Androgina

Androgina is a stand-alone work excerpted from Generic Video Art. "Generics" is the name applied to no-name foods and household items that began appearing in grocery stores during the recession of the 1970s. When novels were added to the collection of genre products, entitled "Western," "Romance," "Adventure," etc., it was from this phenomenon that the initial idea for Generic Video Art arose. Between the mid-seventies and the time of GVA's creation, video art had developed and evolved in ways that could be categorized by specific genre groups, and Generic Video Art parodies five of these genres: conceptual, experimental, punk, pet-art, and state-of-the-art.  

Music and lyrics © 1982, Laurie McDonald

I am Androgina, contemporary girl,
A prime-time soap opera heroine
Existing in the swirling vortex of the twisted television tycoon's teetering truths,
Androgina, Androgina.
I'm the condescending portrait of contemporary woman,
And not a very interesting one at that, and not a very interesting one at that.
     (Of all time to get hemorrhoids!  How can you do that to your family?  There's a man here who's driving me mad!)
I'm the troubled, miserable television woman whose mission in life is to sell my image to all the other women
My plight is right!
I'm the phosphor-essence of the TV screen
That keeps things in their proper light
And keeps them believing in contemporary woman
Whose future's so bright.
Androgina, Androgina, Androgina, Androgina, gina, ginaaaaahhhh!!!