The British Pop Dandy

Who are pop dandies? Why are stars like David Bowie, Jarvis Cocker, Pete Doherty, and Robbie Williams so dandified? Taking up a wide range of British pop stars, Hawkins seeks to find out why so many British pop stars have cast themselves in roles that often take style to absurd extremes. In this study, male pop artists are mapped against a cultural and historical background through a genealogy of personalities, such as Oscar Wilde, W.H. Auden, Andy Warhol, Noel Coward, Derek Jarmen, David Beckham, and countless others. A critical analysis of issues and approaches to musical performance through masculinity becomes the focal point of this fascinating study.Ranging from the sixties to beyond the twentieth century, The British Pop Dandy considers the construction of the male pop icon through the spectacle of videos, live concerts, and films.