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Does Kanye Dress Too Gay?
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From Little Richard to André 3000, ostentatious style has long helped define the black-male ethos. So why do Kanye West's sartorial choices bring out homophobia?
When Kanye West and his sartorial cohorts left the Comme des Garcons show during Paris Fashion Week, it was business as usual. Dressed to the nines, they were quickly met with the customary sparkling of paparazzi flash bulbs and fashion enthusiasts, stray wanton women, and BlackBerry buzz. However, as images of the internationally mod clan hit gossip blogs back on the mainland, things started to get ugly.
“Only gays wear that [crap]!” wrote blog reader “TheTruth,” while another reader advised that they should “go taste the rainbow.” “Bootylishious” wrote that he/she simply “feel(s) sorry for all those gay dudes,” and sadly, the list goes on. It seems that just as we settle into our most modern America yet, the tradition of black fashion has been lost.
“It used to be that men who were comfortable with masculinity could get away with anything. Look at Shaft. Now, that was a man in control.”
Come on, nobody remembers the infamous 1970s, when George Clinton decidedly looked like an acid trip had leaked all over his wardrobe? Or the 1980s, when dance sensations like The World Class Wreckin’ Cru had Dr. Dre proudly wearing eyeliner and bias-cut tops? Or even the tender 1990s, when R&B groups like New Edition would slide around wearing half-shirts and practicing synchronized kick turns?
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With the current onslaught of homophobic rage against Kanye West and his globally chic crew (comprised of style maverick Fonzworth Bentley and Taz Arnold of musical group Sa-Ra to name a few), it seems like Generation Y has all but forgotten that the ritual of expressive dress was in fact borne of the black-male community. If young audiences would dare to conduct a comparative study, they'd inevitably find that Kanye West’s 2007 Grammy outfit really had nothing on Eddie Murphy’s red-leather get-up in his 1987 stand-up film Delirious, and that Prince and his bedazzled unitards would quickly render André 3000’s Top-Siders and patterned suspenders meek and perhaps even typical.
So what’s gone wrong? How did the community that once welcomed Little Richard become so violently judgmental? And why, in 2009, is “looking gay” in the black community even an issue?
To help answer this question, The Daily Beast caught up with both Fonzworth Bentley, author of Advance Your Swagger and creator and host of MTV’s From G’s to Gents, and Harvard professor Marcyliena Morgan, creator of the university’s renowned Hip-Hop Archive.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Elizabeth Gates is a style correspondent for The Daily Beast. She is a graduate of The New School University and a former intern at Vogue magazine.
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Because he's flaming. The gay rumors were there before he ever started dressing weird. I saw a video of him creating a beat in the studio. He started dancing and my Gaydar went into the red.
It was funny because it looked like he caught himself that he was moving a little to unmanly. He's been dealing with the fact most people think he is gay since High School. He said it caused him to become a homophobe. It look like he has accepted his fate.
not gay...Homosexual
Not idiot...bigot.
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hes neither he just gots style....haters
A thoughtful and well-crafted article for the array of sources quoted, the effort to relate the subject to larger issues, and the intelligence at work in the writing--yet most of the comments, like SharkBreath's remarks, seem stuck on stupid-- small-minded, venal.
To the main ideas of the article, I would add this: Both homophobia and the rejection of elegance, color, and fastidiousness in the 'stylings' of young black males today are rooted in jailhouse culture.
To survive in jail (a far too common challenge for black males nowadays), one must continually project a stomp-down-hell-no opposition to homosexuality, brook no quarter with anyone who even looks like he might have a more "liberal" view of it, and never draw attention to one's self, except to show folks you will not be messed over.
That, I think, what is behind the recent break in the tradition elegance among black men that stretches all the way back to the days of Jim Danny.
My 88 year old father has always dressed in beautiful clothes and continues today. His casual clothes always include a gorgeous pair of suspenders and a hat. In this hot weather its a straw hat. Years ago the idea was that because black folks couldn't purchases houses in neighborhoods, they spent their money on clothes and cars. Also because of racism, many blacks tried to communicate to the white community (they were alright, acceptable, educated,etc) by dressing impeccably. I have never known a time when black men who could afford even the cheapest clothes, did not attempt to dress well. Whenever I query my dad about a birthday present, he wants clothes and the best. He has recently learned how to negotiate the computer and his second wife told me all he does is shop. We just had a family reunion and there was nary a man there who was not dressed to the nines even dressy casual. So this notion that all well dressed black men are somehow gay is very odd, but owing to how long those jeans have been hanging off so many butts, I suspect there is a generation that doesn't have a clue how Sammy Davis, Jr., Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Bobby Short, James Baldwin, and a whole slew of famous black men used to dress absolutely beautifully. And you couldn't tell their sexual orientation by their dress then or today!
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Oh please...unmanly...grow up sharksbreath... your gaydar?
An absence of homophilia means homophobia. The popular culture wants us to believe that.
Do you mean "haemophilia" (also spelled "hemophilia")? Your post makes absolutely no sense.
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Banjo
Doesn't care
He just wants
Attention.
Banjo's right. If you don't profess undying love of all things gay, then pop culture believes you hate (or are scared by) gays.
Actually, if you don't care one way or the other, no one would be able to call you homophobic or a proponent of homosexuality. Just something for you and Banjo to think about.
Haemophilia is a blood condition, by the way. And homophilia does not mean you like homosexual things or you are homosexual. It just means you like things that are the same.
Hey Kanye, do you like fish sticks?
Hilarious, jds8181.
yea, wow, thats from south park right?
Yuppers South Park strikes again and no it wasn't a gay smear it was about being not very smart or fast on his feet since Kanye fell for the same not funny dumb joke for the entire show and never got it.
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Because society won't tolerate criticizing a black person but it is still socially acceptable to smear gay people.....just read the above post.
Not gay....Homosexual
Society criticizes Black people ALL. THE. TIME.
There are 1 million Black men in prison in this country - one out of every eight prisoners on the face of the planet is an African American in a US jail - and isn't that the harshest form of "criticism" any society can give?
Uh, that's because black men commit 90% of violent crime in this country. That's not racism, that's a serious culture problem within the American black community that has been festering since the late 1970s. If black men stopped commiting 90% of violent crime, they would not go to jail.
Gay people on the other hand, probably face more hatred than anyone in this country, although they are subjected to fewer hate crimes than women, for example. But you get the picture.
Mary 50, sweetheart i have no idea where you got your statistics from but you need to check them. 90% of violent crime in America is not committed by African Americans.
"A subsequent United States Department of Justice report which surveyed homicide statistics between 1974 and 2004 stated that of the crimes surveyed for which the identity of the offender could be determined, 52.1% of the offenders were Black, 45.9% were White, and 2% were Other Races."
Mary50,
Actually the first hatered Gays probably feel is for many within their own family. But I can assure you GAYs do not hold the record for the most heinous hate crimes, black folks do and that is just a fact. Gays are safe until they actually do something to bring attention to the fact that they are Gay. Not everybody is a queen and I have Gay friends who are hit on by women all the time, because they can't tell they are Gay. However, you can normally tell somebody is black in a split second and the reaction all to often is swift and racist. Many Gays live in places where their sexual preferencce is accepted and probably on a day to day basis they don't face any homophobia. And many many gay men are white and expect the same entitlements of the white straight brethern and really hate to be treated like second class citizens like Guess Who? Black men commit 90% of violent crime, duh I don't think so...come live in New England...I was dumbfounded by all the white on white crime here. Show me the last black serial killler? These random racist sterotypical statements are childish. Not sure what the stats between certain crimes against women and those same crimes against Gays or Lesbians...but wouldn't take your word, since your reasoning or lack there of is so flawed.
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True
View-
But remember
You're a pretty
Buttoned up type.
There's always room
For all types
That's why we're
So great.
"Gays however, loved him and Felt prince was one of them. But real men understood."
So according to you gay men are not real men, right? Is that why you are so obsessed with the amount of p**** that some straight yet flamboyant artists get? Seriously, that is some of the most ignorant crap I have ever read.
"Rappers, like West, are 'wanna bes'' by nature." u must've grown up sharin' a room with kanye to know that he is a "wanna be." from the jump, this ramblin bit loses credibility.
"As a black dude..." so what u the authority now? if ur not offerin' up a nugget from ur subject position then ur mention of urself as a black dude dont mean s**t to make ur statement the end-all-be-all. u sound like a part of the problem... folks constricting what is possible, in terms of expression, for black men.
Everybody saggin' n wearin' baggy oversized s**t (like a toddler who's mom is tryin to foolishly make his clothes last a few years) is some wanna be mess. kanye breakin the bs mold of acceptable blackness set by the mean muggin' tough guy facade of some of these rap caricatures took great courage. if u listen he talks 'bout it in his music:
"I'll was like, "yo but I rap too." Hey, I guess they was lookin' at me crazy 'cause you know, 'cause I ain't have a jersey on or whatever"--Kanye "Last Call"
i will say as a member of the black diaspora growin' up in the US, too many brothas suffer from a failure of the imagination that manifests in various ways--i.e. "i don't wear clothes that fit that's gay," "only women read fiction" etc. part of this might be the culture of cats always tryin to punk someone n take their heart or question their display of their blackness. u missed the point of the article.
um...gay men are real men, too.
Chris Rock said never make fun of a rapper his posse will shoot you and he was correct, If i was ablack adolescent i would be dressing like the P-Funk crew Bootsey and George Clinton got all the hot women.
Thank you, President Obama.
Is this Michael Steele?
xbainx,
That is too funny!!!
Seriously? I think the real question here is more "why is it socially acceptable to write homophobic slurs when someone dresses in a suit with a briefcase" There are all kinds of wrong with the comments people have been making about Kanye. Kanye even made some himself with the whole "I dress better than a lot of gay people." thing. WTF?
Honestly, until I'd read this article I had never even considered West's sexual orientation or what statement his clothes made.
I read a book ages ago about cross-dressing, Vested Interests, by Marjorie Garber. In it, the theory was put forth that black male entertainers' effeminate costumes in post WWII Western society was a way to defuse the sexual threat that white men believed they posed.
That could certainly apply here, though the perceived threat is different. If Kanye doesn't look like a gang member, maybe even looks somewhat effeminate, then maybe parents will be less likely to see him as a violent character, and more likely to let their kids buy his albums.
Do we really need to dissect the social
ramifications of Kanye West's wardrobe?
Anybody remember LeBron James in that white fur coat?
How manly was that?
First of all, at some point we have to stop living in the junior high world where being gay is the ultimate put down. If being gay is not the new N word, I don't know what it is. You don't have to look far, its all over the language: "That's so gay", and "that sucks" A lot of our verbal put downs are deeply coded homophobia.
This is not trivial stuff for a young man. They are are sometimes deeply insecure about their sexuality since, even though they like girls they are not not yet that masculine physically and fear being redefined as feminine. Which of course (to them) means vulnerable and unprotected (another topic). It should be clear to them: If you are attracted to girls, you are straight, no matter how stylish you are. If you are attracted to boys you are a homosexual. Which is okay, and good luck with that (in this charged atmosphere).
To me all fashion is marketing. What are you saying about yourself? In some cases conservative dress says "I am reliable, I do not surprise, I fit in." Wild dress says "I am something, I am amazing, I represent creativity and expansion and fun." I like to think that one person can be both of these things, and that there is appropriate dress for the OCCASION. But even apparently inappropriate dress can be interesting, at times.
Either extreme can be ludicrous... But both can be embraced. I also believe that it is unfair to give all the credit for all artistic, musical, sartorial and cultural sophistication to gay men. Its not quite that simple. Straight males are not all bankers and stockbrokers. Consider the peacock, who, just like Prince, has a few girlfriends amidst the flash. Most women like a little danger from and even some bright colors on their dance partner.. even if they tend to marry the oil broker...
I agree, pstokstad. What's wrong with dressing "gay?" So, he dresses gay. It's the AUTHOR who apparently thinks that's a bad thing. I'd say she's the homophobe. SHE's the one using it as a put-down. The other folks she quotes are just making an observation.
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Why must we always take it to another level, Why must Kanye, Andre 3000 etc be gay? Because they choose to wear hot stuff, or buy a Tom Ford suit, maybe a Turnble(?) and Asser shirt, or whatever. Style is a personal thing. You think they can't buy 12 white tee's for 60 dollars and where the official uniform. C'mon playas let's keep it a little real, these cats get broads, are u kidding me? Remember one thing how do you know that these cats aren't getting checks from LV, Hermes, Ralph Lauren or whoever to rock there gear. Think outside the box people. CASH RULES...they don't dress gay, remember that when they pop bottles with models and we pop forties with shorties. Just be real, dress gay? What about the homo thugs, do they dress gay? Life goes on.
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ahem...
WHO THE FUCK CARES.
The guys you are talking about who started that style of dress were all serious freaks. I', sure a few of them went both ways.
You kind of prove the point.
Viewsonic: As a black guy I also knew Prince was gay and real men shouldn't wear high heels.
I used to work with some guys who were trying to be like these fellows. They liked girls but would suck a dick in a minute.
I think Pstokstad And Viewsonic put it best....
This article discusses an issue that is really prevalent i the black community. There is a rapidly growing disconnect between not only gay and straight youth, but more importantly, youth and adults based solely off of kids insecurtiy and fear of being isolated from their peers. It starts with dress, but then trickles down to speech, career paths, and even common respect and decency.
Black men are increasingly isolating themselves from other factions of society out of fear of never being able to go back to their "comfort zone" because they lost their "hood pass". Its understandable from a 14 year old....but I know guys pushin 30 who are afraid to wear a bowtie.Kudos to you on revisiting this issue. Maybe Kanye will comment IN ONE OF HIS ALL CAPS RAVES.
um, the little boy that killed himself cares, you a*******.
this article is important. Period. Start talking and stop judging.
ps - fonzworth bentley is amazing. Style personified.
Thanks!
Who cares if he is gay or straight.Kanye...gloves?.....really? You look so over accessorized your "style entourage" is obviously "off the clock"!! I mean - why stop there? Go back to your dresser, put on ALL your watches. Go to the hat rack or knowing you, hat boxes and put ALL of those on too....go ahead just pile them on! Then go for the shades and put all of those on!I'm sure you'll find a way to the spin the whole "Dwayne Wayne" look from the show "Real World" Now for the MAC.....what's your shade again??
I don't think it's so much a "gay thing" as just wanting to look rich and made, a la puffy combs. but as anyone with true taste/class knows, it's damn tacky. Gay or not, it's sort of irrelevant, as they look silly. Like the wanna be "gangsta," these are just wanna-be fashion moguls/cultural icons/crossover magnates. It's all so tired and materialistic and self-centered. I'll take a well-dressed (read: not flashy) manly man (gay or straight) over the dandy look any day.
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What's a 'monetary constituency'? Are you trying to say something about wealth, class, or both?
Cutting edge - always interesting.
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I think that this article assumes homosexuality has relevance in this issue, which I don't think it does. In our culture now, calling things "gay" or "homo" doesn't necessarily imply homophobia or anti-gay sentiment. Unfortunately, it can be construed as such. I think the real matter is that, Kanye's new choices in dress are so over the top that it doesn't register as "fashion." So we call it "stupid" or for lack of a better term "gay." I do not agree with this lack of imprecision in language and think our culture is a "verbal diarrhea" culture. Because America is becoming increasingly modern, we feel as though we can say anything and it does not have an impact. I don't think these names carry a huge weight to those who say them, but they are hurtful.
You are so wrong as to be inconsidered.America is becoming a country of "you cannots".Modernism has nothing to do with it.I do not find "gay"stupid but I do find "n*****s stupid.Is a term I had used with friends and now because my black friends are brainedwashed by the black media I cannot even use it,Is not even kosher between them as it used to be.If you dress gay you are gay and yes gay men dress better than black mens.Why?.because even with rampant homophobia they know what and who they are.This condition is not existent in black males.Blame it in the black female that as in Africa runs the family and in the USA emasculate the black male.What you see in the media is not what happens in real black households.BLACK WOMEN RULE AND MEN FOLLOW like little pets.
I completely disagree with the comment that calling something "gay" is normal and acceptable. It is not. It equates the idea of being gay or homosexual with something weird and wrong. What if people used racial slurs this way? I think people really need to equate rascism and homophobia.....if you would be uncomfortable with a racial comment in a situation......assume a homosexual feels the same.
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We bitch and moan when people say someone is gay or talk about gays _ yet we find stories that are so akin to what we shouldn't say or do. Just exactly what is dressing gay or straight??? Hello??? Next!
Seriously? First of all, no self-respecting gay man that I know would dress that way; not like Kanye, not like Bentley, not like anyone of his group of "cohorts". Secondly, the "is this too gay" question is extremely offensive and really tired - pretty much like Kanye and his hangers-on.
I guess the real question is: do men who happen to be homosexual dress better than men who happen to be heterosexual?
I dress like a normal guy (by normal I don't mean straight or homosexual I mean that I have a normal job and I don't jet set around the world), but let me know if I need to step my game up because one thing I've noticed about men who dress like Andre 3000, Kanye and Bentley: women love those dudes!
Isn't it funny how quick men are to call some other guy "gay" when anything they do attracts women and creates some kind of sexual power dynamic that isn't in favor of the "non-gay" guy?
By the way, take away the briefcase (really Kanye?), the gloves (seriously?), and tone down the colors, and Kanye would look just like any other marginally sophisticated man of pseudo wealth in his age group (see Brad Pitt). And you know what? Women love those dudes!
basically, the little boy who killed himself (carl joseph) didn't read gossip blogs. He didn't have money to buy his own clothes - HE WAS 11! That's a clear indication that this goes VERY deep in the black community.
And its time people started feeling "OK" about addressing black people and their flaws in the media. I mean REALLY!
There was a need for this piece and i'm glad the daily beast had the courage to run it.
(And I LOVE KANYE WEST!)
The American media have been "addressing Black people and their flaws" FOR THE LAST FOUR HUNDRED YEARS.
It's only been 40 years since they stopped calling us "colored" and addressing Black people as Mr and Ms instead of by our first names!
It doesn't take "courage" for a White media outlet to attack Black people!
Women love those dudes BECAUSE THEY ARE RICH.
If you or me dressed that way, women would think we were gay (and a lot of women would say it to our faces - and not so nicely either).
Touche'.
To be perfectly honest. There are some broader issues at play here. What happened to that young boy a few weeks ago was inexcusable. I don't know what it is that causes such widespread homophobia among males (black or otherwise).
Is it fear of imasculation? This could be at the heart of the issue in the black community. It took so long for us (black men) to be thought of AS men that the idea of a black man being homosexual somehow makes all black men take two steps back.
And you're right: the handful of times I dressed like one of these guys, women didn't want to have anything to do with me. I guess they could sense I didn't have the money to back up the style. That, or they saw that I drove up in a Hyundai.
Gay is the new Black.
Question - if this article is anti homophobic, why did the art department pic a photo of Kanye West with a limp wrist?
@ gregorybutler
True. But the media hardly highlights how the black community hurts EACH OTHER. That's my only point here. The black community is diverse and full of varied thought - however, with issues like this, the homophobia this article is talking about is internal - and that's why the daily beast should be praised.
Its gone above and beyond "black people rob and steal" but into the REASON for such internal hostility.
in any case, I agree with you about the greater media but my point still stands. this convo is necessary and the daily beast should be praised.
Thank you.
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