Dudes I Like: Neo-Weimar Edition

This feature will be replacing "Male Feminist of the Week" because, well, that was too hard. Not that there aren't plenty of male feminists out there, but there aren't many guys TALKING about how they're feminists. So we'll switch to guys who I think are cool, and living in a feminist way or embodying a feminist ideal, and we'll start with this one:

Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls.

Brian is, primarily, the drummer of this awesome Brechtian punk cabaret duo. I will in fact add a photo of both him and his counterpart, Amanda Palmer, as there are more cool pics of them together.


Anyway. One of the innumerable cool things about this band is that they are sort of an inversion of the White Stripes--male drummer, female lead vocalist and musician (keyboard), the woman is the front, uh, man. Viglione is, however, far more active onstage than Meg White. I of course have no idea how the Whites actually work when CREATING music, but Viglione has been a drummer since he was 9 (or earlier, depending on how you interpret his bio) and is a gifted musician independent of his main gig. Just sayin.

Comparisons aside, it is inspiring to see a truly talented man supporting a (also truly talented) woman. While they are clearly partners, the focus is usually on Palmer, and she tends to be the protagonist--whether on stage, on CD, or in videos. You must check out the video for "Coin-Operated Boy," which will give you an idea of how integral he is to songs that are clearly from a female perspective. The Dresden Dolls give one hope that maybe men are actually capable of listening to music by (and--gasp--often about!) women. Maybe it's sad that I'm so impressed, but I really appreciate a man being able to collaborate with a woman, and not have to be the center of attention.

Not that he never gets center stage. Oh no. I saw the Dolls perform this New Year's, and in addition to being awesome on drums and vocals, and playing guitar a bit, well: Just before the countdown, he stepped up to the mic and took up the guitar. Amanda got behind the drums (hot!) to back him up, and announced that they were going to perform a "very old but very effective Jewish protest song." They then performed "Fight For Your Right to Party." Amazing. He was totally a credible Beastie Boy.

Full disclosure: I also like him because he's damn sexy. I did not quite realize this until the concert, when he ditched his trademark bowler hat (and, uh, his shirt), and it turns out he looks like this:

Who can argue with that?

Also, according to Wikipedia (so who knows if it's true), he's been a crossdresser since he was 12. Hot. Sorry to objectify you Brian--I mean it with the utmost respect. There should be more like you.


PS: If you did check out that video (or have heard the song), it may interest you to know that the line "I can even take him in the bath" is, uh, different when performed live. FYI.