Camping it up with a fascinating new history

Paul Baker’s latest foray into LGBT+ history, following histories of Polari and Section 28, takes a look at Camp! The story of the attitude that conquered the world – and it is both an extremely educative and entertaining read.

As with those two previous books, Baker’s approach is well-researched historically, but also includes autobiographical elements and observations, with a nice side of cheek. Also as previously, this recipe works very well.

 

The first chapter examines the origins of camp as we know it – in particular, its relationship to Louis IX in France.

 

I also had no idea about the origins of the cakewalk and the black balls, and therefore, voguing. Baker covers both these in good fashion. 

 

I’ve seen the Jimmy Cagney film Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942 a number of times, but I hadn’t a clue that the lyrics of the eponymous song were originally written in 1755 as a British pop at ragged Americans, who then turned it around.

 

Take these lyrics:

 

“Yankee Doodle went to London,

Riding on a pony,

Stuck a feather in his cap,

And called it macaroni.”

 

Had I ever considered what the pasta reference was actually about? No. But in fact, it was a nickname – and a pejorative one – for young British men who did the Grand Tour and returned with the fashion affectations of, in particular, Italy. Maybe not ‘gay’, but certainly you can see the link to ‘camp’ – and to gay. Fascinating.

 

Taking a leaf out of Baker’s own book, so to speak, there was masses here (particularly in the earlier chapters) that I recognised as tastes from my own earlier years. Agnes Moorehead in Bewitched gets a mention – my absolute favourite character in a show I adored as a child!

 

Paul Lynde was also in Bewitched, but for me, was most memorable and most deliciously enjoyable for his voiceover work on The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (camp in every way imaginable).

 

There are explorations of upper-class British (English) camp – the Mitfords in particular, plus the reach of non-aristo Noël Coward – together with a fascinating introduction to the black cakewalks and balls where voguing was created.

 

But while camp is easy to take as an unserious attitude, Baker illustrates that it is often a way of defiance. And how much more defiant than those at the Stonewall Riots who faced down the police down with a chorus line, singing a revised version of Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay, which, while details are not set in concrete, certainly involved black drag queens.

 

There’s a personal educational tip on that note – it also made me realise also why a version of Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay is used, in the way it is, in the film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

 

Of course there are things that are missing here – as Baker acknowledges early on: everyone will have different camp (and campy – ie *knowingly* being camp) faves, but this a really good look at a cultural phenomenon. 

 

Paul Baker’s Camp! Is out now, published by Footnote Press

There are still tickets for an event with the author next week in central London – Bloomsbury, Queerness and Camp. Perfect for Pride Month.