To be, or not to be gay?
David Blackburn 12:05pm
He took his time about it, but, finally, Ricky Martin has confirmed long-established rumours that he is gay. A dog bites man story and the people clamour: ‘tell us something we don’t know.’ Like George Michael a generation before, Martin constructed a red-blooded facade, so elaborate it could only be fiction. Lathering up in baby-oil in tribute to David Hasslehoff, arriving at award ceremonies pincered by two glamour models – the irony escaped him.
Yet seriousness underlies this issue: Martin suppressed his sexuality in order to protect his career. He wrote yesterday:
‘Because all this advice came from people who I love dearly, I decided to move on with my life, not sharing with the world my entire truth,” he said.“Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage. Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions.”
If being openly gay is a perceived hindrance to a music career, what does it say about wider society? Though his statement about ending a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage’ is beyond preposterous, Ricky Martin deserves credit for dispelling what should be merely imagined homophobic demons.
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rantboy
March 30th, 2010 12:24pm Report this commentI don't think the 'self-fulfilling prophecy' comment is preposterous at all â“ by succumbing to the insecurity, he was sabotaging the chance of an honest relationship with his market. Now that he's decided to ignore that insecurity/advice, he's much freer and I hope his career benefits from it.
Trust me, his homophobic demons are far from imagined. But the last decade of pop music â“ and audience responses to openly gay performers â“ leads me to hope he's at least in a field where the homophobes won't have the power over him that they might have in other professions.
And I'm glad I can finally be a fan without worrying that I'm propping up a hypocrite...
Fergus Pickering
March 30th, 2010 12:45pm Report this commentWhat do you mean 'imagined'? Lots of people don't like homosexuals or hadn't you noticed? I'd go further - lots of young people don't like homosexuals. I am old. I have never had any prejudice against homosexuals. Good for me! But there are plenty of people, PLENTY of people, David, and I reckon there always will be, who think differently. And they are to be found in the music industry as well as everywhere else.
Prodicus
March 30th, 2010 1:01pm Report this commentWhat? Oh, sorry - wrong door. Could have sworn it said 'Spectator'.
David Blackburn
March 30th, 2010 1:01pm Report this commentFergus,
Agreed, that's why I wrote: 'I hope'. I think perhaps 'what should be imagined homophobic demons' would have been better.
John Ware
March 30th, 2010 1:02pm Report this commentWorth remembering too that a large chunk of his fan-base is Latino and pretty homophobic. He will get some abuse for this
THX1138
March 30th, 2010 1:03pm Report this commentAccording to a poll in Vanity Fair yesterday 50% of Americans would be okay with an openly gay President. Although I don't know how that broke between Republicans & Democrats but judging by the homophobic filth thrown at Barney Frank I think we can guess.
Ricky martin has misjudged the public mood!
teledu
March 30th, 2010 5:13pm Report this commentExcuse my ignorance but who the f@@k is Ricky Martin?
Fergus pickering
March 30th, 2010 10:35pm Report this commentYeah teledu, I've never heard of the fellow either.
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