Q: Why does everyone think the cook is mean?
A: He beats the eggs and whips the cream.
From Prince’s sorely under-rated ‘Diamonds & Pearls’ album – an unlikely holiday collection from my childhood – this is ‘Cream’ – and a more fitting song to accompany these creamy pics may not exist. This was just a quick photo shoot of selfies taken after I had finished assembling an icebox cake for a work lunch. There was lots of whipped cream left over, so what’s a boy supposed to do?
THIS IS IT
IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO GO TO THE WIRE
YOU WILL HIT
‘CAUSE YOU GOT THE BURNIN’ DESIRE
IT’S YOUR TIME (TIME)
YOU GOT THE HORN SO WHY DON’T YOU BLOW IT
YOU ARE FINE (FINE)
YOU’RE FILTHY CUTE AND BABY YOU KNOW IT
This song takes me back to 1991. The 90’s were new then, and some of us, Prince included, were still not quite ready to get over the 80’s. ‘Cream’ solidified his chart status, even as some critics weren’t overly impressed by the album as a whole. I happened to love it – it’s pure pop confection, all wisps of sugar, spun into musical gold, with nothing too heavy, or heavy-handed, to muck things up. Maybe that’s why some people didn’t like it – too frivolous, too fun, too silly to make a difference and advance the musical legacy of genius. This was the era where he busted his butt out for an MTV performance of his song ‘Get Off’, swiveling his hips in a canary yellow, cut-out lace pant-suit with a scandalously-sheer window for his ass. Then he turned around and shook it for the audience. Peachy indeed. With that one single move, Prince taught me all I needed to know of the power and limitations of being cheeky. Well, maybe Madonna helped out a bit a year later too. Together they were my King and Queen of Provocation, and I worshipped at the altar of 80’s excess.
YOU’RE SO GOOD
BABY THERE AIN’T NOBODY BETTER (AIN’T NOBODY BETTER)
SO YOU SHOULD
NEVER, EVER GO BY THE LETTER (NEVER EVER)
YOU’RE SO COOL (COOL)
EVERYTHING YOU DO IS SUCCESS
MAKE THE RULES (RULES)
THEN BREAK THEM ALL ‘CAUSE YOU ARE THE BEST
YES YOU ARE
1991 was a rather dim time, particularly that fall, which is by its nature the dimming portion of the year. Suzie was away in Denmark and I was floundering in the midst of familial strife brought on by my being so strikingly different that no one knew what was going on. Looking back, it was the beginning of social anxiety, coupled with a world that never taught me being gay might be ok. Still there was joy to be found, no matter how serious or upsetting everything often felt. I turned to pop culture to escape, and in the process I found my salvation.
In a song.
In a dance.
In a bit of cream…
DO YOUR DANCE
WHY SHOULD YOU WAIT ANY LONGER?
TAKE A CHANCE
IT COULD ONLY MAKE YOU STRONGER
IT’S YOUR TIME (IT’S YOUR TIME)
YOU GOT THE HORN SO WHY DON’T YOU BLOW IT (GO ON AND BLOW IT)
YOU’RE SO FINE (YOU’RE SO FINE)
YOU’RE FILTHY CUTE AND BABY YOU KNOW IT (YOU KNOW IT)
CREAM
GET ON TOP
CREAM
YOU WILL COP
CREAM
DON’T YOU EVER STOP
CREAM
