Monday, December 20, 2010

Nothing changed, really

Anita Bryant, a former beauty queen from Oklahoma, was pretty successful with hits in the US in the early 1960's. But she was also known as a very conservative and religious person with a strong view against homosexuality (check out the video from 1977 where gay rights activists throw a pie in Bryant's sick homophobic face).
As a 'good' Christian she recorded Christmas records too, which I would not recommend (but okay, here's one awful track).
At the same time there was a singer in The Netherlands called Zangeres Zonder Naam (Singer Without A Name) who tried to stand up against Bryant's hypocrite ideas and recorded a song called 'Luister Anita' (Listen Anita) in 1977, in which she told gays to be proud of their sexuality and to fight for it. Because of that she became the first gay-mother of The Netherlands. The Zangeres Zonder Naam also recorded several christmas tracks during her long career, most of them on social themes like war, racism and cold war politics.
The ultimate christmas song she did was 'Hij Was Maar Een Neger' (He Only Was A Black Man) from 1965. It sets a mirror to people who think that they're pretty hospitable, but shut the door as soon as there's someone with another colour or background who needs help or a place to stay. Nothing changed the last 2010 years really.
In 1998 Dutch enfant terrible Robbie Muntz covered the song and made a video with it. People still don't dig the lyrics, or they just don't want to, regarding to all the stupid comments on the video.

Kitsch, but true kitsch. No apologies.

Zangeres Zonder Naam - Kerstfeest In Berlijn
Zangeres Zonder Naam - Moeders Kerstfeest
Zangeres Zonder Naam - Hij Was Maar Een Neger!
Robbie Muntz - Hij Was Maar Een Neger (video)

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