SHOCK POP – By Will Baker

SHOCK POP
The Rise of the Wild Child Popper
By Will Baker
Madonna ignited shock pop as we know it today when she performed “Like a Virgin” at the 1985 Video Music Awards wearing a combination bustier/wedding gown, and her trademark “Boy Toy” belt. And who can forget 2003 when portraying a groom, she open-mouth kissed her brides, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera?
These days, it’s not only Madonna who is using shock to grab attention for her music. Christina raised eyebrows with “Dirty”, followed by Katy Perry who “kissed a girl and liked it”. Today’s leading players of pop – Ke$ha, Adam Lambert, and of course, Gaga – are gaining notoriety by being untamed and unashamed.

We at Bent take a look at a couple of new American artists who are upping the shock ante, doing things never-before-seen in pop music… it ain’t just the ‘gay thing’ any more!

KILLIAN WELLS – Blonde Bi Bombshell
Do you see yourself as a shock pop artist?
KW: It’s not intentional. I’m simply unwilling to censor myself. Art stops being art when you neuter your creativity.

The boy-on-boy kiss in the video has shock value.
KW: It’s about time a mainstream artist had the balls to do a boy-on-boy kiss.
Has the kiss brought the attention to the video you hoped it would?
KW: I find more people are shocked by the drunken vomiting in the video.
Artists like George Michael and Ricky Martin hid their sexuality while they were on the top of the charts.  Is sexuality more accepted today?
KW: There’s still a long way to go but society is definitely more open-minded now. Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert have huge followings. It goes to show that a so-called ‘alternative’ sexual orientation isn’t a deal breaker anymore.
Who is your shock-pop idol?
KW: Prince because he did it all without fear.
Sometimes being too shocking can derail an artist’s career.  When Josie Cotton released “Johnny Are You Queer?” in ‘81, she lost her record deal.  Do you fear it may be too soon for a guy-on-guy kiss?
KW: I was nervous in the beginning but the response has been way positive. I’m working with some major people in the music industry because of the attention from the video.

Are you being a good role model for today’s young listeners?
KW: I hope I can be a role model for young fans who are afraid to be themselves. However, I wouldn’t encourage young listeners to go get drunk we do in the video.
What do you say to parents who might feel your free-for-all-sexuality is sending the wrong message to their kids?
KW: My bisexuality isn’t promoting promiscuity. I’m actually a monogamous, relationship-oriented person, which is a rarity regardless of sexual orientation. It’s irresponsible for parents to make their kids feel they have to fit a mold to conform to society’s standards.
What does your own mom say?
KW: My parent’s views used to be very old school but I’ve enlightened them.
Is today’s celeb culture teaching fans it’s weak to be meek?
KW: It’s not new for celebrities to do things that are seen as taboo. Pop stars can’t be blamed for someone else’s actions; that would be like saying porn stars are responsible for people having sex.
Will you continue to push the envelope in your next songs and music videos?
KW: Definitely, I’m not holding back.

CARSTEN ANDERSSON – PopPorn
Do you see yourself as a shock pop artist?
I probably am. Pretending to be the clean, innocent boy-next-door wouldn’t work for me. I can’t compete with Justin Bieber.

Why did you decide to come clean about your porn past?
You can’t hide something like porn. It would come eventually. Better to tackle it head-on.

Has it helped bring attention to your singing career?
Without my porn past, I’d be just another boy with a song out. Porn has made people take notice. They want to see what this boy can do other than get naked.

Artists like George Michael and Ricky Martin hid their sexuality while they were on the top of the charts.  Is homo and bisexuality more accepted today?
I think there is always going to be some issue with being gay. Not with being gay but with being open with it.

Who is your shock-pop idol?
Not Lady Gaga. Most things I see from her seem copied from artists of the past.

Katy Perry?
I don’t like her. I find her boring.

What about Madonna?
Madonna in her early years: definitely! Madonna today: not really shocking anymore. I like the trashy Europop stars from the 80s that really knew how to shock. Amanda Lear was a transsexual who fooled the world for years that she was a woman.

Is America ready for a pop-porn star?
Paris Hilton built a career out of porn. Other celebrities have followed, pushing their “accidentally lost private porns” on the internet.

What do you hope to prove with your song?
Honestly? Nothing. The song is called “Fun” and that’s all it is. I did it for fun; no deeper reason. Basically, I had done movies, photos… we thought what comes next? Ok, let’s make a song.

Have you retired from films?
No. I’m open to doing more. Maybe the big shocking movie is still yet to come.

Do you do porn for the money or for fun?
It’s not the money. I can think of a thousand better ways to earn cash. Porn is the only job I feel comfortable with. I know my way around the bed, or on the couch, or in the barn (laughs).

Do you consider yourself a good role model for today’s young listeners?
Hell no. What would happen to the world if young boys took me as a role model? Scary thought.

Will you continue to push the envelope with more songs?
I never make plans beyond the next 24 hours. I have a real messed-up mind. One day I want this, the other I want that, and finally I end up in Japan shooting a manga porn.

Visit KillianWells.com and CarstenAndersson.com