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Molly's avatar

That NYT article was incredible, and I hope to someday see that documentary that is being hung up by concerns that it could "cancel" Prince.

He changed my world in rural '80s Iowa. We would dance and sing to 'Purple Rain,' and 'Darling Nikki' was especially dirty and a family fave, and my poor overworked Catholic Mom would come home to use dancing and jumping on couches and writing around to it and she would be like "This song is terrible." But she never took it away. (Take that book-banning asshole parents. She still let us have our music.)

Seeing him twice in Las Vegas later in life in my 20s at late-night jam-session shows that went hours, standing practically underneath him wailing on guitar at his Rio residency, him yelling to crowd, "What hit do you want to hear next? I got all the hits. I got too many hits!" was heavenly and my friend turned to me and said "Yes, he is right. He does have an insane number of hits" is still a highlight of short-lived music critic career.

That said, these great artists -- Prince's contemporary Michael Jackson especially -- were incredibly talented and complex sensitive souls who grew up in incredibly abusive homes. It showed. Abuse breeds abuse. And these were times before anyone acknowledged it, went to therapy, etc. You just suffered and shut up. Not to say they had zero responsibility for their own behaviors later in life, it just shows how hard it is to climb out of that hole, especially for Black men and women (also see: Janet Jackson) who grew up in working-class homes where they were physically and emotionally abused.

I hope Prince's doc gets out.

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Jennifer Wilson's avatar

I really hope it does, too.

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The Kitchen Confessional's avatar

This was a great piece. I quoted Prince in my 1984 senior quote: “Life is just a party, and parties weren’t meant to last.” My mom, an academic, was upset and called me frivolous, pointing to other kids who had used phrases like “Carpe diem” as their signature. I remember just looking at her and saying, “Mom, this quote is exactly about ‘carpe diem’ - and so much more - that’s why I chose it.”

A friend of mine - who, by the way, did not know who Prince was before she met me (!) - gave me a Prince voodoo doll that hangs next my front door; I’ve also got the votive in my kitchen along with a Mexican Day of the Dead Prince tile. Prince’s allure is, perhaps, in his imperfections and his willingness to challenge our notions of what perfect even means 💜

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Jennifer Wilson's avatar

I hope you wore a blouse with ruffles to graduation, Kristen. You deserved it.

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The Kitchen Confessional's avatar

I should have -- but I did have a pair of purple Guess jeans that were kind of a big deal ;) Literally everyone at my high school remembers those jeans!

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Annette Joseph's avatar

The Best!! What a great post!! Thank you I needed this!! XO

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Sam's avatar

#RaspberryBeret love this!

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Jennifer Wilson's avatar

Put it on the dance playlist!

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Julie Stone's avatar

This is fantastic.

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Jennifer Wilson's avatar

Thanks, JS.

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