GEORGIA POLITICS
ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017
Editor in Chief — Jon Dean Associate Editor — Zaida J. | Managing Editor — Ryder McEntyre Writing Editor — Nicholas Goodly | Graphic Designer — Blake England Featured Writers — Matt Jones, Stevie King, Chelsea Hoag, & Libby Mandarino Featured Photographer — Austin Frantz BIG thanks to MAILCHIMP and our AWESOME sponsors!
Want to work with us? WUSSY is always open for proposals (editorial, art, photography, opinion) & written submissions: INFO@WUSSYMAG.COM ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 1
contents: UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS:
Places To Be, People To Do, Things To See - Blake E.
CLOCK THE VOTE:
Jon Ossof Is Hot - Ryder M. Liliana B - Jon D. A Lesson In Petty - Libby M.
BLACK FRIDAY:
Gentrification + Podcast of Color - Matt J.
BLESS HER HEART:
Dave Chappelle, You’re Too Old For This Shit - Zaida J
Rotten peaches:
“Below Her Mouth” is trash + here’s why - Chelsea H.
Event photos:
Where Were You On The Night Of...? - Austin F.
COVER STORY:
SSION: From Midwest To Midtown - Sunni J.
missed connections:
Or, You’ve Got Stalkers - Stevie K. Want to advertise your business or next event? Send all submissions, proposals, questions, or media kit requests to info@wussymag.com ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 2
UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS: Places To Be, People To Do, Things To See Blake England / April 2017
MORPH 7: KINGDOM, LEONCE, XAVIER BLK, JSPORT AT AISLE 5 4/7 @ AISLE 5 9PM
MORPH is bringing back the underground with their seventh sickening line up. Featuring local talent and DJ/Producer powerhouse KINGDOM, this is not one to miss. MORPH is an inclusive and intentional safe(r) space for queer people of color, so do some stretches out and get out there for a spin. $12 Admission.
Sprung The Slut Gala with SSION (DJ Set) 4/8 @ HERETIC 10PM
Queer pop heartthrob SSION (NYC) is coming to The Heretic for a special DJ set. $100 CASH Prize for the Walk-of-Shame-Off Costume contest. The lewk is Slutty-Spring-Nymph, Rococo Realness, Bacchanalian Bottoms. Dance till they kick you out. $10 Admission.
MEMS รท DOGLOVER420 รท MONTEQARLO รท LONER 4/9 @ 368 PONCE 8PM
368 Ponce offers the best house party in town featuring local art and artists that'll keep you entertained all night long. $5 to support artists and space.
HARLOT PARTY// SALINE// SCOOTERBABE//WF ADDAMS AT MAMMAL GALLERY 4/13 @ MAMMAL GALLERY 9PM
A killer lineup of musicians from Athens, GA at one of our favorite concert venues. $5 Admission.
LIVING WALLS PRESENTS: BUST IT OPEN BY DANIELLE DEADWYLER 4/15 @ 348 AUBURN AVE 6:30PM
Living Walls presents thier first ever public art performance: BUST IT OPEN a public performance by Danielle Deadwyler. Expect for this to be an intimate and a one on one experience that you wont want to miss!
ICON A CELEBRATION OF JANET JACKSON + MICHAEL JACKSON 4/15 @ JUNGLE ATLANTA 10:30PM
Manilla Luzon, our favorite runner-up in season 3 of RuPaul's Drag Race, will be gracing the microphone and hosting this curated monthly event. A product of Barry Brandon's fantastic collaborations, ICON features local artists and performers strutting their stuff to some classic tunes by the Jackson siblings. You will be gagged. $14 Admission ($15 FOR 18-20)
DEEP SOUTH W/ HONCHO
4/15 @ HERETIC 10PM
Atlanta's own Vicki Powell brings the noise to Heretic with a slew of sexy groupies who are ready to make you party. Tailor made to keep you dancing are Pittsburgh's HONCHO, helping to revive the role of the queer party as a keystone of dance music culture. Free Admission ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 3
GREASE
BY JIM JACOBS & WARREN CASEY 3/31 – 4/16 @SERENBE PLAYHOUSE Serenbe Playhouse is kicking off a new season of their unique brand of outdoor-theatre with an exciting new production of the popular musical, Grease! Randi Garza, who was named Atlanta's Best Female Actor (2015) by Creative Loafing, stars opposite Michael Stiggers Jr as the role of ultimate bad boy, Danny Zuko. Take a deep-dive into the nostalgia of yesteryear and enjoy this outdoor musical experience, reminiscent of a drive-in movie or the best date you've ever had. This production, directed by Brian Clowdus and choreographed by Bubba Carr, runs until April 16th! Tickets are $35. ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 4
clock the vote:
POLITICAL SPOTLIGHT ON MILLENNAIL AGENDA Jon Dean + Ryder McEntyre + Libby Mandarino / April 2017
JON OSSOFF Words by: Ryder M.
With all that’s going on in our country, a feeling of helplessness among progressive or in-need communities can wash in like the tide. And yet, like the tides, this feeling recedes and it becomes incredibly clear what must be done: Vote our informed hearts out. That’s just what Jon Ossoff, the democrat running for the House of Representatives seat in Georgia’s sixth congressional district, wants us to do. Jon Ossoff, a millennial in his early thirties, has already raised $3 million dollars through grassroots efforts towards his campaign by early March and comes equipped with a highly applicable resume. He was born and raised in and around Georgia’s sixth district and spent time interning for Georgia’s 5th District Representative and civil rights legend, John Lewis
(who recently, officially endorsed Ossoff). Ossoff worked as a national security staffer and aide to Rep. Hank Johnson for 5 years until most recently becoming managing partner and CEO of Insight TWI, a business which produces investigative films targeting corruption and organized crime. Georgia’s sixth district includes many northern Atlanta suburbs—parts of eastern Cobb County, northern Fulton County and Northern Dekalb County. This district touches all or some portion of the cities of Johns Creek, Tucker, Roswell, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, and Dunwoody. I spoke with two Ossoff campaign volunteers, Michael and Shola, about what makes this campaign different.
Shola laid out the context for Ossoff’s campaign: “Tom Price won this seat most recently by more than 20 points. He had been the incumbent for a while, and before [Price], this district had been represented by GOP members since the [party switch]. Newt Gingrich was the representative for a long time before Price, if that gives you a sense of this district’s values. So there was never really an option for a democratic to win before, but Trump only won this district by 1 point. There is clearly a shift in demographics and ideals in this district and there hasn’t been this opportunity in decades. The Ossoff campaign has identified with this shift.” The Ossoff campaign, which seems to have the momentum necessary to be a viable campaign in this special
election, also seems more than capable of fending off attacks from the right. “Jon Ossoff is in his early 30s, he’s a millennial and he might be the first democrat in Georgia’s 6th in 30 odd years. When you first meet him, you can kind of see that he’s aware of how young he is,” Michael explained. He continued, saying that “[Ossoff] is working really hard to overcome that gap in confidence because he’s younger.” Ossoff’s platform is built on bipartisanship, rational approaches to national security, bringing jobs to his district, and being the antithesis of Trump’s GOP. He is, according to Shola, “a consummate politician” who also has the grit, drive, and progressivism that she feels embodies the millennial generation.
“JON OSSOFF IS IN HIS EARLY 30S, HE’S A MILLENNIAL AND HE MIGHT BE THE FIRST DEMOCRAT IN GEORGIA’S 6TH IN 30 ODD YEARS.” ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 5
Photos + Words by: Jon D.
LILIANA BAHKTIARI In this overwhelmingly negative political climate, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Our federal government has been taken over by a mob of grumpy old white men and much of the progress made in the Obama years is slowly being stripped away. Because of this, it is now even more important that we get engaged with our local politicians. Atlanta is changing, and it's up to us to fix it. On Thursday, March 23 at the Krog Street Tunnel green space, Liliana Bahktiari announced her run for Atlanta City Council, district 5. The district contains ADNA, Fourth and Sand, Central Atlanta Neighbors, Old Fourth Ward, Sweet Auburn, Fourth Ward West, Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, East Atlanta, Lake Claire, East Lake, Ormewood Park, and Grant Park. During her announcement speech, Bahktiari spoke about her international volunteer work, fighting for women's rights, environmental rights, and water accessibility.
"I became everything I am in Atlanta... Everything that shaped the Atlanta that I know, the city of Other - the working class, our immigrants and minority communities, the DIY and grassroots art movements, the People of Color that uphold the legacy of this city. We're seeing it all disappear." A 29 year old Atlanta-native, Bahktiari has been a major activist and supporter of the local arts & queer communities. She has served on the board of Lost and Found Youth and is a current board member of gloATL. She attended Georgia State University and owns a house in SE Atlanta with her longtime partner, Kris. "The feedback we have already gotten, combined with everything we heard while considering the run, makes me realize this is absolutely the right thing to do. It's very easy to sit on the sidelines and judge. It's much harder to serve from the inside and it forces you to be in the spotlight and be accountable and practice what you preach," Bahktiari said in a prepared statement.
"I BECAME EVERYTHING I AM IN ATLANTA... EVERYTHING THAT SHAPED THE ATLANTA THAT I KNOW, THE CITY OF OTHER - THE WORKING CLASS, OUR IMMIGRANTS AND MINORITY COMMUNITIES, THE DIY AND GRASSROOTS ART MOVEMENTS, THE PEOPLE OF COLOR THAT UPHOLD THE LEGACY OF THIS CITY. WE'RE SEEING IT ALL DISAPPEAR."
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A WUSSY SURVIVAL GUIDE TO GEORGIA POLITICS: PETTINESS Words by: Libby M.
The next four years are going to be rough to say the least, and this guide is designed to help you become more informed about the structure of politics (federal, state, and local) and empower you to fight. Today, I’m going to talk about how to piss off your federal representatives because it’s important to have hobbies. I say this from the bottom of my ice-cold, Capricorn heart - there is nothing I love more than being organized and petty. Calling my elected officials every day fills that need perfectly. Here in this dumpster fire we call Georgia, our senators are pretty heinous. Johnny Isakson is a centuries-old, sentient turtle with an A rating from the NRA and an incredible 0%
from the HRC. David Perdue loves Trump hats and discrimination. So what do you do when your elected official has like 0% in common with you? BE. PETTY. #wastehistime2017 honestly. Easiest way to do this is calling their office! Every day while I do my makeup, I call my senators. I have their numbers saved in my phone. It’s fun and cute and takes approximately five minutes to attempt to drag them into the 21st century. Why? Because the five minutes his staff takes to answer my phone calls each day is five minutes they could’ve spent doing evil shit. Plus, as my dear friend Greg Pikitis once said, it’s important to remind these men that they
represent people other than the klan. So I call them and I talk about a different issue each day - like “please don’t repeal Obamacare because I will die without it”, “please don’t confirm Jeff Sessions because he’s a white supremacist”, “please don’t confirm Betsy DeVoss because she’s thinks bears are attacking our school children”, etc. It’s not so much that my one call matters, but the overall volume of calls matters. So if we can all get together and commit to blowing up their phone lines just once a week, it puts the fear of god into them and can actually cause change.
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“I SAY THIS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY ICE-COLD, CAPRICORN HEART THERE IS NOTHING I LOVE MORE THAN BEING ORGANIZED AND PETTY.” In case you’ve never called an elected rep (nothing to feel bad about, most people haven’t!) here’s how it works. 1. Look up their number using whoismyrepresentative.com (you can also find the contact info for your representatives here and if you have a Republican representative I recommend bugging them too). You can call their state office and DC office or just one. Doesn’t really matter. a. Perdue: Atlanta (404) 865-0087, DC (202) 224-3521 b. Isakson: Atlanta (770) 661-0999, DC (202) 224-3643 2. Call! 3. A staffer will pick up and that’s when we get to the fun part - talking 4. MOST IMPORTANT WORDS YOU CAN EVER SAY: “Hi my name is [x] and I AM YOUR CONSTITUENT from [city], zip code [blah blah whatever yours is]” - they don’t really care unless you’re a constituent (aka someone who can vote them out of office). 5. Tell them what you’re calling about! “Today I’m calling about [Obamacare, the gay agenda, my continued disappointment with your inability to say anything about the fact that a literal white supremacist is our President’s chief advisor]” 6. The staffer will say something like “ok, I’ll pass that along” and I always respond by saying “thank you, I’ll keep calling and organizing and voting against you until my voice is heard” because I LOVE TO BE AGGRESSIVE but there’s nothing wrong with saying “thanks, bye!” 7. Sometimes all the phone lines are full and you get to leave a voicemail. Just stick to the same script and you’re good! 8. Repeat. ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 8
Phonecalls are fairly easy and low effort but when done en masse have a big effect. And for people who aren’t able to make it out to protests/have a limited amount of time they can devote, it’s a really easy way to get involved. As you can see, you can script out the calls in advance which is great for people with phone anxiety. If you’re still nervous, just remember you’re talking to a person who’s paid just to write down your zip code and what you called about - they aren’t gonna fight you! They
just put down info. Twitter generally has scripts floating around - just search “congress + phone + script” and you’ll find good results to use. Another great resource is this google doc that sets weekly goals and gives you scripts. It’s pretty intense, but if you get fired up this is a super helpful strategy guide!
STAY PETTY, XOXO
Black Friday:
Black Culture, Black News, Black Bodies, Black, Black, & Black Matt Jones / April 2017
MARCH AGAINST GENTRIFICATION In the last edition of Black Friday, I urged everyone to put on their marching boots to show out and support our black trans women, and boy did ya’ll answer the call! Don’t go letting those boots get dusty though, as there’s still much more to be mad and make a scene about. This past Saturday, the March Against Gentrification was another of many demonstrations highlighting the rampant income inequality and diminishing affordable housing that so called “progress” has brought to the city of Atlanta, GA. The march organized by the Housing Justice League, Turner Field Community Benefits Coalition, Atlanta Economic Justice Program, and the American Friends Service Committee, took place Saturday at 1pm starting from the Rosa L Burney Park at 477 Windsor St SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30312. The Housing Justice League’s list of demands include: a $15 dollar an hour minimum wage, mandatory inclusionary zoning that addressed 0-100% Area Median Income for ANY developer that receives ANY incentive from the city, a resolution supporting rent control and a resident led rent board, as well as stronger accountability for Beltline developers around affordable housing commitments and more.
“HIGHLIGHTING THE RAMPANT INCOME INEQUALITY AND DIMINISHING AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT SO CALLED ‘PROGRESS’ HAS BROUGHT TO THE CITY OF ATLANTA...” Atlanta, consistently one of the nation's top cities for income inequality, has battled with new developments across the city that have rapidly pushed out many native ATLiens from neighborhoods they once called home. This has had the heaviest effect on poor black neighborhoods—skewing the the
perception that Atlanta is a “black haven” in favor of white millennials, markets (food malls) and overpriced shopping. Projects like the Beltline, that were pitched with the intent of providing affordable housing, have only sped up this process and provided real accountability and few strides to fix it.
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PODCAST OF COLOR Podcast lovers feast your ears and act like you have friends with the new queer POC run Podcast of Color. Not to be confused with hetero The Podcast of Color, Podcast of Color stars two black men, one asian, and one latino serving unabashed insight on issues pertaining to the gay POC community.
atmosphere of familiarity that is unique to queer and especially POC queer environments. The podcast’s first two episodes were released this past Tuesday and we are clamoring to see it take off and inspire more POC-centric discussion and entertainment in the queer community.
The podcast’s quick and blunt humor creates a hilarious backdrop for commentary, from social justice issues to pop culture. The group is a mess/total trash (their words not mine) but the messy delivery they employ creates an
As stated in their soundcloud bio, “We wanted to offer our own ideas, thoughts, and commentary to the podcasting realm in hopes that we could connect with, heal, and inspire others to be the best they could be.”
Photos by: Rakeem Cunningham ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 10
BLESS HER HEART
Dave Chappelle, You’re Too Old For This Shit Zaida J. / April 2017
When Dave Chappelle transformed Rick James into an early 2000's version of the Ice Bucket Challenge, I was enthralled. I thought it was incredible to see a comedian take society's shortcomings and turn them into razor sharp examples of collective introspection. I thought Dave Chappelle was a genius. This, combined with his eccentric rebuke of the press and Comedy Central's bank account, had me thinking I was lucky to see a true vanguard take the world. So when he announced that he would be returning to television with two Netflix comedy specials I thought "Finally".
“IS THEIR JOB TO MAKE US FEEL LIKE UTTER TRASH?”
They say you should never fuck your idols, because they'll only disappoint you. If engaging in the exchange of laughter and surprisingly resonant musings is anything like sex, this era's Dave Chappelle thrusts too hard and can't stop going soft. The man that begin generation Y's discussion regarding race and social injustice, proved that no one is immune to the effects of time and callous forming experience. That's not a positive. I've never cared much to play moral judge to those who practice comedy--it's their job to make us uncomfortable. That being said, is their job to make us feel like utter trash?
Chappelle dropped the ball and revealed his liver spots when he went to pick it up. His understanding of sexuality and gender is hardly innovative or forward thinking. Further, he did more to prove that he has no clue whats going on than to prove his fitness for the role of society's jester. Intentionally misgendering Caitlyn Jenner (“He was beating Africans!”), crooning the age old melodies of toxic masculinity and a go-slow mentality. The material proved so lacking in any truly visionary thinking, it was hard to imagine who in his circle would be vapid enough to not stop being a yes man. Either Dave Chappelle has grown into the god-like status so many of us placed him in because of our commitment to the hits, or we expect too much. ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 11
“HAD I KNOW DAVE CHAPPELLE WAS A HOTEP IN HIBERNATION, I’D HAVE NEVER STARTED WATCHING.” Speaking on the “mental gap” that trans people have to bridge in order to be accepted, it seemed as if he was about to drop some serious knowledge. That feeling quickly faded when Chappelle began to muse
aloud why trans people were “so accepted” while it is still illegal to be a Black man. Had I know Dave Chappelle was a hotep in hibernation, I’d have never started watching. The idea that trans people are more privileged than ANYONE is laughable at best, and I don’t need to go into the statistics surrounding our murder rates, unemployment rates, and housing discrimination cases. He is so tone deaf that he muses aloud “If cops shot this many trannies, you’d think it as goddamn conspiracy.” For a cisgender heterosexual Black man to think that their struggle is greater than that of transwomen--particularly Black transwomen is a betrayal to the fight for liberation, particularly when we are dying by the droves. Personally, I had my doubts that he would arrive in grand fashion and blow us away with a new Chappellian philosophy because his stint on SNL was dry. Not only that, he seemed more interested in basking in his own celebrity and legend than producing top notch content. Perhaps that's the problem. Has Chappelle simply been a legend for way too long?
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Want to advertise your business or next event? Send all submissions, proposals, questions, or media kit requests to info@wussymag.com
4.15.17
ICON For All Humans Presents
a celebration of Janet + Michael Jackson Special Appearance by
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ForAllHumans.com ISSUE NO. 2 - EARLY APRIL 2017 / PAGE 13
ROTTEN PEACHES “BELOW HER MOUTH” IS TRASH AND HERE’S WHY Chelsea Hoag / April 2017
When Tumblr’s favorite new lesbian movie passes the Bechdel test, but the only place to watch it is on Pornhub, we’ve got a problem. The Below Her Mouth trailer sets itself as a steamy romance between two women – one a fashion-magazine editor and the other a roofer. Can you guess which one wears the strap on? For an indie film shot, directed, and written by women, Below Her Mouth falls into the tropes of tired lesbian and queer-female plotlines. Dallas (Erika Linder) is a rough and tough lesbian who suddenly and unapologetically breaks up with her girlfriend within the first moments after the opening sex scene. Jasmine (Natalie Krill) is a successful fashion-editor living with her fiancé Rile (Sebastian Pigott) and keeps herself busy with wedding planning. One morning, Jasmine looks out of her window to see slender, yet brawny Dallas hammering on a roof. (Yes, hammering and not using a nail gun like a real lesbo roofer would *eye roll*). They exchange a
look from afar, signaling the viewer to buckle the fuck up for some heteronormative bullshit! While Rile is out of town on a business trip, Jasmine decides to go out with her bff to let loose. Little does Jasmine know her friend likes the V, or at least enjoys partying with queer gals, and bumps into Dallas at the bar. That’s when our little baby butch grins and says, “You come to girl parties often?” Jasmine replies, “I don’t come at all.” Predicting the next line, I’m already Jim from The Office looking into the camera at this point but then… Dallas says,
“CAN I CHANGE THAT FOR YOU?”
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“HER ‘FEMALE GAZE‘ IS JUST AS DISGUSTING AND OBJECTIFYING AS THE MALE VERSION” Should I even keep going? I think you can tell where this “love” story is heading and I’m not going to spoil the ending for you, but here’s what to expect: lots of sex and many variations of wlw sex at that. Did I mention the strap on? Similar to Blue is The Warmest Colour, this movie is borderline erotica. Dissimilar however is that the sex between these two white, skinny ladies in Below Her Mouth is a little more believable. I will say Dallas’ role is predatory and downright creepy. Her “female gaze” is just as disgusting and objectifying as the male version. Her character further injects the idea that masculine women have to be cut from the same cloth: they lack emotional intelligence and want nothing but sex, cigarettes, and alcohol. Jasmine’s character is equally as flat, but the film does give some backstory to her first kiss with a high school friend. Her mom walked in on them and banned the two from ever seeing one another. Again, hella trope-fest, but it is interesting to see that she wasn’t cheating on her fiancé just for a good night of cunnilingus. Director April Mullen’s Below Her Mouth will be released on April 28th by Gunpowder and Sky Distribution. You can watch the full movie on Pornhub.
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event photos: Austin Frantz. / April 2017
TOSSED SALAD 3.26.2017
FRESH QUEENS MIXED WEEKLY / EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT @ BURKHART’S / $5
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WUSSY Exclusive: Sunni Johnson / April 2017
FROM MID WEST TO MId TOWN It takes a specific kind of person to operate as a multifaceted artist. Maybe it’s energy that a pedestrian population only dreams of obtaining or organizational abilities that rival the ranks of robots. How the sleepy scary Midwest birthed a boy such as Cody Critcheloe, and his space alien Americana moniker SSION, is a mysterious anomaly. Growing the project from self releasing cassettes as early as 1999 to directing commissioned music videos for the likes of Robyn and Kylie Minogue, SSION isn’t simply a musician or a filmmaker. He’s a powerhouse of surrealistic alt-pop production.
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It’s uncertain where we came upon an era of “alternative pop” but SSION would be a fucking master of it. Alt-pop is hard to define but as an entity it leans more on subculture than simple popularity while still retaining traditional songwriting structures and chock full of hooks. The alternative aspect is usually indicated by something more subversive, found in flares of the underground here and there, brushes of genres not at the forefront of capitalism’s marketable focus. It’s no surprise alt-pop has cropped up amongst art school princesses (the rich Canadian scene that houses Grimes and Mozart’s Sister is one great example). Critcheloe however didn’t have the advantage of urban settings. He grew up in Kentucky and migrated to Kansas City, where he laid the foundation for SSION.
“IT WAS MORE ABOUT JUST MAKING COOL STUFF AND DOING WHATEVER YOU WANT.” “I hated Kentucky or at least the town I was from so Kansas City seemed like this huge thriving city. The transition was easy because I was going to school, surrounded by a lot of artists in a bubble. It was cheap and people were proactive. I live in NYC now but I go to LA a lot so I feel like I don't really live anywhere.” Visual artist Peggy Noland has also made a connection between the Kansas City art scene to Los Angeles, working with Seth Bogart at Wacky Wacko in LA, another community in which Critcheloe has strong ties to and various collaborations with. One aspect of Kansas City, especially with it’s own art institute, is the “queer” scene that flourishes in the middle of nowhere. However, Critcheloe doesn’t prefer to see it in those terms.
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The video work of SSION (both for his own music and those he has directed for others) have a stamp of surrealism. Critcheloe has directed videos for a plethora of artists, including the amazing Perfume Genius “Queen”, Lower Dens “To Live and Die in LA” and Dum Dum Girls “Lost Boys and Girls Club” as well as videos for Santigold and Gossip and artwork for Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Creative process is unknown, the end product is always complete, always cohesive. He dives in with dedication, details paid to every element. Nothing forsaken regarding wardrobe, sets, props, lighting and narrative, SSION’s 2012 Bent album was released alongside multiple polished videos that presented a solid persona to the world, this almost dissonant badass character lurking between alienation and melancholy with stature and style.
“We never thought or talked about it in that way which is why I think it was so cool. I think that kind of agenda can sometimes ruin things from being truly fun and weird. It was more about just making cool stuff and doing whatever you want.” Queerness, though, is another vibe one can not exactly put their finger on. It’s not simply in out-weirding the bourgeoisie, but long have camp and kitsch, gender bending, glamour and humour been loud indicators, even in subtle tones, for what an audience picks up on as being “queer”.
“CREATIVE PROCESS IS UNKNOWN, THE END PRODUCT IS ALWAYS COMPLETE, ALWAYS COHESIVE.”
Many first SSION videos used suburbia as a backdrop, strategically littered with surreal elements. Long part of the conversation surrounding pop as a carrier for art, Critcheloe’s perspective reaches well beyond the saccharine and vapid of most radio rotation. This is what separates SSION from pop scum, but even in mockery and humor, SSION releases total bangers that could rival those of Britney anyday. SSION’s pop is punk in nature, sassy and sometimes ridiculously funny, great example being one of his most feel good, “Psy-chic”, referencing Courtney Love lyrics, blowjobs and drug dates. “Luvbazaar”s clubby catchiness ironically speaks of dissonance for romantics stuck in a wormhole of endless gay bars and Grindr. And in a duality of a more serious nature are songs like “Earthquake”, whose video features pick up trucks, crazy club wear, teen alienation, gas stations in suburbia, SSION himself featured in a pop art country western spotlight
crooning about heartbreak with a coolness that has accepted an end of a relationship but attempts to bury a rising tenderness still percolating inside. SSION’s new album is currently in the works, undergoing the production process that can often create chaos. “It's really great but now I'm in purgatory which means that bad wolf in my soul is getting too much attention and stealing all the food, so I'm basically having to manage him.” How does Ssion take a break? “I'm doing that through painting a lot. I forgot how much I love to paint. It keeps me thin.” Perhaps this is the personality of Cody Critcheloe. He is unstoppable, a shark that can not rest, and must always create. Even in the need to pause and let a project (such as his upcoming record) breathe before moving forward, he still has to create something else in the down time. WUSSY is happy to have Cody Critcheloe visit ATL for our SPRUNG! Rococo Realness Danse Party event. His DJ set will be a conglomeration of what he loves at the moment ala a curation of good shit. “I love songs. If it's a great song I can get down with almost anything. I grew up loving pop then I got really into punk. Now I'm down for anything!”
SPRUNG! will be April 8th at the Heretic alongside DJ Esme (La Choloteca) and DJ King Atlas hosted by the glamsquad Dax Exclamationpoint, Kryean Kally, Pity Soiree, Michael Kemp and more. Doors at 10PM. $10.
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MISSED CONNECTIONS Stevie King / April 2017
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