{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Historical Homos","title":"Josephine Baker: Bisexual Beyoncé of 1920s Paris (feat. Michell Chresfield)","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":5878,"description":"For early access to episodes and bonus content, join our Patreon. \nOur community awaits with open arms (and legs) 🤤\n\nwww.patreon.com/historicalhomos\n–\nJosephine Baker (1906 - 1968) is one of the most alluring, inspiring, and charismatic figures we have ever covered on this podcast.\nHer career spanned decades and continents, and on THE Continent, she was the highest paid Black entertainer for most of the 1920s and 1930s. As a dancer-singer-actress triple threat, she was in some ways the precursor to megastars like Beyoncé in our own day.\nUnlike Beyoncé, she built her career not only through her own talent (and Jay-Z's influence), but by taking advantage of one of the most racist, colonialist, imperialist periods in Western history: the aftermath of World War One.\nJosephine became famous because she created a sensual, wild, \"sauvage\" style of dance, which the Jazz-frenzied denizens of gay Paree scarfed down like a good soupe à l'oignon. In their 20th century terror of what it meant to be \"modern,\" Josephine represented a return to something raw and wonderfully original. Her nudity, her brazen dancing, her uninhibited artistry were all examples of \"true\" art – an instinct-driven Fuck You to modern civilisation.\nThey were of course racist bastards for thinking all of this – but they also genuinely loved Josephine. And Josephine loved to use their racist bullshit not only to line her pockets, but to feel their genuine love in return.\nLike many (gay) performers, she lived to be loved.\nThroughout her wild and successful career, Josephine presented a completely new vision of what it meant to be a woman, to be Black, and to be an unapologetic diva.\nAnd yet, we barely remember Josephine today. BUT THAT STOPS NOW.\nStrap yourselves in and or on, because this episode is another 90 minute doozy (sorry for doing such interesting research and talking to such interesting scholars! so sorry!)\nAll our gay thanks to Michell Chresfield for bringing her insight and brilliant research...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/o92facaUR1b1tdVy-0yJpC7Dki6zYO3m9CVcZY48Hq0/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zMDZm/OTQ2MzU0Y2Y3OGMz/ZTQxYzViMmQ4Yzll/Y2IwZC5qcGVn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}