Why Hedwig Isn't a Trans Hero (Tag/Rumble)
Apr 1, 2020 22:21:00 GMT -5
Dave D-Flipz, BrainScratch, and 1 more like this
Post by Mongo the Destroyer on Apr 1, 2020 22:21:00 GMT -5
[OOC: A little background for those who haven’t seen it. Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock opera (think like Rocky Horror Picture Show) about a punk rocker that had a botched sex change when they were younger and were left essentially without gender- physically speaking. That person became Hedwig; a punk rock chick who throughout the movie is embroiled in a legal battle with a young guy (Tommy Gnosis) who she mentored but then stole her music and became a huge star. It’s a great musical and the songs are top notch. I've linked to the songs on their titles so you can watch/listen to them via youtube. There might be some other links too, can you find them? 
]
*We open in what appears to be mid-lecture as Randy Angel, who looks like hell, is standing in front of a room next to a projection screen (but like the TV style not the projector style so he doesn’t need to turn the lights off). Although the room is set up for probably training sessions, only Nelly Angel sits at one of the chairs listening. Randy really looks bad, like worse than normal. He hasn’t shaved, he’s got deep bags under his eyes, he’s still sporting his dress shirt and tie but the sleeves have been haphazardly rolled up and his jacket is who knows where. The J-ROK Straight Edge Championship is toss onto a chair on the side of the room.*
Randy: Alright, so probably the most important point comes in “Wicked Little Town.” During the introduction to Hedwig’s version, she introduces that it’s for a male voice. But when you listen to the song it clearly fits “hers” perfectly. Not only that, but arguably, Tommy Gnosis’ version is sung with higher notes and his gender is never in question. So this is noted by Hedwig as being her first song, but it wasn’t written till she had had her operation and moved to America because you can see here in the lyrics…
*Randy clicks one of those remote clickers and lyrics appear on the screen*
Randy: This song is presented in full during one of the biographical flashbacks. But as I’ll mention in a moment, the viewpoint the audience gets is actually Tommy Gnosis’- not Hedwig’s. But first, let’s look at the lyrics. Since the song itself is biographical (though at the time you think maybe it’s about Tommy Gnosis- because he does) you can see that already Hedwig has realized that she isn’t who she’s supposed to be- because she was born a guy and only got the operation to leave East Germany. OH BUT WAIT, she’s not where she should be either because the wall fell pretty much right after she got to America so she never even needed to leave home or go through the surgery.
*Randy frantically gestures at the necessary lyrics*
Randy: But, unlike Lot’s wife- who looked back and was destroyed by it- Hedwig decided to forge ahead despite not being who or where she should be.
*He comes up to the front with his finger raised.*
Randy: BUT WAIT! I said that this whole scene takes place from the perspective of Tommy Gnosis, not Hedwig, right? How do I know that? After the song, Hedwig wipes off her makeup into a towel and throws it to Tommy. On the towel we see all of her makeup yet Hedwig’s face is still immaculately made-up. It’s used as a sight gag but there’s more to it; Tommy sees Hedwig undisputedly as a woman- he has to because it’s the only way he can justify his love for her in a way that aligns with his strict Christian upbringing. So even if he’s looking at this dude’s face now that there’s no makeup- his memory just reprints the makeup on “her.”
*He gestures his hands and raises an eyebrow*
Randy: But that’s Tommy’s eyes. The act itself is a send-up of the old, 1979, Mean Joe Greene Coke commercial- which is in itself a masculine scene but fits with Hedwig’s age so would make sense for her to know that reference; especially when you consider how iconic that advertisement was. So even deep into the feminine headspace of Hedwig, she’s still doing an ultimately male gesture to show her affection for Gnosis.
*The elder Angel pauses for a moment.*
Randy: Wild, right? But that’s just scratching the surface. So Hedwig and the Angry Inch is packed with Biblical allusions- this sort of ties things together with Tommy’s extremely Christian upbringing. Well, in the Bible when something is repeated it means it’s important. Guess which is the only song that’s repeated twice?
*He waits for an answer from Nelly but doesn’t actually give him time to respond.*
Randy: Of course you know, “Wicked Little Town.” Later in the movie is Tommy Gnosis’ version, which is weird because it’s like in Hedwig’s head? The end of the movie is sort a mish-mash of stuff that’s hard to figure out (not unlike the Bible’s Revelation). But check this out:
*He clicks the clicker and more lyrics appear on the screen*
Randy: So this part of the song comes from exactly the same place where I quoted from before- just with Tommy’s lyrics. Again though, this seems to be in Hedwig’s head anyway so looking at this one might venture that the Tommy (male) part of Hedwig finally figured it out. It doesn’t matter how many changes are made, Hedwig’s self-identity has always been the problem. And that’s only the two versions of Wicked Little Town!
*He breathes a moment. Then crosses the room dramatically. I don’t think I can properly explain in words how intense Randy Angel is about all of this. This isn’t a lazy TED talk, this is a man possessed who has to get his thoughts out lest they drive him mad.*
Randy: Ok, so let’s rewind back to earlier in the movie. The first song about Hedwig from a biographical standpoint is “Sugar Daddy”- which is used to show us his (at the time) way too young meeting with an American army officer. Now remember, the first song Hedwig wrote was wicked little town, so this song was created sometime after Hedwig’s operation and moving to America and being stuck in Junction City. That means that she should be looking at it from her now female perspective buuuuuut…
*Randy pulls out the remote clicker again and brings up the next bit of lyrics, this time from the aforementioned song.*
*He gestures to the lyrics.*
Randy: Right away you can see that she uses her birth- that is, male- name of Hansel. Now you might be thinking “Well yeah it’s a song about candy so a reference to Hansel and Gretel makes sense.” BUT, I charge you with this: Why not just call herself Gretel? It’d be an allusion to the story AND a play on how she’s switched roles in that. But no, Hedwig uses her male name and sings the song from a guy’s perspective despite already having been the female persona of Hedwig for a while now before writing the song.
*Nelly Angel is tries very hard to pay attention and understand what his brother is explaining as he sits studiously in his seat, but much like anyone who hasn’t seen the movie trying to read this, he has no idea what’s going on.*
Randy: There’s more here though.
*He clicks to the next snippet of song lyrics from “Sugar Daddy.”*
Randy: These lyrics are important because they play around with the whole reason why Hedwig ended up in “her” situation.
*If you see quotes in dialogue you can assume Randy is using air quotes; he is absolutely that kind of person, especially in his current manic condition.*
Randy: Initially, Hansel/Hedwig just wanted to leave East Germany in order to join in the western world and was willing to be a woman to achieve that. After all, Hansel was already a little “odd” (from that era’s perspective) and I’m assuming didn’t mind gay sex considering the whole theme of the song and the fact that Hedwig married the much-older-than-him/her army officer. Plus, the gender roles are confused again in the song because- and I can’t stress this enough- it was written by the fully female persona of Hedwig long after moving to America and yet the song itself is still a male’s perspective. I mean this section “she” says ‘Sure, I’ll put a dress on and be a chick.”
*Randy is almost feverish (BUT NOT SYMPTOMATIC SO DON’T THINK LIKE THAT YOU DICKS) and leans back on a table near the front of the room to catch his breath. Then he continues. Nelly is of course still lost but trying hard not to show it.*
Randy: Ok, so let’s talk the heart of things. Hedwig’s botched sex change, as told through the movie’s title track: "Angry Inch."
*Another click later and the lyrics are on the screen.*
Randy: So the song, early in the movie, exactly explains Hedwig’s physical situation. This description is surprisingly useful for anyone who’s seen a Barb- wait, that’s not what a Barbie doll’s crotch looks like.
Nelly: How would you know?
Randy: Shut up, Nell. The point is, if you strip a Barbie, it’s blank down there, what does Hedwig’s genital area look like?
*The elder Angel clicks his remote for a new set of lyrics*
Randy: That’s not a Barbie doll, that’s a Ken doll!
*Nelly is giggling- well, until Randy gives him “the look” and he calms down.*
Randy: But this hole- or lack of one- goes deeper
*He winks so that Nelly knows it’s ok to giggle at that one. Then clicks up some new lyrics from the title track.*
Randy: So Hedwig, who is theoretically totally in the female punk rock star mode notes that “Hedwig” was intended as a disguise to get over the wall. A disguise she’s still wearing because……?
*Randy shrugs.*
Randy: Well, let’s talk about that. One of the songs that really caught my attention was Hedwig’s “cheer up” song, "Wig in a Box."
*Randy summons up some more lyrics via a click on his remote*
*He also hums the tune as he looks over it.*
Nelly: Are you sober?
Randy: Don’t try to distract me, Nell. So as you can see here, this entire song is built on fantasy. More specifically, when Hedwig feels down, she imagines she’s a series of female archetypes. But, as the song points out, she never actually IS any of these things and she- he?- turns back to herself as the fantasy fades now that she’s feeling better. There’s more though.
*Of course there is; he clicks up some more lyrics.*
Randy: This helps you better understand the fantasy element of the song. Because when Hedwig sings this, she’s not a star at all. Hedwig sings this from the position of the creepy lead vocals of a garage band stalking a real star (Tommy Gnosis). Yes, I understand this is also a nod to the popularity of the stage show and the fact that it was made into a movie- but form an in-character perspective this is all pipe-dreaming from Hedwig.
*He leans against the table and gestures with one arm as he explains.*
Randy: What I’m trying to get at is that you can see from this song that Hedwig’s fantasy life extends to different aspects. Hedwig dreams of being a rock star with the same vigor as dreaming of being a woman- yet also clearly understands from the lyrics that none of this is real. And we can see these themes carrying over into the big ending song, "Midnight Radio".
*Randy is getting increasingly spent as he clicks his remote control to summon up some lyrics from that too.*
Randy: Before we get into that though, let’s talk about a wig in a box. While Hedwig sings this song, he- I can say that since he’s doing his guy look by now- gives his wig to his backup singer/life partner Yitzhak, who sort of becomes the new Hedwig. So through this the mantle of “Hedwig” is passed. The fake image has been replaced with the real (dude) that’s always been under the wig. Anyway…
*He wearily gestures at the lyrics on the screen.*
Randy: So in retrospect even looking at this, basically Hedwig (Hansel?) is saying “Hey guys, I realized I was a guy the whole time!” AND, as a special note, the “From your heart to your brain” has a slight note change between your and brain- maybe he was thinking of another blood-filled organ.
*Randy over-winks to make sure Nelly, who still seems utterly unable to keep up, gets the reference (he doesn’t)*
Randy: But I suppose that’s the point, even though he was emasculated- his blood and his brain always knew the truth: Hedwig was a dude (in a wig) the whole time. Honestly, when we were watching this, the whole ending was extremely confusing for me. After cheering for this trans rocker the whole time, suddenly he basically says “Nah I’m fine being a dude after all.” What are we supposed to do with this? Is….is this a good thing? Is he selling out? And so the very ending sequence is Hedwig walking along naked, showing he’s finally comfortable in his own skin. So for this trans-friendly musical the “happy” ending is that the dude who was born a dude is happy being a dude. I can’t be the only person who noticed that, right?
*Nelly shrugs, he hasn’t followed any of this*
Randy: AND IT’S NOT JUST HEDWIG EITHER! For the whole movie Hedwig is in a relationship with Yitzhak, who is clearly is played by a woman but identifies as Decoy [OOC: Old XHF star, pic base X-Pac]. But what happens at the end? We find out that Yitzhak- who’s arguably been the woman in the relationship as it is- is fine being a woman if that’s what Hedwig wants because she gladly puts on the wig. So uh….still a girl then, yes?
*Randy clicks the button and the cover of the DVD for Hedwig and the Angry Inch appears on the screen.*
Randy: And so we see that this trans-rock opera actually isn’t a trans-anything at all since everyone who was confused about their gender actually decided to just go with what they were born as in the end. So uh…this is an oddly conservative movie if you think about it. Any questions?
*Nelly raises his hand. Randy seems un-amused.*
Randy: Nelly, you’re the only other person here.
*Silence. Sigh from Randy*
Randy: Yes, Nelly?
Nelly: I don’t get it.
Randy: That’s sort of the idea; I don’t really get it either, why even make a movie like this if the message is “hey you’re fine who you’re born as”
Nelly: No I mean I don’t get how this will help us with our matches
Randy: What?
Nelly: Well you called me, told me to take an XHF Network jet to here in Japan- since most other airlines are closed or restricted- for an important meeting. I assumed this was a pow-wow for discussing strategy….
Randy: What? No. This was the follow up to our movie night.
Nelly: Movie night?
Randy: Yeah, a couple days ago. Remember, we watched a movie together while discussing slash reacting over the phone?
*There’s a pause*
Nelly: You mean when you called me at 2am the other day?
Randy: Yeah, so we could watch the movie together even across the ocean.
Nelly: It was 2am bro; I fell asleep five minutes later.
Randy: ……
*There’s a pause. Slowly all the madness of a man who hasn’t slept possibly in days over a revelation that has only had one audience, a person who didn’t understand any of it, crosses over the now twitching face meeting with the exhaustion coming from behind his eyes.*
Randy: ….then….why….DID…..YOU…..COME!?
*Randy can be pretty scary when he’s sober.*
Nelly: Because you told me to, and you’re my brother. Also I thought that you had a special plan of attack for the XHF Tag Team Championship and Rumble matches.
*Nelly’s adorable and Randy can’t stay frustrated for long. The aggression flows out of him.*
Randy: Well, yeah, duh. Of course. What- ha- you thought I didn’t sleep for days on end, chain smoked, busied myself with theories and didn’t drink because of some movie? Ha haha hahahahaha. No no, that’d be stupid, hahahahahaha, what a hahaha, foolish thing to think Nelly.
Nelly: Yeah, cool. So, uh, what’s your plan?
*Quickly, before his brother realizes the horrible lie he just told him because he had absolutely prioritized movie night ahead of the matches Randy scrambles his brain.*
Randy: Well, we’re brothers right?
Nelly: Yes.
Randy: And what do brothers do?
Nelly: Stick together?
*Randy snaps his finger and points.*
Randy: Wow, simpatico, exactly. We stick together as brothers, and that’s how we’ll win the XHF Tag Team Championships and the X*Crown.
Nelly: That’s it?
Randy: That’s it. We stick together and we cut some great promos. After I sleep. For like, maybe eight to twelve hours.
Nelly: Is…is there a gym here?
Randy: Yes, I’ll show it to you before I crash. Be careful of Zolothach, she’s got that creepy but sort of attractive thing going on but she’s also incredibly dangerous. Actually, all the women are dangerous. Actually, this whole team is rough. Anyway, you go train for the match and I’m gonna go cr- I’m gonna catch up on some z’s.
Nelly: Sounds like a plan!
*Randy ushers his brother out of the room as the camera fades.*
]*We open in what appears to be mid-lecture as Randy Angel, who looks like hell, is standing in front of a room next to a projection screen (but like the TV style not the projector style so he doesn’t need to turn the lights off). Although the room is set up for probably training sessions, only Nelly Angel sits at one of the chairs listening. Randy really looks bad, like worse than normal. He hasn’t shaved, he’s got deep bags under his eyes, he’s still sporting his dress shirt and tie but the sleeves have been haphazardly rolled up and his jacket is who knows where. The J-ROK Straight Edge Championship is toss onto a chair on the side of the room.*
Randy: Alright, so probably the most important point comes in “Wicked Little Town.” During the introduction to Hedwig’s version, she introduces that it’s for a male voice. But when you listen to the song it clearly fits “hers” perfectly. Not only that, but arguably, Tommy Gnosis’ version is sung with higher notes and his gender is never in question. So this is noted by Hedwig as being her first song, but it wasn’t written till she had had her operation and moved to America because you can see here in the lyrics…
*Randy clicks one of those remote clickers and lyrics appear on the screen*
“And then you're someone you are not
And Junction City ain't the spot
Remember Mrs. Lot
And when she turned around”
And Junction City ain't the spot
Remember Mrs. Lot
And when she turned around”
Randy: This song is presented in full during one of the biographical flashbacks. But as I’ll mention in a moment, the viewpoint the audience gets is actually Tommy Gnosis’- not Hedwig’s. But first, let’s look at the lyrics. Since the song itself is biographical (though at the time you think maybe it’s about Tommy Gnosis- because he does) you can see that already Hedwig has realized that she isn’t who she’s supposed to be- because she was born a guy and only got the operation to leave East Germany. OH BUT WAIT, she’s not where she should be either because the wall fell pretty much right after she got to America so she never even needed to leave home or go through the surgery.
*Randy frantically gestures at the necessary lyrics*
Randy: But, unlike Lot’s wife- who looked back and was destroyed by it- Hedwig decided to forge ahead despite not being who or where she should be.
*He comes up to the front with his finger raised.*
Randy: BUT WAIT! I said that this whole scene takes place from the perspective of Tommy Gnosis, not Hedwig, right? How do I know that? After the song, Hedwig wipes off her makeup into a towel and throws it to Tommy. On the towel we see all of her makeup yet Hedwig’s face is still immaculately made-up. It’s used as a sight gag but there’s more to it; Tommy sees Hedwig undisputedly as a woman- he has to because it’s the only way he can justify his love for her in a way that aligns with his strict Christian upbringing. So even if he’s looking at this dude’s face now that there’s no makeup- his memory just reprints the makeup on “her.”
*He gestures his hands and raises an eyebrow*
Randy: But that’s Tommy’s eyes. The act itself is a send-up of the old, 1979, Mean Joe Greene Coke commercial- which is in itself a masculine scene but fits with Hedwig’s age so would make sense for her to know that reference; especially when you consider how iconic that advertisement was. So even deep into the feminine headspace of Hedwig, she’s still doing an ultimately male gesture to show her affection for Gnosis.
*The elder Angel pauses for a moment.*
Randy: Wild, right? But that’s just scratching the surface. So Hedwig and the Angry Inch is packed with Biblical allusions- this sort of ties things together with Tommy’s extremely Christian upbringing. Well, in the Bible when something is repeated it means it’s important. Guess which is the only song that’s repeated twice?
*He waits for an answer from Nelly but doesn’t actually give him time to respond.*
Randy: Of course you know, “Wicked Little Town.” Later in the movie is Tommy Gnosis’ version, which is weird because it’s like in Hedwig’s head? The end of the movie is sort a mish-mash of stuff that’s hard to figure out (not unlike the Bible’s Revelation). But check this out:
*He clicks the clicker and more lyrics appear on the screen*
“Cos with all the changes
You've been through
It seems the stranger's always you
Alone again in some new
Wicked little town”
You've been through
It seems the stranger's always you
Alone again in some new
Wicked little town”
Randy: So this part of the song comes from exactly the same place where I quoted from before- just with Tommy’s lyrics. Again though, this seems to be in Hedwig’s head anyway so looking at this one might venture that the Tommy (male) part of Hedwig finally figured it out. It doesn’t matter how many changes are made, Hedwig’s self-identity has always been the problem. And that’s only the two versions of Wicked Little Town!
*He breathes a moment. Then crosses the room dramatically. I don’t think I can properly explain in words how intense Randy Angel is about all of this. This isn’t a lazy TED talk, this is a man possessed who has to get his thoughts out lest they drive him mad.*
Randy: Ok, so let’s rewind back to earlier in the movie. The first song about Hedwig from a biographical standpoint is “Sugar Daddy”- which is used to show us his (at the time) way too young meeting with an American army officer. Now remember, the first song Hedwig wrote was wicked little town, so this song was created sometime after Hedwig’s operation and moving to America and being stuck in Junction City. That means that she should be looking at it from her now female perspective buuuuuut…
*Randy pulls out the remote clicker again and brings up the next bit of lyrics, this time from the aforementioned song.*
“I've got a sweet tooth
For liquorice drops and jelly roll
Hey sugar daddy
Hansel needs some sugar in his bowl”
For liquorice drops and jelly roll
Hey sugar daddy
Hansel needs some sugar in his bowl”
*He gestures to the lyrics.*
Randy: Right away you can see that she uses her birth- that is, male- name of Hansel. Now you might be thinking “Well yeah it’s a song about candy so a reference to Hansel and Gretel makes sense.” BUT, I charge you with this: Why not just call herself Gretel? It’d be an allusion to the story AND a play on how she’s switched roles in that. But no, Hedwig uses her male name and sings the song from a guy’s perspective despite already having been the female persona of Hedwig for a while now before writing the song.
*Nelly Angel is tries very hard to pay attention and understand what his brother is explaining as he sits studiously in his seat, but much like anyone who hasn’t seen the movie trying to read this, he has no idea what’s going on.*
Randy: There’s more here though.
*He clicks to the next snippet of song lyrics from “Sugar Daddy.”*
“So you think only a woman
Can truly love a man?
Well, you buy me the dress
I'll be more woman
Than a man like you can stand”
Can truly love a man?
Well, you buy me the dress
I'll be more woman
Than a man like you can stand”
Randy: These lyrics are important because they play around with the whole reason why Hedwig ended up in “her” situation.
*If you see quotes in dialogue you can assume Randy is using air quotes; he is absolutely that kind of person, especially in his current manic condition.*
Randy: Initially, Hansel/Hedwig just wanted to leave East Germany in order to join in the western world and was willing to be a woman to achieve that. After all, Hansel was already a little “odd” (from that era’s perspective) and I’m assuming didn’t mind gay sex considering the whole theme of the song and the fact that Hedwig married the much-older-than-him/her army officer. Plus, the gender roles are confused again in the song because- and I can’t stress this enough- it was written by the fully female persona of Hedwig long after moving to America and yet the song itself is still a male’s perspective. I mean this section “she” says ‘Sure, I’ll put a dress on and be a chick.”
*Randy is almost feverish (BUT NOT SYMPTOMATIC SO DON’T THINK LIKE THAT YOU DICKS) and leans back on a table near the front of the room to catch his breath. Then he continues. Nelly is of course still lost but trying hard not to show it.*
Randy: Ok, so let’s talk the heart of things. Hedwig’s botched sex change, as told through the movie’s title track: "Angry Inch."
*Another click later and the lyrics are on the screen.*
“My sex-change operation got botched
My guardian angel fell asleep on the watch
Now all I got is a Barbie Doll crotch
I got an Angry Inch”
My guardian angel fell asleep on the watch
Now all I got is a Barbie Doll crotch
I got an Angry Inch”
Randy: So the song, early in the movie, exactly explains Hedwig’s physical situation. This description is surprisingly useful for anyone who’s seen a Barb- wait, that’s not what a Barbie doll’s crotch looks like.
Nelly: How would you know?
Randy: Shut up, Nell. The point is, if you strip a Barbie, it’s blank down there, what does Hedwig’s genital area look like?
*The elder Angel clicks his remote for a new set of lyrics*
“But two days later, the hole closed up, the wound healed, and I was left with a one-inch mound of flesh, where my penis used to be, where my vagina never was! “
Randy: That’s not a Barbie doll, that’s a Ken doll!
*Nelly is giggling- well, until Randy gives him “the look” and he calms down.*
Randy: But this hole- or lack of one- goes deeper
*He winks so that Nelly knows it’s ok to giggle at that one. Then clicks up some new lyrics from the title track.*
“I'm from the land where you still hear the cries
I had to get out, had to sever all ties
I changed my name and assumed a disguise
I got an Angry Inch”
I had to get out, had to sever all ties
I changed my name and assumed a disguise
I got an Angry Inch”
Randy: So Hedwig, who is theoretically totally in the female punk rock star mode notes that “Hedwig” was intended as a disguise to get over the wall. A disguise she’s still wearing because……?
*Randy shrugs.*
Randy: Well, let’s talk about that. One of the songs that really caught my attention was Hedwig’s “cheer up” song, "Wig in a Box."
*Randy summons up some more lyrics via a click on his remote*
“I put on some make-up
And turn on the tape deck
And pull the wig back on my head
Suddenly I'm Miss Midwest Midnight checkout queen
Until I head home
And I put myself to bed”
And turn on the tape deck
And pull the wig back on my head
Suddenly I'm Miss Midwest Midnight checkout queen
Until I head home
And I put myself to bed”
*He also hums the tune as he looks over it.*
Nelly: Are you sober?
Randy: Don’t try to distract me, Nell. So as you can see here, this entire song is built on fantasy. More specifically, when Hedwig feels down, she imagines she’s a series of female archetypes. But, as the song points out, she never actually IS any of these things and she- he?- turns back to herself as the fantasy fades now that she’s feeling better. There’s more though.
*Of course there is; he clicks up some more lyrics.*
“I put on some make-up
Turn up the eight track
I'm pulling the wig down from the shelf
Suddenly I'm this punk rock star of stage and screen”
Turn up the eight track
I'm pulling the wig down from the shelf
Suddenly I'm this punk rock star of stage and screen”
Randy: This helps you better understand the fantasy element of the song. Because when Hedwig sings this, she’s not a star at all. Hedwig sings this from the position of the creepy lead vocals of a garage band stalking a real star (Tommy Gnosis). Yes, I understand this is also a nod to the popularity of the stage show and the fact that it was made into a movie- but form an in-character perspective this is all pipe-dreaming from Hedwig.
*He leans against the table and gestures with one arm as he explains.*
Randy: What I’m trying to get at is that you can see from this song that Hedwig’s fantasy life extends to different aspects. Hedwig dreams of being a rock star with the same vigor as dreaming of being a woman- yet also clearly understands from the lyrics that none of this is real. And we can see these themes carrying over into the big ending song, "Midnight Radio".
*Randy is getting increasingly spent as he clicks his remote control to summon up some lyrics from that too.*
Randy: Before we get into that though, let’s talk about a wig in a box. While Hedwig sings this song, he- I can say that since he’s doing his guy look by now- gives his wig to his backup singer/life partner Yitzhak, who sort of becomes the new Hedwig. So through this the mantle of “Hedwig” is passed. The fake image has been replaced with the real (dude) that’s always been under the wig. Anyway…
*He wearily gestures at the lyrics on the screen.*
“A dream
Or a song
That hits you so hard
Filling you up
And suddenly gone
Breath Feel Love
Give Free
Know in your soul
Like your blood knows the way
From your heart to your brain
Know that you're whole”
Or a song
That hits you so hard
Filling you up
And suddenly gone
Breath Feel Love
Give Free
Know in your soul
Like your blood knows the way
From your heart to your brain
Know that you're whole”
Randy: So in retrospect even looking at this, basically Hedwig (Hansel?) is saying “Hey guys, I realized I was a guy the whole time!” AND, as a special note, the “From your heart to your brain” has a slight note change between your and brain- maybe he was thinking of another blood-filled organ.
*Randy over-winks to make sure Nelly, who still seems utterly unable to keep up, gets the reference (he doesn’t)*
Randy: But I suppose that’s the point, even though he was emasculated- his blood and his brain always knew the truth: Hedwig was a dude (in a wig) the whole time. Honestly, when we were watching this, the whole ending was extremely confusing for me. After cheering for this trans rocker the whole time, suddenly he basically says “Nah I’m fine being a dude after all.” What are we supposed to do with this? Is….is this a good thing? Is he selling out? And so the very ending sequence is Hedwig walking along naked, showing he’s finally comfortable in his own skin. So for this trans-friendly musical the “happy” ending is that the dude who was born a dude is happy being a dude. I can’t be the only person who noticed that, right?
*Nelly shrugs, he hasn’t followed any of this*
Randy: AND IT’S NOT JUST HEDWIG EITHER! For the whole movie Hedwig is in a relationship with Yitzhak, who is clearly is played by a woman but identifies as Decoy [OOC: Old XHF star, pic base X-Pac]. But what happens at the end? We find out that Yitzhak- who’s arguably been the woman in the relationship as it is- is fine being a woman if that’s what Hedwig wants because she gladly puts on the wig. So uh….still a girl then, yes?
*Randy clicks the button and the cover of the DVD for Hedwig and the Angry Inch appears on the screen.*
Randy: And so we see that this trans-rock opera actually isn’t a trans-anything at all since everyone who was confused about their gender actually decided to just go with what they were born as in the end. So uh…this is an oddly conservative movie if you think about it. Any questions?
*Nelly raises his hand. Randy seems un-amused.*
Randy: Nelly, you’re the only other person here.
*Silence. Sigh from Randy*
Randy: Yes, Nelly?
Nelly: I don’t get it.
Randy: That’s sort of the idea; I don’t really get it either, why even make a movie like this if the message is “hey you’re fine who you’re born as”
Nelly: No I mean I don’t get how this will help us with our matches
Randy: What?
Nelly: Well you called me, told me to take an XHF Network jet to here in Japan- since most other airlines are closed or restricted- for an important meeting. I assumed this was a pow-wow for discussing strategy….
Randy: What? No. This was the follow up to our movie night.
Nelly: Movie night?
Randy: Yeah, a couple days ago. Remember, we watched a movie together while discussing slash reacting over the phone?
*There’s a pause*
Nelly: You mean when you called me at 2am the other day?
Randy: Yeah, so we could watch the movie together even across the ocean.
Nelly: It was 2am bro; I fell asleep five minutes later.
Randy: ……
*There’s a pause. Slowly all the madness of a man who hasn’t slept possibly in days over a revelation that has only had one audience, a person who didn’t understand any of it, crosses over the now twitching face meeting with the exhaustion coming from behind his eyes.*
Randy: ….then….why….DID…..YOU…..COME!?
*Randy can be pretty scary when he’s sober.*
Nelly: Because you told me to, and you’re my brother. Also I thought that you had a special plan of attack for the XHF Tag Team Championship and Rumble matches.
*Nelly’s adorable and Randy can’t stay frustrated for long. The aggression flows out of him.*
Randy: Well, yeah, duh. Of course. What- ha- you thought I didn’t sleep for days on end, chain smoked, busied myself with theories and didn’t drink because of some movie? Ha haha hahahahaha. No no, that’d be stupid, hahahahahaha, what a hahaha, foolish thing to think Nelly.
Nelly: Yeah, cool. So, uh, what’s your plan?
*Quickly, before his brother realizes the horrible lie he just told him because he had absolutely prioritized movie night ahead of the matches Randy scrambles his brain.*
Randy: Well, we’re brothers right?
Nelly: Yes.
Randy: And what do brothers do?
Nelly: Stick together?
*Randy snaps his finger and points.*
Randy: Wow, simpatico, exactly. We stick together as brothers, and that’s how we’ll win the XHF Tag Team Championships and the X*Crown.
Nelly: That’s it?
Randy: That’s it. We stick together and we cut some great promos. After I sleep. For like, maybe eight to twelve hours.
Nelly: Is…is there a gym here?
Randy: Yes, I’ll show it to you before I crash. Be careful of Zolothach, she’s got that creepy but sort of attractive thing going on but she’s also incredibly dangerous. Actually, all the women are dangerous. Actually, this whole team is rough. Anyway, you go train for the match and I’m gonna go cr- I’m gonna catch up on some z’s.
Nelly: Sounds like a plan!
*Randy ushers his brother out of the room as the camera fades.*
