Pittsburgh's city council declared June 12, 2012 as Sharon Needles Day. What The Fuck?
With all of the serious business that they should be tending to, they opted to jump on a media-based bandwagon and glorify a person who should not be glorified. What a crock.
OK, before the hate mail starts (and trust me kids, I do get hate mail from time to time), allow me to state this: I've met Sharon/Aaron many times. I try to find the good in everyone. I find it difficult to find much good in this person who dropped out of school, has based their entire performance "style" on a friend's unique style (and not given the credit due), who has shown himself to be a nasty, insecure and hateful person.
Sure, "Sharon Needles" likes to think he is the new voice for bullied kids everywhere. I think that's just fucked up. If "Sharon Needles" had a tough childhood out there in Iowa, I feel for him...but...he is not the 1st person to have a tough childhood and won't be the last. There have always been bullies and there always will be. Sad but true. That said, it's how one learns to deal with life's adversities (bullies, for instance) that defines one's character. In Sharon Needles' case, he decided it was easier to drop out, run away, and pretend to be someone else. I think that's just sad.
For those unfamiliar with Sharon Needles/Aaron Coady, he is a local Pittsburgh drag performer who has been enjoying some fame and notoriety for having been declared the winner on Ru Paul's Drag Race (a reality/competition show on Logo). Anyone who was familiar with his performances prior to making it onto national TV, knows that Sharon's work has always been derivative, classless, and more often than not, in bad taste. Sharon has also been known to be racist. His use of the word "nigger" onstage at the Blue Moon, as well as dressing in Klan gear, created some minor furor in the local community. Sharon's reasoning for this and other acts is always to say it's "art" or to say he was "joking". Sorry kids...that doesn't fly. You can't unring a bell.
Pittsburghers are great at jumping on a winning bandwagon. Being the "City of Champions", we LIKE winners. Unfortunately, as is often the case, people jump on these bandwagons without knowing much about it. I remember when the Penguins were heading for their 1st Stanley Cup, and people who for years had ignored the Penguins and hockey in general, all attempted to become instance scholars on the subject. It sickened me to the point of no longer enjoying hockey. I don't like the "scenester" mentality. Never have. Never will. What amazes me is that Pittsburgh still has a baseball team...but I digress.
OK, so Sharon appears to be trying to do some good with his new found fame. Well isn't that special. Before I continue, allow me to remind you of a national leader from the 20th century who felt that children were so at risk of social ills, that he started numerous youth programs, many based on physical fitness. It became more than a fad, it became a national way of life. That leader was Adolph Hitler. I'm sure I've seen picture of him petting a puppy too. It pays to look at the whole picture.
During the City Council ceremony today, Needles was quoted as saying, "A win for Sharon Needles is a win for every single kid in this city who's still being bullied," Again...What The Fuck? Sharon Needles spends most of his time partying. I don't see that as the most positive role model. Hey, I'll never begrudge anyone for enjoying a drink or experimenting with chemicals. In my life, I've done my share and probably yours too. That doesn't make me a role model.
If Sharon Needles is going to receive kudos and accolades for doing nothing more than stealing Veruca La Pirahna's schtick, let's give REAL credit where it's due: Local drag phenomenon Marsha Mellow, deserves more credit that she'll ever receive. Mellow doesn't call attention to her good deeds, but for sake of argument, I will. For years, Mellow has been the kindest person in the world to a local man with retardation. This guy likes to take photographs of celebrities and interesting people. Over the years, he has seen Marsha Mellow perform at different functions around town and Mellow has ALWAYS gone out of her to not only be nice to him but to BEFRIEND him. Mellow has also encouraged others to do the same. This has had an incredibly positive effect on this man's self-esteem. Mellow, while being known for her vitriolic stage persona, is actually a sweet person who if often first in line to help those in need.
Another local drag performer that I would like to draw attention to is Mahogany. If you know the local drag scene at all, you know Mahogany. "Mo", as I've long called her, is one of my best friends. Born an only child to a single mom and growing up in the projects of the Hill District, Mo knows bullying better than most. Mo has always been strong enough to overcome it. I can also tell you that Mo is probably the most caring human being you will ever meet. When push comes to shove, there is no one I would rather have in my corner. Mo has always championed the underdogs in this world. And has never asked for attention for it. It's just who Mo is. There are many, many more stories like this, not only in the local LGBT community, but in the LGBT communities world-wide. To pretend that Sharon Needles is in anyway "special", is pure bullshit. Needles is, and always will be, a wannabe, at best.
OK, back to bullies (sorry for rambling in this post...its been a long couple of weeks for me). Bullies exist. They always have and sadly, always will. Bullies suffer from self-esteem issues. One should feel sorry for them, just as one should feel for any child who is bullied. I, myself, was often bullied as a child. I was a short, fat kid with not one but two speech impediments. I always dressed too nice (until about age 12) and was picked on, bullied, and teased. Bullies found out the hard way, that I have never been one to suffer fools gladly. I was lucky enough to have supportive parents. My mother always reminded me that I was an individual and should be proud of that. My dad taught me how to hit and hit effectively. He taught me to never start a fight, but to make sure that if one started, to finish it. Parents need to take a greater part in their children's lives. Parents need to teach their kids how to handle situations. A bully will not respond to reason. If a bully gets in trouble because of their bullying, they will most likely respond by going after their victims for revenge. So teach your kid some self-defense. Teach them how to pop a bully right smack in the nose.
Violence should never be the answer, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. Drop a bully to his/her knees and they tend to stop.
Sharon Needles' fame and notoriety will probably be short-lived. He describes himself as "rich and famous" now. Look back at the rich and famous stars of days gone by, and take note of how many have ended up broke, bankrupt, and futureless. Not having any type of real education, this will be Sharon Needles sooner than he realizes. Hell, his cat even ran away. Maybe Sharon was bullying his cat...but was really just joking around.
Be careful of who you idolize. There's often much you don't know about the person.
I can't believe I just wasted the past 20 minutes writing this.......
AND HERE'S THE UPDATE!
I'm still bothered by the Pittsburgh City Council declaring yesterday Sharon Needles Day. While I mean no ill will to Sharon Needles as an "artist" or "entertainer" (and I use both of those terms very loosely), I believe in giving credit where it's due. Sharon Needles DID win on Ru Paul's Drag Race. Knowing the entertainment industry well, I believe that the producers knew full well of Needles' past and his insensitivity. I'm sure that the producers knew full well that this would keep their program in the press until the next season.
I am especially bothered that the city council wasted valuable time on this. In this current economy, it is beyond frivolous to waste taxpayer time and money on a classless, crude local "celebrity" (another term that I use loosely) who is in no way, shape of form a role model...and who does not want to be a role model. In an interview posted today, Needles stated "Sometimes I don’t give a fuck, and sometimes I feel like, God damn it, I got all these damn, fucking 16-years-olds who look up to me and I got to keep it cute." In the same interview, Needles explained his decision to cancel an engagement thusly: "Oh, I canceled it. You know, I have $100,000. I don’t really need the coin, so I won’t be attending." This is the type of person that city council feels is a ROLE MODEL for kids? So let me get this straight...if you have some money in the bank (and I'm sure that Needles has spent a large portion of his winnings already), you don't have to honor your commitments to something? Is this really something we want to teach kids? So, Pittsburgh City Council (and especially councilman Patrick Dowd) are telling kids that it's OK to be foul, crude, nasty, and irresponsible? That's what it sounds like to me.
THIS is what the city council thinks is an appropriate role model for kids. I hate to say, I do not agree. I have no issue with who Sharon Needles is or what he does. The entertainment industry thrives on shock value rather than talent these days. That's a given. But for anyone to suggest that Sharon Needles is a role model to anyone, is purely ludicrous.
(photo culled from the internet and
used under Fair Use statutes)
It may be time for Councilman Dowd to seriously consider stepping down. A politician more concerned with photo ops, rather than his actual job, is not what we here in Pittsburgh need.
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