talls, or just mail to P.O. Box 6177, Cleveland, Ohio, 44101

is a living gimmick; Norman Mailer, a dying one. All of these men are extraordinarily talented; but initially need some unique aura to present them as truly being innovative. When you come right down to it, everything in America is by definition a gimmick. That is in essence a major characteristic of our capitalistic economic structure. Sell, sell, sell.

As far as direct exploitation of gays goes, the evidence is convincing that Bowie, whether in an intentional or indirect manner, has aided the gay cause considerably. By legitimizing himself as a forceful, multi-talented individual who just happens to be gay, he has captured the imagination of a whole generation of young people, many of whom feel that it is not only OK to be gay, but perhaps even an asset. Bowie scooped his bisexuality up, and tossed it in the face of straight America's middle class. They will never be the same again. Aladdin Sane may be campy and outrageous, but he's out of his closet, as we all should be. This is not to say that Bowie was the catalyst behind the gay revolution, for most certainly he was not, but nevertheless he now stands as one of its foremost symbols.

We

We've all grown since 1971. The trends of futuristic-pseudo-decadence have given way to a sense of sophistication and worldliness. know now that sloganizing and attacking one another as strides toward harmony are selfdefeating. Musically, the disco scene has replaced elitist avant-garde works, and psychosocially, individuals are actually living life by their own rules rather than society's. As we progress, with us we take our culture and our arts. Bowie is one of us; the musical master of the seventies, and a man with an endless supply of courage. On top of all that we can finally dance to him. Exploitation Hardly.

Me, I hope that I'm crazy

I feel you driving and you're only the wheel

Slow down, let someone love you

You've never seen me hanging naked and wired

Somebody lied but I say it's hip To be alive.

Bowie1975

---John Nosek

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>up is not enough

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HIGH GEAR

May, 1975

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