Case Study: Liberace Liberace was a world-renowned pianist. Even in the early 20’s, when Liberace (full name Wladziu Valentino Liberace) was a child, he showed great aptitude for the piano, beginning his formal musical schooling at the Wisconsin College of Music when he was merely seven years old. His skill at the piano earned him several positions in orchestras when he was only a teenager. He became no less successful as he grew up— in fact, the Guinness Book of World Records lists Liberace as the highest paid pianist of all time. In the peak of his career, he rose to superstar status, eventually getting his own television series, The Liberace Show (1952-55, 1969), and appearances in various films, such as Sincerely Yours (1955) (Biography,
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According to English Professor Kevin Kopelson with the University of Iowa, Liberace “tried to come across as pre-sexual, non-sexual or asexual. He presented himself as a girly boy, not a gay man” (as qtd. in Kelly, 2013). Perhaps as a result of his apparent cowardice and self-loathing, Liberace does not have many modern fans: the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas closed in 2010 due to lack of revenue (Kelly, 2013). Nevertheless, the AIDS-related deaths of celebrities such as Liberace and Rock Hudson sparked the culture wars around homosexuality. On one hand, California was filled with conservatives and the elite. On the other hand, however, Cathedral City, close to Liberace’s former home of Palm Springs, had been establishing itself as a “gay mecca,” with a noteworthy gay nightlife: “Sunday night whipped cream wrestling at Daddy Warbucks, monthly theme parties at Rocks, and dancing after hours at C.C. Construction Company became the stuff of hedonistic legends” (Bridges, …show more content…
While it ultimately sparked discussions on same-sex couples, stigmas and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS and the gay community spread like wildfire, and are still commonplace in America today. Nevertheless, some viewed AIDS as a humanitarian crisis, and viewed those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, including the gay community, as victims of a particularly devastating disease. According to Contact Theory, however, most publicity is good publicity. While HIV/AIDS may be seen as building walls and isolating the gay community, it was also one of the catalysts that increased LGBT visibility, and forced America to interact with a marginalized
According to English Professor Kevin Kopelson with the University of Iowa, Liberace “tried to come across as pre-sexual, non-sexual or asexual. He presented himself as a girly boy, not a gay man” (as qtd. in Kelly, 2013). Perhaps as a result of his apparent cowardice and self-loathing, Liberace does not have many modern fans: the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas closed in 2010 due to lack of revenue (Kelly, 2013). Nevertheless, the AIDS-related deaths of celebrities such as Liberace and Rock Hudson sparked the culture wars around homosexuality. On one hand, California was filled with conservatives and the elite. On the other hand, however, Cathedral City, close to Liberace’s former home of Palm Springs, had been establishing itself as a “gay mecca,” with a noteworthy gay nightlife: “Sunday night whipped cream wrestling at Daddy Warbucks, monthly theme parties at Rocks, and dancing after hours at C.C. Construction Company became the stuff of hedonistic legends” (Bridges, …show more content…
While it ultimately sparked discussions on same-sex couples, stigmas and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS and the gay community spread like wildfire, and are still commonplace in America today. Nevertheless, some viewed AIDS as a humanitarian crisis, and viewed those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, including the gay community, as victims of a particularly devastating disease. According to Contact Theory, however, most publicity is good publicity. While HIV/AIDS may be seen as building walls and isolating the gay community, it was also one of the catalysts that increased LGBT visibility, and forced America to interact with a marginalized