hell yeah. “Friday” was one of the most viral things I’ve ever seen – the first Friday it was blowing up I remember watching it in several different high school classes. I’m happy RB seems content and well-adjusted now, people were real assholes to her.

“she is 1) privileged 2) comes from a wealthy background that has enabled her to succeed and have a career that continues to financially benefit even during the pandemic and not touring”

You just described at least 90% of the up-and-coming artists in music in the past decade and change. The industry’s financial model, at least pre-pandemic, pretty much guaranteed that you had to have some kind of monetary privilege in order to take the kind of losses required to consistently tour and establish yourself, unless you happened into the TikTok lottery a la someone like Lil Nas X. It sucks and it’s gross, but Phoebe Bridgers is far, far from the only person to benefit from it, and if people are directing particular ire at her over it, that’s absurd.

While the Bill Withers original hit #1 R&B, the Club Nouveau was kept at #2 by today’s #1 Hot Black Single. I might have heard their version more often than the original, but either way, both versions number in the hundreds of listens. While Timex Social Club had a R&B #1, Club Nouveau never did, having two #2s. Instead of 2 weeks of Club Nouveau, Jody Watley topped the R&B chart for 3 weeks with “Looking for a New Love”. It was a huge hit, eventually hitting #2 on the Hot 100, if my counting is right, behind Monday after next’s #1, and #1 Dance for two weeks in April after which it was replaced by today’s Club Nouveau #1. It was also RPM #1 in Canada. Watley remixed and rereleased the song in 2005. It also hit #1 dance!

Jody Watley first entered the spotlight at 14, showing up on Soul Train. In 1977, Ebony said 18 year old Jody was one of the most popular dancers on the show. The same year she was tagged as an early member of Shalamar. Shalamar was a Don Cornelius and Dick Griffey vehicle, their first hit, 1977’s Uptown Festival (#2 Dance, #10 R&B, #25 pop), was Gary Mumford and session musicians. After that success, Cornelius added Jody and another popular Soul Train dancer, Jeff Daniel. They had a Dance and R&B #1 in 79 with Second Time Around (#8 pop). Watley left Shalamar in 83 after the 7th album and moved to the UK. There she guested on a few reggae tracks and released a few singles as “Jody”. She also took part in a little song called “Do They Know It’s Christmas”.

In 86, she moved back to the US and got a contract with MCA. Her first album under that contract was just called Jody Watley. It hit #1 R&B album and #10 on the Hot 200. It’s first single was “Looking for Love”. It’s a great example of late 80s dance-pop.

Jody will return to the R&B chart and to the top of the Dance chart many, many times. Between Shalamar and her solo singles, she has had Dance #1 over 30 years! Her last song to top the Dance charts was in 2007.

Looking For A New Love is What Have You Done For Me Lately part 2 and I’m here for it. Hasta la vista baby.

i am tired of this saga.

The movie “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” comes from, “Mannequin” lives on many different levels in my life, most of them absurd.

When it was released, the promotion team for “Mannequin” decided that the ultimate audience for the movie, and one that could help spread word of mouth, were people who dressed mannequins for a living. As such they sent free tickets to the Visual Presentation department of our store.

A group of us went and laughed for all the wrong reasons. We were familiar with the mannequins they were using and knew that they took arms from mannequin a. and b. to place on mannequin c., creating an awkward mannequin in a pose that never existed. Also, the whole concept that displays were done at night, was laughable, no department store had the extra budget required to schedule a team like that. I know it was part of the idiot plot, that the mannequin had to come to life at night when no one could see them, but still. Also, the displays in the movie were dated, not representative of where visual was going at the time.

After the movie we went to one of the hottest food chains of the time, TGIFriday’s. “Oh, how times change. There, over chicken wings and potato skins, we talked about how bad “Mannequin” was, laughable for all the wrong reasons. “Mannequin” took place in the old John Wannamaker’s store I visited the year before in Philadelphia, so I was familiar with its layout, and general lack of upkeep and renovation. I shared my experience with my coworkers, who agreed they could see it, despite Hollywood’s attempt to gloss it over.

One of my friends stated that she could suspend disbelief for the “mannequin comes alive” plot, but there was one plot device that was almost science fiction, the straight, male visual presentation employee. “Almost every man I know who does display is gay, except for you, Bix.” Observant readers know the accuracy of that statement has changed over the years.

But my coworker was right. Thinking back I can only think of a few of the men in our large crew who were straight, and I’m not even sure about them. Many of the long-term visual team members were married but leading a double life. One flamboyant 50-something visual executive with a glass eye had an 80-something benefactor/wife from old money. Another was called “Auntie John” though not in mixed company. One gave me the secret handshake when we met. It was still so secret I didn’t know it was the secret handshake until later. I could show you the secret handshake, but…

Others in my generation were out and open, and though they never or rarely said it out loud, they would hint, that they knew I was gay. My boss when I was working on the mainfloor/window team had perfectly coiffed hair, with shoulder pads that rivalled Joan Crawford and often talked about his exploits at Bare Butt Beach with his boyfriend. When I finally met his boyfriend, a straightlaced banking executive, I told him “He’s not what I expected him to be.” My boss related that he heard that quite often, but acted like it was a surprise every time he heard it.

My two other bosses were artists on the side. One was partnered with a bear so furry, he made the Leather Biker from the Village people look like he was fur-deficient. My boss preferred autumnal plaids and Bass Weejuns, while his partner was fond of leather, grass, and poppers. My boss was high energy, and motivated, the other half was so weedinduced laid back, he bordered on comatose, until it came time to bring out the poppers.

The other artistic boss had a partner he facetiously called his Sugar Daddy even though they were the same age. His partner was high up in management at Pillsbury, in charge of flour packaging, enabling them to own a meticulously renovated home in St. Paul. Their third floor doubled as a studio. I bought an abstract from him, shortly before we were both promoted.

Another coworker I’ve talked about before. He was a ginger, bearded guy whose entire wardrobe was built around the colors, orange, green and purple. Years later I ran into him and he related going to school in the Duluth Superior area, where he would spend nights at the local gay bar, staring across the bar at a bartender he had the biggest crush on, who went by the name GBear.

I know I’ve gone off course. I know it has little to do with “Mannequin” the movie or “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” the song. But imagine if Hollywood took a chance on a movie with characters as varied, and layered as my real-life coworkers, instead of straight-washing an industry, maybe then “Mannequin” and the song from it might have been interesting.

My man david how many end tables did you fall through while rocketed on Escobar brand. It’s all good.

— Ryley walker (@ryleywalker) February 9, 2021

Me hearing this song for the first time: “Wow, this is horrible… is this a joke?”
Me every Friday for the rest of my life: “It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!”

That people actually give a shit one way or the other is the truly weak part of this entire saga

this from the guy who comments on superbowl, weather station and eve6 posts eh, WOW! make your trolling less obvious you clown!

see i can do disingenuous comment history attacks too

Pure and utter shite…

did i stutter

cool retroactive morality bro

2021: the yikes factor in cringe behavior is totally nullified and disregarded as long as you’re on the right side of history. cool

astrology/numerology gf & stoner bf