Paris is Burning (1991) documentary.

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Hilton sex tape while she has a UTI.

Wooooo, what a burn! Wait a sec, burn? Multiple entendre!

Seen a documentary about said documentary. Looks very good.

ireland.man wrote: »

Reminds me of whenever a teacher asks the students if anyone has been to a certain place or done something in particular, and one student always puts up his hand and when picked, says "I haven't!"

Bizarre isn't it? Is it Egocentrism?

Egocentrism

having or regarding the self or the individual as the center of all things: an egocentric philosophy that ignores social causes. having little or no regard for interests, beliefs, or attitudes other than one's own; self-centered: an egocentric person; egocentric demands upon the time and patience of others.

PhilBill wrote: »

Anyone seen this documentary? It looks at the LGBT ball culture in New York during the 1980's. Pretty interesting look at a subculture that completely abstains from the dominant norms.

Watch 'The Queen'.



Crystal LaBeija:
'she's beautiful and she's young,.... you deserve the best in life darling but you didn't deserve it tonight'.


Yes I have seen Paris is Burning. Sad as much as it is fascinating. The underage sex workers who were basically kicked out of their homes for being gay and onto the streets.

It shows a lot of the best and worst of human nature. people who have a lot of prejudices against them and who have learned to survive with wit, dignity and energy. It's a little story about how we all survive. You have a choice when your down you either get together by positive behaviors or negative ones.You can either shoplift those shoes or do without them until you save up. But if you nick them then you are just a girl in a pair of shoes. If you save up then you're somebody. If you save up and put your self together with wit and charm then your really the bell of the ball.
There is a quote in the film about that. I'll never forget it.
'People can tell'

It's kind of like the saying 'nice guys finish last'. The guy/ girl who steals the shoes gets them first. But the person who saves for them or even buys a pair of cheap ass shoes is 'it'. They can say yeah this is me. I am golden I am not just the bell of the ball. When I go home and close the door I am still the gold. I still like me. Nice guys are gold when they shut the door. The nasty ones aren't. And even if people can't tell. 'You can tell.' There is a quote about that in Paris is burning.

A lot of people in the gay community and straight go out on the town to be who they are not in real life. But when you close the door you are you. A lot of the people in the documentary have to contend with prejudice and adversity that I can't even imagine. Young poor minority trans people etc. Some would take low paying jobs and save for outfits and some would shoplift or try prostitution and compete in 'balls'. But 'you can tell' the difference.

There is an obviously difference between the poor , somewhere in the middle and the rich. But the difference between those who are 'golden' 'legit' or 'the nice guy' vrs the shoplifter or the grifter or the prostitute is not so obvious and it seems the world does not always care.

It's interesting in contrast to the LGBT community here which only recently became more diverse.

One of the saddest parts though was ' Venus extravaganza'. Underage and homeless prostituting himself /herself to old men. I was really disturbed by that. She looked obviously way too young. And it was that which drew a lot of them to her. They were living their 'straight lives' etc far away from it all. She had been thrown out of her family home for being gay and possibly transgender.

And yet it was older people who for no other reason than to help 'Venus' gave her a home.
It's a multi-leveled exploration of a subculture in African American and Latino cultures that proves to be a microcosm of the best and worst of people.

You can get by with strength and good humor or turn nasty. And that materialism can be nasty.

Great music too!