I seem to remember we used to have such a thread, as opposed to the Breaking Learning one.

It has only taken me 40 years, but I've finally realised that the use of the word "funk", as spoken by Vincent Price in Thriller, isn't referring to the type of music, but to a smell. To me, the word funk/funky only refers to music or a style, but I've fairly recently noticed that some (mostly Americans?) use it to describe an unpleasant smell, which would make sense in this context.

"The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years"

I'd always thought it was an odd choice of word randomly placed in the lyrics - now it finally makes sense.

Funk also used to mean fear. So George Orwell is writing about a tramp who doesn't dare to steal a leftover bottle of milk off a doorstep, and he says 'It was funk, pure funk.'

So you could describe the sense of fear induced in George Orwell by the smell of James Brown as 'Funk funk funk'.

It's meant 'smell', and in specifiably that of a REDACTED*,   you can understand why it then because used for the music with a good GROOVE.



See also the original meaning of 'Punk'  

And Rock. And/or Rock n' Roll

I've always thought that the traditional English meaning of "funk" is more associated with with feeling depressed or generally in a dark place emotionally.

Y'know, like being in a 'blue funk'.

It seems like its meaning fear or depression are interchangeable though.

There's definitely some conjecture regarding the word's etymology though - most thinking sources it from Latin or French (to smoke), but black American scholars believe it come from African dialects and languages.

Either way it refers to strong body odour, sweat and the like.

I think that, in regards to funk music, it aptly describes a music that is intended to make one dance until you sweat.

Other than general children's programmes, one of my first TV memories is watching Dallas and seeing someone - who I've always thought was a woman - being hit by a car and rolling over the bonnet. I remember crying.

For the first time I finally decided to try and find that scene last night and it turns out that it was actually the famous death of Bobby Ewing (before later coming back in the infamous shower scene), shown in the UK in July 1985 - just 4 days after Live Aid - and just before I turned 5.

It's no surprise I cried as it's quite distressing.

The Nine O'Clock News was on after it, followed by The Visit: Sperm-Bank Baby. I guess I'd gone to bed by then.

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_one_london/1985-07-17

It has only taken me 38 years, but last night when watching the video for Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid for the millionth time, I suddenly realised that the singer to the left of Glenn Gregory on the "Here's to you/Here's to them" middle bit is none other than Marilyn!





As it's only a brief side glimpse I'd always presumed it was just someone else from Heaven 17, or the Boomtown Rats or someone else I wasn't so aware of. I of course have always known Marilyn was part of Band Aid as he stands out in the footage and photos in his distinctive yellow and blue clothing, looking all moody....





....but it seems he actually got a relatively important (albeit brief) duet role!



From 2:12 to 2:18

Quote :

While the name originated from homophobic bullies at school, Robinson decided to appropriate it to his advantage

I don't know which Robinson it is.

Marilyn's real name.



Marilyn was an early 80s New Romantic singer.

Fangirl Three wrote:

Quote :

While the name originated from homophobic bullies at school, Robinson decided to appropriate it to his advantage

Marilyn was born three months after Marilyn Monroe died - so it's quite interesting that school pupils would use a nickname from someone who died several years earlier; more than 10 years if he was given the name at secondary school.

When I was at secondary school anyone remotely.... different.... was called the rather more current "Julian".

Our cultural reference for such things was Quentin Crisp. Boy George/Marilyn became famous during my adolescence so they didn't have time to filter through into terms of abuse.

You'd think I should know this, or at least remember, that on Tina Turner's song Private Dancer, famously written by Mark Knopfler, it's not actually Knopfler playing the prominent guitar but none other than Jeff Beck.

I always picture Mark Knopfler playing, though I must have read in the credits at some point over the years that it was Jeff Beck.

The size!!

...Of the statue as a whole.

Perhaps NSFW.

Spoiler:

I've always thought it was more human-sized.

Me too! His ****bag is as big as that lady's head.

And as they used to make them small as well, what with them all looking like the last Turkey in the shop and all that.


Didn't they?

No one been to the V&A in this here London before then?