Outside in America : George Michael_s music video, public sex and global pop culture

J. Kooijman

Six months after his controversial arrest for _lewd conduct_ at a men_s public restroom in Beverly Hills, British pop star George Michael released the song and music video _Outside_ which can be seen as an explicit commentary on the controversy. In this article, I read the music video in three ways: 1) as part of the star-text of George Michael, repositioning him as an openly gay megastar; 2) as a British/European critique on American heteronormativity and the criminalization of public sex; and 3) as a marketing tool to sell George Michael and his music on a global level.Key Words: American heteronormativity _ disco _ homosexuality _ star-text