# Obvious things about a creative work you realize after the millionth time (OPEN SPOILERS POSSIBLE) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117 "2009-07-24T13:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 282
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5627 "2023-11-04T00:39:00Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > When I was a kid, I was fascinated by Queen’s “Killer Queen”. The lady sounds so interesting. (etc) Don’t feel bad, I really wanted to meet a gal like Lola, a fierce female who was utterly like a man. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5628 "2023-11-04T00:45:36Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Don’t feel bad, I really wanted to meet a gal like Lola, a fierce female who was utterly like a man. After listening to Queen’s “Don’t stop me now” a lot over the last few years, with the paired lines, “I’m going to make a supersonic woman of you” and “I’m going to make a supersonic man out of you”, I found myself wondering how we never realized Freddie Mercury was bisexual. ---
**Author:** ![martyg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@martyg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martyg)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5629 "2023-11-04T00:48:58Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > I found myself wondering how we never realized Freddie Mercury was bisexual. How could anyone miss it? I saw it early on. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5630 "2023-11-04T00:49:57Z")
Come on, “Obvious things” is right in the thread title! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5631 "2023-11-04T01:15:43Z")
> [@martyg](#): > > Cindy Wilson Quoted because it reminded me that I remember learning on Pop-Up Videos that Kate Pierson does backup vocals on REM’s Shiny Happy People. That, at least to me, is one of those things that if you didn’t already know, you can’t unhear it. Similarly, Linda Ronstadt does back up on Neil Young’s Heart Of Gold and Old Man. However, TIL, James Taylor is in there as well. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5632 "2023-11-04T01:29:30Z")
> [@martyg](#): > > > [@Horatius](#): > > > > I found myself wondering how we never realized Freddie Mercury was bisexual. > > How could anyone miss it? I saw it early on. When I was a high school student in 1974-77, the default assumption for a band named “Queen” was that they were gay guys, or at least playing with the idea that they were. The part of Freddie being bisexual that surprised me later was that he was also into the gals. One hell of a rocker and somehow homophobia never negatively impacted his status on the high school mainstream rock fans. ---
**Author:** ![martyg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@martyg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martyg)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5633 "2023-11-04T01:35:55Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > When I was a high school student in 1974-77, the default assumption for a band named “Queen” was that they were gay guys, or at least playing with the idea that they were. I only ever really thought two things about Queen. One was that they were overly bombastic, and the other was that Roger was (and is) hot. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5634 "2023-11-04T01:36:18Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Thanks to the thread about late 1940s pop culture, I just realized that zoot suits indeed were all the rage in 1947… among _young people_. The Professor stood out because he was an _old man_ in a zoot suit. To the people of 1947 New Mexico he probably looked like the equivalent of an 80 year old white man trying to dress and talk like a rapper in the present day. It wasn’t just an age issue. There was also an ethnic element involved. Zoot Suit culture was most prevalent among Hispanics and to a lesser extent among Blacks, Italians, and Asians. It was basically a way for non-white young men to assert themselves against the mainstream white culture. Which was often a dangerous thing to do in the 1940’s. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5635 "2023-11-04T02:25:24Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > One hell of a rocker and somehow homophobia never negatively impacted his status on the high school mainstream rock fans. The 70s and early 80s were surprisingly open and tolerant of homosexuality. Queen and David Bowie had huge Rockstar status. John Ritter was hooting it up a TV Show where the premise was a guy _pretending_ to be gay. Bosom Buddies was on the air. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5636 "2023-11-04T03:22:26Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > I found myself wondering how we never realized Freddie Mercury was bisexual. When he was a young’un, one of my kid’s teachers played Bohemian Rhapsody in class. A jock-type didn’t think it rocked enough and sneered “This music is, like, gay”. My kid raised an eyebrow at him: “You have _no_ idea…” ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5637 "2023-11-04T15:26:42Z")
This reminds me that W. Axl Rose of Guns N Rose does backup vocals on Don Henley’s song “I Will Not Go Quietly” on _The End of The Innocence_ album ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5638 "2023-11-05T06:10:07Z")
And Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon sang backup on _Don’t Cry_ from _Use Your Illusion 1_ by Guns N Roses. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5639 "2023-11-05T17:13:44Z")
> [@digs](#): > > When he was a young’un, one of my kid’s teachers played Bohemian Rhapsody in class. A jock-type didn’t think it rocked enough … Does not compute. If there is any quantity of rocking that is ever enough, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is it. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5640 "2023-11-05T18:48:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If there is any quantity of rocking that is ever enough, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is it. Oh come on, it’s got silly voices in it. ---
**Author:** ![martyg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@martyg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martyg)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5641 "2023-11-05T20:03:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If there is any quantity of rocking that is ever enough, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is it. Not sure about this. Next to MC5 “Kick Out The Jams”, the Queen song sounds like Mantovani. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5642 "2023-11-05T20:23:47Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > > [@martyg](#): > > > > Cindy Wilson > > Quoted because it reminded me that I remember learning on Pop-Up Videos that Kate Pierson does backup vocals on REM’s Shiny Happy People. > That, at least to me, is one of those things that if you didn’t already know, you can’t unhear it. She also sang backup on “Near Wild Heaven” and “Me in Honey” on the same album. I don’t know if videos for either of those ever got any airplay. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5643 "2023-11-05T20:37:50Z")
Iggy Pop’s “Candy” popped up on my Youtube rotation the other day, reminding me that Kate did the female vocals on that one as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5644 "2023-11-05T22:27:54Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > The Castaways’ Ballad is a shanty-type melody, but the song itself is (like it says on the tin) a ballad. It scans perfectly well with My Darling Clementine and my High School’s alma mater. And every Emily Dickenson poem. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5645 "2023-11-06T01:59:14Z")
In “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, why didn’t the devil claim victory? The winner of such a contest is pretty subjective, claim victory and take the soul- who’s going to stop him? ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117/5646 "2023-11-06T02:41:25Z")
Maybe the devil is actually fae, and he was bound by fae rules? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117.md?page=281) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obvious-things-about-a-creative-work-you-realize-after-the-millionth-time-open-spoilers-possible/504117.md?page=283)