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Alex Parks

  
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
15:03 / 09.10.03
Disclaimer: most of this is cross-posted from the Fame Academy thread in Film, TV & Theatre. But Alex/FA has been mentioned in a Music thread, and this is probably the place to talk about her anyway now that the show is over.

So angsty, publicity-shy 19 year old lesbian Alex Parks from Cornwall won Fame Academy 2003. At this early stage, it's probably too early to answer the question "is her stuff any good", because she hasn't released anything apart from a few tracks on the FA album. The question does seem to loom, however: what if anything does her success 'say' about reality TV pop?

I'd like, if possible, to move past knee-jerk objections to the concept of shows like Fame Academy and Pop Idol (but since that's a pipe dream, this might be a good place to discuss them). If Alex and her music = manufactured, anodyne, homogenised angst, then who is she/it being manufactured by, given the lack of any real change of direction in her image/sound since entering the Academy - her parents?

Let's be clear about something: in six months, Alex could be as annoying as Dido - I think coming out of something like Fame Academy, people always have the potential to go either way, as it were. But within the context of the show/competition, I think the fact that she not only won, but was a clear favourite from quite early on, is very interesting. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the British music-buying public is into gentle angst right now, but I think it is surprising and encouraging that someone who combines the specific qualities of youth, angst, vulnerability, androgeny, queer sexuality and - well, 'uniqueness' for want of a better term - can be so instantly accepted and championed. And she *is* a little unique - unlike Peter, she hasn't just been slavishly aping her heroines (Ani DiFranco & Annie Lennox) thank God, and she's not boring enough to be Tracy Chapman or Suzanne Vega... Beth Orton sometimes springs to mind, but I think Alex is just that bit more intense than any of these people - there's that disarming thing she does sometimes when she just seems to stop caring about how her vocals 'sound' and start belting it out with a scary degree of emotion (like when she ripped into "but I'm not the only one!" in her cover of 'Imagine', which almost made that dire song tolerable) - you could call it emo, I guess, although I wouldn't (I like her too much). I think you can also make a comparison to T.a.t.u., if you're not entirely cynical, in that they clearly did appeal to teen/pre-teen girls who may or may not have been questioning/discovering their sexuality - except Alex doesn't have the creepy/discomforting aspects of exploitation (perceived or genuine), voyeurism, etc.

Apparently her single, 'Maybe That's What It Takes' will be out on Nov 17. It's not bad at all, I think, as odes to (probably) unrequited love go. I'll watch/listen to what she does next, with interest.
 
 
Our Lady of The Two Towers
17:53 / 09.10.03
Apologies as this isn't really relevent to the topic at hand, but was it clear she was a lesbian going into the Fame Academy thing, during, or after she won?
 
 
Char Aina
18:24 / 09.10.03
well, she had the haircut.

but seriously, she came out after the show had completed filming.
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
19:17 / 09.10.03
No, she was out already and apparently mentioned it on air on the BBC3 coverage early on (when she was first getting to know the other students). According to her parents she's been out to them since she was 14. It was never really mentioned explicitly on the show after that - apparently she didn't want to make a big deal of it, which is fair enough - but there was a lot of reading between the lines to be done, and since they never tried to actively *hide* her sexuality or mislead the audience, to be honest I think that's preferable to a number of cringe-inducing ways I can imagine them having covered the subject (but that's a discussion for the thread in TV, I guess).

(I'm getting my info via interviews with Heat, etc, which are online at this site.)
 
 
I'm Rick Jones, bitch
19:24 / 09.10.03
Do you read Heat, Flyboy?
 
 
Not Here Still
19:25 / 09.10.03
Well Fly, I think the most important thing about her, and which you have clearly recognised, is that she was singing in a very lesbian manner. Because I guessed straight away when I heard her sing; she had that lesbian-y tone to her voice all lesbians have.

When she admitted her sexuality during filming, I thought it was silly; it might just get missed, or perhaps people might not give a damn about her being a lesbian, as the show she was on wasn't called Lesbian Academy, and listen to her singing.

Which would have been terrible - after all, lesbianism is the fourth most defining characteristic she has, after being angsty, publicity shy, and 19 years old. Not her smoky voice, or her attitude towards a tune; not her stage presence, but the fact that she's a lesbian; that's what defines this girl.

I wonder how crazy, publicity-mad, 24-year old heterosexual Peter's going to go across with the public?
 
 
I'm Rick Jones, bitch
19:27 / 09.10.03
She's the British Pink. Run for the hills.
 
 
Tryphena Absent
19:37 / 09.10.03
I think it's kind of cool that the lame old British public actually voted a lesbian in to power, fame and a music career ifyaknowwhatimean.
 
 
gingerbop
19:38 / 09.10.03
Oooh... say, she's gay?
ooooo
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
19:39 / 09.10.03
Radiator: that's about as off-topic as you can get, but I'll indulge you. I don't read Heat as a rule, but I might flick through it in the shop or if a friend/colleague has a copy. Care to explain the relevance?

NMA: apologies if you think I'm focusing too much on this issue and obscuring the music itself as a result - not my intention. I guess what I find fascinating is that the overlap of reality TV and pop music is often presented as the lowest common denominator of popular culture, and is sometimes implied to be or is explicitly accused of being politically as well as musically conservative. Alex's runaway success seems to call these assumptions into question. If no-one else is pleasantly surprised that the voting public for this show never held it against her, or thinks that it's good to have an(other) openly queer pop star in the public eye - hey, if nobody thinks non-hetero sexualities are still under-represented in pop or the media as whole - I'll concede that I'm making a fuss about nothing.
 
 
Not Here Still
19:49 / 09.10.03
Fly, I salute that gentlemanly response (and this time I'm not being sarcastic)

Will Young's single, after he came out, was the fastest selling of all time at that point; I think the thing that many commentators, and yes, that includes you here, don't realise is that fewer people care about sexuality than you might think.

Surely it is up to Alex to choose how she represents herself, and while I wasn't a huge Fame Academy fan, from what I saw of it Alex's attitude was more; "this is me, take it or leave it" which is fine by me - as far as I'm concerned, she'll stand or fall by the sound of her music. I don't recall her asking to be made a spokesperson for non-hetero sexualities; I do remember her winning Fame Academy.

Sorry if I went off on a bit of a rant; but it annoyed me that the Mirror chose to define her as 'lesbian singer' rather than just 'singer' the other day, and it annoyed me when you did it.

Yes, it's cool that the British public chooses someone on merit rather than other factors, but I think that Alex stood or fell on being good, not being a lesbian.
 
 
Not Here Still
19:55 / 09.10.03
Just off out now, but perhaps a full thread on sexuality in pop music - or the bumping of an old one - might be a good idea for tehse ideas to be discussed further? I haven't heard anything Alex has done herself, which is really what I'd like to judge her on...
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
19:56 / 09.10.03
In that case, I think we agree 100%.

I should just get Anna de L to boil down everything I want to express into two lines, every time, shouldn't I?
 
 
I'm Rick Jones, bitch
13:22 / 10.10.03
No relevance, just that Heat stands against everything I hold dear (sanity, relevance, content, quality journalisim). And it brings me out in boils. Boils of Hate!

But to get back on topic: I don't think you can divine public opinon from Fame Academy, which I readsomewhere was a ratings failiure and is due for the chop. Also, I doubt many homophobes would like Fame Academy, y'know? Doesn't strike me as a bigots cup of tea, somehow.
 
 
illmatic
13:36 / 10.10.03
It is interesting, though, that she's won. It's not a cure for homophobia nor a definitive gauge of Brit public opinion, but it's still an intersting case of representation. Most commentators on these programmes have it down that'll it'll be the best looking guys who win, because of the audience being hormone-driven teenage girls. I didn't watch the programme*, so can anyone tell me did she have the most engaging story/personality or what?

*I think I'd have my "Blind Date" response to this programme,if I ever saw it. That is to say, vocally protest my hatred for it while watching it to the end with an expression of horrified fascination on my face.
 
 
I'm Rick Jones, bitch
13:40 / 10.10.03
Perhaps girls are fed up of squeaky clean male vocalists? Young and Gates have dropped of my pop culture of late, but then it's been a while since I listened to radio.
 
 
40%
16:11 / 10.10.03
I've just learned two things from reading this thread:

1. Alex has won Fame Academy
2. She's a lesbian

The former is of far more interest than the latter. I'm really pleased to hear this, as I think she's got an amazing voice, and sings with great sincerity. I can't remember any previous occasion that something I heard on TOTP gave me chills.

I'm also really glad she beat that cock Peter. I was in disbelief when I heard him telling her she had bad breath on national TV, and I've wanted to kick his teeth in ever since. His act was shit as well.

To be honest this result confuses me. I'd always got the impression that the way to win this kind of program was to be a snivelling little twerp, and to base your entire self-esteem on its outcome. Alex has done neither of these things, but has won (it would seem), simply by being good. This bucks every known trend.

Still, let's raise our glasses, shall we? Here's to someone being good at something and getting credit for it!
 
 
The Falcon
18:52 / 10.10.03
Radiator - you have to read Heat. Otherwise what would you talk about?
 
 
I'm Rick Jones, bitch
10:34 / 11.10.03
Oh my god, Duncan, you're right! There's a hole in my life, and it can only be filled by the knowledge of what trainers posh spice is wearing.
 
 
Tryphena Absent
14:01 / 11.10.03
I still feel like people are missing the point of this a little. I mean, of course she won because she can sing well but five years ago she wouldn't have won at all because she is a lesbian and quite openly so. That's what makes her victory more interesting than it would otherwise have been- lots of people can sing well.
 
 
40%
15:03 / 11.10.03
How so? It's not like we're talking about a lesbian getting some managing director's job. We're talking about the gay-friendly pop world here. I honestly don't understand why this interests or surprises you. Did you also find it interesting that Will won pop idol?

Your statement that "lots of people can sing" is obviously true, but I think you're missing the point that those people don't usually win these kinds of contests. Generally, having genuine talent is no guarantee of anything, which is why for me, Alex's genuine talent is the outstanding fact of this situation, not her sexuality. And I can't imagine she would be displeased by my taking that view.

Besides, how is she 'openly lesbian'? I thought she didn't come out until after the show had been filmed. In which case it would have had no bearing on her winning or losing. Making the fact that she is a lesbian all the less interesting in terms of her winning the contest...
 
 
Char Aina
15:04 / 11.10.03
(sorry, imeant came out to the world at large.. teevee land, and all that, not mum. but bbc3 you say? i missed that.)
 
 
Not Here Still
17:19 / 12.10.03
IIRC, she came out during the show, not at the end; she mentioned it during one of the slightly-crap-big-brother-but-not-as-good bits focussing on the students getting on in the Academy, didn't she?

Anna, I'm not missing the point; I just don't happen to agree with it. I really don't think that the fact Alex is a lesbian would have stopped her winning five years ago.

I certainly haven't noticed any sea change in British attitudes since then, although I could be persuaded if you can break it down for me a little more, rather than just saying 'it wouldn't have happened five years ago' without elaboration. At the moment, I think it would have happened, you think it wouldn't, and we stalemate.

But I remember three years ago (though it seems much longer) that Anna came second in Big Brother, arguably the first modern reality TV show involvin public voting. I don't think her sexuality harmed her vote in BB either.

However, there is a case to be argued that reality TV voters will turn against contestants on shows on grounds other than their performance, although it's not sexuality; it's skin colour.

"...ethnic-minority survival has only been possible in either a group nomination of four or more, or when pitched against another black nominee. Put another way, black eviction candidates have a 77% chance of being kicked out; whites a mere 36%" - Helen Kolawole on Big Brother
 
 
Tryphena Absent
17:39 / 12.10.03
Well I can't prove it but I can still state that I believe it. After all Anna did come second but I think she would probably come first now. Will Young did win Pop Idol but he wasn't out. In addition to that I'd like to emphasise that homosexual men have always been more prominent in the entertainment industry than lesbians.

That isn't my point though and you are misinterpreting me. I'm not pleased that she won because she's a lesbian, I'm pleased that British culture won because she's a lesbian. It's not that her talent lies in the realm of lesbianism or that she should win anything because she wants to screw women and not men. It's that she's managed to pull it off in spite of any bias against her sexuality. That people have seen past it and voted for her. Feels like we're getting to a place that we should have already got to. I don't understand why you're reading my comments as being about Alex when really my point focuses on the people who vote for her, in the context of her talent I'm not really saying anything except she should have won because she can sing. Hell I'm not even saying anything specifically about her being a lesbian.
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
17:45 / 12.10.03
Personally I wouldn't dispute that Alex could have won five years ago: what I would say is that an openly queer female pop star is a good thing. How many others like her can one name, who are currently prominent? I certainly don't think one can refer to the "gay-friendly pop world" without some kind of qualification, although that description can be said to be true in many ways, especially in comparison to other fields... Including other fields of music, which brings me back to an earlier point: although no-one here may think so, I *have* read/heard several suggestions that the nature of these shows is to (deliberately?) produce the most bland pop stars imaginable - not just musically, but also in terms of social/cultural make-up. Whereas in fact it strikes me that Alex would have found it much harder to be given the time of day by, say, the NME...
 
 
Not Here Still
19:21 / 12.10.03
Anna, old bean, I have a feeling we are agreeing with each other a lot more than you think, seeings as you seem to be wanting to make the same point as I am - that the win says more about the voters than the winner hereself. It's just that our posts seem to be rubbing up the wrong way against each other for some reason.

As you say, ..it's that she's managed to pull it off in spite of any bias against her sexuality. That people have seen past it and voted for her. Feels like we're getting to a place that we should have already got to.

The 'feels like we're getting to a place we should have already got to' idea is what brought out the first post I made in this thread, because I felt that, here of all places, we didn't need to have Alex's sexuality pinpointed as something which defined her; it isn't, as far as I can see. My arguments in this thread aren't particularly about Alex; I don't really care too much one way or the other if she's a lesbian or not, it's not important, thought I had made this clear but perhaps not.

As you say, British culture is 'the winner' here; I just don't happen to think that it changed overnight with this win. I think there has been a steady move towards a more accepting pop culture over a long period of time - and that pop is usually far more tolerant than people think. Somehow, though, I think this is where we differ. C'est la vie.

(Pedantry WRT Will Young; if you note, I'm talking about him having the biggest single of all time, not about him winning Pop Idol. The single came out after Will did)
 
 
Tryphena Absent
19:35 / 12.10.03
I just don't happen to think that it changed overnight with this win. I think there has been a steady move towards a more accepting pop culture over a long period of time

That's totally what I'm trying to say! That we've been moving towards this over the last five years but this win shows that we've finally reached the point where an Alex, Will or Anna can be voted on the merits of their voice.

I always feel a sense of triumph when it turns out that we agreed all along.
 
 
Not Here Still
17:06 / 13.10.03
I just feel a bit wanky for saying c'est la vie...
 
 
40%
18:59 / 13.10.03
this win shows that we've finally reached the point where an Alex, Will or Anna can be voted on the merits of their voice.

I agree that we've reached this point. However, I thought we'd gone beyond that to the point where we could talk about her and the merits of her voice without having to refer to her sexuality at all. Isn't that the ultimate aim?
 
 
Not Here Still
18:43 / 15.10.03
Well, I heard the single today on Radio 1. I can see Alex's career going just the same way as David Sneddon's if all her releases are like it.

Bit bloody insipid if you ask me...
 
 
Sax
20:45 / 18.10.03
Why can't these people just go and form bands?
 
 
Tryphena Absent
21:13 / 18.10.03
Maybe they don't like working with others.
 
 
Not Here Still
15:15 / 08.11.03
There's an interview with Parksy in the Guardian Weekend today; interestingly, she seems to be under a lot less 'don't slag Fame Academy' control than I would have expected, and she seems pretty damn sussed. And I've warmed to her even more after finding out she trained as a clown; I don't know why, I just like clowns...


The fact that teenagers accounted for the majority of Fame Academy's voters suggests that Parks's generation, and those slightly younger than her, are unfazed by sexuality. Previous lesbian singers have either hidden their sexuality for years, or they have appeared as novelty acts of torch-song androgyny.

To older eyes, Parks may appear a bit dyke-y with her combats and T-shirts, but to those her own age, used to the skate and surf influence, she looks pretty normal. "I think I've been quite lucky," she says. "All I've had is good reaction from people on the streets. It's quite an insight into what people are thinking about, for me to win the show that's been on Saturday night at 6.30 on BBC1. I think a few years ago maybe that wouldn't have happened."


[off topic: Sneddon has quit pop.
 
 
stephen_seagull
19:19 / 01.12.03
I ordered her album from Amazon and it arrived over the weekend. After listening to it last night, I must say I am something of a fan, or at least a 'liker'.

On first hearing 'Maybe That's What It Takes' (not sure where...), I was quite annoyed at what seemed to be a blatant attempt to be Sinead O'Connor. I'm not sure why I picked that baldie out of the hat, but I did. That was my first impression, what can I say?

Anyways, despite the first impression being something of a dud, I am reformed. Long live Alex Parks - or at least until I've finished with my 'liking' of you. Muhahahaha.
 
  
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