Revenge of the freaks

Let your freak flag fly—you’ll be in great company.

There has been a growing social movement in the United States and around the world that celebrates the freak—nerds, queens, punks. Slowly, it’s infiltrated music, television and other forms of media. An obvious example is the hit Fox television series “Glee.” On the most recent episode, the show featured a slew of Madonna’s greatest hits from “Like a Virgin” to “Open Your Heart.” Personally, I worship Her Madgesty. Her music never fails to inspire me to jump up and dance, but more than that, Madonna understands the beauty of the individual. Her music takes the limelight away from the cheerleader and directs it at the fat girl.

More than two decades after Madonna hit the stage, a new sheriff came to town in the form of a scantily clad blonde who ordered us to just dance. Lady Gaga isn’t just a freak, she is the self-proclaimed queen of freaks and at times makes Madonna look like the most tightly wound virgin in the nunnery. Dressing up in mountain-sized shoulder pads and Kermit the Frog dolls, razor wires and large opaque glasses, one must understand that there is a method to her madness.

History has always had its fair share of freaks—Grace Jones, Marcel Duchamp, Jesus—those who thought outside the box, and more importantly, thought for themselves. Often, at least in their respective generations, they were met with admonishment and anger. So what is it about recent times that proclaims the freak is worthy of respect?

One possible factor could be the development of the Internet, and to a lesser degree, television. The speed at which information travels, along with the extremely diversified and international audience it serves, has meant overexposure to a variety of topics and images that before would have seemed outlandish and dangerous due to their uniqueness. But nothing is special anymore. Relevancy is no longer about shock value or originality, but is instead about being relatable. The genius of the Internet is that unlike in a high school oligarchy, everyone has a voice, and due to the great equilibrium of the Web, every voice must be respected.

This ideological shift has made room for shows like “Glee.” The musical-comedy series celebrates the diversity of its cast, giving each and every one a time to shine in the spotlight, as well as never neglecting the development of their individual story lines—a kindness on the part of the writers that urges us to appreciate the lives people lead when they are unseen.

The show reminds me of an oft quoted line from Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road”: “The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars, and in the middle, you see the blue center-light pop, and everybody goes ahh...”

Now is the time to stand up and stand out. This is the dawn of the freak. A recurring theme throughout my columns this past year has been the idea of individuality and self-expression. Avoid seeming mass-produced at all costs. Listen more to yourself and less to the crowds. Be outrageous and be true. God bless the freaks.

Thomas Gebremedhin is a Trinity senior. This is his final column.