A gay music video porno - what more could you want?

A couple of weeks ago, artist Brendan MacLean made a fun, explicit music video about gay semiotics called 'House of Air'. It’s strangely poppy and upbeat all the while unrelentingly visually representing various kinks.

No question, it’s pornographic in nature. Though in a weirdly non-sexual way. The depiction of urophilia – that’s being peed on if you’re not up on the lingo – is done in such a matter of fact way I felt like I was in a sex education class. Well, if I’d ever had any meaningful lessons on sex education, anyway.  

MacLean has written an excellent article for the Guardian, which I heartily recommend. His link to the youtube video is now null and void as Youtube have removed the video this past week. I don’t think this is much of a surprise, it cites its rules on pornographic and sexual scenes and in all fairness, you don’t get more sexual than someone being shat on. (Apparently though, the poo wasn’t real)

What I don’t really get is the outrage. He's received multiple death threats over this. I honestly can't think of a bigger over reaction since Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston broke up. It was uploaded with the age explicit tag and no one has ever argued that it is inappropriate for children. It isn’t aimed at them. So the whole 'what about the children' argument doesn't really ring true. The video is a tongue in cheek look at an important issue – gay semiotics.

Especially back when the original essay - 'Gay Semiotics' - that the video is based on was produced, the need for a secret code for gay men was high. A way for communicating desires outside the mainstream and behind the back of an ignorant and regressive system of laws. It’s the same reason that the language polari was used as late as the sixities by British gay men to discuss their sexual urges.

Hal Fischer released the essay in 1977 with labelled pictures so that no one was confused. It is very breezy and to the point in its nature but incredibly important in documenting an integral part of the gay identity. The video by MacLean does a service to the community by ensuring that we do not forget the history of our community and the coping mechanism that were devised to survive in a less forgiving time.

Then again, the deep seated hatred that MacLean has been subjected to since releasing the video suggests that we’re not as forward thinking and open as we’d like to believe. I’ve already referenced the upbeat, friendly vibe of the music video and I imagine that this is the key reason that so many were up in arms. It is crystal clear that zero shame is present in the video, it is a celebration of semiotics and sex.

Regardless of the backlash that he’s received, he and his team should be proud of themselves – and I think they are. They’ve created a video which is fun and empowering. I’m under no illusion that I’m lucky to be alive and living in a city that is open and tolerant of my sexuality. However a pervasive heteronormativity often filters through and it’s wonderful to have videos like this that challenge that. A reminder that we do have our own culture and one that we should be proud of!

The video is here and I cannot recommend giving it a watch more. Probably wait until you’re home though if you’re at work, with kids or on public transport.