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Friday, May 11, 2012
RIP The Original title of the Beastie Boys' Debut Album?
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, May 11, 2012 at 3:44 PM
According to VH1, Don't Be a Faggot.
The review of the anthology questioned why the Beasties — who have changed offensive lyrics from the album's songs in concert — never addressed some of the homophobic lyrics on their debut album, whose working title, the bandmembers have said in interviews, was Don't Be a Faggot.
Now why bring this up? If the Beastie Boys' record label had not rejected that terrible and homophobic title, Don't Be a Faggot, the trio would have stepped right into oblivion. There would be no Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head, Hello Nasty, and the deification of MCA. Such is the state of all things: One step can lead you into history or into the dustbin of history. After being defeated by Russia's General Winter, Napoleon Bonaparte repeated to himself, as his army retreated: "There is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous."
The Beastie Boys did, however, "formally apologize to the entire gay and lesbian community for the shitty ignorant things" they said on Licensed to Ill. (The same can not be said for Jay-Z, who has said plenty of shitty and ignorant things about women.)
3
For some reason this makes me think of Ill Cosby and Bear In Heaven.
Jay-Z continues to skate the fine edge between edginess and being shot.
Jay-Z continues to skate the fine edge between edginess and being shot.
4
Sophie B. Hawkins' Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover features a sample of Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks... AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN PAY FOR IT
5
There is an interesting parallel between the evolution of the Beastie Boys & Mitt Romney's past. Once the Beastie Boys got out of Brooklyn, became exposed to a wide variety of different people, and perhaps saw first hand the end result of their macho frat boy attitude, they changed. The change came from within: they weren't trying to pander to their audience, seeking to maintain or increase their popularity. It was genuine, and they backed it up w/ their work.
Romney, of course, has never had such an epiphany. His words today reflect that he's only interested in how he's perceived. He won't back up his words with action, his words have no meaning. They are simply there to achieve a greater end, which his continued aggrandizement.
Romney, of course, has never had such an epiphany. His words today reflect that he's only interested in how he's perceived. He won't back up his words with action, his words have no meaning. They are simply there to achieve a greater end, which his continued aggrandizement.
6
Isn't this news about 20 years old? I thought this was somewhat common knowledge. Anyway, License to Ill wasnt about frat boy antics, it was more a parody of frat boy antics; and as often happens, life starts imitating art. I think the beastie boys have been pretty forthright that they got carried away in the wake of License's success, but I'd say they more than repented for those transgressions (and I think LTI is pretty great when viewed through the prism in which it was originally intended).
7
Chuckie, Last of the Rhodesians, son of dictator's boot licker, er... "economist", says ignorant things all the time and never apologizes. He just assumes that because he's a Zimbabwean who can read (and copy and paste others' texts) that we will assume he's brilliant.
8
Wow, I haven't stroked my chin so thoughtfully in hours. Thanks, Charles, and keep that crackerjack analysis on coming!
9
@5
If you listen to some of their original punk EPs, you can see that the vast majority of their frat boy swagger was pretty tongue in cheek. Doesn't excuse the homophobia, but take that as you will
If you listen to some of their original punk EPs, you can see that the vast majority of their frat boy swagger was pretty tongue in cheek. Doesn't excuse the homophobia, but take that as you will
10
@1 and @2 pretty much cover it. I would like to chime in that the first person who ever told me about how charming and brilliant and funny the Beastie Boys were as individuals, and wholeheartedly endorsed them, was Larry of Tribal Noize zine, an avant-garde young gay DJ who frequently hung out with them at that time in the very early 80s and probably would have told me if he felt any homophobic tension. Smart, even well-intentioned punks back then told bad jokes about a lot of things, jokes which couldn't be defensible taken out of context, but they were also the same kids living completely equally with their queer comrades in group housing, playing with them in bands (the sexual history of the original musicians who played in the Beasties should probably be mentioned too, look that up), etc.
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