Wednesday 3 June 2009

267: Fag Rock 2 - Michael Heath




Michael Heath
from “The Gay 1970s” in “Punch”, 4 April 1973

These are 3 cartoons from a series of 5 about the greater prominence of homosexuality in contemporary British life. It’s telling that all these focus on homosexuality in the arts and entertainment side of things. The idea of homosexuality they portray is a little out of touch, and doesn’t quite reconcile old ideas of homosexuality with its contemporary practice. It’s more about transvestism than homosexuality, rising drag acts like Hinge and Brackett. But then its easier to point at the clothes and say “fag”, than it is to have to think about what the rest of it means So these are more like jokes for your dad, as “Punch” sees something has changed but doesn’t really know what to make of it. I’m inclined to point the figure more at the editorial policy of the magazine than at Michael Heath.

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