Freak Show Friday: Pete Burns

All photos via Google Image Search

Yes, Pete Burns is still technically a man, but I wouldn't blame you for thinking otherwise. In fact, if you knew him back in the 1980s as the lead singer for Dead Or Alive, you might not even recognize him now. He always WAS flamboyant and a bit of a diva, but after he became addicted to plastic surgery, the freak-factor really started to climb! Just LOOK at those lips!

The last several Dead Or Alive albums have seen band members come and go, but Pete has been the one common thread holding the act together. However, in my opinion, nothing they've done since the album 'Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know' has been any good. And that's probably because they did not retain the same fun, edgy, slightly goth dance vibe that drew them so much attention and success in the '80s. I know that it's usually better for bands to change or evolve, instead of just continuing to crank out the same sort of material and stagnating... But that applies to the artists who take it seriously, and I think we all know that Dead Or Alive was always pretty much disposable. Plus, it would seem that the ONLY thing Pete has ever taken seriously is his appearance!

See, he's not a woman...

Those are man breasts, baby!

I have to say that 'Youthquake' will always be my favorite Dead Or Alive album, and I certainly think that Pete's dark, and almost spooky look during that time was the best. Here, take a look at the album cover, below.

Their look and sound just seemed so

different than anything else at the time.

And Pete had great hair!

In a dramatic, blue mood...

There's that wild & sexy hair, again!

It's like a lion's mane, and I soooo

wished that MY hair would do that!

Now, I get to be the spooky one and show you something REALLY scary. As perhaps a modern-day cautionary tale, Pete details his truly horrific experience with cosmetic lip surgery gone WAY wrong in his autobiography, 'Freak Unique'. Take a look, below, for just a sampling of what he went through.

WARNING: The following images most assuredly will disturb you and/or make you sick to your stomach. View at your own discretion!

You KNOW that's gotta hurt!
It almost looks like how people used
to stitch a dead person's mouth
closed for burial...

It got so bad that his lips were actually

oozing pus! Now, tell me, is ANYTHING

worth going through this?!

Now, you'd never know that those

plump, voluptuous "mouth pillows"

weren't natural... Yeah, RIGHT!

Here's the book.

Not only does Pete talk about all

of the plastic surgery, he also shares

an intimate behind-the-scenes look

at his life as a pop star.

Tommy was a big Dead Or Alive fan

too, so we're planning to read it

out loud to each other, and giggle a lot!

Well, that about covers it. For a general overview of a man who would become a lady-like man, anyway. Have a great weekend, everybody! And try NOT to think of those scary lip photos the next time you go to kiss your honey...

Yes, I Like Madonna...

Liking Madonna does not make me gay. Nor does the fact that I am gay automatically mean that's why I like her. Make sense? The truth of the matter is that she is a very talented individual who I am drawn to because of her looks, charisma, confidence and music. I just happen to also be a dude who's married to another dude!

I've followed Madonna since her original rise to stardom in the early 1980s. I can remember the first time I ever heard her sing. She was on the radio and I thought that she was black. I guess that there was something in her voice back then that sounded "black"? It might have been just me, but I'd be curious to know if other people thought the same thing. Of course, now she uses her voice a bit differently, but it's still unmistakably Madonna. I know that she worked with a vocal coach while making the movie 'Evita', and ever since then her voice has been noticeably stronger.

This is from her 'Ray of Light' period.

That's one of my favorite albums, BTW!

My two absolute favorite Madonna albums are 'Ray of Light' and 'Confessions on a Dance Floor'. I felt that the latest, 'Hard Candy', was kind of weak. It does have a few gems on it, though! I like the tracks, 'Miles Away' and 'Spanish Lesson'. And, of course, the hit '4 Minutes' w/Justin was fun, but only for about 4 listens! I understand that she's continuing the 'Sticky & Sweet' tour outside of the U.S. through the end of Summer. I don't know where she gets all that energy! You'd think, even as fit and healthy as she is, that her schedule would be completely exhausting. I'm sure that it would be for us "normal" people. But Madge isn't just any mere mortal!

Here, she's posing on the 'Dance Floor'.

I seriously doubt that this dynamic performer takes any kind of enhancing drugs. She's just so into being like a super-human specimen that I can't imagine she would pollute her body in that way. Besides, how could she possibly keep giving such quality output if she was doing drugs? I think drugs of any kind would have such negative effects on her that it would be very outwardly evident.

I presume that Marie Antoinette was her

muse for this photo shoot. Either that, or she's

looking for a dangerous liaison...

I must say that Madonna seems to me like the definitive example of ambition. If only I could have a fraction of the drive she has... But I do wonder sometimes why she's still sooo driven at this point in her career? I mean, her monetary worth is in the millions upon millions and she's practically the biggest living entertainment legend on the planet! I guess that's not enough for her. And I'm glad it's not, because that seemingly insatiable hunger that propels her is what also makes her so unique.

This is an eye-opening read!

I'm sure, at this point, you must be thinking I totally worship this woman. But that is not entirely correct. See, I read the book that Madonna's brother wrote, and assuming that Christopher is telling the truth, I cannot like the private person she is at all! After reading about the way she treated him over the years, it makes complete sense why he would've written the book in the first place. Even if it is like his 'Sister Dearest' done out of revenge, you really can't blame him! I think that it was probably the healthiest thing he could have done for himself. It most likely did for him what it would have taken many years of therapy to do!

No matter how rotten of a person she may really be, I will always like Madonna for being the provocative and exciting performer that she is!