The moment I saw this line referenced in RENT in the funeral scene, age 8, changed my LIFE. The sass of it is turned on its head and made endearing to the whole audience through death.
I used to play the Star Wars RPG with a group that contained a gay couple and they claimed that C-3PO was actually written as he was on purpose as a way to smuggle a gay character in to the story line in a way that was palatable for the audience at the time. Since he was a droid there was no controversy and he was a part of the main cast. I never fact checked their claims for a few reasons. One science fiction has a history of doing stuff like this so it is totally believable. Two I so desperately want it to be true that I don't want them to be wrong.
This is ultra validating for me, an effeminate guy whose boyfriend is pretty femme, and who feels disliked and demonized even in the LGBT+ community for "not being normal enough" or "being too much of a stereotype". Like...I'm a soft, kinda flouncy boy who likes cute things and so is my bf, and it feels like even in the community we're looked at with scorn for, let's be honest, not being straight-acting. The kind of people who "are too gay and give the community a bad name." I'm an effeminate boy and I'm not just ok with it, I'm happy about it. It's who I am and I won't make myself change to speed up "acceptance". If I'm weird, well, you'll just have to get used to my weirdness, then.
Billy Fuchyoshet I think you and your bf sound lovely. If it makes you feel any better, I’m a girl who is very soft and sweet and into cute things, and I am sometimes shamed for not being “normal enough.” But I know who I am. I like what I like unironically and without apology. It sounds like you’re the same. Keep being wonderful!
@@helgmelia84 It's crazy to think about it, but how many times in our lives do we hear the words "Just be yourself" and almost nobody actually seems to get there.
You go for it Billy! I’m female and while I look feminine I never acted it. It doesn’t feel natural to me. But of course I don’t get hassled for being a “tomboy” (I really hate that term, especially since I am middle aged) and no one ever even comments on the the fact I mostly wear men’s clothing. Just be yourself. Everyone is weird and we should all embrace it because it makes life interesting.
As a "sissy" who went to an all-male high school, I can totally relate to the power of the sissy. I learned early on how to fight with words and protect myself with comedy. As an adult, I've learned to wear my femme as a badge of courage. I am 100% me now, and if someone has an issue with it I can read them to filth or beat them with a 6-inch heel.
It only works if the truly evil aren't at the school. maybe 1/100 bullies is genuinely a monster/sociopath and those ones need to be handled differently.
Scar, or any male classic male Disney villain, technically a 'fops' termed people who are evil, but no intimidating or imposing, so they weren't scary, but they had the feminine qualities men were not supposed to have, Diseny did a lot of this 'short hand' to pose 'evil' to their audiences but not make it too scary, just unfamiliar.
I realized I was gay when I when I thought the 'sissy' boy in my class was cute and I learned to own it when my 'sissy' best friend stood up for me. I love sissies and I think the lisp is kinda sexy
This is old so I don't know if it will be read, but I just wanted to say, as a very swishy transgender man, I've never seen this kind of positivity for this type of gay experience and I'm kind of blown away. Thank you for this video. Also, Captain Shakespeare from Stardust showed up a little late in my life, but man did he make an impact.
Thank you for commenting this, I'm a trans guy early in the evaluation process and I kind of fear whether I'll be taken seriously because I'm swishy too and prefer it
Oh, good Lord, I had about the same reaction to Ferdinand the Bull, as a little kid, even as an uncomfortable questioning teen. I "got" Ferdinand. He wasn't too sissy or too weird to me. To me, he was lonely and misunderstood and peaceful and nice. heh, I haven't seen that short in ages.
As usual, I enjoyed the video. Who else could take the subject, "sissies," and make it so entertaining, engaging, and totally without criticizing, sensationalizing, and all other 'izing"? You have a real gift for explaining things and making them palatable. Hope to be a fan for a long time to come.
Matt-- this particular video here almost certainly shaped lives and saved lives -- mainly of young gay men and "sissies." I hope you realize you are performing an incredible public service as well as an academic study. Thank you very much for what you do.
as a lesbian this video blew my mind, I always just equated them as men, never divided them into masculine or sissies, etc. I guess it just wasn't important to me. I did however ask my gay male bff about this and he agreed about sizing up male energy and looking for role models growing up. Very interesting. Thanks Matt.
Emmett from QAF-US. Not only was he an unabashed, unashamed sissy, but he was the fiercest, most protective friend in the world. And unlike so many of the other sissies, he wasn't sexless or miserable.
Gays don't like them? I'm gay and I didn't know that. But sincerely, in the history of television, how many sitcoms have given an accurate representation of what they are portraying?
This is one of my favorite videos. I come back every now and then. I was a big sissy in high school (66-70) and even wore costumes to school but boys were scared to call me a queer or a faggot bc I'd beat up an older bully in jr high. I was still closeted. My boyfriend and I lived in the same closet lol.
Thanks so much for this video. As an older gay man I was always scared to unleash my inner sissy because of my internalised homophobia. Times have changed and sometimes I find the courage to bring my sissy out of the closet and it's all because of the reasons you showed in this video. You are wonderful to talk about these things. It never would have happened back in my day haha
This is a complement to your "straight acting" video. I wouldn't say I'm flamboyant or anything, but let's just say my closet never really had a door on it, so I always identified with sissies and wondered why there was always such a social stigma surrounding being a sissy. Just as you mentioned, sissies really only had words to defend themselves, for the most part, and I grew to love the sharp-tongued acerbic wit of some of the best of them. It almost became an art form of sorts, and it takes an intelligent, observant person to pull it off. I think this art form was responsible for my majoring in English Literature at university, and becoming a poet and singer/songwriter. I really do love the humor of Will and Grace, and know plenty of Jacks and Wills (and Graces and Karens) in my pretty large circle of friends. I think the kind of strength that sissies display gives us an alternative to the old archetype of power having to be masculine all of the time. It showed us we could have a different kind of strength. I think this is the same reason we absolutely adore powerful women who also allow themselves to be vulnerable sometimes. Again, an alternative to traditional masculine, patriarchal society. One sissy man who displayed a great amount of strength and pride at a time when it wasn't easy to do so was Quentin Crisp. He was actually the subject of Sting's hit song "An Englishman in New York" back in the late 1980's. He was very brave all of his adult life. I admire that. And for a different generation, there's Adam Lambert. He's not afraid of a little (a lot!) of makeup and sparkles, and has a voice that rivals that other super talented gay contest winning vocalist, Sam Harris, who dared to sing "Over the Rainbow" as well as Jennifer Holiday! My, how I ramble when I'm interested in a subject! And another couple of icons to leave you with: Little Richard and Liberace! Whooooo! And what about Sal Mineo? Not an icon, but important in movies at the time. And how can we forget Leslie Jordan??? I could go on, but I think I've said enough! Now I'm going to watch some Buddy Cole videos, whom I've never of.
Oh yeah, Little Richard Liberace always made me cringe a bit inside though. I i always felt like he must have smelled like a combination of Aquanet, Aramis, and self-loathing
I'm glad you brought up Vicious. I relate to the episode wherein Freddie comes out to his mother more than most coming-out stories. The whole "I'll just put it off - she doesn't need to know, and this is a bad time" thing is the exact holding pattern I spent years in, even while I called my parents at least a few times a week to check up on them and share how my life was going. And then, when I did tell them I was trans, the response was "Ha ha - no, you're not, and we're not going to talk about it," just like with Freddie's mother.
Also I can’t help but relate this to myself. Growing up AFAB and being a huge tomboy. But around puberty I became hyper aware that as much as I hated femininity (at least, the kind society forced upon me, I’ve softened up a tad as I’ve embraced my androgyny) that it was expected of me. I started dressing overly skimpy, trying make up, etc. It didn’t work and I cringe at photos from this time. I’ve since come out as bisexual and non binary, embracing all elements of my gender identity (male, female, and “other”). I really relate to your discussion of identifying with a sissy but trying not to be one. I desperately looked for “boyish” looking or “masculine” acting women in media but at the same time was trying so hard to be the kind of woman expected of me. And hide the gayness. The irony is now that I’ve embraced my being non binary I comfortably enjoy the feminine things I do happen to enjoy.
One of my favorites; 1931 s 'Palmy Days' centers around a bakery, a fellow orders a chocolate birthday cake. clerk asks if he wants a rose on it. He says "Make it a Pansy"
My problem with how society see things is that NOT EVERY SISSY IS GAY. In many cases BOTH gay and straight want to label children for liking "feminine" things instead of letting young people figure it out for themselves. Also some straight men are afraid to openly like certain things for fear of being labeled gay.
Matt Baume I remember being in about 3rd grade and hanging out with the girls and the topic of tomboys came up and I said, "I'm tomgirl". Even at that young age I might have not known the word gay, but I knew who I was and put a label to it.
Ryan Nix I was the same, but I knew at about 4 years of age. This is dating me (the only dating in a LONG time! ha ha) But I used to put a black turtleneck over my head, pushing it back to resemble a hairline, so that I could have long black hair. Then I would watch "The Sonny and Cher Show" and imitate Cher's limp wrist and hair flips. I was FOUR!
I'd have to look up when the Sonny and Cher show was on, but it was the early 70's, so I would've been somewhere between four and ten, if that's right. Er, I don't think I would've tried to be Cher, but uh, let's say that even in elementary, other boys and girls were calling me those names, and I didn't know why. Then there was the time I wore a suit and tie to school, because I wanted to. Oh, my. Ahem, so, yeah, very possibly, I would not have had any problem with a little four year old boy imitating Cher. I had no idea around that age that I was gay or what that was. I would've thought that was natural, probably. :) (Gee, I think I missed out.)
Also, my early self might not have understood the "tomgirl" thing exactly, I might have been pretty puzzled. But up to a certain age, I also think I wouldn't have minded. During my teens, I'd become more aware and knew I liked boys, didn't know why or if I'd start liking girls, so I was already consciously trying to "butch up" in clothes and manners. Uh, except, well, when you're a gay boy and still figuring it out, your internal definitions on what's OK (macho boy) and what is not (not so macho boy) sometimes do not match up too well with what straight boys think of as OK for boys. So there were missteps before I finally figured out, no, just be myself, I can't hide my basic behavior / self / voice. (I still wasn't accepting myself as gay yet, though.) -- And in high school, I wound up defending two friends rumored to be gay (not together as a couple, either). One or both might have been gay. That one of them fit a lot of the stereotypical gay boy -- somehow didn't bother me at all. I was comfortable with him. (I wasn't particularly attracted, and I don't think he was to me, but years later, I wondered why on Earth we couldn't have opened up, if he was gay, and had a better friendship or y'know, tested things out. he was really nice. (He was also bullied so badly he transferred schools.) The other friend may or may not have been gay. One boy who publicly called him out on it had this oh-so-airtight reasoning that my friend must be gay, because he did mime! (And theater and dance.) So the guy thought my friend had to be gay, because clearly doing mime was gay. (Yeah, the guy was an idiot.) I told my friend I'd had no idea the guy was going to do that, and said I didn't believe it was true, but that I didn't care if he was gay or not. But if he was, his parents would never have accepted it. So...it is really strange how we have all these early experiences, and some are so ambiguous and some are anywhere along the spectrums for gender or sexual orientation, but yet not what people think of as straight or as completely boyish. Yet even straight boys have some of that too, because our ideas on roles or orientation are too narrow, in the mainstream. -- I wish I knew how to put it into words and keep it concise, but every time I get into thinking of it all, there's so much to it.0
Matt - terrific presentation. I think you have another book. I'm thinking how much this will help people in high school dealing with bullies and being tagged as a sissy with whatever words they use these days. My favorite sissy will always be Robert Helpmann who played the lead male dancer in The Red Shoes- a strong dance queen not trying to pass as straight onstage or in the studio, embracing his gayness without a word of apologia in 1948.
I love smart sissies - Scar in the Lion King, Niles in frasier, Data in Star Trek TNG, Kurt in Glee (in S1 when he was a sarcastic little straight A shit), Titus in Kimmy Schmidt. Smarter than the apes, sarcastic, well mannered, and femme is my thing.
One sissy I always welcome into my living room was Monti Rock III who appeared quite often on the Merv Griffin Show (and had a brief appearance in Saturday Night Fever as a DJ.). Another was Rip Taylor who tossed confetti everywhere, appearing regularly on the Gong Show and guest appearing all over the tube in the '70's. And then there's Charles Nelson Reilly, primarily appearing on the Match Game, again in the '70's. One last name I've not heard mentioned here is Richard Simmons.
Mr. Humphreys is one of my favorite characters of all time. I have many fond memories of sitting down with my mom and watching Are You Being Served? on PBS before going to bed. Got the series box set a few years ago and I think my mom has binge watched it thee times.
Omfg Buddy Cole. I loved watching Kids in the Hall growing up, and Buddy Cole was always my favorite. Good call on mr. Cairo, too. The Maltese Falcon was a masterpiece of Cinema, and Peter Lorre played one of the greatest sissies ever. Keep up the goid work, Mr. Baum. Good luck to you. ♥
I wish I still had the photo of me, somewhere around 4th or 5th grade, that got ruined and lost in a move. Despite my parents being (unspoken but still) homophobic, my mom kept the photo on display for years in the kitchen. I went through a long stage of being embarrassed about it before finally understanding it was an important sign that, yup, I was gay back then and didn't know it yet, and as silent as my family was about the subject, they were just refusing to see it because it could not fit with their world-view or their view of their son as a gay boy or young man. -- The photo is of this very young me in this oh, so dramatic pose, which apparently I thought was just the thing, and my step-cousin taking the photo thought was, well, I don't know what he thought, but he took the photo for my mom and grandmother, he was a teen at the time. Anyway, standing by a tree, hand on hip, other arm on the tree, looking up dreamily into the sky, hip cocked outward, it's a sort of clothing fashion kind of pose, and oh, it's the gayest looking pose you could get. Ah, add to this, yup, very pale, skinny, short kid, blond goofy standard boy's haircut, dress shirt and slacks or jeans. Ahem. I have no idea how anyone could possibly see that photo and not know that my younger self was gay as anything. Ahem. I, however, had no real clue at that age, even though I was, yes, being called names I didn't fully know the meaning of yet. So yeah, I figure I was indeed born gay, but like most kids, had no real awareness of it dawning until 5th and 6th grade, when your feelings and body first begin to wake up to whether you like boys or girls or both. But somehow, other kids (especially boys) sensed I was gay and didn't like it, even in elementary school. -- I consider that photo was a clear indication there was something going on with me already, even though I didn't know yet what it was. -- And I would eventually grow to understand that little guy insisting on posing that way and all, didn't need to be an embarrassment, it was just part of who I was and who I am. -- And no, I think I'm still trying to accept myself and unlearn things even now, because it was ingrained for so long that I wasn't supposed to be how I was, gay. (I didn't come out until after my parents were gone.) That photo? my mom and grandmother thought it was darling. I was uncomfortable with it as a teen, like most boys would be. As an adult, well, it was an important clue saying all sorts of things about me and about family dynamics and gay acceptance. It was also gay as it could be, and cute as it could be. -- Funny thing too? That little boy self, all unaware of his gay feelings? I was totally comfortable then in a way that I would not be as a conflicted teen, and later as a closeted young adult. I think I was more OK with myself in many ways as a teen than by young adulthood. So I'm not sure what that really says, except that, maybe our natural state is to be comfortable with ourselves, naive or innocent, and that if our culture were more accepting, we might not ever have to be confused or embarrassed (or bullied0 for being our gay selves. I wish I could somehow have understood that as a teen and in college. It would have saved so much heartache. But at least I got to the point where I could come out and start to heal. Still working on it, clearly. -- I wonder how many other guys my age or younger have grown up, or still are growing up, like that.
... He was deal with the moment adjusted. But He had no plans for life and messed his kid up for a while. He's the only one in the group who screwed up with a dependent a person.
Back in the late 70's (pre AIDS), PBS did a documentary about gays. As part of it, they featured a middle-aged sissy couple in NH or VT who had a maple tree farm. They'd been together at least 30 years or so and were obviously still madly in love with each other. Don't remember the other people featured, but I do remember them sitting under a maple tree, holding hands. It was so sweet. Don't know if you can find the doc now, but there's a research project if you want it. It was somewhere between 1976 and 1979, for a time reference.
Him from powerpuff girls was my favorite cartoon character for years because he could be fem and masc simultaneously. it was pretty much impossible to find other characters in fiction that match that description in the 00s. especially as a kid
"Sissies are strong, they're brave, they're upbeat and utterly shameless." Preach! I loved this video so much. BTW, Buddy Cole was my IDOL. Do animated sissies count? Cause if so, two of my favorite current sissies are Stewie Griffin and Roger Smith, lol.
WilC79 Oh yes definitely! I didn't think of Stewie -- yes, he definitely counts. And a lot of people have suggested Mac & Tosh from Looney Tunes -- I wasn't sure if they were quite right but then I saw this cartoon where one of them yanks a carrot and gives a wolf whistle, so, okay. ua-cam.com/video/J10BRXRUfnw/v-deo.html
My favorite sissy is my big brother. He’s one of my best friends, one of the most important people in my life, and I would not be alive today without him. He’s exposed me to so many new things from cigarettes in high school to weed in college and furries somewhere in between. He is one of my reasons for living. My fresh foxy and fabulous favorite sissy will always be my big brother. Carlton from Fresh Prince is pretty legit too though.
No one will have your back like a sissy will, if we are honest. An in-your-defense one liner with perfect timing, a hasty fabulous exit, a subtle wink and hand hold when you are going through it but trying to be strong and don't want to cry at that moment. Hollywood Montrose and Buddy Cole were my main sissies growing up too with a dash of Wilson Cruz as Ricky. All the pretend best friends that were unapologetic for being gentle and feminine and spoke their truth, and did it with style. I appreciate your take on it. Thanks for another, good sir. 😉👌💗✨
Love what you said about Buddy Cole!! I watch Scott Thompson's old KITH monologues all the time, I love Buddy Cole too. Long live Buddy Cole!! And Chicken Lady :)
Wonderful video, remarkable composition and delivery, and charmingly upbeat and positive! I'm not quite sure I would classify you as a "sissy," but I'm all about self-realization. You come across as genuine, gentle and non-confrontational. Thanks for a great watch.
Matt, than you for mentioning Scott Thompson, a wonderful performer. I've heard other men say that Buddy Cole saved their sanity--and their lives--by showing it ok to be flamboyantly gay, with no shame whatsoever. I like to think his unapologetic presentation of himself as a proud gay man set the tone for sketches in which straight members of KITH portrayed gay characters in a sensitive and respectful way. Thanks for all you do, Matt. Your posts are well put together and important documentation of the history of queer folk in movies and TV.
1939: The Tinman, played by Jack Haley. (THE WIZARD OF OZ movie) 1940 - 1986: Frank Nelson, the actor famous for saying YEEEEEEEEEES! 1951: Jacob Marley, played by Sir Michael Murray Hordern. (SCROOGE movie) 1951 - 1957: Nervous apartment tenant, Mr. Beecher, played by guest star, Jay Novello. (I LOVE LUCY tv show) 1951 - 1957: English tutor, Percy Livermore, played by guest star, Hans Conried. (I LOVE LUCY) 1951 - 1957: Pepito The Clown, played by guest star, Pepito Perez. (I LOVE LUCY) 1963 - Present: Rip Taylor. (Comedian: throwing confetti) 1965: Prince Frederick Hoepnick, played by Jack Lemon. (THE GREAT RACE movie) 1968 - 2001: Fred Rogers. (MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD tv show) 1969 - 2018: Big Bird, voiced by Caroll Spinney. (SESAME STREET tv show) 1969 - 1974: Duane Cartwright, Beebe Galini's swishy assistant, played by guest star, Joe Ross. (THE BRADY BUNCH tv show) 1971 - 1979: Beverly LaSalle, played by Lori Shannon, born Don Seymour McLean. (ALL IN THE FAMILY tv show) 1972: Master Of Ceremonies, played by Joel Grey. (CABARET movie) 1973: Jesus Christ, played by Victor Garber. (GODSPELL movie) 1973: King Herod, played by Josh Mostel. (JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR 1973 movie) 1973: Burke Dennings, played by Jack MacGowran. (THE EXORCIST movie) 1977: man in clown costume. (LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR movie) 1978: Kent "Flounder" Dorfman, played by Stephen Furst. (ANIMAL HOUSE movie) 1979: Dr. Asa Lavender, played by Robert Pearson. (BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA-VIXENS movie) 1980 - 1983: Monroe Ficus, played by Jm J. Bullock. (TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT tv show) 1981: Bearnaise, played by Andreas Voutsinas. "You are pissing on my shoe". (HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I movie) 1981: Court Spokesman, played by Howard Morris. (HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I movie) 1981: Poppinjay, played by Jonathan Cecil. (HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I movie) 1984 - 1989: Donald Maltby, played by Phillip Charles MacKenzie. (Showtime's BROTHERS premium cable tv show) 1984 - 1989: Maurice, played by Tony De Santis. (Showtime's BROTHERS premium cable tv show) 1986 - 1993: Anthony Bouvier, played by Meshach Taylor. (DESIGNING WOMEN tv show) 1990 - 1994: Blaine Edwards & Antoine Merriweather, played by Damon Wayans & David Alan Grier. (MEN ON FILM: IN LIVING COLOR tv show) 1993 - 1999: Niles the butler, played by Daniel Davis. (THE NANNY tv show) 1996: Agador-Spartacus, played by Hank Azaria. (THE BIRDCAGE movie) 2000: King Herod, played by Rik Mayall. (Jesus Christ Superstar 2000 movie) 2011 - 2017: Han Lee, played by Matthew Moy. (TWO BROKE GIRLS tv show)
(Almost) never a sissy, and not often romantically or sexually attracted to them, but they most certainly have a place in my life. You perfectly illustrate the great side of them, the perhaps even crucial element they play in culture - even with the complicated feelings one can feel about their face as the gay identity for decades. Thank you for this video.
I've always loved the sissy characters because they're so over the top, sassy, silly and loveable which is exactly my type of humor (and it even makes the villains more fun for the same reasons)! Other sissies I really enjoy are Sir Percy from various versions of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Nigel from Frasier, and Ruby from The Fifth Element. And the sensitive, goofy, theatrical guys were always the ones I wanted to date in school, much to my chagrin as a straight cis woman as they were often gay 😅
I love that you know Kenneth Williams, and that thanks to YT people around the world can love him too. When I was 12, his was the first death that left me in tears.
As a young girl I was always attracted to the sissies. Never got why that was... Not going to work out for me. But there are some straight sissies (niles crane)
THE CELLULOID CLOSET is probably the best doco on sissies and the broader history of gay representation in cinema. I highly recommend it, you can find it on UA-cam. Watched it a bunch of times, lots of fun.
In high school and college, I used to coach a basketball camp for kids k-3rd grade during summers and winter vacation. I’ve never played basketball on an actual team and can’t even dribble, but I was good with kids and it was a great summer job; eventually my brother and I ran our own camp with more games than just basketball. We called it “SPORTS EXTRAVAGANZA”. He taught the sports. I taught the extravaganza. Many kids were just sent to random activity day camps because their parents had work and they needed to fill their kids’ days any supervised way that could. Fortunately, I identified with those bewildered, bored kids greatly. And of course there was always a “sissy” or two in the bunch who my heart would ache for. I’ll never forget one little boy, Nicolas, who was having an especially rough day and cried real tears while passionately, imploringly declaring, even “I AM JUST TOO SENSITIVE FOR BASKETBALL.” I feel like Nicolas about a lot of things these days.
5:04 i'm a fairly large and intimidating straight man, back in the 90's several gay friends would use me as sort of a "don't mess with me or you gotta deal with him" shield. but i never had to fight anyone (not that i would really want to), however 3 times have i been a witness to "sissies" beating the crap out of a phobic aggressor. these events are epic.
The Cowardly Lion was always my favorite when I was little because he kinda looked and sounded like my Dad and the character allowed me to project so feelings onto him. My Dad is the stereotypical biker tough guy so it was hard to get much out of him emotions wise
Flower from Bambi. I am a pan, cis woman, but this was the first time I was exposed to a character that bent traditional gender norms, and I was just fascinated with him. Even though I was too young to fully understand why.
My favorite sissy was Philip Charles Mackenzie's "Donald" on Showtime's way-ahead- of-its-time (1984-89) "Brothers" which featured a close friendship between Cliff, a masculine, just-coming-out college student, and Donald, an older, truly flamboyant magazine writer/editor. (Hmmm, I wonder if Will and Jack weren't partly modeled on this?) Where it differs from the Will and Jack scenario is that flaming Donald was the most together, the most successful, and overall the strongest character on the show, the go-to guy in any emergency, the one who usually saved the day. In a way, I think "Brothers" was battling prejudice on two fronts: sexual orientation and gender expression (and this is what made it so radical and ahead of its time and so much better than Will & Grace). It celebrated both gayness and sissiness, showing them both in a positive light while at the same time making note of the diversity in the lgbt community.
Andy Warhol. His diaries are so epic. He talked about how the artists in the American abstract expressionist movement were so manly, even if they were gay. They would get drunk, critique each other's work that would escalate in to brawls. They never accepted him, because he was a sellout as a successful illustrator in advertising and because he was "too swish". Warhol said he just couldn't imagine saying something to Roy Lichtenstein like, "sir, you have insulted my soup cans" then getting into a fist fight over it in the parking lot.
This is nothing to do with the current topic, but I would love to see you discuss To Wong Foo. This is one of my favorite movies ever. John Leguizamo was so beautiful, I refused to believe he was make in real life. Even though I knew some of his work. Little latino boy in drag...
Edward Everett Horton, as recalled by Bill Scott (voice of Bullwinkle) "I asked him, "Edward Everett (it was always Edward Everett), do you really think you're going to live forever? He said, "Well Bill, I'll tell you. Do you know where I'm going? To my Mother's 100th birthday party!"" I also like his quote, "[if he would ever retire] Dear Lord! I would go right out of my mind.", because I can hear him saying it with his precise cadence.
I'm aghast that you didn't mention two of the biggest sissies of the 90's. In Living Color's Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather of Men On Films. From the clothing, the vernacular, the lisps, and the iconic SNAPS they were two of the campiest, queeniest, and sissified sissies one could behold. I remember rushing home to catch the show hoping not to miss one of their skits. Truly groundbreaking and hysterical.
When I was a kid in the early 1970s, I lived in London for a year. The Secret Life of Kenneth Williams played on the BBC back then, portraying him in all his camp glory as a secret agent, who battled an evil organization called the Brotherhood for Revolution and Anarchy (BRA). I didn't know anyone remembered him except for me.
So happy to see this. For me, Albert (Nathan Lane) in the Birdcage was such a point of recognition when I was 14. Seeing him go grocery shopping and be a sissy in a whole community which completely embraces him. It was like seeing queer paradise.
"Honey, I am more man than you'll ever be, and more woman than you'll ever get." Oh hell yes, that's a great line
I still use it when doing drag.
I only do drag for loved ones some guys love it, and some girls love it
The moment I saw this line referenced in RENT in the funeral scene, age 8, changed my LIFE. The sass of it is turned on its head and made endearing to the whole audience through death.
I have actually used this line to defuse many situations
Indeed a great one
You're forgetting the greatest sissy of them all: C-3PO.
The galaxy's greatest hero.
tru 🌈🤖
Tag team Robot wrestling! It's the cool robots of Battlestar Galactica versus the gay robots of Star Wars!
I used to play the Star Wars RPG with a group that contained a gay couple and they claimed that C-3PO was actually written as he was on purpose as a way to smuggle a gay character in to the story line in a way that was palatable for the audience at the time. Since he was a droid there was no controversy and he was a part of the main cast. I never fact checked their claims for a few reasons. One science fiction has a history of doing stuff like this so it is totally believable. Two I so desperately want it to be true that I don't want them to be wrong.
C-3P0’s design was originally based off the female robot from the 1927 movie Metropolis, and supposed to be a girl.
This is ultra validating for me, an effeminate guy whose boyfriend is pretty femme, and who feels disliked and demonized even in the LGBT+ community for "not being normal enough" or "being too much of a stereotype". Like...I'm a soft, kinda flouncy boy who likes cute things and so is my bf, and it feels like even in the community we're looked at with scorn for, let's be honest, not being straight-acting. The kind of people who "are too gay and give the community a bad name." I'm an effeminate boy and I'm not just ok with it, I'm happy about it. It's who I am and I won't make myself change to speed up "acceptance". If I'm weird, well, you'll just have to get used to my weirdness, then.
Yeah that's great! Be effeminate! Like pink stuff! It's great. You might enjoy looking up some Buddy Cole monologues on UA-cam.
Billy Fuchyoshet I think you and your bf sound lovely. If it makes you feel any better, I’m a girl who is very soft and sweet and into cute things, and I am sometimes shamed for not being “normal enough.” But I know who I am. I like what I like unironically and without apology. It sounds like you’re the same. Keep being wonderful!
@@helgmelia84 It's crazy to think about it, but how many times in our lives do we hear the words "Just be yourself" and almost nobody actually seems to get there.
You go for it Billy! I’m female and while I look feminine I never acted it. It doesn’t feel natural to me. But of course I don’t get hassled for being a “tomboy” (I really hate that term, especially since I am middle aged) and no one ever even comments on the the fact I mostly wear men’s clothing. Just be yourself. Everyone is weird and we should all embrace it because it makes life interesting.
Thank you ☮️💜
As a "sissy" who went to an all-male high school, I can totally relate to the power of the sissy. I learned early on how to fight with words and protect myself with comedy. As an adult, I've learned to wear my femme as a badge of courage. I am 100% me now, and if someone has an issue with it I can read them to filth or beat them with a 6-inch heel.
Ed Worton of course everyone who goes to an all-male school is gay ahaha.
It’s never easy, we all got targeted but we become stronger and look who is laughing now
It only works if the truly evil aren't at the school. maybe 1/100 bullies is genuinely a monster/sociopath and those ones need to be handled differently.
Scar, or any male classic male Disney villain, technically a 'fops' termed people who are evil, but no intimidating or imposing, so they weren't scary, but they had the feminine qualities men were not supposed to have, Diseny did a lot of this 'short hand' to pose 'evil' to their audiences but not make it too scary, just unfamiliar.
I still love seeing Scar say "ooh I shall practice my curtsy"
Scar's voice was based on George Sanders, who had a famously purring voice, and who wasn't gay AFAIK.
scars sissiness was also meant to stand in contrast to mufasa
I realized I was gay when I when I thought the 'sissy' boy in my class was cute and I learned to own it when my 'sissy' best friend stood up for me. I love sissies and I think the lisp is kinda sexy
This is old so I don't know if it will be read, but I just wanted to say, as a very swishy transgender man, I've never seen this kind of positivity for this type of gay experience and I'm kind of blown away. Thank you for this video.
Also, Captain Shakespeare from Stardust showed up a little late in my life, but man did he make an impact.
Thank you for commenting this, I'm a trans guy early in the evaluation process and I kind of fear whether I'll be taken seriously because I'm swishy too and prefer it
Stardust is highly underrated
Aziraphale from Good Omens has my love forever and always!
Oh, good Lord, I had about the same reaction to Ferdinand the Bull, as a little kid, even as an uncomfortable questioning teen. I "got" Ferdinand. He wasn't too sissy or too weird to me. To me, he was lonely and misunderstood and peaceful and nice. heh, I haven't seen that short in ages.
As usual, I enjoyed the video. Who else could take the subject, "sissies," and make it so entertaining, engaging, and totally without criticizing, sensationalizing, and all other 'izing"? You have a real gift for explaining things and making them palatable. Hope to be a fan for a long time to come.
Garbo Philips So true. Matt is excellent at what he does!
Matt-- this particular video here almost certainly shaped lives and saved lives -- mainly of young gay men and "sissies." I hope you realize you are performing an incredible public service as well as an academic study. Thank you very much for what you do.
as a lesbian this video blew my mind, I always just equated them as men, never divided them into masculine or sissies, etc. I guess it just wasn't important to me. I did however ask my gay male bff about this and he agreed about sizing up male energy and looking for role models growing up. Very interesting. Thanks Matt.
Hmm, I'm curious. Did you do the reverse and pick specific kinds of woman as your role models?
What about C-3PO?!
InteUtanMinCykel Oh that's another good one! I get compared to him all the time.
A robot?
Robosexual
You mean he is not really British. Oh my! 😲
This has the same energy as the “what about nascar!?” Vine
And we can't forget the QUEEN of the Sissies: RICHARD SIMMONS. LET'S SIZZLLLLLLLLLLE ! SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !
Aww. I love richard Simmons. The podcast about him was so tragic, yet hes always been a delight.
Emmett from QAF-US. Not only was he an unabashed, unashamed sissy, but he was the fiercest, most protective friend in the world. And unlike so many of the other sissies, he wasn't sexless or miserable.
"Will & Grace let gay characters be the main characters, and have lives, and meet Cher." This was so sneaky and funny, beautifully done.
Gays don't like them? I'm gay and I didn't know that. But sincerely, in the history of television, how many sitcoms have given an accurate representation of what they are portraying?
Jafar in Alladin was very much a sissy villain who I loved! And Buddy Cole is amazing!
Ahhhh yes nobody can do sissy villains like Disney. Jafar's so great, and Scar, and Captain Hook, and Prince John!
How was he a sissy??
Prince John!! Yes!
This is one of my favorite videos. I come back every now and then. I was a big sissy in high school (66-70) and even wore costumes to school but boys were scared to call me a queer or a faggot bc I'd beat up an older bully in jr high. I was still closeted. My boyfriend and I lived in the same closet lol.
How did you miss Lafayette on True Blood?!?
NO ONE can beat Lafayette for both sass and kick ass! He was a wonderful character.
I want to marry Lafayette.
"Tip Yo waitress."
I was looking to see if anyone else thought of Lafayette. He was everything to me!
Thanks so much for this video. As an older gay man I was always scared to unleash my inner sissy because of my internalised homophobia. Times have changed and sometimes I find the courage to bring my sissy out of the closet and it's all because of the reasons you showed in this video. You are wonderful to talk about these things. It never would have happened back in my day haha
This is a complement to your "straight acting" video. I wouldn't say I'm flamboyant or anything, but let's just say my closet never really had a door on it, so I always identified with sissies and wondered why there was always such a social stigma surrounding being a sissy.
Just as you mentioned, sissies really only had words to defend themselves, for the most part, and I grew to love the sharp-tongued acerbic wit of some of the best of them. It almost became an art form of sorts, and it takes an intelligent, observant person to pull it off. I think this art form was responsible for my majoring in English Literature at university, and becoming a poet and singer/songwriter.
I really do love the humor of Will and Grace, and know plenty of Jacks and Wills (and Graces and Karens) in my pretty large circle of friends. I think the kind of strength that sissies display gives us an alternative to the old archetype of power having to be masculine all of the time. It showed us we could have a different kind of strength. I think this is the same reason we absolutely adore powerful women who also allow themselves to be vulnerable sometimes. Again, an alternative to traditional masculine, patriarchal society.
One sissy man who displayed a great amount of strength and pride at a time when it wasn't easy to do so was Quentin Crisp. He was actually the subject of Sting's hit song "An Englishman in New York" back in the late 1980's. He was very brave all of his adult life. I admire that.
And for a different generation, there's Adam Lambert. He's not afraid of a little (a lot!) of makeup and sparkles, and has a voice that rivals that other super talented gay contest winning vocalist, Sam Harris, who dared to sing "Over the Rainbow" as well as Jennifer Holiday!
My, how I ramble when I'm interested in a subject!
And another couple of icons to leave you with: Little Richard and Liberace! Whooooo! And what about Sal Mineo? Not an icon, but important in movies at the time.
And how can we forget Leslie Jordan???
I could go on, but I think I've said enough!
Now I'm going to watch some Buddy Cole videos, whom I've never of.
He did mention Leslie Jordan at the end of the video.
Oh yeah, Little Richard
Liberace always made me cringe a bit inside though. I i always felt like he must have smelled like a combination of Aquanet, Aramis, and self-loathing
3:40 Oh my God is that John Hurt in Drag? How have I lived this long not knowing this exists?
+NeilSonOfNorbert Yes he's AMAZING
The naked civil servant is essential viewing
I fell in love with John Hurt when he was a rabbit in Watership Down.
Mr. Humphries! I love Are You Being Served!
It's wonderful to see Kenneth being appreciated by someone over in the U.S. He's an absolute hero of mine x
Scott Thompson from "Kids in the Hall" was up for the role of Jack on "Will & Grace".
I'm glad you brought up Vicious. I relate to the episode wherein Freddie comes out to his mother more than most coming-out stories. The whole "I'll just put it off - she doesn't need to know, and this is a bad time" thing is the exact holding pattern I spent years in, even while I called my parents at least a few times a week to check up on them and share how my life was going. And then, when I did tell them I was trans, the response was "Ha ha - no, you're not, and we're not going to talk about it," just like with Freddie's mother.
Niles Crane yes!!
Also I can’t help but relate this to myself. Growing up AFAB and being a huge tomboy. But around puberty I became hyper aware that as much as I hated femininity (at least, the kind society forced upon me, I’ve softened up a tad as I’ve embraced my androgyny) that it was expected of me. I started dressing overly skimpy, trying make up, etc. It didn’t work and I cringe at photos from this time. I’ve since come out as bisexual and non binary, embracing all elements of my gender identity (male, female, and “other”). I really relate to your discussion of identifying with a sissy but trying not to be one. I desperately looked for “boyish” looking or “masculine” acting women in media but at the same time was trying so hard to be the kind of woman expected of me. And hide the gayness. The irony is now that I’ve embraced my being non binary I comfortably enjoy the feminine things I do happen to enjoy.
oh gosh, HIM was such a total queen, I low key adored that villain when I was little.
This made me weep. Thank you so, so much for your memories and thoughts and insight. This is definitely my favorite video of yours!
I Loved this video!
roly omg so nice to see you here skjkjdsjjk
Ahhhh I’m so late to this but it’s made my day seeing you talk about Kenneth Williams and Scott Thompson (Buddy)! Thanks so much
Can't believe you know Kenneth Williams - I have an obsession with Kenny - you need to do section on British Camp. xx
One of my favorites; 1931 s 'Palmy Days' centers around a bakery, a fellow orders a chocolate birthday cake. clerk asks if he wants a rose on it. He says "Make it a Pansy"
Haha that's awesome, message received
My problem with how society see things is that NOT EVERY SISSY IS GAY. In many cases BOTH gay and straight want to label children for liking "feminine" things instead of letting young people figure it out for themselves. Also some straight men are afraid to openly like certain things for fear of being labeled gay.
Matt Baume I remember being in about 3rd grade and hanging out with the girls and the topic of tomboys came up and I said, "I'm tomgirl". Even at that young age I might have not known the word gay, but I knew who I was and put a label to it.
Ryan Nix I was the same, but I knew at about 4 years of age. This is dating me (the only dating in a LONG time! ha ha) But I used to put a black turtleneck over my head, pushing it back to resemble a hairline, so that I could have long black hair. Then I would watch "The Sonny and Cher Show" and imitate Cher's limp wrist and hair flips. I was FOUR!
I'd have to look up when the Sonny and Cher show was on, but it was the early 70's, so I would've been somewhere between four and ten, if that's right. Er, I don't think I would've tried to be Cher, but uh, let's say that even in elementary, other boys and girls were calling me those names, and I didn't know why. Then there was the time I wore a suit and tie to school, because I wanted to. Oh, my. Ahem, so, yeah, very possibly, I would not have had any problem with a little four year old boy imitating Cher. I had no idea around that age that I was gay or what that was. I would've thought that was natural, probably. :) (Gee, I think I missed out.)
Also, my early self might not have understood the "tomgirl" thing exactly, I might have been pretty puzzled. But up to a certain age, I also think I wouldn't have minded. During my teens, I'd become more aware and knew I liked boys, didn't know why or if I'd start liking girls, so I was already consciously trying to "butch up" in clothes and manners. Uh, except, well, when you're a gay boy and still figuring it out, your internal definitions on what's OK (macho boy) and what is not (not so macho boy) sometimes do not match up too well with what straight boys think of as OK for boys. So there were missteps before I finally figured out, no, just be myself, I can't hide my basic behavior / self / voice. (I still wasn't accepting myself as gay yet, though.) -- And in high school, I wound up defending two friends rumored to be gay (not together as a couple, either). One or both might have been gay. That one of them fit a lot of the stereotypical gay boy -- somehow didn't bother me at all. I was comfortable with him. (I wasn't particularly attracted, and I don't think he was to me, but years later, I wondered why on Earth we couldn't have opened up, if he was gay, and had a better friendship or y'know, tested things out. he was really nice. (He was also bullied so badly he transferred schools.) The other friend may or may not have been gay. One boy who publicly called him out on it had this oh-so-airtight reasoning that my friend must be gay, because he did mime! (And theater and dance.) So the guy thought my friend had to be gay, because clearly doing mime was gay. (Yeah, the guy was an idiot.) I told my friend I'd had no idea the guy was going to do that, and said I didn't believe it was true, but that I didn't care if he was gay or not. But if he was, his parents would never have accepted it. So...it is really strange how we have all these early experiences, and some are so ambiguous and some are anywhere along the spectrums for gender or sexual orientation, but yet not what people think of as straight or as completely boyish. Yet even straight boys have some of that too, because our ideas on roles or orientation are too narrow, in the mainstream. -- I wish I knew how to put it into words and keep it concise, but every time I get into thinking of it all, there's so much to it.0
Matt - terrific presentation. I think you have another book. I'm thinking how much this will help people in high school dealing with bullies and being tagged as a sissy with whatever words they use these days. My favorite sissy will always be Robert Helpmann who played the lead male dancer in The Red Shoes- a strong dance queen not trying to pass as straight onstage or in the studio, embracing his gayness without a word of apologia in 1948.
I love smart sissies - Scar in the Lion King, Niles in frasier, Data in Star Trek TNG, Kurt in Glee (in S1 when he was a sarcastic little straight A shit), Titus in Kimmy Schmidt. Smarter than the apes, sarcastic, well mannered, and femme is my thing.
One sissy I always welcome into my living room was Monti Rock III who appeared quite often on the Merv Griffin Show (and had a brief appearance in Saturday Night Fever as a DJ.). Another was Rip Taylor who tossed confetti everywhere, appearing regularly on the Gong Show and guest appearing all over the tube in the '70's. And then there's Charles Nelson Reilly, primarily appearing on the Match Game, again in the '70's. One last name I've not heard mentioned here is Richard Simmons.
Waukegan Il Oh those are all good nominations! I've never heard of Monti Rock before but he looks FASCINATING. And oh my yes Rip Taylor. What a gem.
Mr. Humphreys is one of my favorite characters of all time. I have many fond memories of sitting down with my mom and watching Are You Being Served? on PBS before going to bed.
Got the series box set a few years ago and I think my mom has binge watched it thee times.
I've already watched this years ago, but after seeing "Are You Being Served?" YES Mr. Humphreys. I love him so much 😊
Omfg Buddy Cole. I loved watching Kids in the Hall growing up, and Buddy Cole was always my favorite. Good call on mr. Cairo, too. The Maltese Falcon was a masterpiece of Cinema, and Peter Lorre played one of the greatest sissies ever.
Keep up the goid work, Mr. Baum. Good luck to you. ♥
I wish I still had the photo of me, somewhere around 4th or 5th grade, that got ruined and lost in a move. Despite my parents being (unspoken but still) homophobic, my mom kept the photo on display for years in the kitchen. I went through a long stage of being embarrassed about it before finally understanding it was an important sign that, yup, I was gay back then and didn't know it yet, and as silent as my family was about the subject, they were just refusing to see it because it could not fit with their world-view or their view of their son as a gay boy or young man. -- The photo is of this very young me in this oh, so dramatic pose, which apparently I thought was just the thing, and my step-cousin taking the photo thought was, well, I don't know what he thought, but he took the photo for my mom and grandmother, he was a teen at the time. Anyway, standing by a tree, hand on hip, other arm on the tree, looking up dreamily into the sky, hip cocked outward, it's a sort of clothing fashion kind of pose, and oh, it's the gayest looking pose you could get. Ah, add to this, yup, very pale, skinny, short kid, blond goofy standard boy's haircut, dress shirt and slacks or jeans. Ahem. I have no idea how anyone could possibly see that photo and not know that my younger self was gay as anything. Ahem. I, however, had no real clue at that age, even though I was, yes, being called names I didn't fully know the meaning of yet. So yeah, I figure I was indeed born gay, but like most kids, had no real awareness of it dawning until 5th and 6th grade, when your feelings and body first begin to wake up to whether you like boys or girls or both. But somehow, other kids (especially boys) sensed I was gay and didn't like it, even in elementary school. -- I consider that photo was a clear indication there was something going on with me already, even though I didn't know yet what it was. -- And I would eventually grow to understand that little guy insisting on posing that way and all, didn't need to be an embarrassment, it was just part of who I was and who I am. -- And no, I think I'm still trying to accept myself and unlearn things even now, because it was ingrained for so long that I wasn't supposed to be how I was, gay. (I didn't come out until after my parents were gone.) That photo? my mom and grandmother thought it was darling. I was uncomfortable with it as a teen, like most boys would be. As an adult, well, it was an important clue saying all sorts of things about me and about family dynamics and gay acceptance. It was also gay as it could be, and cute as it could be. -- Funny thing too? That little boy self, all unaware of his gay feelings? I was totally comfortable then in a way that I would not be as a conflicted teen, and later as a closeted young adult. I think I was more OK with myself in many ways as a teen than by young adulthood. So I'm not sure what that really says, except that, maybe our natural state is to be comfortable with ourselves, naive or innocent, and that if our culture were more accepting, we might not ever have to be confused or embarrassed (or bullied0 for being our gay selves. I wish I could somehow have understood that as a teen and in college. It would have saved so much heartache. But at least I got to the point where I could come out and start to heal. Still working on it, clearly. -- I wonder how many other guys my age or younger have grown up, or still are growing up, like that.
Beautifully expressed, thank you so much ☮️
Hope you're living life to the fullest now.
I loved Jack in W&G. On the surface he was one of the craziest, but underneath was a more well adjusted individual than other characters
... He was deal with the moment adjusted. But He had no plans for life and messed his kid up for a while. He's the only one in the group who screwed up with a dependent a person.
OMG I looove that you started w Edward Everett Horton! He was too cute!
Back in the late 70's (pre AIDS), PBS did a documentary about gays. As part of it, they featured a middle-aged sissy couple in NH or VT who had a maple tree farm. They'd been together at least 30 years or so and were obviously still madly in love with each other. Don't remember the other people featured, but I do remember them sitting under a maple tree, holding hands. It was so sweet. Don't know if you can find the doc now, but there's a research project if you want it. It was somewhere between 1976 and 1979, for a time reference.
Him from powerpuff girls was my favorite cartoon character for years because he could be fem and masc simultaneously. it was pretty much impossible to find other characters in fiction that match that description in the 00s. especially as a kid
"Sissies are strong, they're brave, they're upbeat and utterly shameless." Preach! I loved this video so much. BTW, Buddy Cole was my IDOL. Do animated sissies count? Cause if so, two of my favorite current sissies are Stewie Griffin and Roger Smith, lol.
WilC79 Oh yes definitely! I didn't think of Stewie -- yes, he definitely counts. And a lot of people have suggested Mac & Tosh from Looney Tunes -- I wasn't sure if they were quite right but then I saw this cartoon where one of them yanks a carrot and gives a wolf whistle, so, okay. ua-cam.com/video/J10BRXRUfnw/v-deo.html
Stewie only really counts if it's after the revival. His character was pretty different in the first 3 seasons.
Love everything about you.
I watch yer content over and over again.
Will be donating what I can.
Thank you Matt.
Yessss Titus !!
PEENO NOIR
MYENMAR
ROSEANNE BARR
PEENO NOIR PEENO NOIR
PEEENOOOOO NOIRRR
My favorite sissy is my big brother. He’s one of my best friends, one of the most important people in my life, and I would not be alive today without him. He’s exposed me to so many new things from cigarettes in high school to weed in college and furries somewhere in between. He is one of my reasons for living. My fresh foxy and fabulous favorite sissy will always be my big brother.
Carlton from Fresh Prince is pretty legit too though.
No one will have your back like a sissy will, if we are honest. An in-your-defense one liner with perfect timing, a hasty fabulous exit, a subtle wink and hand hold when you are going through it but trying to be strong and don't want to cry at that moment. Hollywood Montrose and Buddy Cole were my main sissies growing up too with a dash of Wilson Cruz as Ricky. All the pretend best friends that were unapologetic for being gentle and feminine and spoke their truth, and did it with style. I appreciate your take on it. Thanks for another, good sir. 😉👌💗✨
Love what you said about Buddy Cole!! I watch Scott Thompson's old KITH monologues all the time, I love Buddy Cole too. Long live Buddy Cole!! And Chicken Lady :)
what about Snagglepuss?
+Cbrook2012 He's pink, even!
wonderful! yes I want more of this MATT! it's so LIBERATING
Wonderful video, remarkable composition and delivery, and charmingly upbeat and positive!
I'm not quite sure I would classify you as a "sissy," but I'm all about self-realization. You come across as genuine, gentle and non-confrontational.
Thanks for a great watch.
What a brilliant channel you have here. Such a bummer I discovered it so late.
Well. I'll just binge watch!
Matt - You’re my favorite sissy for celebrating and highlighting all these other sissies. You’ve certainly gotten better with age. Well done.
Aw thanks!
Matt, than you for mentioning Scott Thompson, a wonderful performer. I've heard other men say that Buddy Cole saved their sanity--and their lives--by showing it ok to be flamboyantly gay, with no shame whatsoever. I like to think his unapologetic presentation of himself as a proud gay man set the tone for sketches in which straight members of KITH portrayed gay characters in a sensitive and respectful way. Thanks for all you do, Matt. Your posts are well put together and important documentation of the history of queer folk in movies and TV.
1939: The Tinman, played by Jack Haley. (THE WIZARD OF OZ movie)
1940 - 1986: Frank Nelson, the actor famous for saying YEEEEEEEEEES!
1951: Jacob Marley, played by Sir Michael Murray Hordern. (SCROOGE movie)
1951 - 1957: Nervous apartment tenant, Mr. Beecher, played by guest star, Jay Novello. (I LOVE LUCY tv show)
1951 - 1957: English tutor, Percy Livermore, played by guest star, Hans Conried. (I LOVE LUCY)
1951 - 1957: Pepito The Clown, played by guest star, Pepito Perez. (I LOVE LUCY)
1963 - Present: Rip Taylor. (Comedian: throwing confetti)
1965: Prince Frederick Hoepnick, played by Jack Lemon. (THE GREAT RACE movie)
1968 - 2001: Fred Rogers. (MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD tv show)
1969 - 2018: Big Bird, voiced by Caroll Spinney. (SESAME STREET tv show)
1969 - 1974: Duane Cartwright, Beebe Galini's swishy assistant, played by guest star, Joe Ross. (THE BRADY BUNCH tv show)
1971 - 1979: Beverly LaSalle, played by Lori Shannon, born Don Seymour McLean. (ALL IN THE FAMILY tv show)
1972: Master Of Ceremonies, played by Joel Grey. (CABARET movie)
1973: Jesus Christ, played by Victor Garber. (GODSPELL movie)
1973: King Herod, played by Josh Mostel. (JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR 1973 movie)
1973: Burke Dennings, played by Jack MacGowran. (THE EXORCIST movie)
1977: man in clown costume. (LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR movie)
1978: Kent "Flounder" Dorfman, played by Stephen Furst. (ANIMAL HOUSE movie)
1979: Dr. Asa Lavender, played by Robert Pearson. (BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA-VIXENS movie)
1980 - 1983: Monroe Ficus, played by Jm J. Bullock. (TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT tv show)
1981: Bearnaise, played by Andreas Voutsinas. "You are pissing on my shoe". (HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I movie)
1981: Court Spokesman, played by Howard Morris. (HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I movie)
1981: Poppinjay, played by Jonathan Cecil. (HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I movie)
1984 - 1989: Donald Maltby, played by Phillip Charles MacKenzie. (Showtime's BROTHERS premium cable tv show)
1984 - 1989: Maurice, played by Tony De Santis. (Showtime's BROTHERS premium cable tv show)
1986 - 1993: Anthony Bouvier, played by Meshach Taylor. (DESIGNING WOMEN tv show)
1990 - 1994: Blaine Edwards & Antoine Merriweather, played by Damon Wayans & David Alan Grier. (MEN ON FILM: IN LIVING COLOR tv show)
1993 - 1999: Niles the butler, played by Daniel Davis. (THE NANNY tv show)
1996: Agador-Spartacus, played by Hank Azaria. (THE BIRDCAGE movie)
2000: King Herod, played by Rik Mayall. (Jesus Christ Superstar 2000 movie)
2011 - 2017: Han Lee, played by Matthew Moy. (TWO BROKE GIRLS tv show)
(Almost) never a sissy, and not often romantically or sexually attracted to them, but they most certainly have a place in my life. You perfectly illustrate the great side of them, the perhaps even crucial element they play in culture - even with the complicated feelings one can feel about their face as the gay identity for decades. Thank you for this video.
I've always loved the sissy characters because they're so over the top, sassy, silly and loveable which is exactly my type of humor (and it even makes the villains more fun for the same reasons)! Other sissies I really enjoy are Sir Percy from various versions of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Nigel from Frasier, and Ruby from The Fifth Element. And the sensitive, goofy, theatrical guys were always the ones I wanted to date in school, much to my chagrin as a straight cis woman as they were often gay 😅
I didn't expect one of these older videos to be such a delight. Extra points for using Buddy Cole in this.
Petyr Baelish aka Littlefinger from Game of Thrones!
I have to thank this channel for developing these topics in such a way that even a straight sissi can relate. Keep uo the good work!
Buddy Cole is THE MAN!!! Scott Thompson is one of my favorite comedians ever.
well done. I am reminded of Victor Victoria... Robert Preston and Alex Karras
I love that you know Kenneth Williams, and that thanks to YT people around the world can love him too. When I was 12, his was the first death that left me in tears.
Today I found one of your videos by accident, today I fell in love with you. Absolutely wonderful stuff! Thank you.
Aww thank you! Glad you're enjoying the videos.
wow this was pretty much enlightening to say the least, you rock
As a young girl I was always attracted to the sissies. Never got why that was... Not going to work out for me. But there are some straight sissies (niles crane)
Wow! How necessary is this new reading of the classics!! Thanx!
THE CELLULOID CLOSET is probably the best doco on sissies and the broader history of gay representation in cinema. I highly recommend it, you can find it on UA-cam. Watched it a bunch of times, lots of fun.
In high school and college, I used to coach a basketball camp for kids k-3rd grade during summers and winter vacation. I’ve never played basketball on an actual team and can’t even dribble, but I was good with kids and it was a great summer job; eventually my brother and I ran our own camp with more games than just basketball. We called it “SPORTS EXTRAVAGANZA”. He taught the sports. I taught the extravaganza.
Many kids were just sent to random activity day camps because their parents had work and they needed to fill their kids’ days any supervised way that could. Fortunately, I identified with those bewildered, bored kids greatly. And of course there was always a “sissy” or two in the bunch who my heart would ache for.
I’ll never forget one little boy, Nicolas, who was having an especially rough day and cried real tears while passionately, imploringly declaring, even “I AM JUST TOO SENSITIVE FOR BASKETBALL.”
I feel like Nicolas about a lot of things these days.
Love you Matt💖
You make fantastic content please don't stop
Thanks! I'm working on my next video right now.
5:04 i'm a fairly large and intimidating straight man, back in the 90's several gay friends would use me as sort of a "don't mess with me or you gotta deal with him" shield. but i never had to fight anyone (not that i would really want to), however 3 times have i been a witness to "sissies" beating the crap out of a phobic aggressor. these events are epic.
The Cowardly Lion was always my favorite when I was little because he kinda looked and sounded like my Dad and the character allowed me to project so feelings onto him. My Dad is the stereotypical biker tough guy so it was hard to get much out of him emotions wise
Flower from Bambi. I am a pan, cis woman, but this was the first time I was exposed to a character that bent traditional gender norms, and I was just fascinated with him. Even though I was too young to fully understand why.
I know we just met, but I love you. I'm going to binge your content now.
great retrospective
The movie called Its Pat! It really opened up my mind view.
My favorite sissy was Philip Charles Mackenzie's "Donald" on Showtime's way-ahead- of-its-time (1984-89) "Brothers" which featured a close friendship between Cliff, a masculine, just-coming-out college student, and Donald, an older, truly flamboyant magazine writer/editor. (Hmmm, I wonder if Will and Jack weren't partly modeled on this?)
Where it differs from the Will and Jack scenario is that flaming Donald was the most together, the most successful, and overall the strongest character on the show, the go-to guy in any emergency, the one who usually saved the day.
In a way, I think "Brothers" was battling prejudice on two fronts: sexual orientation and gender expression (and this is what made it so radical and ahead of its time and so much better than Will & Grace). It celebrated both gayness and sissiness, showing them both in a positive light while at the same time making note of the diversity in the lgbt community.
BDoug I'm sorry I completely missed that show. Sounds amazing for its time!
BDoug
Oh my gods yes! Brothers was so ahead of its time in many ways (though it was quite 'of its time' in others.
Matt Baume: do a video on Brothers!
Andy Warhol. His diaries are so epic. He talked about how the artists in the American abstract expressionist movement were so manly, even if they were gay. They would get drunk, critique each other's work that would escalate in to brawls. They never accepted him, because he was a sellout as a successful illustrator in advertising and because he was "too swish". Warhol said he just couldn't imagine saying something to Roy Lichtenstein like, "sir, you have insulted my soup cans" then getting into a fist fight over it in the parking lot.
Matt, you make such a great video, this one in particular. I applaud you.
This is nothing to do with the current topic, but I would love to see you discuss To Wong Foo. This is one of my favorite movies ever.
John Leguizamo was so beautiful, I refused to believe he was make in real life. Even though I knew some of his work.
Little latino boy in drag...
Also the zany Alan Seus from Laugh-In and Scar from Lion King.
Terrayo Meran ...I forgot about Alan Seuss. I loved him.
This was fantastic! Lots of great memories brought back.
Edward Everett Horton, as recalled by Bill Scott (voice of Bullwinkle) "I asked him, "Edward Everett (it was always Edward Everett), do you really think you're going to live forever? He said, "Well Bill, I'll tell you. Do you know where I'm going? To my Mother's 100th birthday party!""
I also like his quote, "[if he would ever retire] Dear Lord! I would go right out of my mind.", because I can hear him saying it with his precise cadence.
I'm aghast that you didn't mention two of the biggest sissies of the 90's. In Living Color's Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather of Men On Films. From the clothing, the vernacular, the lisps, and the iconic SNAPS they were two of the campiest, queeniest, and sissified sissies one could behold. I remember rushing home to catch the show hoping not to miss one of their skits. Truly groundbreaking and hysterical.
I swear I love Matt's videos even more with each rewatch
When I was a kid in the early 1970s, I lived in London for a year. The Secret Life of Kenneth Williams played on the BBC back then, portraying him in all his camp glory as a secret agent, who battled an evil organization called the Brotherhood for Revolution and Anarchy (BRA). I didn't know anyone remembered him except for me.
He was far better known for the Carry on... films.
I was *obsessed* with Charles Nelson Reilly as a kid. Yeah, I should have seen it coming.
Dr. Smith DEFINITELY gets my vote for Top Sissy. Loved Jonathan Harris’ beyond-over-the-top performance!
So happy to see this. For me, Albert (Nathan Lane) in the Birdcage was such a point of recognition when I was 14. Seeing him go grocery shopping and be a sissy in a whole community which completely embraces him. It was like seeing queer paradise.
That's what Harvey Feirstein said on the ceulloid closet. Liked the sissies because it put us in the public eye that gays exist in movies.
I forgot about Scott Thompson!!! And "Just Jack!" They were hilarious!!!! And fabulous!! 😆😊
Matt, you truly are a gem. Stay safe, stay well.
Actress June Lockhart. said once that actor Jonathan Harris A.K.A. Dr. Smith was considered to be the first space Queen.