Androgenius

Andro-" means "man," and "gyn-" refers to "woman." The quality of having a blend of both strong masculine and strong feminine characteristics. The evidence of our fascination with sexual ambiguity is everywhere. While the focus of the paper is on music, the ideology of ambiguity pervades the pop media. "Androgyny is in, and it's about time!"2 The fashion industry correctly predicted current trends over thirty years ago with the Unisex style, and continued to capitalize on the popularity of androgynous dress, copying the styles of Boy George, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, and the Punk scene. One of the most prophetic movies of the early 1970's was a film entitled Phantom of the Paradise. It satirized the music industry and criticized the industry's willingness to promote the demonic for a profit. The movie's strange and unbelievable prophecy about blood spurting, violent and androgynous rock groups came to pass with uncanny precision. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, also of the same era, became a cult film that celebrated the confusion of sexual identity. Tim Currie, the star, played a female with strangely seductive characteristics. In fact, most of the female temptresses were played by males. Our propensity for gender-blending gained a wider acceptance in the 1980's as many films played with this theme of sex role reversal. Victor-Victoria, Tootsie, and Yentle were three of the current products of popular culture which addressed the inequities of socially imposed gender roles from the perspective of the victims of cultural stereotyping. Movie producers attempted to make "gender blending" humane and less threatening through these artistic comedies. As people became familiar with androgyny they also become de-sensitized to its transgressions of cultural norms. It became an acceptable, if alternate, norm to a large portion of modern culture. And on stage, the 60's fascination with sex in general, with productions like Hair and O Calcutta, became in the 80's a fascination with homosexuality in particular, with La Cage Aux Folles competing for a Tony Award in 1984. Androgyny is "IN.The time is right" for the androgynous look, "because American culture is more comfortable at handling sex and playing with gender roles. In this century we can see all over fashion and celebrities on it,the androgyny. Models turn into the angrogynous style,consequence of being a part of a youthful time,where there's no limits,and the only thing that matters is comfort. We all have male and female qualities, why not be able to show both? ...People are being looked at for what's in their eyes--their inner sexuality.