Johnny Are You Queer?

"Johnny Are You Queer?"
1981 single recording through Bomp! Records
Single by Josie Cotton
from the album Convertible Music
B-side	"(Let's Do) The Black-Out"
Released	1981, Bomp! Records 1982, Elektra Records
Genre	New wave[1]
Length	2:43
Label	Bomp! Records Elektra Records (reissue)
Writer(s)	Bobby and Larson Paine
Producer(s)	Bobby and Larson Paine

"Johnny Are You Queer?" (also stylized as "Johnny, Are You Queer?") is a 1980s pop song that was written by Bobby and Larson Paine.^[2][3] The song was first performed live by the Go-Go's and was later performed by Josie Cotton, who released the song as a single in 1981 and 1982, and as part of her 1982 album Convertible Music.^[3][4][5] The song was also featured on the Valley Girl soundtrack.

Premise

The song's lyrics are written from the perspective of a young woman that is questioning her relationship with the titular "Johnny". He had approached the unnamed woman and asked her on a date, only for him to spend most of his time with his friends and with various men that she believes are homosexual. Because of this and Johnny's apparent ambivalence towards her, she questions Johnny's sexuality, asking him if he's ultimately "queer".^[6]

Music video

A music video for "Johnny Are You Queer?" was produced in the 1980s. The video shows Cotton and Johnny sitting on a park bench where she makes romantic advances, much to Johnny's discomfort.^[7]

Reception

The song was the subject of controversy upon its release.^[8] Cotton was accused by multiple conservative groups as promoting homosexuality and one network claimed that "there was no Josie Cotton and that she was actually a gay man who was trying to convert unsuspecting straight men into a homosexual lifestyle."^[9] The Village Voice and The Advocate were both highly critical of "Johnny, Are You Queer?" and The Advocate demonized the work in an article entitled "Josie, Are You A Bitch?"^[9]

Years later AllMusic reviewed the song and noted that "In retrospect, the song sounds rather tame, and throughout, the joke is on the petulant girl, not Johnny: "he's not interested in her that way, so clearly he must not like girls" is (deliberately) a laughably arrogant premise."^[10]

Cotton has stated that since the song's release she has been contacted by several people who thanked her for the song, as it helped them come to terms with their own homosexuality.^[11]

Charts

In 1982, the song reached position 38 on the Billboard Club Play Singles chart.^[6]

Covers and media uses

• The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 1983 film Valley Girl and is performed in the film by Cotton, along with several other songs.^[12]
• The song was played as background music in the second season episode of Glee, Blame It on the Alcohol.^[13]
• The rap group Elephant performed a remix for "Johnny, Are You Queer?"^[14]
• The band Glass Candy remixed the song with the Shangri-Las’ “Give Him a Great Big Kiss".^[6]

References