Mud Glorious Mud (or why Irish festival goers are gimps)

In the 1990s the actor Kevin Kline appeared in a light comedy film entitled 'In & Out' about a small town teacher who is inadvertently outed by a former student during an Oscar night acceptance speech. In the film, the big giveaway about Kline's sexual identity  is his passion for the music of Barbara Streisand; a narrative shorthand for all things fey, flowery, effeminate and, well, gay. So far, so cliched, so what. Except that when it comes to being treated, how shall we say this, not at a level with the prices charged, your average Babs fan is more Spartan warrior than shrinking violet. Rock fans, on the other hand, who are in the main teenage, rebellious and given to wearing black t-shirts saying things like 'Unleash Hell' are more reminiscent of The Gimp in 'Pulp Fiction' than the brave little punks that Jack Black leads to glory in 'School of Rock'. Hey, you can play 'Standing In The Way of Control' all you like but if you roll over on your back everytime you are taken for a ride you have no right to talk about how rock can change the world.

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