Lyrics

[vardathemessage]

"Just goin' out for a bit."

Arthur leaves his house secretly wearing his 'cherry' T shirt covered in fan buttons. The first shot of him triumphantly walking down the High Street is underscored by the words Hot One. (Too bad those snotty teenagers from his school didn't agree. It's a crime! They're mistaken! A momentary seizure... )

★ On the Blu-ray commentary:
CV: "I love him here, you know, like I am cool."
TH: "Exactly. And there are the cool kids and they're not quite ready to accept him." [laughter by both]

Comments

[rougevelvet.livejournal.com]

he's so adorable in that scene

meanwhile I remember it took me a while to realise the person in the red jacket is actually a guy, lol. yeah, I'm slow

[vardathemessage.livejournal.com]

No, I think that's fabulous, it's what the thrill of androgyny is all about. Perhaps it's why Arthur takes a while to realize he's gay as well. Something about glam and Brian Slade is pulling him in but he's still confused - he certainly can't defend himself at the record shop. There are girls with the guy in the red jacket, (he's actually referred to as Glitter Boy in the script) but it's clear that Arthur is looking for a reaction from ~him~.

[velvetspur.livejournal.com]

I think Todd did a wonderful job, through Arthur, of showing how individuals are first and foremost inside their own heads, and not slotted into categories of "being." Arthur knows that to be a "poof" is somehow a bad thing (he ponders on it as he walks home), but he really doesn't even know what that means, he just knows he feels carried away when he looks at pictures of Curt and Brian.

I think it's perhaps hard now to remember (or know, for those born after, say 1975!) that the term "gay" was new, that being "queer" was underground, sinful, nasty, was considered a mental illness, and never talked about without derision in the kind of suburban setting where Arthur grew up. This was the general view in the culture (the mentally ill part anyway), not just a backwards political stance by bible-thumping conservatives.

Arthur's "That's me!, That's Me!" in front of the TV was not so much a proclamation to his parents as it was that "click" you get for yourself when all sorts of free-floating feelings and intuitions (not to mention hormones!) start to make sense.

Sorry for the delay

[vardathemessage.livejournal.com]

I've attempted several drafts of a reply to your perceptive comments but you've really said it all and expressed it so well that I realized it was unnecessary to comment.

However, please accept my belated thank you in keeping the conversation here so brilliant and thought provoking.