DorEm Answers

Dorigen and Madeleine,

Here’s another question submitted by a reader:

“In honor of your sister site… ‘Sisters are doing it for themselves’ = please explain. That duet (Aretha and Annie Lennox?) seems so unlikely, and the Simpsons ref (w Bart and Milhouse jumping on the bed singing it, in drag) is too too sweet.”

Thanks Madeleine!  As any drag queen worth her weight in sequins will tell you, the 80’s were a decade of female empowerment and consequently, shoulder pads.  To put this into perspective, in 1985, the same year as the Aretha / Annie duet, another pairing happened…

Now, this may have been your jam back in the day (as it was mine), but you must admit that this odd gyration needed a voice of reason.  It needed the voice of a woman.  Aretha and Annie were tellin’ it like it is, not dancing for their lives in fear of their hearts exploding, because of all the cocaine that was snorted between takes.

As far as Bart and Milhouse goes…

…I love the idea of two kids trying out nonsense.  Although, a simple connection is that some would argue that Milhouse is gay.

Still, the “sisters” song is very empowering, and the video makes me want to start wearing construction hats on the regular.

Thanks for the question!

Emily