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Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Online Definitions Of, Article Excerpts, & Comments About Examples Of Gay Lingo In Todrick Hall's Song"Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels"

Edited by Azizi Powell

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

Part II presents definitions of and 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/todrick-hall-nails-hair-hips-heels.html for Part I of this series. Part I 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?).

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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 a compilation of examples 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 cultural and etymological purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Todrick Hall and all those who are associated with this video. Thanks also to 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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DEFINITIONS OF & COMMENTS ABOUT GAY LINGO TERMS IN TODRICK HALL'S SONG "NAILS, HAIR, HIPS, HEELS"
Additions & corrections are very welcome.

Drop for me - a reference to the dip [read the entry for "shablam" below]

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hunty
From https://www.popsugar.com/tech/photo-gallery/37912438/image/37912461/Hunty
"Hunty is a combination of "honey" and "c*nt*." It originated in the drag world and was popularized by RuPaul's Drag Race as a term of endearment to describe your friends. However, it's sometimes used in a demeaning way."
-snip-
This word was spelled that way in that article.

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shablam
Excerpt retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_(dance) -August 2014; Note that this paragraph is not longer included in the Wikipedia article for "vogue dance".
..."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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From https://www.out.com/television/2019/4/05/dear-rupaul-stop-letting-people-say-death-drop-drag-race Dear RuPaul: Stop Letting People Say 'Death Drop' on 'Drag Race' BY MIKELLE STREET; APRIL 05 2019
"On Thursday night’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the remaining contestants competed in the Drag-lympics. With Travis Wall as their choreographer and Adam Rippon as the resident Olympian, queens were expected to put on performances (sometimes vogue-infused) making sure to hit specific focuses: fanography, voguing, and a shablam. And already, my friends, we have an issue.

Throughout the episode, the move of lowering oneself to the ground, one leg extended, is referred to as both a “shablam” and a “death drop” — in fact, it has been called a “death drop” throughout the history of Drag Race, and therefore largely throughout popular culture as a consequence. It has been justly referenced as a move originating from the ballroom scene as one of five integral elements of voguing. Except … it is not called a death drop. Or a shablam. And quite a few people pointed that out on social media.

[...]

Jiggly Caliente
@JigglyCaliente
The watered down vouging tho... it's called a Dip or Layout. Stop referring to it as a Shablam or death drop. Those terms should drop dead.
1:30 AM - Apr 5, 2019 · Queens, NY

[...]

Twiggy Pucci Garçon

@SimplyTwiggy
This isn’t a question or a debate. #NoAppropriation. Period. It’s called a dip.

[...]

It’s a bit of deja vu (I myself have already written about the issue, explaining how the dip has been a move held throughout all variations of voguing, including Old Way, New Way and the popular Vogue Fem). Laganja Estranja, who arguably introduced the move to the Drag Race audience in her work room entrance, has also been unilaterally criticized of her use of “death drop” by the ballroom community. She has since abandoned the term, instead using dip.

Some believe that there is a difference in the terms: that a dip refers to a specific type of movement, and terms like death drop refer to others. This is incorrect. To be clear, a dip is a category of movement. Whether it’s hard and dramatic, or soft and slow, the movement is still a dip. Whether one does a scorpion or high kick before, it’s still a dip. Death drop is likely just a term made up by someone, not of the community, seeing the move and fabricating their own name. The move, my lovely friends, is a dip. Tell Ru I said it.

As for the term “shablam” which is mostly used by the dance community? Listen, I get it, things can be confusing. You watch your little ballroom clips and when people do a dip, you hear something that sounds like “shablam” either from the person on the mic or the crowd. First of all, that’s not the name of the move, it’s just an onomatopoeic cue that goes along with it. An emphasizing of the crash in the song. And second of all … it never was “shablam” anyway. It was “shawham,” as ballroom icon Jack Mizrahi, who originated the term and usage pointed out.”...

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shade [throw shade for me]
From http://www.businessinsider.com/where-the-expression-throw-shade-comes-from-2015-3
"The term "throwing shade" comes from black and Latino gay communities.

The term's first significant step into straight culture was in the 1990 documentary about young, black, and Latino drag queens in New York City, "Paris is Burning."

The central characters explain their culture and guide you through the underground world of parties and drag balls.

In one scene, a queen named Dorian Corey explains what "shade" is.

"Shade is, I don't have to tell you you're ugly, because you know you're ugly," she says.

When someone insults you directly, that's called a "read." For example, if I were to tell you that your glasses are ugly. Point blank. That's a read. Reads can be long or short.

"Shade" comes from reading, as Corey explains.

If I were to say in a terribly condescending voice, "Oh honey, I'm so glad you saved up to buy those glasses," that's blatant shade. I didn't insult the glasses, or you, directly. It's implied by my voice and the context of what I said. You know they're ugly.

Sometimes people don't get that they're being "shaded" — this is always sad."

To "throw shade" simply means you've said something shady to someone...
-snip-
That article includes the clip of Dorian Corey giving those remarks from the "Paris Is Burning" film.

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tea
From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spill%20the%20tea
"spill the tea
[top definition]
when one tells an especially juicy bit of gossip
"Girl, did you know Renee is having ANOTHER baby? And the babby daddy is the same guy who she found out has been cheating on her!"

"OMG, spill the tea on that drama!!!!"


#gossip#news#slander#scandal#rumor
by Jana617 May 12, 2008
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-reading-someone-throwing-shade-no.html for a 2014 pancocojams post entitled "What "Reading Someone", "Throwing Shade", & "No Tea No Shade" Mean"

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tongue pop
From https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d3kjex/hereditary-clicking-noises-sound-like-alyssa-edwards-tongue-pop This Hidden Meme Makes 'Hereditary' a Comedy, Jamie Lee Curtis Taete; Jun 19 2018,
Those ominous clicking noises get a lot less ominous when you make the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' connection.
"If you’re unfamiliar, Alyssa Edwards is a drag queen who appeared on two seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her signature catchphrase (if a sound can be a catchphrase) is a tongue pop, as seen above.

Via Alyssa, the pop has crossed over into fairly mainstream queer usage. It has a variety of meanings, but is generally used to emphasize something, dismiss another person, or act as an exclamation point.

This type of tongue popping was in use before Alyssa, but there’s no denying the sound has become synonymous with her. If you google "tongue pop," she dominates the results"...
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Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=0Zps8WvVQdE for a YouTube video of Alyssa Edwards doing her signature tongue pops.

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trade [give trade]
From https://www.queerty.com/a-handy-glossary-of-gay-terms-for-the-well-meaning-hetty-20141208
Trade
..."Trade are straight men seen as conquests for gay guys to sleep with. They’re usually on the masculine side of the spectrum, and are much sought after by a certain breed of gay. Offshoots include rough trade and prison trade. Trade can also mean “DL” or “downlow” — an otherwise straight guy who actively seeks hook-ups with gay guys on the side."

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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_(gay_slang)
..."The term often refers to a straight man who partners with a gay man for economic benefit, either through a direct cash payment or through other, more subtle means (gifts, tuition payments, etc.).[2] Trade originally referred to casual sex partners, regardless of sexuality as many gay and bisexual men were closeted, but evolved to imply the gay partner is comparatively wealthy and the partner who is trade is economically deprived.

[...]

More modern usage has centered on any casual sexual encounter between men, and as an adjective to refer to any male considered masculine and/or sexually appealing.[3]

Often, the terms trade and rough trade are treated as synonymous. Often the attraction for the gay male partner is finding a dangerous, even thuggish, partner who may turn violent. That is not to say that people necessarily desire to be physically hurt, but the danger of seeking a partner in a public park, restroom, or alleyway may be exciting.[citation needed] Another variation is in comparison to regular trade, rough trade is more likely to be working-class laborers with less education and more physical demands of their work, therefore with a body developed naturally rather than in a gym. They may have a less polished or cleancut style than an office worker or professional businessman.[citation needed]"...
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The words given in italic or bold are written that way in that article.

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From https://genius.com/17313038
Lyrics: Todrick Hall - Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" Notes
"trade
From nicwolff, June 3, 2019
"A thuggish, straight-acting gay man, aka “rough trade”.

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This concludes Part II of this four part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

2 comments:

  1. Here are a few comments from an article about Gay Lingo that refer to the Black Gay origins of most of that lingo. One commenter also notes that not all Gay people (including Black people) speak like this.

    From https://www.queerty.com/a-handy-glossary-of-gay-terms-for-the-well-meaning-hetty-20141208#comments A Handy Glossary Of Gay Terms For The Well-Meaning Hetty
    By Dan Tracer December 8, 2014 at 7:12am

    (Note: I added numbers for referencing purposes only.)
    1. Kangol, December 8, 2014 at 3:12pm
    "Sounds like a lot of this slang is being appropriated directly from black gay people/black popular culture.

    Not to throw shade, trade, but ya gotta wonder why this isn’t being mentioned, huntee!

    2. Elloreigh, December 8, 2014 at 3:12pm
    "This stuff sounds like something belonging to some fraction of the greater gay community. None of it means anything to me. Get kinda tired of us being defined by coastal ‘gay culture’ or drag culture, etc. Nothing against either one, but they aren’t us, and we aren’t them."

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    3. Bee Gaga, December 8, 2014 at 3:12pm
    "@Kangol: Exactly, like most gay slang. But the white queens never wanna say that. Plus, “ratchet” isn’t even remotely a gay slang. It was started by a black rapper years ago and permeated through the black community then it got into the mainstream culture. Who wrote this?"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here's a similar comment from the discussion thread for Todrick Hall's song "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ04gPb4LlY
    João Reis, May 2019
    "@Will Van Moss plus most of it (if not all) comes from the BALLROOM SCENE (black/latino). Just like DIPS...not deathdrops not shablams. Its called a DIP!
    and as a Gay Black Choreographer its pretty offensive that he STILL doesn't use the correct term. But apparently stealing from the ballroom community is never an issue for basic white queens"

    ReplyDelete