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defrogRe: the previous post on DADT, where I included the Village People’s “In The Navy” …
It’s interesting that that song came out when “Ask And Tell” was official US military policy – especially considering that, according to legend, the US Navy actually contacted the Village People’s manager, Henri Belolo, to use the song as a recruiting ad.
The music video was shot at the San Diego Naval base on the USS Reasoner, and the Navy footed the bill. It was only later when protesters complained about tax money paying for gay music videos that the Navy pulled the campaign.
Which suggests either they had no idea the Village People were supposed to be gay, or didn’t care.
Probably the former – I suspect the Village People were as successful as they were in part because most people weren’t that familiar with the Greenwich Village gay scene, let alone the idea that the YMCA might a place to meet guys.
Indeed, “In The Navy” was seen as so patriotic (and therefore harmless) that it allowed the Muppet Show to get away with using the song for a bit with happy Vikings.
I’d never accuse the Muppet Show of being intentionally political (although some people can see political bias in everything), but I’d like to think Jim Henson and the Muppet Show producers knew just how subversive they were being when they thought up a way to work a Village People song into an all-ages show.
Put yr mind at ease,
This is dF
It’s interesting that that song came out when “Ask And Tell” was official US military policy – especially considering that, according to legend, the US Navy actually contacted the Village People’s manager, Henri Belolo, to use the song as a recruiting ad.
The music video was shot at the San Diego Naval base on the USS Reasoner, and the Navy footed the bill. It was only later when protesters complained about tax money paying for gay music videos that the Navy pulled the campaign.
Which suggests either they had no idea the Village People were supposed to be gay, or didn’t care.
Probably the former – I suspect the Village People were as successful as they were in part because most people weren’t that familiar with the Greenwich Village gay scene, let alone the idea that the YMCA might a place to meet guys.
Indeed, “In The Navy” was seen as so patriotic (and therefore harmless) that it allowed the Muppet Show to get away with using the song for a bit with happy Vikings.
I’d never accuse the Muppet Show of being intentionally political (although some people can see political bias in everything), but I’d like to think Jim Henson and the Muppet Show producers knew just how subversive they were being when they thought up a way to work a Village People song into an all-ages show.
Put yr mind at ease,
This is dF
