Why isn't Janis Joplin a gay icon?

Too fugly!

Not glamorous. We like our Divas glamorous.

Her shtick was specifically designed to be attractive to straight men. She was not glam enough and did not have a pretty enough voice for the gays.

She seemed dirty and gross.

She didn't give a shit what others thought. She was poor white trash, and had fun with it. I agree, OP.

Too dykey. The most masculine I think the gays will go for a rockstar is someone like Courtney Love, who is still femme but with a masculine swagger. Janis didn’t have a feminine energy at all. I do love her voice though and think she was supremely talented.

Well she did try to seduce Clive Davis.

I like her. If that means anything.

R3, I don't know what you mean with the first sentence.

Piece of My Heart wouldn't have been the same without her.

Kinda stinky. I have this on good authority from other telephone operators who worked with her at General Telephone.

R11, what did they say she smelled like?

Liquor and BBQ farts

She was hot even with the bad skin.

Perfect skin

Melissa Etheridge did a fantastic cover of Piece of My Heart.

What was her best song?

Love her. But I'm a straight woman-- don't know if that makes a difference.

I loved her when I was very young but r2 is right no glamour. She looked like a bruiser

[quote]Love her. But I'm a straight woman-- don't know if that makes a difference.

It kinda does R18. I say that with love... but yeah.

Hard to believe she's been gone 54 years now and that if she (b. 1943) were alive today, she'd be 81.

For perspective, when she died in 1970 at age 27, "54 years ago" was 1916 and someone 81 years old was born in 1889!

She was pretty tough. She hit Jim Morrison over the head with a bottle of Jack Daniel's for being an asshole. I had read that she had a girlfriend at one point. She was just herself and probably loved who she wanted to.

r3 She was not attractive to straight men though.

Who is the new Janis?

She consistently needed to be hosed down with a garden hose in the front lawn. There was very little appealing about her.

She was pretty to me.

Melissa mugged her way through the cover of Piece of My Heart. It completely ruined the song.

Her lesbian drug friend, Peggy Caserta, who wrote a book about her after her death called "Going Down with Janis" just died last week, age 84. The New York Times ran an obituary about her. (It mentions that besides taking drugs, they hooked up.)

The article wasn't behind a paywall (for me).

Janis was bi, she had lots of girlfriends, both serious ones and casual lovers. Her family were Southern evangelicals though and she had a lot of shame about this subject and didn’t want it publicly known. She made a big deal about publicizing her one night stand with Joe Namath because lesbian rumors were swirling and she wanted it known she fucked manly men.

[quote]She hit Jim Morrison over the head with a bottle of Jack Daniel's for being an asshole.

Southern Comfort, not Jack.

Yes, you're right! ⬆️

Some straight men liked her R23. My dad and my husband both liked her a lot. Especially when she She sang " Take another Little Piece of My Heart", at the Glastonbury concert I think. Or maybe Woodstock. My dad used to day she was sharp.

Was she a great vocalist?

Hot body

Butterface only, and that is being generous.

R35, plastic surgeons say she has a perfect face

Why do people say she was unattractive?

That’s just like your opinion, man.

The Pearl abides.

Was Janis homophobic?

Who should play her in a biopic?

The gays like their icons as either bawdy broads (Bette Midler), fragile and damaged (Judy and Marilyn), or with no Fs left (Cher).

I figured she was a lesbian icon, no?

[QUOTE]Her shtick was specifically designed to be attractive to straight men.

Must be why she was nominated "ugliest man on campus" by a bunch of frat boys.

She was much too coarse. And now I think I will watch the Rose, Fredric Forrest and she are great together.

R21 Wow, my mind is blown! My mom is alive still, born in '41. It's insane to think going back from back then would take you to the 1800's.

She had great taste in music and the charisma to make her act work.

There a was a desperation to her voice that I think worked in context.

She had a cute body (see R4) and little/big sister looks. She looked familial.

I confess I'm not a huge fan of her sound but she was definitely an icon.

She was the Martha Plimpton of music, for better and for worse.

I honestly think Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney as Janie Jimpler is a bigger gay icon.

Love her hair style.

[quote]Who should play her in a biopic?

Nicole Kidman

^ No, John Goodman

Cynthia Erivo.

Why should she be a gay icon? Because she was a suicidal, alcoholic, drug junkie with a growly voice? Is that what we admire now?

She was never suicidal

Now??? R53 are you lost?

Janis was a happy drunk who partied too hard, not a tragic case.

The thought that Janis Joplin was suicidal means that the person has seen The Rose and thought it was an actual bio.

R57, it was

Too messy and obnoxious.

She was a trashy heroin addict.

I still get sad about this clip. Swanson was so kind and dignified and Joplin was a sloppy mess who died within the year. The audience was disrespectful.

Cavett appearance

She was more of a lesbian icon.

Her pussy smelled like someone else's pussy.

A dykon

Because she was fugly and messy. You're only allowed to be messy as a rock star if you're hot.