Billy squier gay
The director of that video, Kenny Ortega, is gay. The backlash happened because Billy was considered to be cool and masculine, but he was prancing around in the video like he was Madonna. William Haislip Squier (/ ˈskwaɪ.ər /, born May 12, ) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who had a string of arena rock and crossover [clarification needed] hits in the early s.
Unfortunately for Squier, like most singles of the day, "Rock Me Tonite" came with a video — and this particular video proved so hilariously awful that it's generally credited with sinking his. Is Billy Squier Gay? His orientation has always been questioned probably due to the depiction of what is seen as being gay in the video of Rock Me Tonight. The meaning behind Billy Squier’s hard rock hit “The Stroke” is easily mistaken as a sexual one.
And for good reason. The pulsating beat, shrieking vocals, and insistent chants of stroke. And this is the way he saw me. He abused my trust, I really feel that…. The video misrepresents who I am as an artist. I was a very good-looking, sexy guy. I mean, I had nothing against gays. I have a lot of gay friends. But like it or not, it was much more of a sticky issue then.
The song was foolproof, destined to be a classic. The title is a perfectly unsubtle in its allusion to sex. The song has a crunchy beat with meaty guitar riffs. It is well performed and builds to a nice climax. As a performer, Squier is charming and charismatic. There is a dash of Jim Morrison in his look and body movements.
Ortega, however, is gay
In his early videos, he is very sexy. His performance style exuded the androgyny and whiffs of bisexuality of 70s glam bands, but with Squier you sensed it was just performance, Jagger-like in its overstated manner. For any rock star, such a demotion is a major humiliation.
This switch reinforced the importance of music videos generally but especially in terms of how performers presented themselves sexually on camera. The video is now considered legendary. I love its sense of abandon, its ecstatic sexual anticipation, and the way he goes crazy lip-synching the song. It was heavily played.
I do not think this is a terrible video at all, but a joyful celebration of sleazy desires. And I agree that there are unmistakable gay overtones, which for a homophobic audience would be difficult to sit through over and over. The reason everyone hated this video was the reason I liked it so much. After this video, Squier disappeared quickly. He was gone. I think he does retro tours now, and I hope he performs Rock Me Tonight and rolls around the stage in the same masturbatory glory as the video.
He was talented and charismatic and his presence on MTV was replaced by bland asexual groups like the Outfield and the Hooters and Bruce Hornsby and the Range. Dick Nixon similarly learned the hard way in during his famous first debate with JFK that what works on a stage does not necessarily work on television. Thus a gay director, a gay vibe, a ruined career.
Welcome to the s. This was about the same time George Michael began growing his butch stubble and Boy George started thinking about pulling the plug on Culture Club. But is it really that simple?