Growing up I had a basic knowledge and appreciation for Queen songs, but it wasn’t until back in 2019 when I watched Bohemian Rhapsody (yes, mixed reviews and often deemed problematic) that I developed a bigger interest in Freddie Mercury. After the movie I began revisiting all his hits, amazed at the variety in style, the breadth of his voice and just how catchy so many of his songs were. I can’t believe they all were written by the same group. The more I delved into his life, the more I adored him; I even decided to be him for Halloween.
For my hour of writing this week, I would like to elaborate on why Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest people on earth, and how, when making life decisions you should consider, what WWFD? (What would Freddie Do?)
If you’re gonna make a scene, by god make it entertaining
First and most importantly, Freddie Mercury was an entertainer. Famous for his quote “Whatever you do, don’t make me boring,” the stage was his playground and he lived to dazzle. It wasn’t just about his music, it was also the physical experience of being in the flesh, in front of people. He didn’t want people to just show up and hear the exact same songs that were on the record, he wanted lights, theatre, opera, costumes, you name it. His Live Aid performance in London in 1985 is noted as being one of the greatest rock n roll performances of all time.
How do we apply this to modern life? If you’re gonna cause a scene, make sure it’s spectacular.
-Your family, your genetics, your culture, your religion should never keep you from your passion.
Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar to a religious Indian family. He spent time in both India and Africa until at 17 he and his family migrated to England. Identity politicians would have a field day with his origins. Undoubtedly Freddie’s background influenced his personality and his music, and it’s important to tell his part of the story. But I also imagine that Freddie might find it a little bit cringe if people were to worship him specifically due to the fact that he he was a man of colour, a migrant, a foreigner, a Parsi. You worship Freddie Mercury because he’s a theatrical, musical genius that throws a party on stage and takes you away from mundanity. For a few hours he makes you feel like you are king of everything.
It’s not about where you come from, it’s about what you do with your life.
- Don’t let your appearance stop you from being a sex god
I just have to write about his teeth. Most people know, Freddie was born with four extra teeth in his mouth, and he opted not to get them fixed because he was worried it would affect his vocal range. I love and respect this so much. Can you imagine most modern influencers and pop artists of today prioritzing their music over their beauty? Beauty is almost a right of passage into modern music I feel, you’ve got to be hot and then you get to make the music. (A few notable exceptions exist, yes.) But I think the fact that his teeth were different actually made him hotter and more of an icon.
Let no societal rules stop you from being your authentic self and people will love you for it and want to sleep with you.
- Take big creative risks and improve your craft.
Bohemian Rhapsody is probably one of my least favourite Queen songs, but I love that it was something completely at odd with the rest of music at its time and they pushed to make it happen despite the doubts of the other music experts in the room. As a result, it is one of the greatest hits of all time. Sure Queen has had songs that flopped and weird tunes that were meant to push boundaries and got the wrong result, but that’s just all part of the process to greatness.
Create weird stuff that might piss people off or even (gasp) offend them.
- When in doubt, fuck around and find out
Most everyone who spent time with Freddie Mercury agree, the man was not heterosexual. He never made any public statement about being gay besides (joking) that he was gay as a daffodil. That being said, Mercury certainly didn’t try to hide who he was. His performances on stage alone gave folks plenty to speculate about, fantastic! Later in life Freddie would say “if people ask me if I’m gay, it’s up to them to find out.” How fucking AWESOME. Freddie didn’t care how other people perceived him because he knew who he was and what he wanted. He chose when to be open and when to be private. The location of his physical remains are a secret to this day.
You owe no one any information about your desires, sexuality or your identity, but you also are under no obligation to hide your desires either. Everyone has the right to be shrouded in mystery or gay as a goose. No one can tell you how to be.
- Consider your legacy
As many know Freddie Mercury passed away of AIDS, and only confirmed it the day before he died. He was the first major rock star to die from the disease, and clearly grappled with the best way to acknowledge this and approach the endemic. After he passed away his band mates created the Mercury Phoenix Trust, which has raised over 17 million pounds to fight HIV/AIDS worldwide. I’m not sure if Freddie was much of a philanthropist during his life, but I like that because of who who was and what he stood for, his legacy is able to continue to do good and make the world better.
Thanks Freddie.
Side note: I do need to acknowledge that Freddie Mercury was no deity. Yesterday I listened to a podcast called Bad Gays and learned about potentially incredibly offensive things he said, in public during his life. I think it’s fair for people to be critical of this. But I also don’t think we should judge anyone based on their worst moments. I like the good parts about him.
Thanks for reading. Please subscribe if you’d like to join me and my rambling thoughts for an hour each week.