Times Square
I used to dream about clothing. Not so much about a specific item of clothing but rather an outfit. Dreaming is an unattainable luxury that I'm rarely (if almost never) afforded. This indulgent act ceased altogether the moment I moved to Hell’s Kitchen.
APT 5FE
I lived across Flashdancers NYC on 45th street for nearly two years, Apt 5FE was a rail-road style one bedroom on the fifth floor. $1000 would hit Alex’s bank account monthly. My titi’s Colombian boyfriend from Queens. The unit was entirely beige, carpeted, and rent controlled. The building was nearly vacant. The landlords had paid off the majority of tenants. A mere $16,000 to relocate. Are you paying any attention to the housing market right now?
FLASHDANCERS
The gentleman’s club-cum-champagne lounge-cum sports bar-cum-general establishment's staff and patrons are outstanding neighbors. Entering the pleasure pagoda with distinction and discretion. Some to undress, others simple voyeurs. Is this leering? There’s a 121 dollar grilled octopus on the menu. It comes with wasabi mashed potatoes. I hope that the undressed receive fair and equitable wages. So that they can accumulate enough wealth to pay for a liberal arts education and the acquisition of property, should their hearts desire.
SHOW DON’T TELL
Scratchy and severely under-caffeinated articulations and “holas” to Incredible Hulks, Woodies, and Minnie Mice were uttered as I made my way through Times Square during my pilgrimage to MoMA. MoMA the beacon of culture. The TKTS booth functioned as a quasi-track marking, bittersweetly signaling the following: 1) you’re about to get out of this hellscape 2) let me remind you about musicals.
Musicals really make me cringe. I want to get into them but I just can’t. I like operas and I like plays. There’s just something about narration through song that feels off. No one (there are many exceptions, individuals with severe ADHD among them) repeats themselves so much in real life. Why is there a chorus? What about Chekhov? Show don’t tell?
Morgan Bassichis sings show don’t tell so perfectly in their piece at Bridget Donahue. My ex did the captioning. A credit line and confirmatory text message. A few casual and friendly exchanges made me feel comfortable enough to propose a coffee. “To catch up” I clarified. They need to check-in with their partner. I lived in Hell's Kitchen when we dated. Am I a toxic person?
I successfully suspend my disbelief when engaging with other media. Impotent with musicals. I think it’s because I'm allergic to penicillin. Operatic voices distort language. Words and their meanings are rendered unintelligible. Operas are often in German. I don’t speak German. That’s why I am okay with Opera.
What was it about Times Square that made me stop dreaming? Dreaming about outfits specifically? “ Italian curator Ilaria Bonacossa identified New York City as “the symbol of global capitalism” and Times Square as “the fulcrum of American-style spectacle culture.”
BACK TO TIMES SQUARE
The kids are calling Times Square the new Dimes Square. Brands like Juicy Couture and Ed Hardy and True Religion purchased on Depop and Poshmark. Visits to Margaritaville and Krispy Kreme are recorded and storied on Instagram. This is an act of resistance!
Many of you think that what you’re doing is camp. I honestly think it’s kitsch. There's nothing wrong with kitsch. Camp is just more intellectualized. Everyone wants to be an intellectual. Kitsch tastes like a glazed Krispy Kreme. Shiny to the point that it makes you salivate. Zero nutritional value. Sugar-induced stimming at 190 calories and 0.99 cents.
Drop a comment below to help me choose my next handbag acquisition: a metallic Balenciaga Twiggy or a Vernis Louis Vuitton Bedford. Mark Fisher speaks so brilliantly about nostalgia. Imagine Mark Fisher wearing Juicy velour.
THE DREAM
Chloe’s SS 2006 Jamie sandals made an appearance in my dream last week. Red, yellow, green, and black adorn the the strappy leather sandals with a cork base. Wright Keller styled them with drapey tracksuit tops and bottoms. Flouncy and romantic because the Chloe Girl is a little bohemian you know? In Nicole Phelps's review of the collection on the now defunct Style.com, she referred to these athletic pieces as a “rave-girl tracksuit”. Rave? I think she meant Dancehall. The hues of the Jamaican flag.
