Paris is Burning means...? - Paris Is Burning Discussion

[–] dmahone-1 17 years ago

It's probably refrencing Willie Ninja describing how he wanting to go and take voguing to Paris...I don't know the exact line.

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[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] noonej 16 years ago

As for where everyone is....watch the director's commentary. I normally don't do that for films, but given the film is only 70 min. long I thought I'd just play ten minutes or so of it, but was so drawn in I couldn't stop. It's truly like watching a second film and is not the standard "this scene was hard to shoot"-type commentary you get on Blockbusters. The commentators give updates on MANY people and talk about developments (including a mummified corpse of a murder victim that was present unbeknownst to the crew while they where filming) in their career and in the ways that balls are done now. I recommend it as much as the film itself and I've never said that about a commentary before.

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[–] cocacolaistherealthing 9 years ago

Could you explain about the murder victim/corpse?

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[–] DivingIntheBlue 9 years ago

Information about the corpse can be found here: http://www.coffeerhetoric.com/2013/01/revisiting-paris-is-burning-sift ing.html

"Drag legend Dorian Corey died in 1993 of AIDS-related complications. In an interesting and bizarre development, friends happened upon the mummified remains of a man named Robert Worley amongst Corey’s belongings while cleaning out his apartment. Worley had been shot in the head. It was never determined who shot Worley or why. Police were eventually able to extract fingerprints from Worley and found that he had an arrest record for rape and assault. There's speculation that perhaps Corey may've shot Worley in self-defense after a robbery attempt, or perhaps Worley was an abusive boyfriend."

And there's also this story from New York Magazine which presumably goes more in depth.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OeQCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA50&lpg=PA 50&dq=drag+queen+and+the+mummy&source=bl&ots=9P9lNELRMV&am p;sig=ExToyAJtmc1naRfg0uv2HqUzj5k&hl=en&ei=KRw-TczzLMeh8QP_j4D bCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CE gQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=drag%20queen%20and%20the%20mummy&f=false

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[–] cocacolaistherealthing 9 years ago

Thanks for the additional info. What a strange find...

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[–] highoffshoes 15 years ago

I was looking at the references section in this film, and there's a movie called Is Paris Burning? except in french. Apparantly Hitler said it during the war...so maybe it's a reference to that?

like, Yes, Paris is burning!

Amelie has one friend, Blubber. Alas, the home environment has made Blubber suicidal.

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[–] DingelBerry 11 years ago

You're all wrong.
"PARIS IS BURNING" is a reference to Paris Dupree who's ball is depicted in the film. Is like saying Paris (Dupree) ball is so hot he is burning.

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[–] DingelBerry 11 years ago

By the way Paris Dupree is the black drag queen with short blond hair, he later sued the producer for unauthorized use if her ball in the film, he sued for $40,000,000

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[–] mojo2004 9 years ago

By the way Paris Dupree is the black drag queen with short blond hair, he later sued the producer for unauthorized use if her ball in the film, he sued for $40,000,000

Paris didn't get anything since he had signed a release like all the rest.Ms. Livingston said that even before the threats of lawsuits, she had decided to pay about $55,000 to 13 performers, based on how long each appeared on screen. And in 1991, after the claims against her had been dropped, the money was distributed. Pepper Labeija said he got only $5,000 and $1,500 of that went to the lawyer for quote, "Doing nothing", unquote.

MOJO2004

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[–] wigger_slayer 10 years ago

It's a reference to the 1981 Dokken song "Paris is Burning". They didn't have enough time in the film to get into the big influence of west coast hair metal on this scene.

--
Only living to die

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[–] ow-3 10 years ago

The drag queen in the beginning who snatches her wig off is Paris Dupree. The first 15 minutes or so focused on Paris' ball called PARIS IS BURNING. So it is named for the ball.

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