I've been a long-time follower of "The Goddess Bunny". Bunny is in fact, a middle-aged male named Johnny Baima, who was stricken with polio at birth and left with the twisted, shriveled form you see in the clip.
Although he most often dresses as a female, he still has his male genitalia, thus he’s a transvestite rather than transsexual. He’s not anorexic and not actually a midget, either…his growth was restricted by an ill-fated early attempt by physicians to strengthen his spine with a steel rod. The rod was bolted at the top and bottom of the spinal column when he was quite young and never removed or adjusted, so Johnny’s posture and natural growth were adversely affected.
He is best known as the "Goddess Bunny" but is also known in the transvestite underground by the stage name "Sandie Crisp".
He had a brush with actual fame some years ago due to his friendship with Marilyn Manson-- he appeared in the video "Dope Show" as well as onstage during a Manson performance at the 1998 MTV VMA's.
The MTV performance was thought to be so "out there" that they wouldn't show any close-ups of Bunny dancing onstage behind bassist "Twiggy Ramirez". (I have that performance on video and it amazing how they intentionally avoided anything other than longshots of Bunny)
i think you are all reacting in a negative to real life situations. not everyone gets off with a serviceable body and general community acceptance. i watched the video that nicky nicrado recommended. i have also worked with disabled people. this is a disabled person doing what able people do. this disabled person is a transvestite who has decided to hit the stage dancing... against all odds i might say. unfortunately we 'able' people do not like being confronted by people like that. years ago we put them into freak shows and that was the only way they could survive. we still don't like them because they are freaks. but they are human beings with emotions and ambitions and needs like the rest of us.
lia so have i, but this isnt a simple case of the disabled soring above the confines of social prejudice and becomming 'abled' against all odds. This is blantent degradation and exploitation.
lia, how is this different from the freak shows you spoke about? You said that was the only way they could survive. Surely today this person can find another way to survive without degrading himself. Cudos to him for learning how to dance in spite of his handicap but this video was shot for its shock value, not to show someone overcoming physical obstacles. I agree with anon 5:25 I find it disturbing and wrong because it is self-degrading, not because I don't like being "confronted by people like that"
But isn't it only degrading if HE sees it that way, and who knows how he really feels? Maybe he feels beautiful. In addition to his birth maladies, he apparently feels trapped in a man's body. Ask yourself is he was doing what he's doing in jeans and a t shirt and no makeup, etc., would you still be so grossed out. The question for me is whether he's been talked into what he does by bastards trying to make money off his misfortune, or if he dresses up and dances like this of his own desire.
I spent several years working with disabled people. I've seen many destroyed bodies in constant pain, and I tend to agree with lia. "Bunny" was handed a pile of shit of a life at birth, he's still here, and he's dancing. Maybe he's celebrating that fact. Until he says differently, I say good for him.
why is everyone so sorry for someone who obviously has a pretty nice life in a sunny place filled with big windows and healthy plants and who can actually say that they have performed on-stage with a big star? I guess I don't see sadness in the eyes of this person who's "making lemonade"...in a different time you would have to pay to see "The Goddess Bunny" and you would have loved every minute of it! If you have ever watched "Taboo" or Ripleys Believe or Not" and have been entertained, how can you not like this? creepy? yes! bad? nope.
16 comments:
Gawd, what was that? That was just all kinds of wrong and disturbing. Made my skin crawl.
Susan
What. The. Fuck.
I've been a long-time follower of "The Goddess Bunny". Bunny is in fact, a middle-aged male named Johnny Baima, who was stricken with polio at birth and left with the twisted, shriveled form you see in the clip.
Although he most often dresses as a female, he still has his male genitalia, thus he’s a transvestite rather than transsexual. He’s not anorexic and not actually a midget, either…his growth was restricted by an ill-fated early attempt by physicians to strengthen his spine with a steel rod. The rod was bolted at the top and bottom of the spinal column when he was quite young and never removed or adjusted, so Johnny’s posture and natural growth were adversely affected.
He is best known as the "Goddess Bunny" but is also known in the transvestite underground by the stage name "Sandie Crisp".
He had a brush with actual fame some years ago due to his friendship with Marilyn Manson-- he appeared in the video "Dope Show" as well as onstage during a Manson performance at the 1998 MTV VMA's.
The MTV performance was thought to be so "out there" that they wouldn't show any close-ups of Bunny dancing onstage behind bassist "Twiggy Ramirez". (I have that performance on video and it amazing how they intentionally avoided anything other than longshots of Bunny)
Nicky-
thats crabbie!
Poor scrap of a humanbeing, how can you not feel overwhelming pitty for her/him.
that is something that no one should see...for entertainment or otherwise...sad very very sad is what that was...i am sorry i watched it.
What would you do without D-Listed eh Dishy?
i think you are all reacting in a negative to real life situations. not everyone gets off with a serviceable body and general community acceptance. i watched the video that nicky nicrado recommended. i have also worked with disabled people. this is a disabled person doing what able people do. this disabled person is a transvestite who has decided to hit the stage dancing... against all odds i might say. unfortunately we 'able' people do not like being confronted by people like that. years ago we put them into freak shows and that was the only way they could survive. we still don't like them because they are freaks. but they are human beings with emotions and ambitions and needs like the rest of us.
lia so have i, but this isnt a simple case of the disabled soring above the confines of social prejudice and becomming 'abled' against all odds. This is blantent degradation and exploitation.
lia, how is this different from the freak shows you spoke about?
You said that was the only way they could survive. Surely today this person can find another way to survive without degrading himself. Cudos to him for learning how to dance in spite of his handicap but this video was shot for its shock value, not to show someone overcoming physical obstacles. I agree with anon 5:25 I find it disturbing and wrong because it is self-degrading, not because I don't like being "confronted by people like that"
But isn't it only degrading if HE sees it that way, and who knows how he really feels? Maybe he feels beautiful. In addition to his birth maladies, he apparently feels trapped in a man's body. Ask yourself is he was doing what he's doing in jeans and a t shirt and no makeup, etc., would you still be so grossed out. The question for me is whether he's been talked into what he does by bastards trying to make money off his misfortune, or if he dresses up and dances like this of his own desire.
I spent several years working with disabled people. I've seen many destroyed bodies in constant pain, and I tend to agree with lia. "Bunny" was handed a pile of shit of a life at birth, he's still here, and he's dancing. Maybe he's celebrating that fact. Until he says differently, I say good for him.
N.
Why is this posted three times??
-Finley
Because Blogger sucks.
why is everyone so sorry for someone who obviously has a pretty nice life in a sunny place filled with big windows and healthy plants and who can actually say that they have performed on-stage with a big star? I guess I don't see sadness in the eyes of this person who's "making lemonade"...in a different time you would have to pay to see "The Goddess Bunny" and you would have loved every minute of it! If you have ever watched "Taboo" or Ripleys Believe or Not" and have been entertained, how can you not like this? creepy? yes! bad? nope.
hahaha goddess bunny is fierce, the 'scary' part at the end was funny (great makeup job btw)
THANKS ANON 8.27 THE OTHER ANONS ARE JUST GROSSED OUT BY FREAKS.
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