July 11, 2008 - BEACH Bum

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth

BEACH Bum

Where in the world would we be without our favorite famous divas? One place we probably wouldn't be, is closer than ever to achieving full equal rights and social acceptance. Let's not forget that, according to many sources, the historic Stonewall riots that jumpstarted the modern gay civil rights movement were started by a gaggle of brave drag queens, already sad about the recent death of their idol Judy Garland, further pissed off by police brutality and mistreatment. Three big, gay cheers for drag queens and for the divas who inspire them! In their honor, I offer some thoughts about my own favorite famous divas.

First and foremost, at least in my mind, there is "Simply the Best" diva of them allAnna Mae Bullock, more popularly known as the legendary Tina Turner. Her classic comeback album, Private Dancer, was the first album I ever owned. I was mortified to learn that my mother had listened to Tina's music when she was young, but after listening to the album 25 times in a row on my brother's Walkman, I was hooked. Since the mid-1980s, I've come to admire Tina just as much for her tireless tenacity and strong spirit as for her music. You've got to hand it to a woman who walks out on her abusive husband in the middle of a national tour with only 36 cents and a Mobil gas card in her pocket, then relinquishes everything in the divorce proceedings except for the use of the stage name he gave her. That's not only brave, it's smart, sassy, and screams confidence.

Although Tina is frequently hailed as the "Queen of Rock & Roll," she can sing it all, and she hasR & B, blues, soul, jazz, even some country/western. Tina's vocal range and pitch are virtually impeccable. She can screech over an electric guitar just as effortlessly as she can belt out a tender ballad. I was recently blown away by her striking cover of Joni Mitchell's "Edith and the Kingpin." Perhaps most importantly, not only is she a great singer, she's a "total package" entertainersinger, dancer, performer, and actress. She's also classy, well-spoken, intelligent, and truly talented, some qualities sorely missing in many of today's wanna-be pop divas.

Speaking of comeback divas, who doesn't love Cher? Half of the woman's body may be plastic, but she has determination of steel and a heart of gold. I wasn't a big Cher fan until I got a hold of one of her greatest hits albums during college, pre-Believe. People have described Cher as an iconic chameleon, as a shape-shifter among pop stars. This much is certainly true, but there's so much talent and grit beneath the manufactured surface. Although Cher describes herself as "not the world's greatest singer," I love her broad range, from its dusky depths to its soaring high notes. And let's not forget her immense acting ability.

Departed make-up guru and friend Kevyn Aucoin described Cher as a rare, exotic type of beauty, and he couldn't have been more correct. Lend an ear to her music or an eye to her films, and you'll see what he means. What I most admire about Cher includes her sheer determination, her staying power, her humility even in the face of her larger-than-life talent, and her tendency to thumb her nose at critics and social conventions. What other woman could pull off accepting one of Hollywood's highest honors, the much-coveted Best Actress Oscar, in a semi-sheer black sequin Bob Mackie design sure to make sailors blush and drag queens drool?

Another one-name celebrity hits my list of favorite divas. Of course, I'm referring to Madonna. Sadly, in recent years, to a degree she has become a silly caricature of herself, between her mysterious, on-again/off-again British accent, her disastrous forays into acting and directing (aside from Evita), and the media circus surrounding her adoption efforts. About a decade ago, critics denounced Madonna as more done than a burnt-black pork chop. But that's what we love about our little, muscular Michigan girl. Every time she's counted out, she pops up off the mat and delivers a stellar musical knockout punch. I was a total Madonna freak in college. At one time, I counted almost thirty images of her in my tiny dorm room, including a huge, framed "Express Yourself" jigsaw puzzle. (Yes, I'm just that gay.)

Madonna's Like a Prayer album, with soul-searching songs like "Promise to Try" and "Spanish Eyes," helped get me through a tough coming-out period. A few months later, heaven-blessed with front-row tickets to her Girlie Show Tour, I danced in celebration with my first boyfriend. If not an artistic genius, Madonna is a media genius and truly a "Jill" of all trades, with more balls than all of major league baseballsinger, dancer, actress, writer, producer, mother, advocate. As she confesses in Truth or Dare, her main goal is to push people's buttons. In doing so, she's pushed herself to the top of the entertainment field and pushed the acceptance of anyone outside of society's sometimes stuffy norms.

Speaking of fabulous divas, if you're interested in adopting a wonderful, one-year-old, half-Pomeranian, half-Pug canine diva named Bella in desperate need of a great home, Eric can be reached at anitamann@ comcast.net.

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 09 July 11, 2008