Hercules & Love Affair has released a video called “My Offence,” which combines music, voguing and interviews as New Yorkers talk about the word “cunt” and its appropriation by the gay community.
The video’s description reads:
[The video] explores Andy Butler’s relationship to taboo words and the use of “cunt” amongst NYC’s gay community to relay flattery, empowerment and strength — in short a fierce display of femininity. After 13 years of living as a “Queen that lived in New York” Butler saw his own usage of the word engrained into his vocabulary. A move to German speaking Vienna prompted him to reflect on how subversive it really was, and sparked an exploration of it in a song . . .
Part music video, part documentary, prominent voices from New York’s art, music, literary and nightlife scenes including Kalup Linzy, Honey Dijon, Juliana Huxtable and Contessa Stuto discuss their relationship to the word over the dark, cathartic undertones of Butler’s bold electronic production . . .
Director Matt Lambert said, “I spoke to some of the people who appear in the video for over an hour. Each of them had a different answer and different relationship to the word ‘cunt’ as well as the appropriation and reclamation of profane language as a means of pushing culture forward. Language, especially when dealing with issues surrounding identity, defines people’s realities whether they choose to embrace or ignore language.
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