Boy George is a 6' 4" ex-boxer who literally fought his way through school and his young life to be able to become the artist and man he wanted to be. His brother Gerry O'Dowd was a pro-boxer. Their father was a boxer. How do I know this? My friend of 30 years lived in the next house to the O'Dowd family in London (UK) and watched George grow up. George was (and probably still is) as tough as nails. Don't let his artistic appearance fool you! You really would not want to pick a fight with him.
Nobody cared back in the day, and nobody cares today, except the agitators who are paid to cause strife and division and keep everyone fearful and scared of each other, instead of us all uniting and fighting against the people who are paying those to keep us divided. Oldest trick in the book, Divide & Conquer.
I think Boy George was 21 when this came out beginning of the 80ties. He WAS ahead of his time, coming from a Catholic Irish working class family in England. His dad beating him up when he found out he was gay. It takes unbelievable strengh and balls to come out the way he did at this young age, singing like an soulful angel, dressing like he did, becoming world famous at the age os 22.Making it all look fun and easy. He is a hero and we , part of the LGTB...community or NOT should thank him for his achievements for mankind, he is a true pioneer . Amen.
Boy George is a true blue Brit. I don't care what is his sexual preference.What matters for me is the happiness he brought in the world with his immense musical talent. He's one of the reasons why I considered the Brits as the best singers in the world. Boy George, Freddie Mercury, George Michael and Elton John are all Brits. They have one thing in common. All of them sing really well.
@@santacruz7455 he's a judge on the VOICE australia, he's a charachter for sure, great personality. A girl did a version of this song on the show and it took him at least 30seconds to realize what the song was, the look on his face was hilarious. it's actually an awesome version and he turns and gets up and sings with her after she finishes
This was on regular rotation on MTV. At least once or twice a day they would play the video. About as often as Prince "When Doves Cry" or "Little Red Corvette" videos & Duran Duran videos.Boy George wrote most of the band's lyrics, and many of his words were inspired by his relationship with the group's drummer, Jon Moss.
I've been looking it up since our boy questioned it. It seems to be just like you said. It's not directly linked to a source but many sites have George as saying "The red is for the blood of all living things in the world. The goold is for all the treasures in the world that people cherish. The green is for the earth that people walk on." Which sounds very rastafarian to me.
The red is for the blood of all living things in the world. The gold is for all of the treasures in the world that people cherish. The green is for the earth that people walk on. George was looking for acceptance and equality, in his personal and professional life
What is the meaning behind 'Karma Chameleon'? Boy George once explained about the song: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing. "It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back." Boy George wrote most of the band's lyrics, and many of his words were inspired by his relationship with the group's drummer, Jon Moss. Their difficult romantic/professional relationship was also the inspiration for the line: "You're my lover, not my rival" in 'Karma Chameleon'. The relationship was hidden to the public, so it became an outlet for Boy George to communicate with him through their songs.
@@SB06184 that’s kind of what the article was saying . That their communication was so poor they ultimately did it through music lyrics . Which is actually a beautiful thing . Probably painful too
Boy George - a very likeable singer and interesting person. Everyone in my family, from my parents to their grandchildren, loved this song and didn't mind the ambiguity of his dress.
If ANYONE who is revisiting the 80's generation of excess?? RESPECT needs to be given. Boy George in the group Culture Club was a beloved standard in which you compared others by!! Seriously. I believe, in my world of 80's and earlier 90's not one person did I see NOT GET UP TO DANCE when they heard any of this groups songs! The definitions you are looking and giving your subscribers, it seems they are 'present day' def's not 50 years ago. ALL MUSIC WAS POP. FROM R&B, SOUL, HIP HOP RAP, ROCK, ENGLISH INVASION, ELECTRONIC, NEW WAVE ABD YES COUNTRY, ETC.. ALL MUSIC WAS TRYING TO BE ON THE POP (POPULAR) CHARTS TOP 100 AND ESPECIALLY "CASEY CASEM AND RICK DEES AND THE WEEKLY TOP 40" NO MATTER WHAT GENRE, SLL THE POPULAR HITS WERE ON THIS LIST. CALLED THEM CROSSIVER HITS. ALL MUSIC WAS LISTENED TO ONE ONE STATION, MOSTLY! Anyway that's when music brought together different people!! Not separated like today!!
I can completely back that statement. My mother was a straight laced, old school country person and even she loved this song and Boy George. His smile is infectious. Who could not love him?
Yep both parents Daddy now 86 and Mama 80…. Know this song and exactly who Boy George is. When this came out in Junior high I loved Culture Club…bought the cassettes..knew all the words. Victims is one of my favorites. His voice is special. He was/ is completely comfy in his skin and I respect that.
Groups like culture club, blondie and david bowie were huge supporters of black music and artists and constantly championed the increase in black music and culture into the mainstream music scene.
This song was about his boyfriend (this guy 4:38) It was his frustration with the relationship. Dude, alot of videos in the 80's had NOTHING to do with the song. It was just an avenue to get the song on the air. Id didn't have to make sense. Red, God and green are bright colors and his dreams were bright.
Yeah this is why the 80s had the best videos. It was mostly about creativity whether it connected directly to the song or not. Many directors were thinking out the box. I just think those colors mean you keep changing. I can't find any reason why the song would specifically mention Rastafarian colors or whatever.
Boy George, lead of Culture Club, stated that it's the people's fear of alienation and standing up for what they believe in. Later he admitted he was having a secret affair with the drummer, Moss, so...."chameleon" you come & go...one minute there...next not
In the UK in the 80s it was mad, Adam and the Ants, Boy George, Pete Burns ...all great singers. Then in the mid 80s came the true romantics like Spandau Ballet and Durran Durran. UK music rocked in the 80s ❤
Boy George (lead singer) was an immediate hit and Culture Club had the hits in the eighties. They are a British group and were part of the eighties "New Wave" era that included many British act like Duran Duran, The Eurythmics, Human League, Spandau Ballet, and many more! This was the MTV generation and we loved all the videos and characters! Androgyny was a big thing at this time too, guys wore make-up and frilly shirts (Adam Ant, Prince, Duran2, etc) and women sometimes wore suits and manly haircuts (Annie Lennox, Grace Jones, etc). Females loved Boy George but we weren't surprised when we learned he loved boys too! We still love him!! 💖💖
When this video came out. Parents lost their minds. Is that a boy or a girl. It's a boy??? What? Turn that off. Then you add Prince to the mix with eyeshadow. Ah! The good old days when Dad controlled the one television in the house that had cable. But he couldn't control my turntable or cassette deck. I preferred my 45's on repeat with the door closed.
@@vodriscoll My mother liked Boy George, too. I was an only child and my music/reading choices were never censored by my parents. Mom and I loved the movie "Electric Dreams" which featured a lot of Culture Club's music on the soundtrack. Virtually no one has heard of this weird 1980s sci-fi/rom-com film! It has some great music.
You didn't grow up in a Black Christian household with parents who only listened to church music and were from the Depression/Greatest Generation (WW II Vet). That was a different kind up upbringing with people old enough to be your grandparents.
Whaaaaaat WHAT!! Short story. Jr year of high school 97, I was getting ready in the morning and had the radio on, I was a big music fan, especially 80s tunes. Knew this song inside and out. Well, on the alternative station I was listening to they were giving away tickets to see Lennox Lewis fight at Mohegan Sun. The prize went to anyone who could actually sing the words to the first verse of this song and not just Karma Chameleon. Needless to say after a few callers failed I called and ripped that verse like a fart in wet jeans! Fun night at the Boxing event too.
Boy George (singer) was having a relationship with the bands drummer Jon Moss, and their difficult lover-professional relationship was the inspiration for the line, "You're my lover, not my rival" in "Karma Chameleon." The relationship was hidden to the public and Jon never admitted it during the '80s, so in a way Boy George was communicating with him through their songs.
Rastafarianism had a big following in the UK in the 80s and a lot of Rastas believed that Karma is a force of nature that affects everyone. Boy George was pretty well read up on Rastafarian culture and elements of it were incorporated into the band and influenced his writing. The songs about living honestly rather than suffering the consequences of a life of dishonesty.
He is Boy George They are from England Yes he’s LGBTQ 🏳️🌈 He was very ahead of his time in dressing style His voice is incredibly unique, their music is pop gold I do give you props for going way out of your comfort zone and giving CClub a reaction. Happy Father’s Day to you
He and the drummer were an item for a while. That's also when the band split - when they did. Band reunited for a few years but split again. George has been solo since
He's just a flamboyant gay guy, that has always identified himself as he. Nothing to do with LGBTQ, which wasn't even a thing back then. Nice try though, the riding coattails community, per usual.
The Red, Green and Gold mean in the faith of RasTafari? Red - signifies the blood of those killed for the cause of the African community, throughout history Gold - signifies the vast wealth and riches which belong to the African continent. Green - signifies the lushness and hope of the Earth namely that of the Promised Land of Ethiopia.
Boy George had a seat on the Voice. A girl was singing this song in a sole full blues. Funny as hell when Boy George sitting listening thinking I have heard this before. The crowd laughed when he gave the look ( oh that's my song. Love your channel.
Boy George... Front (gay) man of Culture Club 😊 Lately, he's been a judge on the Voice Australia. When he appeared on Top of the Pops (uk) mammy, in her Irish accent says, 'I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but sings lovely 😉😊
I toke 2 years of dance when I was in jr high school while in school I learned to dance like boy George and Prince and Madonna. I love to dance when I was younger
Oh man, such a great song, the nostalgia is real! The videos from the 80's are wild, fun and sometimes nonsensical, just the way I like it! I thought this video was so much fun and well done, it just makes me feel good, i never tire of it.
Please take a look at Culture Club's song called Victims. Boy George has a beautiful voice and it's shown at its best in Victims. Also, if you going down this rabbit hole, check out a song called Tainted Love by a duo called Soft Cell. ❤ By the way.....George is no catcher. He is a 6 foot 4 inch tough boy from London, UK. He was a boxer in his youth and literally fought with his knuckles for his rights. His brother was a boxing champion. How do I know? My friend was his mother's neighbour and he watched George grow up.
😂😂😂 love boy george!!! My first ever artistic solo on the ice i skated as him to this very song lol❤ Im sooooo loving the much musoc mtv vibes you've been bringing ❤
Boy George was the embodiment of Androgyny, a social movement in Western culture I would trace to David Bowie, though Little Richard wore makeup, too. No, we didn't invent it in modern times, but it was underground and forbidden. In the 70s and 80s it was out and proud. We wanted to get rid of strict sex roles, and did for a time, but this generation is so strictly bound by archaic, patriarchal sex roles they enforce them with surgery & hormones. Red, Gold & Green are Mardi Gras colors - the setting is old time New Orleans. The point is it doesn't matter if he's gay or straight, he can dress as he chooses, sleep with whomever consents & it doesn't matter the form of genitalia, you come as you are and work with what you've got. He is from the UK & became locally famous for his persona before he was in a band.
Culture Club enjoyed a good long ride on the charts with its string of pop songs that fared well on radio and MTV. But their first big hit "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" was the most iconic and innovative in their catalog.
Boy George said, in an interview early in their career, when asked if he was Gay? He said, " He was Bi." If he wanted sex he had to buy it. $$$ That confused the interviewer, and people stopped asking! 🌈 🏳️🌈 it was the 80s !
This is why I love your reaction videos so much ! Your genuine curiosity and discussion re the lyrics and the video . Thanks for sharing! Boy George is a very talented artist and this song still brings back awesome memories !
When I was an eighth grade girl if you put Boy George up against Corey Hart or Corey Haim 75% of the girls would have chosen Boy George as the hottest guy 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 We knew he was dating his bandmate but we didn't care. Fun fact, Jon, his bandmate/partner ended up marrying one of the girls from Bananarama and they're still together today.
Boy George(singer) once explained about the song: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing. "It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back."
My dad loved this song, the video was filmed on the Norfolk Broads and we used to holiday alot there on one of the boats and the 'paddle steamer' is still there my dad always used to point it out
You say ahead of his time but we all dressed like that in the 80s. The thing I have noticed most today is that everyone wants to look the same, teenage girls are clones - in the 80s we all wanted to look different
There was a club night put together by Steve Strange and Rusty Egan. They called the club night the Blitz. Boy George was a regular, or what they called the Blitz Kids. I believe he worked the coat check a few times. A side story from that scene, David Bowie really loved the way some of the Blitz Kids dressed and asked Steve Strange to pick some of the Blitz Kids to be in a video. That video is Ashes to Ashes. The people walking in front of the bulldozer in the video are Steve Strange and 2 other kids from the club. That is their outfits that they wore to the club. Steve Strange had a musical act called Visage. Their big hit was Fade to Gray.
I remember this song. One of my favorites. ❤ A lot of people didn't notice at the time that a guy was stealing stuff from folks in the video. Karma was the guy being tossed in the water.
You have to get a smile on your face when listening or watching his videos! He was so talented and fun. Before videos were everywhere we just listened to the music and enjoyed it. Meant nothing to me when I first saw him and saw how wild he was. That is why life is never boring with so many different people on this planet. Walk the plank in a river! That is funny, hope there is a gator or two there!!
Boy George was Epicly big in 1980s. I was just a teenager , and this music , Flamboyant look , make up on men was all new and the rage . So many were dressing up like this in many pop groups . It was Wild and fun and Sureal . The discos , of this time were amazing , Spinning glitter balls, probe lights, silver Stairs going up different levels of floors. And people dress whoever they want to be , Punk , like boy george , madonna , Adam ant , visage , ect . Miss those best days ever . Simple sweet times to , in way of Society . ❤❤😊 🎆
You are going DEEEEEEEEP for the under culture of the 80's. Fun, playful music. It takes me back. I heard it in my formative years because of MTV. But was not on the play list. :)
Boy George was a favourite of mine whilst I was at Art college - another recommendation you must check out - Kid Creole and the Coconuts who I saw in Dusseldorf Germany in 1982 (my husband was British Forces we lived there) Kid Creole is still performing! Fantastic.
Another good one! I saw Culture Club in Atlanta when I was 15. The crazy audience was as fun to watch as the band. For what it is worth....my mom loved this band and paid for me to see the show behind my dad's back, lol.
Boy George, is the 80s he was one of the biggest artist at that time I remember the girls in my class just loving him, but I think they knew he was gay brings back memories
There's a mixed race gay couple in the video if you watch carefully. The connection is made between people having to hide their mixed race love, and people having to hide their same sex love. So in 1800s Mississippi, there is a contrast being drawn between black and white vs red gold and green, between being black and free vs being in southern US and not so free, between a lived reality and the dream of things that shouldn't matter but can't be avoided. And also in the video, about who can be trusted and who is a threat to you.
My daughter was born in 1981 and was only very small but she loved it and called it cama cama as she was too small to speak the words properly 😊 had it on repeat on a cassette tape 😀 rewind ++
You got the right vibe. His ĺover was in the band. The man in the tan suit claping his hands and singing along. Red, Gold and Green is the colors of his lovers national flag.
Love me some Boy George! My great grandson started singing along with this in a store one day and it blew my mind that he knew this song! Freaked his Mama out too! LOL LOL LOL We never really cared what it meant, just was a catchy tune!!! They are colours adopted by Rastafarian ideology. Red for blood shed, gold for wealth of Africa and green for 'the Promised Land' - Ethiopia.
I always thought Red, Gold and Green were like a stop light. Loving would be easy if knew when to Stop (red), have Caution (gold), or go ahead (green). Always loved this song.
9:13 "He was ahead of his time"... mmmmhhh... No, young people today is backwards. We developed this kind of freedom from the 70's, through the 80' and the peak was the 90's. We could be whatever we wanted and were against lables. Today everythig is about labels.
When this video first played I thought it was an homage to the movie and musical "Showboat" a 1951 movie and a 1927 musical. A lot of the images resemble scenes from the movie, an over the top technicolor MGM musical of the era.
I remember as a child being confused by his and Pete Burns from Dead Or Alive appearances but didnt really care because I loved the music. And then I turned out to be a lesbian 😄
His real name is George O'Dowd, and he's British. I loved his music when I was a teenager in the 80s. One of my favorite songs from Culture Club is It's a miracle.
Boy George has lately been a judge of The Voice Australia. He still wears makeup and bright flamboyant clothing, including hats. Under all that makeup, he hides his age well.
The video is set in Mississippi in 1870, and shows a large multiracial group of people in late 1800s outfits, including some dressed in red, gold, and green (as referenced in the song's lyrics).
I have a friend who had a cat named Smokey! Smokey loved this song! She came home from work, and Smokey kept hitting the switch to play this song! He absolutely loved this song!!!!🐱😉😉😉😆😆😆🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
I looked it up, BP. According to my research, the red, gold, and green represent the changing colors of a chameleon the same way a person can appear to be one person on the outside - another on the inside. (The well-dressed guy in the video actually being a thief???) Correct me, everybody, if I'm wrong...
I had a crush on Boy George back in the 80’s. I didn’t care he was gay. I still love him, he has a spot in my heart. He’s an amazing singer and beautiful human being. I had all their records: so many great songs. Culture Club is the name of the band, the singer is Boy George and they are British. George wrote all the songs and in this video is about 21 years old. The song that catapulted them to the top was Do you really want to hurt me. Goerge voice is so amazing and soulful. Love you always George!! ❤
I had never thought about the significance of the colors until you mentioned it. I looked at the Lyrics Genius site and according to that, the colors red, gold, and green were associated with the LGBT movement prior to the creation/adoption of the rainbow flag. There are a lot of other alternate explanations in the comments, and I don't know how authoritative Lyrics Genius is, but that's the site I usually check when I'm prompted by curiosity to check out the meaning behind a song. This was always just a fun party dance song back in the 80s when I was in high school and college.
NO. Some person made that up for that site, knowing nothing of LGBT history. Typical internet thing of someone asserting something they know nothing about as fact, and it getting repeated without it being researched.
It has been years since I heard Pitcher and catcher used in such a matter as you did lol . Love it. His Name is Boy George. He is from the UK. He is of the alternative life style.
The colours red, gold and green are often found on many African flags,they represent the struggle (Red-blood- the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry, and shed for liberation....Green-The natural beauty of Africa) of people who were fighting for equality, which ties in with the whole meaning of Karma
This claim began circulating in 2012 but no one can find any evidence for these colours being used by gay folks in this way before then at all. The rainbow flag began to be used in 1978 and the pink triangle was used before that which also makes that claim pretty dubious. The band played with elements of reggae like many other UK 80s bands did at the time so a lot of folks point to this as a source for the colour reference. Others say it's a reference to traffic lights and how being changeable like a chameleon rather than constant will affect you Karmically.
@@shanegooding4839 I actually remember Boy George saying it on MTV back then. Id also simply point to the lyrics, "Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams". In the song he is changing to be what people want, while dreaming what he actually wants. Hes saying he wishes you were his orientation. Hes not saying hes dreaming about African people. Thats just silly.
That is not true. I'm part of the LGBTQ community and was very active as a guy in my 20's when this song came out. Those colors have no meaning whatsoever in gay culture at all. Boy George has confirmed many times what he meant by the colors, as many have explained here.
@@lamusiclover2264 Your claim is nonsense on its face. Boy George is not saying he is dreaming of Africans. Thats just silly (and bigoted) and I challenge you to provide literally any quote of his saying such a thing. If he has "confirmed this many times", it should be super easy for you.
Boy George is a 6' 4" ex-boxer who literally fought his way through school and his young life to be able to become the artist and man he wanted to be. His brother Gerry O'Dowd was a pro-boxer. Their father was a boxer. How do I know this? My friend of 30 years lived in the next house to the O'Dowd family in London (UK) and watched George grow up. George was (and probably still is) as tough as nails. Don't let his artistic appearance fool you! You really would not want to pick a fight with him.
@@snowysnowyriver did no know that
Aye don't pick a fight with him, he might tie you to a radiator and beat you with a chain.
6' not 6'4" but other than that yes, and one of the coolest people to meet , like most people just don't get on his wrong side.
When you smoke GREEN, your hands get YELLOW and your eyes get RED 😶🌫️
boy George is 6 foot even. Not 6’4” LOL 😂
Oh honey there has never been any question of Boy George’s preferences
Ha, ha, ha. ROFLMAO
LOL
Actually when he came out I didn't know at all! I was like 6 but still!
I was in high school when Culture Club debuted. Nobody was confused.😂
Haha not ever!
Those colors are the colors that a chameleon changes to in relation to its surroundings.
Back in the day nobody cared! We just enjoyed the song
Hmm, he is entitled to his own opinion. I myself didn't care because I wasn't religious at the time and was never hit on in my life from a man.
I don't know where you were back in the day but just about everybody in the mid-west U.S. cared a great deal and it wasn't good.
@@abdab7 high school I mean the song itself.
Nobody cared back in the day, and nobody cares today, except the agitators who are paid to cause strife and division and keep everyone fearful and scared of each other, instead of us all uniting and fighting against the people who are paying those to keep us divided. Oldest trick in the book, Divide & Conquer.
i still don't care. it's a catchy tune.
I think Boy George was 21 when this came out beginning of the 80ties. He WAS ahead of his time, coming from a Catholic Irish working class family in England. His dad beating him up when he found out he was gay. It takes unbelievable strengh and balls to come out the way he did at this young age, singing like an soulful angel, dressing like he did, becoming world famous at the age os 22.Making it all look fun and easy. He is a hero and we , part of the LGTB...community or NOT should thank him for his achievements for mankind, he is a true pioneer . Amen.
Boy George is a true blue Brit. I don't care what is his sexual preference.What matters for me is the happiness he brought in the world with his immense musical talent. He's one of the reasons why I considered the Brits as the best singers in the world. Boy George, Freddie Mercury, George Michael and Elton John are all Brits. They have one thing in common. All of them sing really well.
This was the early 80s, and he was out, loud, and proud, and we embraced him.
I always liked Boy George. Surprised he is still alive. He beat his addiction. He still has a golden voice.
He is nothing less but a hero and pioneer.
@@santacruz7455 he's a judge on the VOICE australia, he's a charachter for sure, great personality. A girl did a version of this song on the show and it took him at least 30seconds to realize what the song was, the look on his face was hilarious. it's actually an awesome version and he turns and gets up and sings with her after she finishes
This was on regular rotation on MTV. At least once or twice a day they would play the video. About as often as Prince "When Doves Cry" or "Little Red Corvette" videos & Duran Duran videos.Boy George wrote most of the band's lyrics, and many of his words were inspired by his relationship with the group's drummer, Jon Moss.
Red, gold, and green are the colors of the Rastafarian flag.
I've been looking it up since our boy questioned it. It seems to be just like you said. It's not directly linked to a source but many sites have George as saying "The red is for the blood of all living things in the world. The goold is for all the treasures in the world that people cherish. The green is for the earth that people walk on." Which sounds very rastafarian to me.
And the Rude Boys/ Teddy movement that kinda evolved into ska
Always thought it was cream not green😂
The red is for the blood of all living things in the world. The gold is for all of the treasures in the world that people cherish. The green is for the earth that people walk on. George was looking for acceptance and equality, in his personal and professional life
What is the meaning behind 'Karma Chameleon'?
Boy George once explained about the song: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing.
"It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back."
Boy George wrote most of the band's lyrics, and many of his words were inspired by his relationship with the group's drummer, Jon Moss.
Their difficult romantic/professional relationship was also the inspiration for the line: "You're my lover, not my rival" in 'Karma Chameleon'.
The relationship was hidden to the public, so it became an outlet for Boy George to communicate with him through their songs.
John the drummer in an interview stated that the song was about the relationship between him and George.
Nice breakdown :)
@@SB06184 awww
@@SB06184 that’s kind of what the article was saying . That their communication was so poor they ultimately did it through music lyrics . Which is actually a beautiful thing . Probably painful too
Maybe it was just me but when I saw them live back in the day, it wasn’t that hidden. I left that night knowing about them for sure.
His song Church of the Poison Mind is another great song!
I as fortunate enough to meet George Alan O'Dowd (Boy George) quite a few years ago. He was absolutely charming and quite funny. He is from England.
Boy George - a very likeable singer and interesting person. Everyone in my family, from my parents to their grandchildren, loved this song and didn't mind the ambiguity of his dress.
If ANYONE who is revisiting the 80's generation of excess?? RESPECT needs to be given. Boy George in the group Culture Club was a beloved standard in which you compared others by!! Seriously. I believe, in my world of 80's and earlier 90's not one person did I see NOT GET UP TO DANCE when they heard any of this groups songs! The definitions you are looking and giving your subscribers, it seems they are 'present day' def's not 50 years ago. ALL MUSIC WAS POP. FROM R&B, SOUL, HIP HOP RAP, ROCK, ENGLISH INVASION, ELECTRONIC, NEW WAVE ABD YES COUNTRY, ETC.. ALL MUSIC WAS TRYING TO BE ON THE POP (POPULAR) CHARTS TOP 100 AND ESPECIALLY "CASEY CASEM AND RICK DEES AND THE WEEKLY TOP 40" NO MATTER WHAT GENRE, SLL THE POPULAR HITS WERE ON THIS LIST. CALLED THEM CROSSIVER HITS. ALL MUSIC WAS LISTENED TO ONE ONE STATION, MOSTLY! Anyway that's when music brought together different people!! Not separated like today!!
I can completely back that statement. My mother was a straight laced, old school country person and even she loved this song and Boy George. His smile is infectious. Who could not love him?
Yep both parents Daddy now 86 and Mama 80…. Know this song and exactly who Boy George is. When this came out in Junior high I loved Culture Club…bought the cassettes..knew all the words. Victims is one of my favorites. His voice is special. He was/ is completely comfy in his skin and I respect that.
My girls loved it too. He is one celebrity I wish I knew personally. He is very interesting and smart
Groups like culture club, blondie and david bowie were huge supporters of black music and artists and constantly championed the increase in black music and culture into the mainstream music scene.
This song was about his boyfriend (this guy 4:38) It was his frustration with the relationship. Dude, alot of videos in the 80's had NOTHING to do with the song. It was just an avenue to get the song on the air. Id didn't have to make sense. Red, God and green are bright colors and his dreams were bright.
The 80s was a decade of weird a$$ videos
@paindilla1834 but we loved them and then they started getting premieres. That was so much fun to wait for them
That’s how I took it. Bright colors.
Yeah this is why the 80s had the best videos. It was mostly about creativity whether it connected directly to the song or not. Many directors were thinking out the box. I just think those colors mean you keep changing. I can't find any reason why the song would specifically mention Rastafarian colors or whatever.
Boy George, lead of Culture Club, stated that it's the people's fear of alienation and standing up for what they believe in.
Later he admitted he was having a secret affair with the drummer, Moss, so...."chameleon" you come & go...one minute there...next not
Boy George was and still is a captivating entertainer.
In the UK in the 80s it was mad, Adam and the Ants, Boy George, Pete Burns ...all great singers. Then in the mid 80s came the true romantics like Spandau Ballet and Durran Durran. UK music rocked in the 80s ❤
"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" is even better
You are in an 80's rabbit hole and I love it!!!
Boy George (lead singer) was an immediate hit and Culture Club had the hits in the eighties. They are a British group and were part of the eighties "New Wave" era that included many British act like Duran Duran, The Eurythmics, Human League, Spandau Ballet, and many more! This was the MTV generation and we loved all the videos and characters! Androgyny was a big thing at this time too, guys wore make-up and frilly shirts (Adam Ant, Prince, Duran2, etc) and women sometimes wore suits and manly haircuts (Annie Lennox, Grace Jones, etc). Females loved Boy George but we weren't surprised when we learned he loved boys too! We still love him!! 💖💖
Check out 80's group *Japan* , early Duran was influenced by them.
The Mississippi River in this video was actually filmed near Desborough Island near Weybridge, Surrey UK..
I never knew that! That’s just up the road from me
So basically the River Thames just before it flows through London. Didn't know this but it makes sense thinking about it.
Bet it wasn't Mississippi weather either 😀
I remember George in an interview saying it was freezing.. pity the actor they threw in the river 😂😂
Didn't know that! That's really funny. Where did they get the river boat?
When this video came out. Parents lost their minds. Is that a boy or a girl. It's a boy??? What? Turn that off. Then you add Prince to the mix with eyeshadow. Ah! The good old days when Dad controlled the one television in the house that had cable. But he couldn't control my turntable or cassette deck. I preferred my 45's on repeat with the door closed.
I don't remember my parents losing their minds. Because they didn't.
However, remember that Bowie and 70s glam rock were a huge influence on Boy George and Prince!
@@Michelles222 Mine either. My mother like Boy George. My dad never paid attention to music.
@@vodriscoll My mother liked Boy George, too. I was an only child and my music/reading choices were never censored by my parents. Mom and I loved the movie "Electric Dreams" which featured a lot of Culture Club's music on the soundtrack. Virtually no one has heard of this weird 1980s sci-fi/rom-com film! It has some great music.
You didn't grow up in a Black Christian household with parents who only listened to church music and were from the Depression/Greatest Generation (WW II Vet). That was a different kind up upbringing with people old enough to be your grandparents.
Boy George has a gorgeous voice. Check out the video for Victims. He is from the U.K.
Whaaaaaat WHAT!!
Short story. Jr year of high school 97, I was getting ready in the morning and had the radio on, I was a big music fan, especially 80s tunes. Knew this song inside and out. Well, on the alternative station I was listening to they were giving away tickets to see Lennox Lewis fight at Mohegan Sun. The prize went to anyone who could actually sing the words to the first verse of this song and not just Karma Chameleon.
Needless to say after a few callers failed I called and ripped that verse like a fart in wet jeans! Fun night at the Boxing event too.
Love this: Needless to say after a few callers failed I called and ripped that verse like a fart in wet jeans! Fun night at the Boxing event too."🤣😂
The UK charts in the 80s, makes a mockery of todays DEI . 😂
I couldn't agree more!
Today's DEI makes a mockery of actual real-life DEI.
100%
Boy George (singer) was having a relationship with the bands drummer Jon Moss, and their difficult lover-professional relationship was the inspiration for the line, "You're my lover, not my rival" in "Karma Chameleon." The relationship was hidden to the public and Jon never admitted it during the '80s, so in a way Boy George was communicating with him through their songs.
Rastafarianism had a big following in the UK in the 80s and a lot of Rastas believed that Karma is a force of nature that affects everyone. Boy George was pretty well read up on Rastafarian culture and elements of it were incorporated into the band and influenced his writing. The songs about living honestly rather than suffering the consequences of a life of dishonesty.
First time my mom saw this she " what the heck" by the end of the song she was humming along...She loved Boy George's voice and like his music...
I’ll always think of the wedding singer when I see him.
🎶 give me tiiiiiiime to realize my crime. Do you really want to hurt me? 🎵
🤣🤣
😂😂😂 me too
I love the crowd heckler in that movie “ YOU SUUUUUUCK!!!” Hahahaha😂
@@Emilie-one lmao yup! Then you have drunk best man Steve buscemi go “oooh I like her” 😂
yes .alexis arquette(rip)was the guy who dressed like boy and sung it his bro and sisters are also actors.david,roseana and patricia
He is Boy George
They are from England
Yes he’s LGBTQ 🏳️🌈
He was very ahead of his time in dressing style
His voice is incredibly unique, their music is pop gold
I do give you props for going way out of your comfort zone and giving CClub a reaction.
Happy Father’s Day to you
Boy George identifies as a "he".
He identifies as he.
He and the drummer were an item for a while. That's also when the band split - when they did. Band reunited for a few years but split again. George has been solo since
He's just a flamboyant gay guy, that has always identified himself as he. Nothing to do with LGBTQ, which wasn't even a thing back then. Nice try though, the riding coattails community, per usual.
Yes! I have always loved Boy George. Thank you for this reaction.
being a child of the 80's and a true and dedicated metal head...Dude has a gorgeous voice. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Maturity is realizing you don't have to like just ONE kind of music.
The Red, Green and Gold mean in the faith of RasTafari?
Red - signifies the blood of those killed for the cause of the African community, throughout history
Gold - signifies the vast wealth and riches which belong to the African continent.
Green - signifies the lushness and hope of the Earth namely that of the Promised Land of Ethiopia.
luv him to this day, saw the band twice in the 80's and we dressed just like him. Following him today online and he is still performing all over
Boy George is also a judge now for the Voice in England. He's awesome!
I remember he replaced Sir Tom Jones for a year about 7 years ago I thought he was a judge on the Australian one.
Has judged it in Aust too. And does a great job
"you're my lover, not my rival" seems directly related to Jon Moss - gorgeous drummer.
Boy George had a seat on the Voice. A girl was singing this song in a sole full blues. Funny as hell when Boy George sitting listening thinking I have heard this before. The crowd laughed when he gave the look ( oh that's my song. Love your channel.
Funny story my Dad loved this song. He thought a woman sang it AND when he saw this video we still laugh about his reaction. Priceless!!!
Boy George... Front (gay) man of Culture Club 😊
Lately, he's been a judge on the Voice Australia.
When he appeared on Top of the Pops (uk) mammy, in her Irish accent says, 'I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but sings lovely 😉😊
I toke 2 years of dance when I was in jr high school while in school I learned to dance like boy George and Prince and Madonna. I love to dance when I was younger
Oh man, such a great song, the nostalgia is real! The videos from the 80's are wild, fun and sometimes nonsensical, just the way I like it! I thought this video was so much fun and well done, it just makes me feel good, i never tire of it.
Please take a look at Culture Club's song called Victims. Boy George has a beautiful voice and it's shown at its best in Victims. Also, if you going down this rabbit hole, check out a song called Tainted Love by a duo called Soft Cell. ❤
By the way.....George is no catcher. He is a 6 foot 4 inch tough boy from London, UK. He was a boxer in his youth and literally fought with his knuckles for his rights. His brother was a boxing champion. How do I know? My friend was his mother's neighbour and he watched George grow up.
Wow I didn't realize he was so tall. But yeah, just cause you're gay doesn't mean you're a bottom.
@@TheDopekitty. Absolutely!
Saw him last summer in concert and still rocking.
Boy George's song/video "LIFE" is a must to react to. It really shows how beautiful his voice is.
Boy George is from the UK. Cool reaction, thank you! 😊
😂😂😂 love boy george!!! My first ever artistic solo on the ice i skated as him to this very song lol❤
Im sooooo loving the much musoc mtv vibes you've been bringing ❤
Boy George was the embodiment of Androgyny, a social movement in Western culture I would trace to David Bowie, though Little Richard wore makeup, too. No, we didn't invent it in modern times, but it was underground and forbidden. In the 70s and 80s it was out and proud. We wanted to get rid of strict sex roles, and did for a time, but this generation is so strictly bound by archaic, patriarchal sex roles they enforce them with surgery & hormones.
Red, Gold & Green are Mardi Gras colors - the setting is old time New Orleans.
The point is it doesn't matter if he's gay or straight, he can dress as he chooses, sleep with whomever consents & it doesn't matter the form of genitalia, you come as you are and work with what you've got. He is from the UK & became locally famous for his persona before he was in a band.
I personally know transgender people and you have NO CLUE of what you're talking about. YOU are the one trying to cling to archaic patriarchy.
Culture Club enjoyed a good long ride on the charts with its string of pop songs that fared well on radio and MTV. But their first big hit "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" was the most iconic and innovative in their catalog.
Adam Sandler The Wedding Singer!! Lol
Boy George said, in an interview early in their career, when asked if he was Gay? He said, " He was Bi." If he wanted sex he had to buy it. $$$ That confused the interviewer, and people stopped asking! 🌈 🏳️🌈 it was the 80s !
Always was a Culture Club/Boy George fan. I'm so happy he got clean and seems to have found peace and is still relevant in the music world today :)
This is why I love your reaction videos so much ! Your genuine curiosity and discussion re the lyrics and the video . Thanks for sharing!
Boy George is a very talented artist and this song still brings back awesome memories !
When I was an eighth grade girl if you put Boy George up against Corey Hart or Corey Haim 75% of the girls would have chosen Boy George as the hottest guy 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 We knew he was dating his bandmate but we didn't care.
Fun fact, Jon, his bandmate/partner ended up marrying one of the girls from Bananarama and they're still together today.
Boy George(singer) once explained about the song: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing.
"It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back."
Yes, a mix of that and a bad relationship.
Great Robert that you are using the Internet live to answer your own questions!❤
My dad loved this song, the video was filmed on the Norfolk Broads and we used to holiday alot there on one of the boats and the 'paddle steamer' is still there my dad always used to point it out
You say ahead of his time but we all dressed like that in the 80s. The thing I have noticed most today is that everyone wants to look the same, teenage girls are clones - in the 80s we all wanted to look different
There was a club night put together by Steve Strange and Rusty Egan. They called the club night the Blitz. Boy George was a regular, or what they called the Blitz Kids. I believe he worked the coat check a few times. A side story from that scene, David Bowie really loved the way some of the Blitz Kids dressed and asked Steve Strange to pick some of the Blitz Kids to be in a video. That video is Ashes to Ashes. The people walking in front of the bulldozer in the video are Steve Strange and 2 other kids from the club. That is their outfits that they wore to the club. Steve Strange had a musical act called Visage. Their big hit was Fade to Gray.
I remember this song. One of my favorites. ❤ A lot of people didn't notice at the time that a guy was stealing stuff from folks in the video. Karma was the guy being tossed in the water.
Ahhh Boy George, They tried so hard to cut him up knock him down. Still goin strong!
Omg I loved Culture Club in the 80s. My dad flipped out when I loved Boy George. He just didn't get it 😂 diffferent times.
You have to get a smile on your face when listening or watching his videos! He was so talented and fun. Before videos were everywhere we just listened to the music and enjoyed it. Meant nothing to me when I first saw him and saw how wild he was. That is why life is never boring with so many different people on this planet. Walk the plank in a river! That is funny, hope there is a gator or two there!!
Well said! From 🇮🇪 Ireland. George has Irish roots. He was very ahead of his time!!!
Not exactly. Little Richard, David Bowie, Sylvester.
Great song of my youth, with a nice Reggae groove.
Boy George is the lead singer of Culture Club and Boy George is from UK
Love his voice and love this song! Loved your reaction too😂 ❤️🔥✌🏻🫶🏻
Boy George was Epicly big in 1980s. I was just a teenager , and this music , Flamboyant look , make up on men was all new and the rage . So many were dressing up like this in many pop groups . It was Wild and fun and Sureal . The discos , of this time were amazing , Spinning glitter balls, probe lights, silver Stairs going up different levels of floors. And people dress whoever they want to be , Punk , like boy george , madonna , Adam ant , visage , ect . Miss those best days ever . Simple sweet times to , in way of Society . ❤❤😊 🎆
You are going DEEEEEEEEP for the under culture of the 80's. Fun, playful music. It takes me back. I heard it in my formative years because of MTV. But was not on the play list. :)
The whole group was Culture Club
Boy George was a favourite of mine whilst I was at Art college - another recommendation you must check out - Kid Creole and the Coconuts who I saw in Dusseldorf Germany in 1982 (my husband was British Forces we lived there) Kid Creole is still performing! Fantastic.
Another good one! I saw Culture Club in Atlanta when I was 15. The crazy audience was as fun to watch as the band. For what it is worth....my mom loved this band and paid for me to see the show behind my dad's back, lol.
i liked listening to you sing along, you have lovely voice too. perhaps you could bring some songs back to life!
Boy George, is the 80s he was one of the biggest artist at that time I remember the girls in my class just loving him, but I think they knew he was gay brings back memories
There's a mixed race gay couple in the video if you watch carefully. The connection is made between people having to hide their mixed race love, and people having to hide their same sex love.
So in 1800s Mississippi, there is a contrast being drawn between black and white vs red gold and green, between being black and free vs being in southern US and not so free, between a lived reality and the dream of things that shouldn't matter but can't be avoided.
And also in the video, about who can be trusted and who is a threat to you.
His work on "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Is incredible, he ought to listen to that! It inspired "We Are The World".
My daughter was born in 1981 and was only very small but she loved it and called it cama cama as she was too small to speak the words properly 😊 had it on repeat on a cassette tape 😀 rewind ++
Red, gold and green are also colours popular at Mardi Gras
You got the right vibe. His ĺover was in the band. The man in the tan suit claping his hands and singing along. Red, Gold and Green is the colors of his lovers national flag.
Red gold and green was used because in the song it's sort of rhymes your colors are like my dreams, and the word dreams sort of rhymes with green
Love me some Boy George! My great grandson started singing along with this in a store one day and it blew my mind that he knew this song! Freaked his Mama out too! LOL LOL LOL We never really cared what it meant, just was a catchy tune!!! They are colours adopted by Rastafarian ideology. Red for blood shed, gold for wealth of Africa and green for 'the Promised Land' - Ethiopia.
I always thought Red, Gold and Green were like a stop light. Loving would be easy if knew when to Stop (red), have Caution (gold), or go ahead (green). Always loved this song.
9:13 "He was ahead of his time"... mmmmhhh... No, young people today is backwards. We developed this kind of freedom from the 70's, through the 80' and the peak was the 90's. We could be whatever we wanted and were against lables.
Today everythig is about labels.
Spot on and well said.
👏👏👏
"We were against labels." BS, LGBT did NOT shun labels. We of the community know our history.
@@treetopjones737 I never belonged to the "community". The rest of the world, outside teenagers (as always), shuned labels.
I still have this on 45!!! Yes, I'm old! Ha!
When this video first played I thought it was an homage to the movie and musical "Showboat" a 1951 movie and a 1927 musical. A lot of the images resemble scenes from the movie, an over the top technicolor MGM musical of the era.
Optimistic time when the idealists smiled.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
I remember as a child being confused by his and Pete Burns from Dead Or Alive appearances but didnt really care because I loved the music. And then I turned out to be a lesbian 😄
His real name is George O'Dowd, and he's British. I loved his music when I was a teenager in the 80s. One of my favorite songs from Culture Club is It's a miracle.
one of my fave songs from the 1980s.
Boy George has lately been a judge of The Voice Australia. He still wears makeup and bright flamboyant clothing, including hats. Under all that makeup, he hides his age well.
He wears hats because he's bald now and doesn't like to show it for some reason.
The video is set in Mississippi in 1870, and shows a large multiracial group of people in late 1800s outfits, including some dressed in red, gold, and green (as referenced in the song's lyrics).
I have a friend who had a cat named Smokey! Smokey loved this song! She came home from work, and Smokey kept hitting the switch to play this song! He absolutely loved this song!!!!🐱😉😉😉😆😆😆🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Men In the 80’s wore makeup. Maybe our parents thought in the avenue of Gay, but most men wore big hair, eyeliner ect . Simpler times!
I looked it up, BP. According to my research, the red, gold, and green represent the changing colors of a chameleon the same way a person can appear to be one person on the outside - another on the inside. (The well-dressed guy in the video actually being a thief???) Correct me, everybody, if I'm wrong...
I had a crush on Boy George back in the 80’s. I didn’t care he was gay. I still love him, he has a spot in my heart. He’s an amazing singer and beautiful human being. I had all their records: so many great songs. Culture Club is the name of the band, the singer is Boy George and they are British. George wrote all the songs and in this video is about 21 years old. The song that catapulted them to the top was Do you really want to hurt me. Goerge voice is so amazing and soulful. Love you always George!! ❤
I had never thought about the significance of the colors until you mentioned it. I looked at the Lyrics Genius site and according to that, the colors red, gold, and green were associated with the LGBT movement prior to the creation/adoption of the rainbow flag. There are a lot of other alternate explanations in the comments, and I don't know how authoritative Lyrics Genius is, but that's the site I usually check when I'm prompted by curiosity to check out the meaning behind a song. This was always just a fun party dance song back in the 80s when I was in high school and college.
NO. Some person made that up for that site, knowing nothing of LGBT history. Typical internet thing of someone asserting something they know nothing about as fact, and it getting repeated without it being researched.
This was a hit 40 years ago, Boy George was excellent. He is still performing somewhere and has SO still absolutely got IT.
It has been years since I heard Pitcher and catcher used in such a matter as you did lol . Love it. His Name is Boy George. He is from the UK. He is of the alternative life style.
It sounds like you and Pegasus are both like minded in your way of thinking. I don't think you need to explain anything to him.
The colours red, gold and green are often found on many African flags,they represent the struggle (Red-blood- the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry, and shed for liberation....Green-The natural beauty of Africa) of people who were fighting for equality, which ties in with the whole meaning of Karma
Red, Gold & Green were also the colors used in gay subculture in the 80s. It is the precursor to the rainbow colors.
This claim began circulating in 2012 but no one can find any evidence for these colours being used by gay folks in this way before then at all. The rainbow flag began to be used in 1978 and the pink triangle was used before that which also makes that claim pretty dubious. The band played with elements of reggae like many other UK 80s bands did at the time so a lot of folks point to this as a source for the colour reference. Others say it's a reference to traffic lights and how being changeable like a chameleon rather than constant will affect you Karmically.
@@shanegooding4839 I actually remember Boy George saying it on MTV back then. Id also simply point to the lyrics, "Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams". In the song he is changing to be what people want, while dreaming what he actually wants. Hes saying he wishes you were his orientation. Hes not saying hes dreaming about African people. Thats just silly.
That is not true. I'm part of the LGBTQ community and was very active as a guy in my 20's when this song came out. Those colors have no meaning whatsoever in gay culture at all. Boy George has confirmed many times what he meant by the colors, as many have explained here.
@@lamusiclover2264 Your claim is nonsense on its face. Boy George is not saying he is dreaming of Africans. Thats just silly (and bigoted) and I challenge you to provide literally any quote of his saying such a thing. If he has "confirmed this many times", it should be super easy for you.
@@cadleo I think you're responding to the wrong person I never said any such thing