"Top or Bottom?: Top Gun's Versatility in Hollywood's Covert Homoeroticism" by Ivor Casey

AFTER many years of news surrounding the ongoing development of a sequel to the 1986 action classic Top Gun, the follow up will finally be landing in cinemas in 2022, under the title Top Gun: Maverick. The most noted setback over the years was the tragic death of Tony Scott who was originally onboard to reprise his directing duties. However, while producer Jerry Bruckheimer was adamant to still make it happen, the question now is how will a second Top Gun fit into today's sociopolitical environment, considering all the social developments which have transpired in the last 30 years? Or will it completely shift course from the homosocial bonding of the first movie?.

Throughout the decades, the attitudes towards the roles of gender and sexuality have positively progressed and while the original film acts as an interesting and nostalgic period piece of 1980's Reaganism and traditionalist machismo, both in its storyline and production, a sequel will have to adapt to the attitudes of today to avoid coming across as an unintentional parody of toxic masculinity. But what were the attitudes regarding gender and sexuality in the 1980's that make the original film amusingly dated by today's standards?

As we look back through the history of modern cinema, at a time where the socially constructed rules of behaviour between men and women have been clearly laid down by the heteronormative establishment, there are quite a lot of films which disguise their same sex desire through covert methods. The buddy-buddy movies, or "bromance" films, fulfil these covert narratives of homoerotic subtext, which can be read as "gay" just as much as they can be read as "straight". In the 1980s, during a time when the enforcement of socially constructed gender patterns were being implemented on a greater scale, Top Gun was certainly one movie which topped the list to bring together a story of male bonding through machismo but on another level, highlighted very strongly implemented unrequited same sex desire.

This is a movie which has been held up for a long time as an archetypal example of Hollywood homoeroticism, outlined most notably through Quentin Tarantino's monologue in the 1994 film Sleep With Me where he proclaims that Top Gun is "about a man's struggle with his own homosexuality". Moreover, a closer look at the film's enormously "gay" undertones and the background of the whole production is what is presented here.

Top Gun, which is primarily about preparing pilots for war, is a ‘buddy movie’ with a cross between male to male tension and male to male bonding. The characters of Maverick, played by Tom Cruise and Iceman, played by Val Kilmer, go head to head, vying to be the top of their class, both egged on respectively by their all male group of buddies.

The 1986 action-drama about U.S. Navy fighter pilots may never be matched for being one of the most blatant attempts to hide a very strong homoerotic undertone. However, on another hand, it may have also been a subconscious or even fully conscious intention all along, because of the social and governmental pressures at the time. In understanding how the movie has become one of Hollywood's most homoerotic stories, we have to look at the behaviour and attitudes as represented in the film, as well as the attitudes of the time. While the film avoided featuring any visual same sex contact, the desires were implied the whole way through.

'Queer' Theory, which deconstructs the socially fabricated gender roles and strips away the performative patterns which have been manufactured for men and women throughout our society, is ideal for highlighting the undertones in Top Gun. ‘Queer’ Theory focuses on, among other things, how there is no natural code of rules for how men or women should appear or socially present themselves. Everything we project onto men and women in terms of social behaviour is purely manufactured by society. Men can act in a way that is socially considered as "feminine" and women can behave "masculine" under the fabricated rules laid out for both sexes. All sexes can cry or be tough or be sensitive or resilient. The theory that gender is performed helps to blur the divisions between 'male' and 'female' social roles and subsequently, 'homosexuality' and 'heterosexuality'. Basically we are all just bodies with different body parts and our social behaviour as human beings has no predetermined coding because of our genitalia or internal organs.

Hollywood cinema has a history of depicting men as strong, virile representations of masculinity with exaggerated bravado, directed at a heterosexual male audience which falls subservient to the manufactured gender roles. Some of the best examples of these narratives were represented by actors like John Wayne, Charlton Heston and Clint Eastwood and became even more prominent during the 1980's with the movies of the rugged stars Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris and Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the more "pretty-boy" tough guys Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in Top Gun. These characters all show one dimensional portrayals of men acting out a part, pushed on them by how society has come to fabricate gender divisions.

During the mid 1980’s U.S. President Ronald Reagan received international attention and national praise for his anti-communist, Cold War stance. America began to regain an image of formidable force following the loss of the Vietnam War. Throughout his term in office, Reagan had small wars in operation around the world, from Libya to Lebanon and from Grenada to the Persian Gulf. During Reagan’s presidency the military stood firmly in support of anti-gay ideology. This was an ideology which placed gender into two separate categories and viewed relations between people of the same sex as somehow abnormal. This was conducted by screening recruits for homosexuality and discharging those who were found out to be gay.

In a 1982 policy statement the U.S. Department of Defense made their opinions clear on homosexuality by saying, 'Homosexuality is incompatible with military service. The presence in the military environment of persons who engage in homosexual conduct or who, by their statements, demonstrate a propensity to engage in homosexual conduct, seriously impairs the accomplishment of the military mission'. The statement continued with a series of baseless, unfounded and unproven discriminatory opinions. In fact, the Crittenden Report conducted by the U.S. Navy Board of Inquiry in 1957, which was an even more politically conservative and suspicious time, investigated the threat homosexuals may have to the security of the United States. The report concluded that ‘homosexuals prove no greater a security risk than heterosexuals’.

The heterosexist traditionalist viewpoints, very much enforced during the 1980s, would be highlighted through a series of action movies throughout this time. In Hollywood cinema, the drive for the heteronormative male hero performance came from an inherent fear that any male protagonist could be anything but heterosexual. As a result, much of 1980’s Hollywood, in a desperate attempt to show how masculine the males are, specifically drew attention to muscular bodies, which resulted in a fetishisation of the male body. Scenes of Stallone as Rambo or Schwarzenegger in Commando standing firmly, topless, muscles shining, holding massive phallic objects in their hands, were common images throughout this period. Subsequently, as these films were being aimed at a heteronormative male audience, the images proved to eroticise the male for the supposedly "straight" male spectator. Top Gun follows suit with a scene including three topless men, all waxed, with muscles glistening in slow motion shots. The characters are captured like male models, exposing their bodies for the spectator, which is supposed to be the heterosexual male.

In order to "straighten" the homosocial activities, a secondary female character is brought into the narrative. This appears in Top Gun in the form of the character, ‘Charlie’ played by Kelly McGillis. A traditionally male name placed on a female character, possibly suggesting the writers were fully aware of the innuendo. The introduction of the female character helps to further the homoerotic tension as the woman has now created a love triangle for Maverick, between herself and Iceman, who is not shown being romantically involved with any female characters. This love triangle often results in some sort of physical contact between the men, once again attempting to display their machismo to one another.

Top Gun is a film which dwells deeply on male relationships and exposing the male body through sports, shower room scenes and highlighting testosterone levels through the almost orgasmic sensation the men feel from flying fighter planes. There are many scenes of topless men, flexing their glistening muscles, only in the company of other men. As mentioned a volleyball scene includes several topless men moving in slow motion in a hot sun with camera close ups on their muscles with the song ‘Playing With The Boys’ playing over the soundtrack. The director Tony Scott stated years later, ‘I didn’t have a vision of what I was doing, other than just doing soft porn’. Incidentally, a hardcore gay pornographic parody of Top Gun, called Big Guns was made the following year.

One scene in Top Gun depicts ‘Maverick’ on a night out, where he intends to seduce somebody, with his co-pilot ‘Goose’ suggesting to ‘Maverick’ that he “must have carnal knowledge - of a lady, this time”. In another scene a pilot says to his flying buddy, that the presentation of a powerful fighter jet is giving him a “hard on” to which the buddy responds “don’t tease me”. There is also the tension between ‘Maverick’ played by Tom Cruise and his colleague ‘Iceman’ played by Val Kilmer, indicating a possible sexual tension as they both compete to be the best and confront each other face to face on a regular basis and frequently keep an eye on one another during training and in the showers. At the end of the movie, the sexual tension appears to be released after a testosterone fuelled battle, when Iceman says to Maverick, ‘You can be my wing man any time’. The concept of needing a partner, a ‘wing-man’ at all times throughout the exhausting experience of being a fighter pilot easily denotes sexual intercourse.

In 1986 the views of the U.S. Military, outlined in 1982 by the Department of Defense, had not changed with regard to homosexuals entering the Military. Nonetheless despite the clearly homoerotic subtext, Top Gun got full endorsement, support and backing from the U.S. Military. Military personnel read the scripts and granted permission for the production team to film on their bases around America and to use their fighter jets. Following the movie’s release, Top Gun was highly praised and applauded by the U.S. Navy. A retired admiral noted that Tom Cruise and ‘Top Gun’ “did a lot” for the Naval Academy’. The film was regarded as a positive advertisement for the U.S. Navy.

What the conservative anti-gay establishment of the time kept seeing were masculine bodies that were represented as tough, rugged and hard. This was what symbolised the spirit of America, which was a tough attitude, represented physically and therefore mentally, able to overcome all failures and future obstacles. Nonetheless, what the U.S. Military failed to see was the homoerotic subtext in these films. They failed, just like they would fail to see the actual sexuality of new recruits whom they screened for homosexuality. They failed because identity is not fixed but constantly crossing over and interweaving. This failure raises the essential question of how a judgement can be made about gay people in any instance if the military had no idea who is or who is not homosexual.

Top Gun was a movie which held a covert homoerotic undertone but didn’t actually come out and say what can be easily read into it. However, this was the attitude which would be brought about in a new policy initiated in the 1990’s under a new Presidency. This was the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy brought in under the Clinton Administration, which projected the message that homosexuality must be kept silent, as opposed to heterosexuality which could be exhibited without any concern or second glance. Although the policy was negative for gay rights, it was still a step forward at the time from what had gone before, allowing gay people to serve quietly. However, it is now a tremendous sign of progress within the LGBT quarters that this policy was finally overturned under the Obama Administration in 2011, allowing gay people to serve openly in the U.S. Military.

While the rights of gay people has significantly progressed, mainstream Hollywood is still at odds over portraying heteronormative men, or any type of man for that matter, engaging in same sex desire and romance. While a film like Top Gun will top the list for highlighting a Hollywood homoerotic subtext, regular and passive representations of gay men have yet to light up the mainstream silver screen. Of course, there are some films which are today representing homosexuality without resorting to such forms of covert subtext, but they are all too often low budget, art-house movies made for a niché audience. Either that or they are films which are only focusing on the sexuality as the narrative rather than it being a passive part of the characters.

Saying all that, it is one positive step that the covert homoerotic subtext of Top Gun isn't as required as much today as the world becomes more educated about the rights and lives of gay people and how gender is simply just a performative invention. An invention gradually decaying from the days of placing men and women into constructed repressive identities. While it has been well reported now that actress Jennifer Connelly will be playing Maverick's love interest it would have been the appropriate time to project the current trends and attitudes by unleashing the undertones of the original movie and finally having 'Maverick' and 'Iceman' get married in the sequel to Top Gun. The open-mindedness of Hollywood producers to ever accept the subtext of the original, or any other old buddy movie, and incorporate its realities into a now normative passive part of main Hollywood characters remains to be seen.

- Ivor Casey

 

References:

 

§  Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (London: Routledge, 1999) p.33

§  Danger Zone: The Making of Top Gun. Producer: Charles deLauzirika. Paramount Home Entertainment. 2004.

§  Halberstam, Judith. ‘Queer Studies’ in A Companion to Gender Studies, ed. by  Essed, Philomena, Goldberg, David Theo, Kobayashi, Audrey (WileyBlackwell, 2008)pp.62-70 (p.65)

§  Kellner, Douglas. Media Culture, (London: Routledge 1995)p. 77, p.80

§  Neale, Steve.  ‘Masculinity as Spectacle’ in Screening The Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema, eds. Steve Cohan and Ina Rae Hark,(London & New York: Routledge 1996), p.13

§  Top Gun. Dir.Tony Scott. Paramount Pictures, 1986

Appello Press Grabs the Headlines by Ivor Casey

IN late 2012 I established Appello Press as the means in which to self publish my own book, Elvis and Ireland and to subsequently continue as a publishing house, with an aim to support young aspiring Irish writers. Appello Press is completely independent, without any financial backing beyond my own financial input. It was purely established out of a love of literature and from an understanding of how many writers with tremendous passion and integrity often get overlooked in the business.

Appello Press has spent its first two years in operation promoting its very first work Elvis and Ireland, written by myself, and has managed to grab some significant headlines. Elvis and Ireland has earned rave reviews from journalists around the country with features by Eamonn McCann in Hot Press and Barry Egan in The Sunday Independent as well as substantial and positive features in Cork’s The Evening Echo and Southern Star, The Westmeath Independent, Dun Laoghaire Gazette, Southside People, The Donegal Democrat and Waterford Today. Release of this book has also spread to hardcopy and online publications in Britain, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Memphis and New York. Elvis and Ireland has gained widespread attention through shows such as RTE’s The Ryan Tubridy Show, The Ronan Collins Show and The Late Date. As a first time author, I was also fortunate to secure appearances on TV3’s The Morning Show, Newstalk FM’s Sean Moncrieff show, RTE's The Mooney Show, Radio Nova, Dublin South FM, Dublin City FM, LMFM, Midlands 103 FM’s Art Show and Spain’s iTalk FM.

Elvis and Ireland received its official launch in May 2013 with the book being launched and endorsed by Barry Devlin of legendary Celtic Rock Group 'Horslips' who called it “a terrific read with fascinating research”. Also, in attendance at the launch was artist, writer and broadcaster Don Conroy, Hollywood animator and director Jimmy Murakami, documentary maker Sé Merry Doyle and art curator Tony Strickland. International superstar Bono of U2, in a separate meeting with myself, gave his thumbs up for the book stating that he was "delighted to be part of the whole thing". Appello Press has worked vigorously to secure publicity and widespread attention for its first publication and plans to work with the same tenacity on all its future projects.


A new and début poetry collection published by Appello Press, entitled Photons by Dalkey writer Peter Donnelly was officially launched in April 2014 by author and playwright, Professor Frank McGuinness. The launch took place at the UCD Campus Bookshop with a large crowd including poet Harry Clifton all out to greet the author and join in the support for the publication. Photons is noteworthy for including the first ever English translation of Dante's Canto X, which gained the book a mention in the lecture halls of the City University of New York. Recognised for his significant talents, Peter Donnelly's poetry collection has also been specially selected for the UCD James Joyce Library Special Collections, where Appello Press is proud to see a first edition of Photons sit among the first editions of works by legendary greats such as W.B. Yeats.

During his speech, McGuinness stated, “What dexterity of meters there is in it, what splendid sensitivity to the strange changes of the natural world. What sheer delight in the diversity of themes and the diversity of tones, giving this verse its voice, a voice that is already sounding its sureness of identity. A voice capable of characterising its deeper self and finding in that depth much to fear and much to identify”.

Appello Press has worked determinedly to secure attention for Photons, with achievements including front page coverage on the Dun Laoghaire Gazette, a feature in the Southside and Northside People and the Westmeath Independent, as well as the surprisingly difficult to enter, Dalkey Community News. Peter was featured as a guest on 'Bookbound' with Paul O'Doherty on Dublin City FM and has had reviews and features on Headstuff.org and Writing.ie. Appello recorded and edited a video of the book launch, which is available to view on YouTube for publicity and posterity. We also captured and produced a wide variety of photographs from the launch, and another reading and signing at the Dalkey Ladies Club, all adding to the publicity and posterity which places the author and their work on a platform.

As was the case with Elvis and Ireland every major arts programme and journal was pursued, with all press releases highlighting the special and original angles of these books and the authors behind them, as well as the ambition of Appello Press to make a stand in supporting young, aspiring talents who exhibit unique qualities.

In addition to the impassioned task of gaining vital media coverage to raise awareness for the authors and their books, is the attempt to get bookshops to stock the publications. In usual circumstances the publications of an independent publisher would be placed last for consideration and in many cases be rejected because of not being listed with wholesalers. Nonetheless, as was the case of securing publicity, Appello worked arduously to have Elvis and Ireland stocked with Easons, Ireland's largest wholesaler and bookshop chain. Other independent stores who showed their support to an independent publisher included Tower Records, Celtic Note, Coleman Quirke and in the case of Photons and with the help of its author, Books Upstairs, The Company of Books and the UCD Campus Bookshop. Both Elvis and Ireland and Photons are available to buy on Amazon online stores across the world (See links below).

Appello Press hopes to continue as a means to support new, aspiring and upcoming talent. In addition Appello Press has now branched into self publishing in which people can hire our services to make their dreams become a reality. Appello has also now begun to focus on digital marketing and with the previous successes with promotion, such as achieving a 4,000 plus Facebook following for Elvis and Ireland, intends to grow and expand in this area. So far Appello has successfully helped visual artists with their exhibitions, as well as setting out a profile and beginning their platform in the art world. For more information keep an eye on our 'Digital Marketing' section at www.appellopress.com

“Elvis and Ireland” is available across the world from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format and can also be purchased through America’s Barnes and Noble online store. (RRP€14.99)

"Photons" is available across the world from Amazon in paperback and can also be purchased through America's Barnes and Noble online store. It is also available to purchase at Books Upstairs (D'Olier St. Dublin City), The Company of Books (Ranelagh, Dublin) and the UCD Campus Bookshop (Belfield, Dublin 4) (RRP€11.99)

Bono gives "Elvis and Ireland" the thumbs up!

Ivor Casey, author of Elvis and Ireland and Bono in Dalkey

Irish rock star Bono and myself met recently at The Corner Note Café in Dalkey. When asked about his inclusion in the book, Bono, who has been reading his own personal copy, remarked that he was "delighted to be part of the whole thing". The book is set to be launched by Barry Devlin of Celtic Rock group "Horslips" on 10 May 2013 at The Corner Note Café.

"Elvis and Ireland" explores the life of Elvis and his influence and connections with Ireland. It is a social and historical study, documenting the evolution of rock and pop culture in Ireland, while simultaneously covering the entire story of Elvis's life, with some new fresh perspectives. Having been born over six years after Elvis died, my study of his life reflects a new generation of Elvis enthusiast.

Among the Irish influences and connections include Irish songs he sang and the listings of Irish singers who covered his work. It touches on his Irish genealogy and documents the Irish actors and singers he worked with and came in contact with throughout his life. It also details how Elvis and rock 'n' roll music was first received here by the establishment and how rock 'n' roll and popular music first formed in the country. There is also details about the movies of his which were censored and the Irish cinemas that first screened his films, as well as the Irish chart successes he had, among many many more interesting facts and trivia. "Elvis and Ireland" is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and is in print to order from other leading book stores.

Comments about Elvis and Ireland by some top journalists:

"Genuinely original" ... "entrancingly idiosyncratic work" ... "startling, surprising and not without significance" - Eamonn McCann (Hot Press; Vol:37 Issue:08 - May 8 2013)

"Casey has to be commended for a rare feat: an original book on The King" - Barry Egan (The Sunday Independent, March 31 2013)


For a further read about the book, check out The Sunday Independent article by Barry Egan, titled "The King and Us: How Elvis Shocked The Irish" at the following link: http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books-arts/the-king-and-us-how-elvis-shocked-the-irish-29165281.html


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Elvis and Ireland by Ivor Casey

Elvis and Ireland is the "Irish Biography" of Elvis Presley. It is the detailed story of Elvis Presley's life and career, combined with a timeline of events in Irish popular culture and the social changes brought on by his unique brand of rock 'n' roll.

What you will find here is just about everything to do with Elvis and his links with Ireland including anecdotes, entertaining trivia on Elvis's connection with Ireland, his Irish chart successes, as well as areas of censorship. You will also learn about Irish songs he covered and Irish singers who covered his work. Find out what many Irish personalities have to say about Elvis, as well as what was said about the star from the Dáil to the pulpit. 

Elvis and Ireland focuses on how Irish artists used Elvis and American popular culture for their own artistic efforts, from Ireland's earliest showbands and beat-groups to the rock legends Rory Gallagher, Phil Lynott and Bono. It covers several decades of Irish popular music without ever losing track of Elvis's story. In brief this book is a view of Elvis Presley through Irish eyes.

Elvis and Ireland brings together the story of the global superstar from his birth to his untimely death, picking up the Irish connections along the way. To add a further Irish dimension, the book also features artwork of Elvis by three famous Irish artists. All music fans, and not just the Irish ones, will find this an exhilarating journey through the career of the universal music icon.

"Hundreds of Elvis books already exist but rarely does a new Elvis book have something to say from a totally different cultural stand point"

Elvis and Ireland is authored by Ivor Casey who has worked as a freelance journalist throughout Ireland for the past 10 years. Ivor also has a BA(Hons) in English, Media and Cultural Studies. For other Elvis Presley related posts by Ivor Casey click here: Elvis is dead, Long Live The King and Elvis and virtually no Suspicious Minds

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The Muppets: A Retrospect by Ivor Casey

HAVING recently seen the big screen revival of the terrific The Muppets I have discovered a whole new respect for the fifty plus old puppets. The big budget backing from children’s entertainment giant Disney has helped springboard the Muppets into a whole new generation with a reboot of the long loved franchise. It was a franchise which appeared to be fading into the depths of TV and movie history with the last big screen outing having not only happened thirteen years prior but having also proved to be a flop.

In 1999 Muppets From Space was apparently rushed to get a Summer release and despite its budget of $24m it only managed a return of about $22m. This seemed to mark an end for the felted figures of frolicking fun with only a few middling to fair TV movies subsequently made over the next six years. These included Kermit: The Swamp Years, It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas and The Muppets Wizard of Oz. This was a far cry from when The Muppets had dominated TV ratings during the late 1970’s with their series, The Muppet Show. However, the Muppets have had an enduring legacy going as far back as 1955 when characters such as Kermit The Frog first graced television on the Sam and Friends show.

Created by Jim Henson, who was also later involved in Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock, the characters began to emerge gradually on various TV shows and specials throughout the 1960’s and early 1970’s with the lead being Kermit The Frog, voiced by Jim Henson himself. However, what would become a defining ensemble of characters was yet to appear. In 1974 a pilot called, The Muppet Valentine Special and another pilot the following year titled, Sex and Violence, set the stage for a brand new series. With much offbeat and madcap good cheerful humour, often aimed at adults as well as children, The Muppet Show began a series run in 1976.

Other than Kermit, the main characters which took centre stage included Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, The Swedish Chef, Rowlf The Dog, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, as well as the cynical yet hilarious pairing of Statler and Waldorf. The shows usually revolved around a variety style TV broadcast, with many musical numbers, a glimpse behind the scenes and the regular appearances of a famous guest star. These guest stars often included some of Hollywood’s leading and legendary performers such as Peter Sellers, Peter Ustinov, Vincent Price, Sylvester Stallone, John Cleese and Roger Moore.

The format was set and the Muppets saw themselves mixed up in adventures and obstacles in which to overcome, combined with the on and off romance between Kermit and Miss Piggy which goes on to this day. The show ended in 1981 but the Muppets had already lit up the big screen at this stage with their first celluloid appearance in 1979 with the The Muppet Movie which was followed by The Great Muppet Caper in 1981 and The Muppets Take Manhattan in 1984. The movies were great successes and continued to bring the Muppets to new generations, entertaining both children and adults alike.

Jim Henson sadly passed away in 1990 at the age of 53 and some thought this would mark the end of the Muppet franchise and the voice of Kermit. Nonetheless, puppeteer Steve Whitmore proved an excellent replacement for many of the characters which might have died with Jim. 1992 saw the release of The Muppet Christmas Carol in a wonderful retelling of the classic Charles Dickens novel. The Muppets kept on going and in 1996 they reunited for TV with Muppets Tonight. However, this was when the future of the loveable creatures began to go awry. The same year saw the release of Muppet Treasure Island and while it did get good reviews and a reasonable box office draw, the TV show was soon cancelled after two seasons, failing to prove to be as big a hit as their original series. With some faith still intact, a further movie went into production (Muppets From Space) but this proved to mark the end of their big screen appearance for the time being.

It would take a decade before a dedicated fan, actor Jason Segel, involved himself in a pitch for a new Muppet movie. Along with Nicholas Stoller he wrote a script for a reunion, simply titled The Muppets. It was considered a bit of risk, with critics unsure what to expect but it was a chance worth taking. The film marked the big return of the cuddly characters to the big screen and it was received incredibly well by both critics and fans. The movie itself proved to be a huge financial success, raking in over $150m making it the most successful Muppet movie of all, sparking renewed fascination with decades old good family entertainment.

The most recent film saw The Muppets reuniting to save their old studio by staging a telethon. It makes for the most ideal reunion as the muppets bond and collaborate in the face of adversary. The film itself is also more than just a nostalgia trip and reflects the modern humour of today while still keeping within the realms of acceptability for the target audience. As somebody less in favour of computer generated images I also found it deeply refreshing to see a new movie relying on good old fashioned puppetry. The Muppets, new and old, are everlasting and timeless. They help remind us of a time of innocence which in these turbulent times is something a lot of us desperately seek. They are cheeky, charming and cheerful with a strong message of togetherness, friendliness and happiness. With plans of a sequel already having been announced I am hoping to see a whole new age of Muppet madness roll in, to entertain, amuse and delight us all.

- Ivor Casey

Westmeath's link to the 1916 Rising by Ivor Casey

Westmeath is not usually considered when it comes to remembering the 1916 Rising but there is certainly one Westmeath man linked to the fight for an independent Ireland who had much involvement. In what is the 30th anniversary of his death, the man I refer to is Tomás Malone. Born in 1896, in Meedin, near Tyrrellspass, Tomás was the son of William and Máire Malone. He was educated at the Franciscan College, Multyfarnham and became qualified in Greek and Irish. However, his family’s deep Republican nature saw him take an interest in the struggle for Independence. In 1912, Liam Mellows, founder member of the Irish volunteers, enrolled him in ‘Na Fianna Éireann’ (The Republican boys movement) and the Malones would become a driving force of Republicanism in Co. Westmeath. 

House of Tomás Malone in Meedin, Tyrrellspass, Co. Westmeath (Photo: Ivor Casey, 2006)

Tomás’ motivation was influenced largely by his mother. She had been a national school teacher, dismissed from her job for teaching children their prayers in Irish. She staged a sit in but was removed by the RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) and the local Catholic priest. As a result she ended up teaching Irish to children in her home at night. Tomás’ connection with 1916 began when he heard of the events that were transpiring in Dublin. With his brothers, Séamus and Seosamh, and other Irish Volunteers he barricaded his home when police came to carry out a search. The defeat of Irish fighters in Dublin caused Malone to withdraw from his rebellion and he was arrested. Serving a sentence at three different jails including Kilmainham Gaol, he came in contact with other like minded Irish Republicans. After release from prison he was elected to the Army Council of the Volunteers and in 1918 combined this occupation with the native tongue as he began teaching Irish while he travelled the country. Malone was deeply affected by the ideals which inspired the Irish language movement. As well as preserving, arguably, the country’s most important source of identity from Great Britain he used his teaching of the Irish language as a method of recruiting other "freedom fighters". 

Tomás took on the alias of Sean Forde, as he became deeply involved in the Republican movement, arranging and committing ambushes on British forces. He eventually became a Commandant, based in East Limerick and he helped establish the first Flying Column in Ireland. Tomás played a major part in bringing about the surrender of Ballylanders RIC barracks on 27 April 1920. He felt it was ‘the biggest such attack’ undertaken by the column. It lasted several hours, in which two RIC men were killed and eight wounded, while one Republican was killed and two were injured. Tomás also headed the attack on Killmallock barracks, in which it was burned to the ground. His column also succeeded in an attack against military forces at Grange, between Bruff and Limerick City. 

In December 1920, Malone was caught and sent to prison on Spike Island off the Cork coast, but the prison authorities were not aware that they were detaining such a notorious Republican on the island. Although a fellow prisoner let slip who Malone was, the British needed a formal identification of the Republican and sent for someone who could pinpoint the IRA man. Nonetheless, their only source of uncovering the truth was executed by the IRA before he reached the island. In the meantime, General Liam Lynch, of the Cork No.2 Brigade, became aware of the circumstances. Lynch sent Malone a message stating, ‘we will get you out of there - it will only be a matter of time before they identify you’. The Cork Brigade HQ instructed that a plan of escape be organised from the island. The three men to be rescued were Tomás Malone, Sean Twomey and Sean MacSwiney, the brother of the martyred Cork Lord Mayor, Terence. On 29 April 1921, Tomás Malone and the two fellow prisoners, were outside working on the prison grounds when they overpowered the guards and achieved a victorious and dramatic escape as an IRA boat, marked with a union jack, awaited them in the harbour. 

At a later point, Tomás took the anti-treaty side and was again put in prison, now at Portlaoise, then known as Marysborough Jail. Here Michael Collins visited him requesting he use his influence to bring an end to the Civil War. Collins suggested a peace meeting between Malone and Commanding Cork born Republicans, Tom Hales and Tom Barry. This was one of the last movements of Collins as he was soon assassinated on 22 August 1922. Portlaoise prison was burned down by prisoners and Malone was transferred to the Curragh where, in 1923, he made his last ever prison break, hiding in a cart that was removing kitchen waste. By now Independence had been declared and in 1925 he took a job as a school teacher in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, eventually becoming Principal. Nenagh would remain his home until his death in 1981. Although Tomás Malone was a man whose adventures to overthrow Crown forces brought him to various spots around Ireland, he will always be a Westmeath man. Tomás Malone's attempts to rebel against Britain in 1916 marked Westmeath as the only county between Dublin and Galway where bullets were fired in the attempt for Ireland to become an independent nation. 

- Ivor Casey 

(Amended from an article by Ivor Casey previously printed in The Wesmeath Independent, The Westmeath Examiner and Ireland's Own)

Original publication of 'Westmeath's link to the 1916 Rising' by Ivor Casey, as seen in the The Westmeath Independent in 2006

Che Guevara: The anti-Gay "icon"? by Ivor Casey

He is called a revolutionary. He is a cherished hero to some, a simple face in an iconic photograph to others. His image is used by fashion designers for marketable kitsch, which ironically goes against the politics he stood for. His legacy is used as a symbolic force for political goals but is also used by a certain section of hardcore socialists as propaganda to manipulate angry young people. Turn a corner on any city street in Ireland and his image dons the face of a t-shirt, usually worn by somebody convinced it highlights their liberalism. However, Che Guevara, the man worshipped for fighting the capitalist system to try and instil a fairer and more generous left-wing socialist system, also helped instil a system that could be considered to be an embodiment of far right-wing styled bigotry, when it came to human rights and most notably gay rights. For decades this side of his and the Cuban revolution's history has been misinterpreted and misunderstood by mostly misguided anarchists who seem to turn a blind eye to the safety of minority groups.

The initial and watered down rhetoric of Guevara’s story, carefully chosen by his supporters is one which revolves around a young man from Argentina, who on his travels in Latin America witnessed the extreme poverty and starvation of one section of society while the other side basked in great wealth and riches. From here the story escalates into a narrative of a man trying to dismantle the capitalist structures which can be argued to cause such economic inequality. His story tells of a guerrilla fighter who subsequently constructed a socialist regime. He set out on adventures to overthrow American supported leaders in Cuba, was supported by insurgents and became a key figure of the Cuban revolution, working with Fidel Castro under a new government. His ethic of fighting and supporting class struggle is one to be easily admired and one which I, as somebody who is highly supportive of a redistribution of wealth, commend. However, regarding the 1960's Cuban revolutionaries specifically, this take is unfortunately used as a knee jerk reaction for reverence and glorification.

Under the new Cuban revolution, a revolution which was supposed to be about bringing about socialist principles of a classless society and true equality, various groups of vulnerable people were singled out for persecution. Having fought their way into power the Cuban revolutionaries lead an abuse of power excluding and banning what they desired even if it had nothing directly to do with their specific cause of a classless society. This notably included, among all things rock ‘n’ roll music and homosexuality.This thinking immediately aligns them with the conservatives in America who also opposed these things. However, unlike the American conservatives, Guevara and his associates had past leaders within their political spectrum whom to learn from such as Vladimir Lenin, whose new acts in 1922 decriminalised homosexuality. This had been a daring move, later overturned by Stalin.

Although there are apparently no glaringly obvious quotes to highlight any hardcore homophobia on the part of Che Guevara, he does allude to a disgust of homosexuality in his memoirs, where upon speaking about a particular individual he notes "the episode upset us a little because the poor man, apart from being homosexual and a first rate bore, had been very nice to to us...". Highlighting the man's sexuality as a point of negative criticism may appear mild to some, but for a man of this power and persuasion, his comment projects a homophobic thinking.

Under the Cuban revolution, the system fought for by Guevara and his associates, established ‘labour camps’, known as the UMAP labour camps, to incarcerate gay people, among other groups, which mostly included people of a religious background. These were Cuba's new concentration camps, set up so the new socialist government could rid their nation of homosexuality, which was somehow believed to be a product of capitalism. Gay artists were censored and gay people in government lost their jobs. The UMAP camps subjected homosexuals to brutal torture and some inmates committed suicide. Not only gay men were incarcerated but effeminate men were also imprisoned. People who did not fit into the fascist vision of masculinity were imprisoned without charge or trial and forced to adhere to the notion of masculinity through slave labour.

In these camps gay men who had been rounded up were subjected to rehabilitation and re-education. An argument that “the times” were different is nullified by Lenin's 1922 acts, and the fact that the revolution was setting out to change “the times” but whatever it did, gave no thought or consideration to minorities. If socialism, as revolutionaries in Cuba saw it, was supposed to be this greater, fairer advancement on capitalism and human rights, where was the advancement for homosexuals? It appears the price paid for an improved social welfare system was the freedom of a minority. A claim that Guevara was not in Cuba during the existence of these camps, therefore excusing him, is irrelevant as it didn't take him to physically be around for the ideology to be enforced. The fact that he had enormous power over the way Cuba operated, implicates him as an important part of this brutal treatment. Under no circumstances is it or was it ever acceptable to persecute people based on their sexuality, not now and not then, especially when the whole point of the revolution was only to end an aggressive and greedy capitalist and right-wing system. 

While the pre-revolution Cuba was no safe haven for gay people, the man who would go on to be so revered for being a revolutionary was incapable of going the distance with a fight for human rights. It was not until after Guevara was killed in 1967 that these camps were closed by Castro when he witnessed first hand the harsh conditions, as well as their negative attention worldwide. Nonetheless, homosexuality was not decriminalised in Cuba until 1979.

By the 1980's some homophobic attitudes were relaxed including the Ministry of Culture stating that homophobic bigotry was unacceptable. Castro has even expressed regret for the treatment of gay people during the earlier period of the revolution. Nonetheless, in the fifty years since, there has been very little revolutionary practice on behalf of human or civil rights for gay people. Gay clubs and organisations are banned and as of 2011, gay people are not allowed either marriage or civil partnership and there are no laws prohibiting 'hate speech'. For all the differences claimed and fought for between socialism and capitalism, one thing is for certain and that is that gay rights seem to be insignificant, even within the system that parades itself on being egalitarian and revolutionary. Che Guevara may have revolted against corrupt capitalists, making him an admirable and iconic symbol of social change. Nevertheless, while mostly young people succumb to the promotion of a false hero, with regard to all round human rights, and don the face of who they think was some noble warrior (or a rock star), it must be remembered that the UMAP camps were stringently homophobic and a serious part of what his revolution instilled. On the other hand, an entire section of the consumer market may have no idea who this face belongs to, accepting it as some random mass market pop culture figure, something Guevara himself scorned.

- Ivor Casey

Bibliography:

• Bejel, Emilio. Gay Cuban Nation (University of Chicago Press, 2001)
• Dore, Elizabeth & Carrie Hamilton. Sexual Revolutions in Cuba: Passion, Politics and Memory (Envisioning Cuba) (The University of North Carolina Press, 2012)
• Goldman, Dave E. Out of Bounds: Islands and the Demarcation of Identity in the Hispanic Caribbean (Bucknell Studies in Latin American Literature and Theory), (Bucknell University Press, 2008)
• Guevara, Ernesto. The Motorcycle Diaries (Ocean Press, 2003)
• Improper Conduct, (Dirs. Néstor Almendros & Orlando Jiménez Leal, 1984)
• Lumsden, Ian. Machos, Maricones and Gays: Cuba and Homosexuality (Temple University Press, 1996)
• Tatchell, Peter. 'Gay Rights and Wrongs in Cuba', http://www.pinktriangle.org.uk/glh/213/cuba.html

Becoming a Stronger Individual by Ivor Casey

ONE of my deepest felt philosophies in which I'll always adhere to is to remember those friends who were there for you during your darkest hours and just walk away from those who appeared to be giving on one hand, but taking with the other. What this ultimately means is to, without complete devotion, simply never forget the people who expressed concern for you without any manipulation to get something in return, whether it was some superficial desire to pry into your private life for personal satisfaction or to rally support for a clique in which a hierarchy exists. What needs to be done to find a better sense of who you are is to not fall subservient to these groups. 

In times of doubt and anxiety always be careful not to trust too many people who claim to be your friend, as some will take advantage of your vulnerability. Avoid the cliques in times of sorrow as they will chew you to bits by delving into this vulnerability and extracting the information they want to toss about as gossip. Always keep in mind the individuals who were there on a personal and considerate level and who, no matter how many times you might have repeated yourself, still stood by and kept you strong as you found your path. Just walk away from those who have used your depression or personal issues for gossip and never be intimidated into believing you need a clique. Through sensitivity, depression and vulnerability people often collapse into cliques, which only prove to be a false sense of security.

When you are still maturing, finding your own sense of identity and finding your sense of place in the world it is very easy to get caught in a clique out of peer pressure and societal expectations. Those with depression and anxiety issues often sustain a deep sensitivity where they will lose a lot of self respect and self esteem. Maturity has no age limits. Maturity will only become more prevalent the more a person strengthens their confidence and the more they find their place in the world. This can manifest itself by finding other "individuals" and finally somebody who genuinely loves you. Cliques by their very nature exist to keep people thinking the same thoughts, to keep the same frame of mind and strengthen an insular world without room for growth, diversity or change. As a team, their power over others can strip the more impressionable members of original thought and individuality, by pushing ideologies and belittling individuals who have different ideas.

It can be difficult to remove yourself from this but the pressures of a clique will only have a damaging and negative impact. Those in cliques have political agendas and their foremost personalities are not of an artistic, sensitive or emotionally intelligent nature. They want everybody to stay the same to push the ideology of the hierarchy. However, human beings are not mere pawns, we are individuals who can survive with other individuals, not groups of random faces. Always remember to be an individual, for it is by being an individual you will discover who you are and not what is expected of you.

If you are ever being bullied, threatened or intimidated, don't think you are the problem for being bothered by it and don't let any assumed superiority tell you otherwise. Don't let anybody who has not shared your experiences tell you how you are to live your life. Remember that nobody has any idea what is going on in the life of another person and there is no justification to judge. Just walk away from the people who are a negative force in your life as you do not need them. And never let the cliques manipulate you into thinking you have done something wrong by "deserting". The cliques have each other but as an individual you need to save yourself. Invest your energy in those with whom you can bond to make life somewhat more productive, cheerful and positive.

Remembering the Seductive Soul of Barry White by Ivor Casey

IT has been 50 years since a petty thief suddenly decided to change his ways after listenting to Elvis Presley sing "It's Now or Never" while in prison. This thief would go on to become one of the most cherished love singers of all time. His voice has often been compared to the feeling of melting caramel. A description of the lustful, lascivious and libidinous sounds of Barry White who became known as ‘the Guru of love’ for his lush bass and velvet voice. A silky smooth, sultry voice highlighted in such sexually charged songs as “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Babe” and “Just The Way You Are”. Sexually flavoured and deliciously romantic numbers, which instinctively set the scene for dimmed lights, candles, slow undressing and body contact.

Born into a humble environment on 12 September 1944, in Galveston, Texas, Barry moved to Los Angeles where he spent the rest of his childhood with his brother and single mother. White explained that he was shocked by his unusually deep vocals, which emerged over night when he was still a teenager. From a young age he discovered an enthusiasm for music and began performing with a Baptist choir. However, as a teenager his musical interests took a back-seat to his life in petty crime and in 1961 he was sentenced to five months in prison for stealing tyres.

It was while in prison that Barry was once again inspired by the allure of music when he heard Elvis sing. The song was a calling and reached out to young Barry who suddenly realised that it was time for him to do something special with his life. Throughout the 1960’s White tried desperately to succeed in the music business and began writing love songs. He became a record producer for the group “Love Unlimited” but discovered the talent to sing his own songs with his mellifluous voice, which lead to his first solo hit in 1973, “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Babe”.

It was his butter smooth vocals which helped create the sensual charisma in his stimulating love songs “Let The Music Play” and “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything”. The soulful, suggestive and sensuous performer sold over 100 million records and had a career that spread further than three decades. He became a master of 1970’s disco and funk with the hits, “Love’s Theme” and “Never Gonna Give You Up” and his effortless but distinctive talent mesmerised millions of lovers across the world. It has been claimed the orgiastic sensations of his music helped influence the baby boom of the 1970s across America. His music’s overtly sexual connotations were extremely high pitched as the tantalising, thrusting and throbbing erotic power in both the lyrics and his vocals created a salacious, sensual and steamy sensation. Songs such as “It’s All About Love” and “Oh Me, Oh My, I’m Such A Lucky Guy”, with the deep breathing and gentle groans of satisfaction, were highly representative of passionate sexual intercourse in the most romantic, virtuous and celestial ways.

Barry’s career took a downfall in the 1980’s and his attempts at staging a comeback failed until his 1994 album release of “The Icon Is Love”, which became his next great hit. He enjoyed a return to concert performances and the charts throughout the 1990’s and appeared on the TV shows The Simpsons and Ally McBeal and performed a duet with Luciano Pavarotti. Unfortunately, too much touring took its toll and he was hospitalised several times for exhaustion. His health began to decline and he had severely high blood pressure. Between September 2002 and May 2003 he suffered from kidney failure and suffered a stroke which affected his voice and the left side of his body. He had been undergoing dialysis treatment and was awaiting a kidney transplant when he suddenly died at Cedars-Sinai medical centre in Los Angeles on 4 July 2003.

Barry White produced a genuine understanding of sensorial music by being a natural, instinctive and suave performer. His recordings have enjoyed great success to this day and while testosterone levels remain rampant and consenting couples with high sex drives desire seductive songs, he will continue to be a tremendous and timeless talent, never to be forgotten for those provocative, permeating and penetrating sounds.

- Ivor Casey

The Return of TV's Super-soap Dallas! by Ivor Casey

Today it may seem like one of those old shows deliberately avoiding an integral examination of society and class or the subordinate. However when the oil-baron super-soap Dallas first hit TV screens over 30 years ago it did manage to break down barriers for popular culture, besides bringing its audience into unequalled escapist fantasy. Now almost twenty years since it last aired, it has been announced that a new series of Dallas, focusing primarily on the next generation of characters, is in the pipeline. Once again, TV viewers confined to their homes due to the recession, just like in the 1980s, will be brought into a surreal world of glamour and absurd yet delicious drama and plot lines. 

In Spring of 1978, a five episode pilot was screened and after proving popular the first season was commissioned to begin in September. Lasting 13 years Dallas became the most successful television series of all time, gaining over 350 million viewers world-wide. Its plots and success made news headlines and it became one of the most talked about entertainment sources for a decade. Especially with the “Who Shot JR?” plot which set the trend for all TV cliff-hangers since.

It is now seen as the foremost example for academic critique of American cultural imperialism and hegemony, with its original series referred to as 'a cheap TV show dumped on developing countries'. Nevertheless Dallas did and still does manage to help people put aside their troubles for an hour and see the fun side of extreme wealth, or maybe even the actually unglamorous side as the wealthy constantly appeared to be up against some troubling experience after another. Nothing like it had ever been on television before and never had a weekly series been an event. Revolving around the feuding Ewing and Barnes families Dallas incorporated everything desired for a passive entertainment TV show, with greed, power, murder and deceit. It was clearly politically incorrect and it certainly favoured chauvinism, but it managed to break some social barriers, even if it didn’t use the platform it held for many positive and constructive reasons. In Ireland conventional parents and priests ridiculed its content as blasphemous for its high pitched sexual innuendo, too liberal for TV. However, its massive popularity here conveyed an ever changing Ireland. Its main reason for such hype and controversy was the sexually rampant and shrewd businessman, JR Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, who is reported to be reprising his role in the upcoming series. It was JR and his company, Ewing Oil, that became the centre focus for the show as it emphasised how successful businesses can achieve. With ferocious greed, back-stabbing, ruthlessness, walking over your own mother to get ahead, the show detailed key ingredients of corporate success. JR was a corrupt, evil and manipulative womaniser but this made his character all the more appealing.

It could be found that an ideology representing capitalism and self made millionaires, glorifying the so called ‘American Dream’, suggested to the viewers around the world that you could have whatever you wanted, once you worked hard for it under a Capitalist system. Dallas was followed by similar dramas such as Falcon Crest and Dynasty which followed a parallel pattern. With regard to social themes, while Dallas stayed away from racism it failed to ever include a main character of any minority group or race other than Anglo - Caucasian men and women. The main characters were the apotheosis of the white, heterosexual, western male. It can be argued that the series was mainly about the oil business but that it also managed to cover topics not common in TV dramas prior to this and included stories, if only ever briefly, involving homosexuality, affairs, mis-carriages, ill-health, down syndrome, divorce and extra-marital sex. A two hour episode in 1980 dedicated a story to the matriarch of the drama, Miss Ellie, played by Barbra Bel Geddes, being diagnosed with breast cancer and having to undergo a mastectomy. However, possibly the most ever current of social issues raised in the series was the alcoholism of JR Ewing’s neglected wife, Sue Ellen, played by Linda Gray. One particular plot line, which highlighted the effects of alcoholism at its very worst, showing its victims on the brink of death, helped raise the show above the candy floss delights of wealth and power. Sue Ellen was frequently shown as the down trodden and unfortunate wife of an evil man.

Nothing has replaced Dallas with its original and classy technique of mixing glamour and wealth with tension and grandiose suspense. Although most soaps are cheap and fatuous, with low production values, Dallas was shot like a movie. Dallas was expensive, hard-hitting and intriguing entertainment, with very little as equally stylish made since. What remains to be seen is if the new series will live up to the original, which has found a whole new generation of fans due to its regular repeats across TV and the successful sales of all its seasons on DVD. Besides Larry Hagman, the new Dallas is reported to have Patrick Duffy on board as Bobby, as well a possible return for Linda Gray as Sue Ellen. The show will also star Josh Henderson and Jesse Metcalfe taking the reins of the new generation. It will begin filming closer to summer with a screening in Summer 2012.

- Ivor Casey