africa is (excuse Moz. I love Moz). The rest of africa is just a big blackhole on the surface of the world. Killing ppl just coz they are gay also proves that. In South Africa straight guys dress up like that are comfortable with their own sexuality and they dont care if someone is gay or not because they are busy with their own lifestyle and sex life and minding their own business and not into other ppls business."

**
85. khae74
"I hate this video they shouldnt include gay people its disgusting.."

**
Reply
86. Brit Baron
"maybe not every culture is ignorant miserable and hateful as you are dummy"
-snip-
This is the end of that comment exchange to date.

**
87. kush mulla
"so sad south africa with GAYs ......africa africa africa WHY"

**
Reply
88. Whoonga Goat (ZeroChill)
"the only thing sad here is you, what have gay people done to you? nothing, so leave them alone."

** 
Reply
89. BluesInMySoul
"+Timi Goodluck Oh those dancers were GAY"

**
Reply
90. Tai Tai
"+BluesInMySoul they're gay, so what? Your homophobic vibes are not appreciated here where people come to enjoy good music."

**
Reply
91. BluesInMySoul
"I have never been afraid of a homo. Go attempt to bully someone else with your name calling." 

....
[I didn't include a comment from kaza Yamba writing that "the end is near" etc.]

**
92. AfricanSalt
"+kaza Yamba Let the gays be or just ignore them. Every one has an opportunity to pick who they want as life partners, why not them? They are not harming any one, its their body, it's their life. No need for all that hate."

**
Reply
93. Tai Tai
"+AfricanSalt preach, brother." 

**
.....
[There are additional comments in that sub-thread with Biblical references and points about Africa being colonized by Europeans.]

**
94. aromeo2luv2
"Love the song but just very disappointed by the video. Guys dancing around in tights like girls. Now Africans forcing the gay imagery down out throats too, just sad." 

**
Reply
95. Charles u
"Guys are dancing like fags.i don't like that from African brothers"

**
Reply
96. Whoonga Goat (ZeroChill)
"no one is forcing anything down your throat, everyone has the right to exist. these guys/group are professional dancers with there own particular style of dancing which the director thought would fit this video that's why they where hired. if you have a problem with seeing gay people then don't complain when a racist has a problem with seeing black people on a music video."
-snip-
This is all the comments that I've included from that particular sub- thread.

**
97. MrSivram28
"Maikizolo is a f&&king* faggot.
-snip-
This complete word is spelled out in this comment.

**
Reply
98. Claudia Dhludhlu
"Mafikizolo.... Is not a person, it's a group... Comprising of two members, Nonhlanhla and Theo, if you're going to hate, at least get the facts right"

**
Reply
99. Zanele Zungu
"Theo is married (to a woman) with kids. Not that it matters if he is gay or not, urggh,so much hate. Do u wanna step out of the closet sir and get some fresh air?"
-snip-
This is all the comments in that particular sub-thread to date.

****
2016
100. Cute Monster123
"great song but..why do they look so gay?"

**
Reply
101. Henry Dube
"don't know, maybe some of them are gay?"

**
Reply
102. Cute Monster123
"Well I certainly hope not..I don't want to be watching any gay ass dancing when they come for the Koroga Festival this month."

**
Reply
103. Henry Dube
"+Cute Monster123 are you homophobic?"

**
Reply
104. Cute Monster123
"Nope ..am just not enthusiastic about watching men behaving like women."

**
Reply
Henry Dube
105. "+Cute Monster123 that's being homophobic"

**
Reply
106. Cute Monster123
"Nope..am just being judgy. Homophobic is when you are unable to suppress the urge to drop-kick every gay guy you see."

**
Reply
107. Lwazi Nzimande
"They are not, but even if they were... what's wrong with that?"
-snip-
This is all the comments to date in that particular sub-thread.

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.

25th Birthday of "Paris Is Burning" Documentary Of New York City's Gay Ballroom Culture

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information and comments about the 1990 New York City gay ballroom documentary documentary "Paris Is Burning" on that film's 25th birthday. Quotes from drag queen Dorian Corey who is featured in this documentary are also included in this post along with the original movie trailer of this documentary.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and sociological purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the producer of this documentary and all those who were featured in this documentary. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY "PARIS IS BURNING"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Is_Burning_(film)
"Paris Is Burning is a 1990 American documentary film directed by Jennie Livingston. Filmed in the mid-to-late 1980s, it chronicles the ball culture of New York City and the African-American,Latino, gay, and transgender communities involved in it. Some critics consider the film to be an invaluable documentary of the end of the "Golden Age" of New York City drag balls, and a thoughtful exploration of race, class, gender, and sexuality in America.[2][3] Others have criticized it as exploitive and fetishizing towards trans people of color.[4]

Controversy
The film received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts shortly during the period when the organization was under fire for funding controversial artists including Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano. …

Several of the most heavily featured performers wished to sue in 1991 for a share of the film's profits. Paris DuPree sought the largest settlement with $40 million for unauthorized use of her ball. The producers stated that they had always planned on compensating the principal participants. All dropped their claims after their attorneys confirmed that they had signed releases. The producers then distributed approximately $55,000 among thirteen of the participants.[2]

Critical reception
Upon release, the documentary received rave reviews from critics and won several awards including a Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, a Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Bear, an audience award from the Toronto International Film Festival, a GLAAD Media Award, aWomen in Film Crystal Award, a Best Documentary award from the Los Angeles, New York, and National Film Critics' Circles, and it also was named as one of 1991's best films by the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, National Public Radio, Time Magazine, and others.

Paris Is Burning failed to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature that year, adding to a growing perception that certain subjects and treatments were excluded from consideration for Oscars, and leading, in part, to a change in how documentaries are nominated for the Academy Awards.[11]

More than two decades later, Paris Is Burning remains an organizing tool for gay and trans youth; a way for scholars and students to examine issues of race, class, and gender; a way for younger ball participants to meet their ancestors; and a portrait of several remarkable Americans, most of whom have died since the film's production.[12]

However, some in the LGBTQ community have criticized Paris Is Burning. In Is Paris Burning?, bell hooks questioned Livingston's depiction of the drag balls, arguing that it reduces them to mere spectacle: “Much of the film’s focus on pageantry takes the ritual of the black drag ball and makes it spectacle. Ritual is that ceremonial act that carries with it meaning and significance beyond what appears, while spectacle functions primarily as entertaining dramatic display... Hence it is easy for white observers to depict black rituals as spectacle.”[4]

Critic Judith Butler based some of her book, Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of "Sex", on this film.[13]"...

****
COMMENTS ABOUT THIS FILM
From http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/911552-quot-Paris-is-Burning-quot-Turns-25-Years-Old-This-Sunday?p=23041999
08-14-2015, 12:54 PM
ImmaculateOne
Re: "Paris is Burning" Turns 25 Years Old This Sunday
"I loved this documentary. I can't believe we're the same age. It's crazy how even though this took place 25 years ago, A LOT of the same things can still be applied to today. There have been advancements within the LGBT community, however the ball room scene is relatively still the same if not worse. After, doing my due diligence on the lady who did the documentary, I didn't like how she treated them. She was shiesty and tried to refuse to give them royalties for their participation in the film."
-snip-
"shiesty" = acting like a shyster
"Shyster ... is a slang word for someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law, sometimes also politics or business." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shyster

**
From http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/911552-quot-Paris-is-Burning-quot-Turns-25-Years-Old-This-Sunday/page2
Re: "Paris is Burning" Turns 25 Years Old This Sunday
08-14-2015, 11:01 AM
CocoaPony
"I read the backstory of many participants in the documentary and many of them did not like how they were portrayed.nmost of them were really close to their families and they didn't like how the filmmaker portrayed them as castaways with no families or careers outside of drag"...

**
08-14-2015, 11:45 AM
MimiLuvs...
Location:Jamaica... The one in Queens, N.Y.
Re: "Paris is Burning" Turns 25 Years Old This Sunday
"The one fact about this film that makes me go "Whoa!" and make me feel as if I jump out of my body:

Everything that occurred in this documentary did not happen too long ago.

This didn't occur 40... 50... 55.... 65 years ago. This was only 25 years ago.

The technology, the music, the art and the fashion has changed, but for a large amount of people (in particular, for the LGBTQA members) this kind of sh&t* happened last week... yesterday."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

**
08-14-2015, 12:18 PM
From Tokyo
Re: "Paris is Burning" Turns 25 Years Old This Sunday
"Just watched this again last week. Really good documentary and showed how much has been poached from gay ballroom culture. Some people build their careers on it, in fact.
-snip-
"Voguing", "reading someone", and "throwing shade" are some of the cultural products that came from the 1990s gay ballroom scene. The term "boo boo kitty" is also said to come from gay culture where it was coined as "boo kitty".

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/waacking-and-voguing-street-dances-part_5.html for a pancocojams post on voguing.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-reading-someone-throwing-shade-no.html for a pancocojams post on reading and throwing shade.

Here's a comment about the early use of "boo kitty" from Corey Terrell Daniels, June 2015 on http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/02/empire-star-taraji-p-henson-her-signature-line-you-don%E2%80%99t-want-be-called-boo-boo
"Boo Kitty" specifically is a term from underground gay culture of the 1970's and 1980's.... reference 'Paris is Burning' and you will hear a lot of pop culture language"...

****
SELECTED QUOTES FROM DORIAN COREY
From
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paris_is_Burninghttps://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Paris_is_Burning
"• I always had hopes of being a big star. But as you get older, you aim a little lower. Everybody wants to make an impression, some mark upon the world. Then you think, you've made a mark on the world if you just get through it, and a few people remember your name. Then you've left a mark. You don't have to bend the whole world. I think it's better to just enjoy it. Pay your dues, and just enjoy it. If you shoot a arrow and it goes real high, hooray for you.

• Shade comes from reading. Reading came first.

• You get in a smart crack, and everyone laughs and kikis because you've found a flaw and exaggerated it, then you've got a good read going.

• Shade is I don't tell you you're ugly but I don't have to tell you because you know you're ugly ... and that's shade.

• In real life you can't get a job as an executive unless you have the educational background and the opportunity. Now, the fact that you are not an executive is merely because of the social standing of life. Black people have a hard time getting anywhere and those that do are usually straight. In a ballroom you can be anything you want. You're not really an executive but you're looking like an executive. You're showing the straight world that I can be an executive if I had the opportunity because can look like one, and that is like a fulfillment.

• When they're undetectable and they can walk out of that ballroom into the sunlight and onto the subway and get home, and still have all their clothes and no blood running off their bodies- those are the femme realness queens... and usually its a category for young queens.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Paris Is Burning original theatrical trailer



Jenni Olson, Published on Aug 2, 2014

This is the original theatrical release trailer for the legendary documentary film Paris is Burning, by Jennie Livingston (preceded by a fun little vintage preview message)! …

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Visitor comments are welcome.

J-Setting, JSU's Prancing J-Settes, And Black Gay J-Setters

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision- October 13, 2018


The content of this pancocojams post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic reasons.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all who are featured in the videos and thanks to the publishers of those videos on YouTube.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/stand-battles-changing-meaning-of.html for the related pancocojams post "Stand Battles & The Changing Meaning Of "Majorettes" In African American Culture".

****
HISTORY, INFORMATION, AND COMMENTS ABOUT JACKSON STATE'S PRANCING J-SETTES
The debut of The Prancing Elites Project television series on April 22, 2015 marks Americans' latest introduction to the performance art of j-setting (jsette). That reality series which airs Wednesdays on the Oxygen network follows five gay and gender non-conforming j-sette dancers from Mobile, Alabama. Read a long quote from an article about The Prancing Elites Project in the comment section below.

The term "J-sette" (J-setting) is a tribute to the auxiliary dance line of Jackson State University's Sonic Boom marching band, the Prancing J-Settes (formerly "the Prancing Jaycettes") which originated that dance style, though some say that it was first performed by Black gays in the South or in the New York City gay ball rooms. (more on that later). The first that what is now known as "j-setting" was shown on nation-wide USA television was in 1990. To quote Wikipedia's page on j-setting*, with the noted hyperlinks added:
"[in 1990] Jackson State University's marching band's dance team the Prancing J-Settes performed the J-Settes style of marching and dancing on the “30th Anniversary of Motown” television show. The dance team appeared as part of the JSU Marching Band in performances to “I Heard it through the Grapevine”and other songs. A video of part of this performance is available on YouTube.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZU0tTSS8qQ "Motown 30th (Part 1)"

In 2003, the Prancing J-Settes performed the J-Settes marching and dancing style on the “34th NAACP Image Awards” television show. The dance team appeared as part of the JSU Marching Band in performances with comedian “Cedric the Entertainer” and “Sugar Bear of E.U.” A video of part of this performance is available on YouTube. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3CzbDtyyUc "Sonic Boom of the South" at the 34th NAACP Image Awards"]

In 2008, both the Beyoncé Knowles’ Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)[3] and Diva [4] music videos included a J-Setting style dance routine."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNM5HW13_O8]
*Quotes from Wikipedia's page on j-setting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-Setting (henceforth given as Wiki: J-Setting).
-end of quote-

J-setting is featured on a number of YouTube videos of JSU's Prancing J-settes and other Black university band dance lines. YouTube also showcases j-setting competitions (battles) between various Black gay dance teams (more on that later). J-setting dancers are called "j-setters".

In addition to YouTube videos, a major way that people are being introduced to j-setting is through the Lifetime network television series Bring It. The focus majorette dance group in that television series is Jackson, Mississipi's Dancing Dolls. The Dancing Dolls and the dance teams they compete against refer to themselves as "majorettes". JSU's Prancing J-Settes (formerly "Prancing Jaycettes") were a majorette squad who gave up their batons in 1970 and originated what is now known as the J-sette dance style and aesthetic. [Wiki:J-sette].

The Dancing Doll's coach D (Diana Williams) and some of that group's fans publicly recognize the influence the Prancing J-Settes have on the majorette style of dancing as exemplified by these two comments from the Facebook page "Bucking? J-Setting? Stand Battles? Oh My! More Videos by Bring It" https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1474079749486496
Dianna Williams, March 3, 2014 at 5:10pm
"YASSSSSSSSSSSSSS GET CHA LIFE MAJORETTES!!!!!! WE ARE MISSISSIPPI BRED BABY!!!!! Jsettes is where it all started for us all Anitra Williams-Bender especially for me!! Must give respect where due!! you see 2 more of our community dance fams in the video!!! PURPLE DIAMONDS AND PRANCING STEPERETTES!!! STAND UP MISSISSIPPI!!! #DD4L!!!! NOW YALL BETTER TUNE IN TO BRING IT THIS WEDNESDAY 10/9C ON LIFETIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

**
Myzz Sdcd Richardson, March 3, 2014 at 7:58pm
"Shout out to the PrAncing Jsettes for paving the way for these babies"
-end of quote-

Note that the word "prancing" is commonly used in the names of several j-sette dance lines and dance teams, for example "the Prancing J-settes", "the Prancing Elites", "the Prancing Steperettes", and the "Prancing Tigerettes". The word "prancing" is partly a tribute to the Prancing J-settes, and partly describes the movement style of Black marching bands and their dance lines:
From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prance
"prance = to to walk or move in a lively and proud way of a horse : to move by taking high steps : to lift each hoof up high when moving to strut"

**
THE NAME/WORD "J-SETTES"
The "J" in the word/name "J-settes" is a referent to Jackson State University.

The "et/ette" suffix that is found in a number of [Hip hop] majorette dance teams and j-sette dance teams was typically used to feminize masculine names, for example "Georgette", "Paulette", and "Bernadette" and words, for instance "majorette". Note that JSU's Prancing J-settes is a female dance line. That "ette" ending highlights that j-setting is considered to be a female dance style on historically Black university campuses. That said, it's anecdotally reported that Black gay dancers were informally j-setting at Jackson State University in the 1990s if not earlier.

“The young men would be on the sideline during practice watching and learning,” recalls Anthony Hardaway, a gay activist and historian from Memphis who was a student at JSU from 1990 to ’94. “My friends would be on the side doing the dance alongside the girls.” However, their imi-tation was not seen by all as flattery. “Teachers and coaches would run the gay boys away,” Hardaway says with a laugh, “because when it was time for the games, the gay boys would be in the stands doing the routine and outperforming the girls on the field.” “The Big Idea: J-Setting Beyond Beyoncé”, Vibe.com (February 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-22) quoted in http://dogpossum.org/2012/09/single-ladies-j-setting-and-battle/ "Single Ladies, J-setting and battle", 24th September, 2012

The Wikipedia page on j-setting supports this statement, indicating that "During the late 1970s, African American gay men who were fans of The Prancing J-Settes regularly attended the dance team’s practice sessions, and performances at college football games and other events. Young gay men brought the J-Settes dance style back to their home towns, and to nightclubs like Club City Lights in Jackson, Mississippi; Club Skittles Baton Rouge; Incognito, Allusions, and 901 in Memphis; and Club 708 in Atlanta...

J-Setting troupes compete in dance-offs at gay cultural events. These groups of young gay men imitate the JSU Prancing J-Settes marching and dance style and dress. These dance groups perform in costumes that are similar in appearance to the JSU J-Settes uniforms; including sequined one- and two-piece leotards, with long flowing capes, sheer stockings and white marching boots."

In a 2014 announcement of a J-Sette sponsored dance competition, a spokesperson for JSU's Prancing J-Settes wrote
“Prancing J-Settes” is the official name of the Jackson State University dance line, an auxiliary group of the Jackson State University Marching Band. J-Sette marching techniques such as the “Salt and Pepper,” “J-Sette Walk,” “Strut,” and “Tip Toe “can be seen all around the world. The J-Settes consisted of lines of 12-16 squad members who marched in rows affectionately named “Short and Sassy,” “Magnificent Middle,” or a “Tall and Tough. The LGBT community totally embraced this style of dance as a way to express their creativity and love of dance which turned into the J-Sette movement. Currently, guys and girls all over the national are simulating their danced moves where competitions are held everywhere and squads come from near and far to compete, including the J-Sette Competition during Jackson Black Pride.”http://jacksonblackpride.org/?page_id=287 "J-SETTE COMPETITION"

The Wikipedia article on j-setting provides additional information about that dance style, including these statements:
"This dance style is characterized by a lead and follow format where one dancer initiates a series of dance steps, and the other dancers follow or join in the movement...

the “Salt and Pepper” is a type of prance step for which the Prancing J-Settes are named and known. It is a high-knee lift or “high step” style of marching. Alternating legs lift with a bent knee to bring the foot up to the height of the opposite knee before returning the foot to the ground.

The JSU Prancing J-Settes typically march and perform in rows organized by height. J-Setting dancers also typically perform in a line or in multiple lines. While performing, dancers may also change dance formation similar to the way that marching bands change formation during shows on football fields.

The J-Setting style of dress is modeled after the dance uniforms of the JSU Prancing J-Settes. It normally includes a one or two piece bodysuit or form-fitting garment that covers the torso and crotch; and hosiery with knee high boots on the legs. However, other types of garments are also worn during a performance."
-end of quote-

However, that Wikipedia article doesn't provides any information about the sources and early influences on j-setting besides the fact that it was performed by majorettes who put down their batons. The implication is that what is now known as j-setting derives solely from Southern Black marching band traditions. However, there are those who believe that Black gays were the real originators of what is now j-setting. And those same people or others believe that j-setting is an adaptation of the drag culture's voguing. Here's an excerpt of a discussion about the announcement that the Oxygen television network was preparing to launch The Prancing Elite Project series:
From http://forum.the5thquarter.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16694 "The Prancing Elite... Smh" [a discussion forum about an announcement about a proposed television series featuring The Prancing Elites, a gay j-setters group]
"Cally
Post Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:20 am
[quoting Danceholic and Sarge316]
"SARGE316 wrote:
Danceaholic wrote:
Hmmmmmm. An all male J-setting squad televised. Interesting!"

SARGE316 wrote
"Please remove the word J-Setting.........
Just use all Male dance squad.........."

[Cally]:"Perhaps you need to do a little history on why it is even called Jsetting....because that is exactly what it has been branded since...it started right in JSU's back yard with male gay students...so it hasn't changed in 40+ years and it won't...get over it."

**
The_Show
Post Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 1:02 am
Location: Charlotte, NC
“For the record, "J-Setting" is a form of dance created by a female at Jackson State University which evolved into what you see today. The urban myth of it being originated by "a gay man/men in Jackson" is as completely false and ignorant as "Southern blew the Boom off step in 1997." :lol: Mofos with no affiliation to the Boom or Prancing J-Settes will still argue you down until this day with "Yuh huh! I heard that from my cousin! " even after showing them proof. :handicap:

At any rate, the style of dance is used by many men and women, regardless of sexuality, throughout the South and among our show style craft. As it pertains to men J-Setting, doing drag, or anything else concerning their effeminate behavior, meh. When you are secure in your own sexuality and masculinity, you'd really care less what the next mofos are doing with their time. Live and let live. :thumbsup:

...Carry On.."

**
Cally
Post Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 3:40 am
“Did you know that this style of dancing was utilized in balls in Harlem in the 1960's? Even Chicago in the 1950's...

Of course unlike voguing, which back then it was referred to as "presentation" I don't recall the name, I too always thought the Jsettes invented the style....but they clearly adopted it and made it their own...

Seems to me the proper word is introduced by a female at JSU, not invented....considering a variation of this style had been used prior to the PJs putting down their batons.."

**
The Show Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:17 pm
"Two different styles with no similar roots.

In the 1960s, a bunch of country, backwoods women from MS adopted a style in the gay scene of New York. The reach is real.

If you really want to know about an organization's history (D9, band, J-Settes, church), just meet a member and ask. All this "mismatched socks" information is bogus.

...Carry On.."
-snip-
I'm assuming that the sentence that refers to "a bunch of country, backwoods women from Mississippi" is supposed to be facetious. The implication is that those Mississippi women wouldn't be familiar with the New York gay scene.

That statement might not be true. Furthermore, some of the Prancing Jaycette choreographers in the 1970s-1990s may have been familiar with voguing and other gay (drag) dance styles such as "waacking".

The author of the 2012 dogpossum.org article "Single Ladies, J-setting and battle" that was previously mentioned writes that "...J-setting began with marching band dance troupes, and with women dancing. It was taken up by black gay men, partly because of the influence of a male dancer in the troupe*, but more probably because the j-setting was totally fabulous, totally competitive, and totally awesome. It retain(s) its competitive element in a gay club context”.

*This comment may refer to the statement in the Wikipedia article that one of the members of the 1997 Prancing J-Settes line was a male student who replaced a dancer who was injured.

An ABC [television] News article seems to take both sides of this debate about whether what is now called j-setting was "invented" by a female or females from the Jackson State University dance line or was a dance style that was created by gays and then adapted by JSU's dance line.
From http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Entertainment/sette-dance-moves-loved-knowing/story?id=19041546 "How J-Setting Is Changing Pop Culture" April 26, 2013
By Alex Alvarez
"... in order to know where it's [j-setting] going, we must learn whence it came. Singer Our Lady J sums up why it's important for children to learn their roots: "Everything interesting in pop culture starts with the queens on the street. And then cis-gendered men sell it to cis-gendered pop stars, who then sell it to the masses. The queens on the street may never collect the coins, but we know where it starts. Watch this emerge in pop culture in the near future." Isn't it always the way....

So. What is J-Sette? The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage offers a succinct description in an intro to their interview with Jumatatu Poe, the founder and artistic director of idiosynCrazy. J-Sette, they write, is "an underground dance style popular in the gay African-American club scene. Borne [sic] from all-female, Southern drill-teams and often performed in domestically scaled spaces, J-Sette is characterized by sharp, explosive movements choreographed in tightly executed routines."
-end of quote-
Did the early choreographers of what is now known as "j-sette" invent that dance style or did they adapt that style from pre-existing dance forms such as "voguing" and "waacking" that were created by Black gay dancers? I don't know. J-setting movements remind me of both of those dance activities. However, both waacking and voguing are individual competitive activities and not group activities (with leader/group call & response motions). Also, the majorette costuming aren't found in voguing. But that doesn't mean that the early choreographers of j-setting weren't influenced by "waacking" and "voguing". Nor does it mean that those gays and non-gays who participate in and conduct j-sette competitions now aren't influenced by the waacking/voguing cultures. Notice, for instance, how similar the sound effects the hostess/director of the Atlanta j-sette competition featured in Example #2 are to the sound effects that the audience makes in response to well done voguing moves such as the death drop (as noted and as shown in videos on this pancocojams post on voguing http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/waacking-and-voguing-street-dances-part_5.html.

However, whether or not the types of dance moves that are now known as "j-setting" were influenced by dances that undeniably had their source in Black gay culture, there's no question that some Black gays (and I presume, some gays of other races/ethnicities) have embraced this dance form as have some dancers who are heterosexual.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
These videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube with the oldest video presented first.

Example #1: J-Settes SWAC Champ. '08 "Under Pressure"



Demaridge Uploaded on Dec 15, 2008

J-Settes @ SWAC Championship 2008...PARDON THE MAN IN THE BACKGROUND TALKING, I THINK IT WAS HIS FIRST TIME SEEING THE J-SETTES
-snip-
SWAC = "The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_Athletic_Conference
-snip-
Other dance lines that are auxiliaries of SWAC member university marching bands also perform in j-setting styles.

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Example #2: 2012 ATLANTA BLACK LGBT PRIDE "J-SETTE" COMPETITION



POSHi MAS, Published on Sep 11, 2012

Snytch Magazine (http://www.snytchmagazine.com) contributing photographer & writer Marcus Jordan (#TWITTER @_POSHi_MAS | #IG @POSHi_PHOTOS) covers the Annually hosted Atlanta Black Gay Pride "J-Sette" Competition featuring groups:

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Example #3: 2012 j-settes (southern game) 5th quarter2



Fiveonit2011, Published on Sep 24, 2012

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Example #4: COCA COLA J-Setting Team - Texas Teasers



Jacob Kohinoor, Published on Sep 17, 2013

Project Turn Around

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Example #5: Memphis Black Pride 2013 J-Sette Battle 4



Rockey H, Published on Jun 18, 2013

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Example #6: The Prancing Elites of Mobile



al.com Published on Dec 24, 2014
-snip-
Notice this video shows other men in the stands who are performing their own j-setting routines to the marching band's music.

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Example #7: Bring It!: Stand Battle: Dancing Dolls vs. Prancing Tigerettes Medium Stand (S2, E12)



Lifetime, Published on Apr 17, 2015

Watch the medium portion of the stand battle between the Dancing Dolls and the Prancing Tigerettes in this scene from "Copycat."

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Voguing Death Drops & Death Drops In Other Performing Arts (information, speculation & examples)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This posts showcases several different performance arts movements that are known as "death drops". Featured in this post are examples of death drops in LGBT ballroom voguing, RuPaul's Drag Race television show and other drag performances, majorette/contemporary dance groups (battle stands), figure skating, salsa dancing, and contemporary swing dancing.

This post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

WARNING:
All forms of death drops can be very dangerous, and shouldn't be attempted without proper instruction or practice.

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FORMS OF DEATH DROPS: BALLROOM VOGUING
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_(dance) [retrieved August 2014]
"Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1980s.[1][2] It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" (1990),[3] and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning... After the new millennium, Vogue returned to mainstream attention when the dance group Vogue Evolution competed on the fourth season of America's Best Dance Crew.[4]

Inspired by Vogue magazine, voguing is characterized by model-like poses integrated with angular, linear, and rigid arm, leg, and body movements. This style of dance arose from Harlem ballrooms by African Americans and Latino Americans in the early 1960s. It was originally called "presentation" and later "performance".[2] Over the years, the dance evolved into the more intricate and illusory form that is now called "vogue". Voguing is continually developed further as an established dance form that is practiced in the gay ballroom scene and clubs in major cities throughout the United States—mainly New York City.

Formal competitions occur in the form of balls held by "houses"—family-like collectives of LGBT dancers and performers.[2][5]

...Hand performance refers to the illusions and movements of the arms, wrists, hands, and fingers. The catwalk is the upright sashaying in a linear fashion. The duckwalk refers to the crouched, squatted, foot-kicking and scooting movements requiring balance on the balls of the feet. Floor performance refers to the movements done on the floor using primarily the legs, knees, and back. The dip is the fall, drop, or descent backward onto one's back with one's leg folded underneath. Mainstream dance forms popularized the dip, which is occasionally called the "death drop" when done in dramatics style. Due to popular media, the dip is sometimes incorrectly called the "5000", the "shablam", and the "shabam"; these misnomers stem from ballroom commentators chanting the word "shawam" when a voguer successfully completed a dip in time with the music while entertaining the audience.
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Italics are included to highlight this definition of "death drop".

I'm curious about how the voguing death drop came about. Is the death drop an outgrowth of the Lindy Hoppers' fancy dipping dance movements? Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey's_Lindy_Hoppers for information about the Jazz (Swing) dance groups that were known as "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers". That name was used by several groups of professional [African American] performing groups of Savoy Ballroom swing dancers. [Those groups were] started in 1935 by Herbert "Whitey" White. Lindy Hoppers under other names also performed professionally during the late 1930s and thereafter. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnECH77wL5c for a film clip of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in the late 1930s.

Also notice that the sentence following the one which is given in italics indicates that "mainstream dance forms" popularized the death drop. I wonder if that sentence means that the movements that are known as "death drops" in figure skating, salsa dancing, and swing dancing were modifications of the voguing death drop.

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FEATURED VIDEOS

VOGUING DEATH DROPS AND DEATH DROPS PERFORMED IN MAJORETTE/DANCE ROUTINES

Example #1: Vogue: Dips & Drops [LGTB Ballroom]



Jay SetterUploaded on Apr 6, 2010

Jay R. Revlon Mix Conceited Ha
-snips-
Here are two comments from that video's discussion thread:
silvermoonwolf19, 2011
"Someone give me the story. The death drop is something that requires alot of practice and conditioning, right? You can't just bust it out after watching, correct?"
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Carlos Silva, 2011
in reply to silvermoonwolf19
"@silvermoonwolf19 yes it need alot of practice u just cant bust into a drop after watching this vid lol just start simple like having ur legs bend back like how they do it and have it get used to it u know stuff like that"

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Example #2:
Laganja Estranja Death Drop at Toucans [Drag queen nightclub performance]



eyesofsaline, Published on Sep 23, 2013

Werk!
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Laganja Estranja is the stage name for a drag queen who was a contestant on Season 6 of the American television series RuPaul's Drag Race. Notice the two different types of death drops that Laganja performs.

"Werk!" ="Work!" (meaning that the person addressed is doing a great job)

Another contestant on two earlier seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, Shangela Laquifa Whatley broke two bones in her leg while performing the death drop on stage at a nightclub during a Halloween party. Previously, Shangela traveled widely teaching the death drop which she considers/ed her signature move. In 2011 Shangela was also was featured on the American television show Dance Moms teaching the death drop to those dance students. Here's a statement from Shangela's [DJ Pierce] statement about that injury:
"DJP: I was performing on stage at the Halloween event in New York City at Providence Nightclub. I was in the middle of a number, I did do a death drop, and I came down the wrong way -- my leg didn't go in the direction that it usually goes for the death drop. I don't know if my heel had gotten caught on the carpet of the stage or how that worked out, but anyhow, needless to say, it did break two bones in my lower right leg, the tibia and the fibula. They basically just snapped right there on stage. I've been doing the death drop for the last three years. I don't think it was the death drop itself that broke my leg. It was a death drop gone wrong that broke the leg."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/justin-hernandez/rupauls-drag-races-shangela_b_4564177.html
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Shangela reports that this injury resulted in over $100,000 in medical bills. This injury points out how dangerous doing death drips can be.

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Example #3: Bring It!: Stand Battle: Dancing Dolls vs. YCDT Supastarz Part 1 (S1, E15) [Death Drop In Majorette/Dance Battle Stands



Lifetime Published on Aug 7, 2014
The Dancing Dolls start the battle with the stand "Stuntmaster" and the YCDT Supastarz respond with a stand called "Hush Puppy," in this video extra from Episode 14 (A New Rival Emerges) of Bring It! [American television program]
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A very brief example of death drops occur at .25 of this video.

The YCDT [Young Contemporary Dance Theatre] Supastarz that are featured in the video given as Example #3 in this post ended their stand battle with the Dancing Dolls by performing a death drop routine that is the same or very similar to the MNW [Miami Northwestern] High School dance team's routine that is shown in that video. Unfortunately, Part II of this battle stands ends before it shows the Supastarz's death drop routine.

From comments that I've read online*, it appears that a number of the YCDT Supastarz attend MNW, and may be, or may have been members of that high school's dance team which is an auxiliary of that school's athletic teams.

I wonder if the "Hitch kick death drop is a new development of the death drop itself. If so, did this move originate with that Miami, Florida high school dance team?

*From lipstickalley.com "Re: BRING IT!! Season 2 Airs Tonight @ 9 The Dancing Dolls Are Back!"

Warning: Some comments in this discussion include profanity, explicit references, racialized statements and other content that I find problematic. For that reason, I'm not linking to it.

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Example #4: 2012-2013 MNW Golden Girls "Hitch kick death drop" [high school dance team]



heatdiva, Published on Sep 22, 2012

08/24/12 death dropping at their 1st pep rally

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Example #5: 2012-2013 MNW Golden Girls "Hitch kick death drop" [high school dance team]



heatdiva, Published on Oct 28, 2012

Ggirls death droppin & split walking at the MNW vs. Central game 10/27/12

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DEATH DROP IN FIGURE SKATING

Piece on Men's Short Program Elements - 1988 Calgary



3Axel1996, Uploaded on Oct 26, 2009

Calgary, Alberta, CANADA - 1988 Winter Games, Men's Short Program - Piece on Short Program Elements. Note Boitano's death drop. Perfect. Skaters these days don't have the flight and amplitude in the air to perform this move properly anymore. These days, it looks more like a flying camel-to-immediate-back sit spin.
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From
http://figureskating.about.com/od/glossarylett3/g/deathdrop.htm figure skating
"The difference between a death drop and a regular flying sit spin is the position of the skater in the air. Also, a skater takes off from one foot and lands on the other. In the death drop, the position is horizontal to the ice and the skater's body faces towards the ice for a short second. In a regular flying sit spin, the skater just does a traditional sit spin position in the air and lands on the take off foot. The positions in the air and the spins are really very different.
1988 Olympic Figure Skating Champion, Brian Boitano, did a spectacular death drop."
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The voguing death drop and figure skating death drop don't appear to have anything in common but their names and the dangers associated with performing those movements.

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DEATH DROP IN SALSA DANCING

How To Do the Death Drop in Advanced Salsa



TVLessonDotCom, Published on Jun 20, 2012

Advanced Salsa - How To Do the Death Drop in Advanced Salsa

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DEATH DROP IN SWING DANCING

Deathdrop walk through.MP4



David Berger Uploaded on Sep 3, 2010

This Video is an in class demonstration for ASU's Ballroom Latin Swing Classes of the Death Drop Dip. It can be performed in a variety of dances. Do not try this step without proper practice or instruction.
-snip-
As I speculated earlier in this post, I wonder if the death drop in Salsa dancing and in Swing dancing are adaptations of the voguing death drop. Or was the voguing death drop an adaptation of the Swing dance or the Salsa dance movement?

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