As I continued to watch Netflix’s new show, The Get Down, I realized that by episode five it was exploring something other than the rise of hiphop in the seventies. Disco’s presence in New York was already something to talk about, even its underground presence was electric; it was something that everyone wanted to be a part of. The Get Down with its exploration of young Mylene’s career as a disco star goes into an alternate storyline where an older and already popular genre of music is understandably dominated by a group of social outcasts. Unlike Zeke and his friends, Mylene has to find a way to stand out amongst the thousands of disco records that come out and fade away quickly. With infamous music producer, Jackie, she produces a record that’s unique, sexual, and oddly religious. The record breaks the mold that’s been set for disco, and it does so pleasantly.
However as Mylene and Jackie struggle to get their record played in clubs, Dizzee (played by Jaden Smith) accidentally stumbles upon the glamorous world that is underground disco. When he first walks into that club, you just know that something new and exciting is happening. It gives off that Studio 54 vibe, New York’s famous night-club and discotheque that was founded by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrader in 1977 (which happens to be when the story takes place). Studio 54 was known for the famous singers that came through to party such as Elton John, Bette Midler, Grace Jones, Andy Warhol, and Donna Summer. It was also known for being one of the hottest spots for New York’s queer community and the club that Dizzee walks into, with the psychedelic drugs and drag queens, seems to be exactly that as well. With this scene clearly meant to replicate one of the coolest queer spots in New York, the show’s early use of the slur faggot makes one wonder what’s really going on.
To be fair, the slur was accurate in the way that it was used. Zeke is asked to recite his poem and his classmates respond with calling him a faggot. This is a public school in the Bronx, not a dance floor in Studio 54— poetry isn’t cool, and neither is being gay. Like Zeke’s teacher tells him, being uneducated is equivalent to being hard and if you’re anything else than hard, you must be a faggot. Faggots are obviously not considered to be “hard”. In this case, the slur did not upset me because I understood why the use of the word was necessary. Not only did the fact that so many talented, educated, and influential artists worked on the show together bring me to that conclusion, but also the fact that The Get Down is no Quentin Tarantino movie. It doesn’t use the slur as a plot device as Tarantino uses the word ‘nigga’; its use is tasteful and meaningful. That scene is one of the few times that you hear it and it really sticks with you (another being during a particularly homoerotic scene with Shao and Zeke, but we’ll get there). The world that uses the word faggot is a different one than the one Dizzee walks into. In this new world that he’s looking at poetry is an art form, not a weak link. Coincidentally this is the world that controls the disco scene.
There are drag queens, divas, and the dirtiest of all dirty words (according to Mylene’s family) — homosexuals, and they have the power to end Mylene’s career before it ever begins.
The Get Down has gone where no other music themed television show has. Not only have they given credit to black people for creating and thriving in their own music genre but they’ve also given credit to queer people of color for being at the head of such a transcendent music movement: disco. Not only that, they’ve also given Dizzee a possible love interest who isn’t a girl. It’s a pretty big deal to have a leading character be black, queer, and a rapper. Is Dizzee gay? Who knows, the storyline didn’t go very far before switching back to The Get Down Brothers and Mylene’s performances, but they’ve definitely set the stage for some sexual exploration later on.
One of the things that makes this show so incredible, other than everything about it, is the interconnectedness of everything that goes on. Mylene disapproves of Zeke’s music but she wants him to be happy. Zeke wants to help Mylene wherever possible. Mylene’s record sets The Get Down Brothers’ performance over the edge. Dizzee’s art leads him to discover gender fluidity and a newfound sexuality but also it puts Mylene’s record through the pearly gates of the music business. There is no break in the story, no lapses where something doesn’t make sense; everything is perfect. It’s diverse yet accurate and in 2016 it’s about time that we’re beginning to see more of than in television shows. Zeke and Shao’s relationship might be a slightly homoerotic and just a bit of a queer-bait but everything functions around their epic bromance and things don’t seem to go well when they aren’t trading corny one-liners.
That’s why when Shao reacts to Zeke’s suggestion of finding other ways to make money, and Shao immediately thinks he means prostitution, the audience can’t help but wonder what’s really going on. As mentioned before, this is the other time where the word faggot is used and it just clicks— it’s not a plot device but an accurate description of what’s going on. Shao is Zeke’s friend but he’s more like the kids in his class than anyone realizes. He appreciates poetry and music, it’s his reason for living, but he wasn’t raised like Zeke and being a “faggot” is still a negative thing in his mind. So far everything is realistic and the characters show potential of having depth and complexity. Dizzee is more open-minded so he’s okay with discovering sexual and gender identities. Shao still thinks that sleeping with Big Annie is better than being gay but he appreciates Zeke’s music and friendship. There are so many things about The Get Down‘s portrayal of queer characters and the queer community that I really can’t wait for season two.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT PART ONE OF THIS ARTICLE FOR A SUMMARY
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