Transgendcrism in Cabaret and Culture
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opposite ends of the spectrum of transgender cabaret performances in the U.S.
At one end, the 801 Club represents the defensiveness and hostility of the
transgendered to the oppressive homophobia of American society. There they
identify with other repressed groups including other gays and lesbians and lash
out at straight white males who are seen as oppressors. On the other end, the
goal of “La Cage” is to please, to entertain, and not to be offensive to its Middle
American audience. The messages conveyed are: “We are not that different than
you. We don’t threaten anything. Let’s all just have fun and laugh together.”
In Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, there are many clubs featuring
transgendered {kathoey) entertainers. Many of those places are simply beer
joints with “ladyboy” go-go dancers, but there are two full-fledged cabarets
where choreographed productions are staged. “Calypso” is the newer of the two.
It is a variety show of songs, comedies, dances, and dramas. With numbers such
as “New York New York,” “Spice Girls,” “Arirang^^ (Korean), ‘‘Kawa no
nagare no you n r (Japanese), and a Chinese love song, the program obviously
is designed for an international audience. There are also the obligatory celebrity
impersonations for such a show: Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner, Brittany Spears,
and Michael Jackson are portrayed. The lip-sync rendition of the late Enka
legend Misora Hibari’s melody on the journey of life, '‘‘Kawa no nagare no you
ni (Flow on Like a River),” resonates an issue that must be at the heart of every
transgendered person: “Mai pen rai (‘never mind’ in Thai),” which has the
broader meaning of “not to worry about things you can’t do anything about”
(Blandin, 2003, 13). The song was sung in Japanese.
Aa kawa no nagare no you ni yuruyaka ni
Ikutsu mo jidai wa sugite
Aa kawa no nagare no you ni tomedo naku
Sora ga tasogare ni somaru dake
(Like the flow of a river, easy and gentle
Ages have gone by
Like the flow of a river, unstoppable
Only the changing colors of the twilight sky)
Aa kawa no nagare no you ni odayaka ni
Kono mi wo makasete itai
Aa kawa no nagare no you ni itsu made mo
Aoi seseragi wo kikinagara