• ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    52
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    The shrink is a she, the whore uses both he and she pronouns in the song. The pronouns are even bolded in the lyrics sheet and quite noticable in the song.

    Singer is bisexual and while he was supportive of generally challenging gender norms, sometimes his trans comments were what would be considered transphobic nowadays. See:

    https://genius.com/Green-day-android-lyrics

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh0Mozl_ZTo

    And

    https://genius.com/Green-day-king-for-a-day-lyrics

    • toynbee@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      As a kid who had no understanding or awareness of anything that challenged gender norms, I was confused about the mixed pronouns. Then I forgot about that song. Some twenty years later, this mystery was addressed. Thank you for the information.

      • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        5 months ago

        Yeah I was in elementary school when dookie came out so I can’t say I was particularly enlightened either, but it stuck with me.

    • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      It could also be that the prostitute is male and telling the singer to quit whining because their life is so boring that it’s probably even bringing down their therapist.

      • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        Yeah some people think it’s an unmentioned girlfriend too, but it doesn’t really fit the lyric structure. It’s jarring enough that it has to be telling you some sort of taboo subtext.

    • garbagebagel@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      Interesting, I never pictured the character in Android as a trans person, honestly what I had in mind was more of a mentally unwell, possibly unhoused, person that perhaps had no other choice but to wear woman’s shies. Given, all of that in today’s lens is very problematic, but the song is 33 years old after all and I didn’t really have an understanding of trans people when I first heard it more than 20 years ago. Though I did pretty clearly understand the meaning of the line in basketcase.

      Idk, maybe it’s because I grew up with them and Billie Joe was a queer idol for me growing up, but king for a day never struck me as demeaning towards people who cross dress or people who are trans either. Just a (probably autobiographical) song about breaking gender norms.

      I am almost as old as Android and probably my views are getting outdated so feel free to ignore my ramblings. Just interesting to see how the world has changed even from when I was little confused kid. (Now I’m a big confused kid)

      • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        5 months ago

        I honestly think it’s inclusive language for the time. I just don’t think you’d let far with using it nowadays.

      • deltapi@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        5 months ago

        Yeah, I read that as the homeless person is wearing woman’s shoes and is crazy, not that he’s being judged as crazy for wearing woman’s shoes. Nothing in android’s lyrics struck me as transphobic.

        In king for a day I see homophobia in general represented by the dad character and the implication that the “guys” will do something bad - but that’s the point, isn’t it? To condemn the homophobia?

        Idk, I think that when it comes to interpretation there is no winning when up against someone with an agenda. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

        • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          I don’t really have an agenda, as I’m neither trans, queer, or particularly in contact with the community except by Lemmy. I just think the core ideas are kind of old tropes about trans sex workers and crazy homeless men in drag who can’t fit into society (the idea being if you’re not an android you might be doomed).

          You can say that I’m unfairly making trans people to be over sensitive if you want.

    • Undearius@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      5 months ago

      I always thought the sung lyrics were “I went to a whore who said my life’s a bore”