gay patriots: 3 definitions of ‘gay’ that reveal its fluid history

the new england patriots domination of the nfl during the 2000s was a major inspiration for the creation of the patriotic song gay patriots. and the patriotism in gay patriots the was at least partially motivated  by author gore vidal‘s prediction in the late 20th century that future governments will promote homosexuality as a method of population control. additionally,  gay patriots is full of wordplay (humor based on multiple definitions for words) that contrasts changing perspectives vs established values on sexuality through the lens of sports fans.

the lyrics include varying american opinions about homosexuality, references to the new england patriots nearly completing a perfect season in 2007 before losing to the new york giants in super bowl xlii and three distinct definitions for gay

definition 1

the most common use for the word gay nowadays (today) is homosexual. the lyric at 1:20 in gay patriots is a reference to the movie brokeback mountain and to the dallas cowboys of the nfl.

u don’t like watching two cowboys neck

two cowboys necking--gay patriots
two cowboys necking

neck is the part of the human body that connects the shoulders to the head, but in the song it is the act of kissing passionately for an extended period.

at 2:20 listen for gon’ in the lyric…

if you’re strictly bout the legal u gon‘ say that we cheated

the lyric is a reference to accusations against the patriots of spying on their opponents during their undefeated 2007 season and also to the fact that for most of u.s. history, it was illegal for gay people to get married. in fact, massachusetts, home of the new england patriots, was the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004, eleven years before it became federal law in the u.s.

bout is an abbreviated form of about. gonna is a reduction of going to. it indicates future tense. gon’ is a further reduction. u can hear it clearly in the most obvious line of this well-known kendrick lamar track…

we gon’ be alright

definition 2

gay has been used as an insult for anything considered to be stupid, frivolous or irritating. this usage was still common during the 2000s e.g. (exempli gratia–for example) a football fan frustrated with the dominance of the patriots might have called the team, their players and coaches or their fans gay. but this usage is considered offensive by a growing number of people who understand it to be homophobic and insensitive.

poster with two dialogue bubbles one says that's so gay and the other respondssexuality isn't an insult, don't use it as one--vocabulario en inglés--gay patriots

definition 3

the traditional definition of gay is happy.  it is rarely (not often) heard used that way today, though (however), except at christmas and in the lyrics of a few famous songs from the 20th century, among them the flintstones theme song.

a christmas celebration with the flintstones & the rubbles--vocabulario en inglés--gay patriots
the flinstones were gay all year but especially at christmas

the first line at the beginning of gay patriots is an example of the traditional definition.

tis the season for making merry and being gay

tis the season and merry are vocabulary associated with christmas. tis the season can be heard in the christmas carol deck the halls. tis is a reduction of it is. merry means happymerry christmas is a standard holiday greeting/wish. the title of this movie reflects that the plot (narrative) is a lesbian love story that happens at christmas…

the second line spoken at the beginning of gay patriots is…

yes it is. indeed it is

it emphasizes that christmas is merry and gay with indeed adding even more emphasis.

fezziwig from "a christmas carol" doing a gay christmas dance
fezziwig, ebenezer scrooge’s boss in the novel a christmas carol, performing a very gay (happy) dance indeed at a christmas party

there are a lot of jokes in gay patriots, but it definitely reps (promotes) the right of gay people to be gay and free from discrimination. rep is an abbreviated form of representing. this attitude is mentioned in the final line of the final verse of gay patriots at 2:50…

no names used in the recording of this song are in any way whatsoever affiliated with the label reppin gay patriots

whatsoever means there is no affiliation at all between the ideas expressed in gay patriots and the names used.  and it should be obvious that no record label ever actually (in reality) repped this track. it was a totally independent project 💀

justin bieber wearing a nirvana t shirt--vocabulario en inglés--gay patriots

justin bieber reppin nirvana. and lesbian haircuts

are there other expressions in gay patriots that are curious to u?  post your comments or questions under leave a reply


 

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