Bowie Persona by 201570312

Bowie speaking to BBC (1999)

201570312 — 2023-11-01 23:49:21 UTC

Here we see David Bowie speak of his newfound sobriety, followed up by him unabashedly labelling himself as an "alcoholic", indicating that just one drink at this point would kill him.

He goes onto say that he has built up to good of a relationship with his friends and family in order to ruin it now with drugs and alcohol. This presents him as an almost role-model like figure to be respected for his commitment to family

Interview as Ziggy Stardust (1973)

201570312 — 2023-11-01 23:50:09 UTC

In this interview, Bowie discusses, in a very eloquent manner, the very nature of his behaviour and thought process behind changing personas, highlighting as a natural extension of how he's always found himself. It is clear from this that he is still heavily associated with the idea of 'being weird' and unconventionality, to which he is well aware and uses it to his advantage.

Bowie starring as Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006)

201570312 — 2023-11-01 23:52:26 UTC

Bowie starring as Pontius Pilot in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

201570312 — 2023-11-01 23:53:35 UTC

Although only a small role, its role of cementing him as an actor beyond the realm of the indie film was far larger. Appearing in a film directed by Martin Scorsese demonstrates to others that he can be utilised by the best in the business and would not find himself out of place

Bowie in a humorous sketch with Conan O'Brien (2002)

201570312 — 2023-11-01 23:55:11 UTC

Here, Bowie plays with conventional assumptions and stereotypes surrounding celebrity personal lives and uses his own status in aid of the joke.

A compilation of Bowie's comedic collaborations with Ricky Gervais

201570312 — 2023-11-01 23:56:29 UTC

Here Bowie embodies the idea of 'not taking himself seriously' as he consistently collaborated on projects with Ricky Gervais that poked fun at Bowie's reputation and even depict him being rude and hard to be around.

Having no obligation to or gain from, but consistently returning to these projects demonstrates his humorous side and selfless nature

Bowie as the main star of The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)

201570312 — 2023-11-01 23:59:27 UTC

Bowie starring as Villain in family film Labyrinth (1986)

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:01:41 UTC

Bowie branches out into a more family friendly environment while also branching out Indi dually by playing a major Villain for the first time.

Once again, synergy is at play as Bowie also wrote for and sang the film and its soundtrack

Not taking self seriously/ Comedic

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:03:38 UTC

Bowie had frequently incorporated elements of cheekiness and or humour into his act, however they often seemed to be calculated decisions relative to the persona at any given time. As his career evolved, there was a greater trend of Bowie leaning into his humour while also allowing for the very nature and character of himself to be made the subject of comedy

Film/ TV Star

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:05:06 UTC

Occurring parallel with his music career since the 1970s, Bowie has also starred in numerous film and television roles. This initially operated in conjunction with his own music and personas, however soon began to branch out into roles independent of his career in music, drawing instead from his own appeal and star power.

Bowie playing Himself in Zoolander (2001)

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:07:45 UTC

The idea of Bowie playing an exaggerated version of himself lends credence to the idea that he does not take himself too seriously and is willing to entertain making fun at the expense of his image

Bowie starring as Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (1983)

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:11:14 UTC

This role demonstrates Bowie's willingness to tackle difficult and serious subject matter such as war, racism and homophobia

Dramatic

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:12:32 UTC

Not limiting himself to simple cameo roles in larger projects, Bowie consistently starred in roles that were it not for him, would have been filled by a serious dramatic actor.

Film | The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:15:45 UTC

Here we see Bowie's first major venture into the world of Film. Now operating in synergy across multiple art forms, Bowie seeks to establish himself as more than just a rock star.

The subject matter and style of the film lend themselves to his earlier associations with Extra-terrestrial behaviour and themes, while at the same time, pushing the envelope into before unseen gratuitous sexual behaviour in which Bowie is at the centre. Once again, Bowies utilises sexuality to work for him

Album | Low (1977)

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:18:00 UTC

With this album came further evolution in Bowie's use of synergy and cross-promotion as this era of his look also came in conjunction with his first major film role in The Man Who Fell To Earth.

Increasingly, the themes of his music began to coincide with the numerous drug habits he had at the time

Bowie criticizes MTV for Not Playing Videos by Black Artists (1983)

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:20:12 UTC

Knowing he is being interviewed by possibly the largest and most accessed music institution of the 1980s, Bowie diverts from the questions and uses his status and platform to call them out on outspoken racial matters that he has no obligation to discuss

Bowie's Mugshot (1976)

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:21:45 UTC

The very existence of these mugshots serves to show that Bowie wasn't merely a controversial figure for frivolous reasons but that he often pushed against boundaries that may have proven to be a step too far. The calm but stern expression also leads into the idea that Bowie has built his career and person on the grounds of facing controversy, so naturally remains unphased when confronted with it head on

Rebel

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:26:35 UTC

Be it through his appearance, lyrics, actions or opinions, Bowie always carried the reputation as a rebel throughout his career, having manifested in various different ways in conjunction with the issues and his own conduct.

Some of this came from a reputation bestowed upon him for his conduct, whereas other instances involved Bowie consciously engaging in acts of rebellion

Compilation of Bowie dealing with questions on his sexuality

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:30:02 UTC

A persistent theme throughout Bowie's entire career was the seemingly never-ending enquiries into the star's sexuality. Here we see him comedically and cheekily deal with these questions over the years. This all suggests and presents Bowie as respectful and amicable in the way of privacy invasion, while his continuous playing with the questions forever connects the idea and notion of 'sexuality' with both his private and public personas.

Gender and Sexuality

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:31:49 UTC

"Ladies and Gentlemen...and others..."

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:33:12 UTC

Bowie utilising humour to play with the persistent idea of his peculiar sexuality while also taking advantage of the awards ceremony to further propel the challenging of gender norms.

Song | Dancing In The Street

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:36:22 UTC

Continuing to play with the notion of his sexuality in highly upbeat and provocative collaboration with Mick Jagger

Song | Rebel Rebel (1974)

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:38:23 UTC

Here Bowie presents himself in fervent support of everything queer and non-conventional, going so far as to encourage all those who feel the same

Bowie talks about his sexuality

201570312 — 2023-11-02 00:57:32 UTC

Making the answer extremely clear, a frustrated Bowie attempts to contain his distain for the persistent questioning. This paints him as calm and collected and not someone who is prone to lashing out, someone in control of their emotions

Album | David Bowie (1967)

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:06:01 UTC

At the onset of his career, Bowie's style and look could easily be argued to fit into the prominent 'Mod' movement of the 1960s. On the surface there was not much to differentiate him from numerous other acts at the time.

Album | Hunky Dory (1971)

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:07:21 UTC

Seemingly the first drastic change in appearance for Bowie, it immediately made him stand out from the crowd and thus connected him to numerous counter-culture sentiments. Bowie played to and exacerbated growing shifts in culture and began to signify that a new era had been reached, with him placing himself at the forefront

First appearance as 'Ziggy Stardust' character (1972

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:08:49 UTC

Stepping out publicly in such a peculiar fashion presents Bowie as fearless in the face of gender norms and the backlash he knows he will recieve

Album | The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:11:50 UTC

Thematically, this album dealt even more with themes of sexuality, queerness and space, seemingly showing Bowie embrace the themes that he had perhaps begrudgingly become most associated with.

Song | Changes (1971)

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:14:48 UTC

Lyrically, this song presents Bowie as anti-establishment and as some sort of martyr for the modern youth to project upon

Bowie starring in Spongebob, Atlantis Squarepantis (2005)

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:20:29 UTC

Starring in a voice acting role for the first time, while also being in a show targeted primarily at children represents Bowie as garnering and spreading appeal across generations. It could also be said that it strengthens his relevance beyond the realm of music and other roles he is perhaps more famous for.

As stars age, it becomes increasingly more likely that they broaden their undertakings from more 'serious' endeavours and instead wish to leave behind for their kids and the younger generations.

Album | Aladdin Sane (1973)

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:22:20 UTC

The art of this album photo shoot seem to present Bowie as open and bare, showing himself off for all that he is, being as clear with identity as possible

Album | Station To Station (1975)

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:22:44 UTC

Although we have seen Bowie change his look and persona before with Ziggy Stardust, not to mention minor evolutions in the Ziggy persona, this album and era marks a clear turning point in which it becomes apparent that change and evolution will be a constant theme to come with Bowie, showing that Ziggy was not a one time switch

The themes and tone of this album also took a much bleaker and direct turn, relative to his previous work which tended to be more abstract and uplifting

The final appearance of the Ziggy Stardust persona and announcement that this will be his "last show"

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:38:29 UTC

The very essence of 'Persona' is utilised to its full advantage, with Bowie giving no indication that he simply means there will be no more shows as Ziggy, he fully embraces the concept he has created and treats it as though it is reality. As he sees it and presents it, this is the end. The era of Ziggy has ended and thus it is in fact the last show that "he" will ever do.

Thin White Duke persona

201570312 — 2023-11-07 22:49:30 UTC

The shift from 'Ziggy Stardust' to 'The Thin White Duke' is by far the most drastic and stark of Bowie's life and clearly demonstrates his desire to leave his past eras behind and re-invent himself.

With this character came numerous controversies, mostly in regard to the frequent fascist and nazi-esque remakrs that were made under the guise of the character

Controversial/ Troubled Star

201570312 — 2023-11-07 23:29:18 UTC

Controversy often finds any celebrity one way or another, but Bowie was no stranger to very real controversy that he brought upon himself, be it through actions or the many personal troubles he faced

Controversy surrounding apparent Nazi Salute

201570312 — 2023-11-07 23:30:39 UTC

While plenty of minor controversies had been connected to Bowie previously, usually in regard to his heightened sexual nature, this is an instance of serious trouble in which the very idea of what can be done under the alias of a character or persona has to be called into question.

Successful Musician

201570312 — 2023-11-07 23:37:22 UTC

Factors such as sheer career longevity, multi-modal appeal, synergy and financial success have all culminated in David Bowie being one of the most successful, acclaimed and adored Musicians and or artists in history

Relationships and Family Man

201570312 — 2023-11-07 23:37:43 UTC

While maintaining a degree of privacy in regard to his family life, Bowie has also not shied away from showcasing elements of his family life and often takes advantage of the opportunity to speak positively about the connections he has in life

Iggy Pop on his experiences with David Bowie

201570312 — 2023-11-07 23:49:21 UTC

This interview with Iggy Pop provides insight into David Bowie's attitudes towards other up and coming artists while also alluding to the numerous infamous drug escapades that took place within this period.

Bowie speaks about his arrest

201570312 — 2023-11-08 00:09:48 UTC

The demeanour in which Bowie conducts himself in this interview presents him as courteous and pleasant, juxtaposing his reaction with the context of the fact he is being arrested for hard drug use. This may be him suggesting that only he and only he is in full control of how he is perceived.

Even under these serious circumstances, Bowie maintains his public persona as one of respect and courteousness

Forever Evolving

201570312 — 2023-11-08 00:14:49 UTC

If only one word were available to summarise David Bowie's star image, then it would be "Evolution". Over his 50-year career, Bowie always changed and experimented with his persona while still maintaining core values and traits. For this reason, I believe a timeline of various albums, in conjunction with further evaluation, is best suited for contextually framing and dissecting his star image.

Bowie talking about the time he first asked out his would be wife, Iman

201570312 — 2023-11-08 00:40:41 UTC

Bowie always talks extremely favourably in regard to his family, often appearing extremely eager just to express any amount of the affection he claims

Bowie speaks about his baby girl

201570312 — 2023-11-08 00:42:54 UTC

The joy Bowie expresses at being a new father is extremely difficult to not find infectious and adds another layer of relatability to him for people to empathise with. As he has grown in age, he has become more of an outlet for paternal thoughts.

Bowie talking about the history of his name

201570312 — 2023-11-08 19:32:39 UTC

From the onset of his career, it is made clear that Bowie has always been keen on changing and re-inventing the idea of himself and that even just the simple fact of his name is not in fact true to himself, having been born 'David Robert Jones'

Bowie discusses 'Never playing for the gallery'

201570312 — 2023-11-08 19:39:36 UTC

Bowie clearly defines and chooses to represent himself as someone who does not conform to standards or what others want him to be. He indicates that he only ever tried to manifest what he thought was a part of himself

Bowie talking about his incessant drug use with Iggy Pop during their "Berlin Period"

201570312 — 2023-11-08 19:41:33 UTC

Here, while acknowledging the drug use, as well as his privilege of fame, Bowie also makes fun of the notion of the idea that he is talking about himself being poor at this time. This comes both from the perspective that rockstars are perceived as always rich and powerful, while also making fun of the fact that he thinks he has no right to complain.

This all brings a down-to-earth element to the story that is persistent throughout Bowie's life, in spite of whatever outlandish thing he could be doing. He always strives to maintain relatbility.

Album | Scary Monsters (1980)

201570312 — 2023-11-08 20:03:17 UTC

Album | Let's Dance (1983)

201570312 — 2023-11-08 20:04:10 UTC

Review of The Man Who Fell To Earth by Roger Ebert

201570312 — 2023-11-08 21:14:17 UTC

In this review, Bowie receives great praise for his acting, with Ebert stating "If he hadn’t been a rock star he could have had success as an actor". Ebert goes onto equally praise him for his performances in subsequent roles.

Article citing David Bowie's opinions on appearing in SpongeBob SquarePants Atlantis Squarepantis (2005)

201570312 — 2023-11-08 21:40:56 UTC

This article cites Bowie's own blog in which he expresses joy at being in something that his kids would like, saying "Oh yeah!! We, the family, are thrilled". He went on to praise the show itself and offer them the use of any of his famous hit songs.

This all serves to paint him as a generous and affable family man with an innocent childlike quality to him that people can get on board with.

Bowie's Philanthropy work

201570312 — 2023-11-08 22:23:25 UTC

This account of Bowie's numerous charitable acts present him as extremely selfless, willing to help others and concious of numerous problems in the world. The specific account of helping Somali charities, being the country of his Wife's birth, paints Bowie as someone who pays good care to the needs of those he cares about.

The fact that these actions do not come from the star himself, rather becoming more widely known only after his death, further serves to present him as selfless and not interested in charity in order to make himself look good.

Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, on how Bowie helped to nurture his interests and guide him

201570312 — 2023-11-08 22:49:53 UTC

Yoko Ono on Bowie like a Father to her Son after John Lennon's death

201570312 — 2023-11-08 23:12:52 UTC

This account from Yoko Ono states that Bowie was a “father figure” to her son after John Lennon's death". This paints him as a caring and father like figure even when it is not required of him at all.

She also states that Bowie was "as close as family", adding to the idea that he was overall a kind and loving person to be around

Bowie at a photoshoot with his Son and then Wife

201570312 — 2023-11-08 23:21:00 UTC

The nature of this shoot suggests that Bowie values his family in conjunction with his work as he often blended the two together. As we see here, the appearances he took on were not something that he seemed to shed when his family were involved

Pierrot persona

201570312 — 2023-11-08 23:26:51 UTC

Playing with the idea of being a vessel for expression while also utilising the fact that Bowie was properly trained as a mime

Song | Oh! You Pretty Things (1971)

201570312 — 2023-11-08 23:31:29 UTC

This song, as well as the song 'Kooks', was specifically written about Bowie's newly born baby son, Duncan, and shows how Bowie manifested the love for his son into his work was able to express it in a seemingly innocent and sweet manner.

Overall it presents Bowie as a loving and eager father.

A tribute to Bowie and cover of 'Rebel Rebel' performed by over 1000 people following his death

201570312 — 2023-11-08 23:35:36 UTC

The very existence of this video shows the lasting impact and influence that Bowie has had on so many people of varying generations, reaching success unparalleled by and incomparable to most other artists to have ever existed

Bowie's Grammy Award wins and nominations

201570312 — 2023-11-09 00:02:33 UTC

While not always, one key marker of success is critical acclaim. With 19 nominations and 5 wins in the Grammys, Bowie can certainly boast reaching levels of critical success that propel anyone into the public conciousness

List of David Bowie album sales

201570312 — 2023-11-09 00:06:18 UTC

Dery, M., & Sterling, B. (2012). Stardust Memories: How David Bowie Killed the ’60s, Ushered in the ’70s, and, for One Brief Shining Moment, Made the Mullet Hip. In I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: Drive-by Essays on American Dread, American Dreams (pp. 64–70). University of Minnesota Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.cttts9xr.11

201570312 — 2023-11-09 00:16:19 UTC

This article talks of Bowie as though he represented and personified the entire movement away from the '60s and into the '70s, the idea of rejecting gender norms and consumerism culture

Judith A. Peraino. (2012). Plumbing the Surface of Sound and Vision: David Bowie, Andy Warhol, and the Art of Posing. Qui Parle, 21(1), p.154. https://doi.org/10.5250/quiparle.21.1.0151

201570312 — 2023-11-09 00:31:54 UTC

This article explains how Bowie utilised his mime training and was able to create an image (or many images of himself) that was distinct from any other act. He was able to use the knowledge he had in order to present himself as distinctly 'weird' in a way that was unique to him.

Gies, L. (2011) Stars Behaving Badly, Feminist Media Studies, 11:3, p.357, DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2010.535319

201570312 — 2023-11-09 00:59:45 UTC

Here it is discussed how we as an audience have accepted that some sort of celebrity downfall or trouble is to be accepted with nearly any celebrity, and that we tend to be more forgiving depending on the severity and circumstance.

Legacy

201570312 — 2023-11-09 15:09:52 UTC

Tributes following his death

201570312 — 2023-11-09 15:10:55 UTC

The sheer volume of consistent praise and mourning that came out following his death shows that Bowie was loved and admired to an extent that distinguishes him from other celebrities

“David Robert Jones died on 10 January 2016, but David Bowie lives forever”

201570312 — 2023-11-09 15:17:20 UTC

The idea of Bowie, and what he represents and means to people, has grown far larger than the mere man himself

Caricature of Bowie by Flight Of The Conchords

201570312 — 2023-11-09 15:29:07 UTC

The existence of parody and caricatures of Bowie suggest a lasting cultural impact and that he is viewed as incredibly influential and relevant in the grand scheme of culture

Astronaut, Chris Hadfield, covering David Bowie's Space Oddity from the International Space Station

201570312 — 2023-11-09 15:36:36 UTC

Bowie has become so interconnected and associated with his subject matter that he has become part of their very fabric

Highlighting the critical failure and peculiarity of Bowie's first album

201570312 — 2023-11-09 16:45:51 UTC

It is discussed here how the album received basically no attention upon release and was a critical failure. And yet it stood out for being one of the few albums to feature the artist singing in their native English accent, adding to the idea that no matter what, Bowie always presented himself as a true reflection of himself and even in his early stages showed signs of rebellion and non-conformity

Brown, T. S. (2013). The Sixties in the City: Avant-gardes and Urban Rebels in New York, London, and West Berlin. Journal of Social History, 46(4), p.827. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43306075

201570312 — 2023-11-09 16:58:40 UTC

In this article we see the term 'mod' of this period linked the very idea of rebellion and being against the very status quo

Modern list citing the greatest solo artists of all time, with Bowie placing 2nd

201570312 — 2023-11-09 17:11:57 UTC

Given that his source, LadBible, is predominantly targeted towards modern day youth, the fact that an older artist such as Bowie places so highly speaks for the idea that he garnered cross generational appeal and managed to gain newfound respect and admiration even following his death

Redmond, S. (2014) Celebrity and the media Sean Redmond. Houndsmill, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 128

201570312 — 2023-11-09 17:30:45 UTC

Here we see Bowie's star image being related extensively to the idea of his rebellion and sexual ambiguity, he made the idea of being different the thing that brought everyone 'weird' together