![]() ![]() ![]() John Deacon's Ena Sharples tuts over a tabloid newspaper, while Brian May flicks nonchalantly through a vintage women's magazine. Inspired by Coronation Street barmaid Bet Lynch, he's a whirlwind of sexually-charged domestic energy seemingly unhindered by a leather mini-skirt and high heels.Īdd to this Mercury's own ambiguous sexuality at the time, and his video persona appears complex, both then and now. If Queen's interpretation is anything to go by, women might be bored, unsatisfied with their relationships and lacking options but they're not particularly over-worked.įreddie Mercury's character is the exception. Read more about the domestic game changers ![]() In reality the upright model, popular for decades, was heavy and awkward by modern standards. The machine seems to have a life of its own. In the video, the appearance of Freddie Mercury is preceded by a bucking 1950 Hoover 119 Junior. May's teasmade bursts into flames, suggesting the release of pent-up energy and an explosion of the myth that technology liberates women from the drudgery of housework.Įnter another domestic game changer – that vacuum cleaner. Reaching the height of popularity in the 1960s and 70s they signified luxury and convenience, before falling into derision. These automatic tea-making devices, incorporating an alarm clock, enabled a brew-obsessed nation to enjoy a cuppa under the duvet and promised a moment of peace and quiet before the relentless demands of the day kicked in. Read more about how TV transformed our livesīrian May's character, loosely based on curler-wearing soap favourite Hilda Ogden, wakes up to the boiling of a teasmade – remember those? The video begins in a street of terraced housing, filmed in Leeds and inspired by the opening credits of Coronation Street.Ĭhimneys with TV aerials signal the ubiquity of this medium of domestic entertainment: by the 1980s soap operas were beamed into millions of homes around the country several times a week. Is it cruel or is it kind? Either way, as gender politics continue to play out in households around the world, I want to break free still has something to say about housework and those stubborn stereotypes. This domestic satire, drawing on British soap opera and bawdy pantomime, was greeted worldwide in 1984 with a mix of amusement and controversy.īut, nearly four decades on, how might a contemporary viewer negotiate the evident delight of an all-male band in highlighting the lack of opportunities for working-class women? ![]()
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