Out in the Mountains

 

Be Political Not Politel: A review

Michael Warner

Political correctness, a buzz-phrase used
to describe most people, places and
things with a progressive agenda, jumps
to mind when listening to Romanovsky
& Phillips’ latest release: Be Political
Not Polite. While the media and various
political constituencies may have the
majority of America believing that “PC-
ness” is a 1ess—than-desirable quality, al-
most as nefarious as being labelled “Lib-
er ” in the last presidential election, the
correct politics espoused by Ron Rom-
anovsky and Paul Phillips, sound any-
thing but negative. Lyrics like “Right the
wrongs of human rights... be political
not polite,” sound an anthem to stand up
and be heard for causes which are right
and just. As they state in the blurb before
the title song on the lyric sheet: “Lan-
guage is a barometer of hatred and prej-
udice. We must be vigilant in rec-
ognizing and discontinuing the use of
words with which we oppress each oth-
er.” And R&P use their lyrics to do just
that.

As anyone familiar with their music
would expect, this collection of songs is
about more than just the current political
situation in the g/l/b community. It is
about personal empowerment and human
strength, always celebrating “being gay.”
Approaching life with humor and wit,
not bitterness or anger, using what may
seem oppressive to strike back and turn
the situation around, R & P sing out
against prejudice and oppression, both
individual and societal.

They sing about the everyday trials and
tribulations of relationships with lovers,
parents, children and even therapists. My
favorite songs are the ones which poke
fun at and debunk various myths of gay
life. I Met a Man is fuH of the situational
humor that the dating scene has to offer
each of us, male or female. “Why is it
when they are fun they are not the ones
that you adore?” Posing the question:
“Should you take what you can get or
take the time to shop for what you’re
wanting?” their answer carries a note of

irony: “Maybe you should check your
bait and take a look at what it is you’re
flaunting.” Oh No..J'm in Love satirizes
the love relationship which is available
with that perfect other, one’s therapist,
for only $75.00 an hour. In Once Upon
a Time R&P draw comparisons to the
gay community then and now, “It’s get-
ting hard to tell the boys from the girls...
the women from the men... the faggots
from the dykes...” to point out the dy-
namics of the ever evolving and ma-
turing nature of our community as well
as our changing sense of community
and of self.

Of course there are serious and poignant
songs too. One of the Enemy, Love is all
it Takes, and No False Hope certainly fit
that category. I have to admit that in-
itially I enjoyed the humorous songs
much more than I did these emotional
ones. Here I found the singing somehow
grating. Yet, after several times through
I, myself, am singing along and have ba-
sically forgotten what it is that bothered
me. It’s the message, embodied in their
lyrics, which I remember and carry with
me as I sing along. There’s nothing
more positive than that. The closing of
the final song, “Hope is the key that un-
locks the mind, lightens the burden or
leaves it behind, and if that’s what it
takes to help someone live, then we
have a lot we can give,” sums up the
power of their music.

While I don’t profess to be an expert on
music, nor do I make a steady diet on
this kind of fare, I recommend Rom-
anovsky & Phillips’ Be Political Not
Polite. Good, enjoyable, empowering,
gay-positive music is not to be missed.
The cover art alone makes this some-
thing worth having in one’s collection.
With the Christmas season upon us I
could suggest this as a great gift idea for
a loved one or for yourself.

Be Political Not Polite is available from
Fresh Fruit Records (1-800-47-FRUIT). V

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