#iris chacon

did yall hear about the teen titan live action

😭🙌I hope its not gonna be horrendous as the tv show we shall not name

I just want starfire to shine😭🙏

Pls dc do my queen justice

Iris Chacón: The inspiration behind Starfire from the Teen Titans.

In the captivating realm of female iconography, showgirls have left an indelible mark as embodiments of an idealized woman, their allure manifested through an extravagant display of eroticism, and glamour has enraptured artists historically. From sculptors to poets, musicians to designers, showgirls have always served as muses. Even the world of comic art has found inspiration in them, and the idea that Iris Chacón might have influenced the creation of Starfire is a subject of longstanding discussion.

George Perez, Starfire's creator, was undeniably shaped by his Puerto Rican heritage, and Iris Chacón stood as a prominent boricua figure in America. Her influential presence, starting in 1972 with the Iris Chacón Show, coincides in time with George's formative years.

In 1980, Starfire made her memorable debut, captivating readers with her fierce image that bore a striking resemblance to Iris Chacón. While other inspirations like Red Sonja, an older superheroine, and adult film star Rosemary Lorenz were mentioned by Perez, the parallels between the two were undeniable.

As the 80s unfolded, Starfire's appearance gradually mirrored Chacón's, Simultaneously, the showgirl gained considerable notoriety in the US, gracing prominent media outlets, from David Letterman to the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

Throughout the years, speculation regarding Starfire's inspiration persisted, with no concrete evidence to validate the theory. It was not until 2019, during the Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con, that Vu Nguyen, Perez's biographer and superfan (founder of thegeorgeperez.com), had the opportunity to ask him about the origins of Starfire. During this candid exchange, Perez finally acknowledged that Iris Chacon had indeed served as a significant influence in crafting the character. Why wouldn't he have admitted it earlier? Sadly George Perez died a couple of years later, due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

camp challenges conventional notions of what is “tasteful” and “beautiful.” some proclaim that camp celebrates the “tacky” by subverting social norms. and yes, that’s why we live for it! i think camp requires an unabashed courage to be theatrical and humorous in an approach to fashion, art, and culture. and one performer who employed all this and so, so much more is the legendary puerto rican icon that is iris chacón.

lovingly regarded as “la bomba de puerto rico,” iris chacon rose to fame as a singer, dancer, and television personality in the 1970s and 1980s. her extravagant stage outfits, elaborate headdresses, and provocative choreography propelled her to stardom across latin america and captured the imagination of LGBTQ+ fans.

as the host of her top-rated variety show “el show de iris chacón,” which aired for 15 years until 1985, chacón challenged traditional gender expectations that loomed large within the social climate of the 1970s with her boundary-pushing stage presence. her performances were often tongue-in-cheek and punctuated by male backup dancers who exuded queer sensibilities.

before “breaking the internet” and “going viral” was a thing, iris chacón accomplished the 1982 equivalent when her feature in a 30-second television commercial for amalie coolant, a heavy-duty motor oil, made waves with its play on words (coolant sounded similar to “culo,” the spanish world for ass). the ad was so impactful it landed chacón on the front page of the wall street journal and remains a hallmark of 80s pop culture in puerto rico.

chacón was able to parlay her international notoriety into sold-out concerts at radio city music hall in new york, one of the first latino artists to do so. she also broke ground stateside and helped introduce puerto rican culture to the mainstream with memorable guest spots on the merv griffin show, the joan rivers show and several appearances on the david letterman show.

in 1989, the latin-freestyle music movement was at its zenith. chacón not only had a prominent role in the campy-as-hell freestyle music movie “an eastside story,” which starred a marc anthony, but chacón also released the cooing sergio george-produced freestyle track “am i a tease.”

as the 1980s ended, so iris chacón’s bid for mainstream success. after starring in movies, hosting her variety TV show, and playing to sold-out crowds worldwide, chacón stepped out of the public eye in the late 1990s. she has re-emerged for the occasional performance at gay pride parade in puerto rico.

in june 2023, puerto rican drag icon jessica wild impersonated iris chacón during the “snatch game of love” challenge on the fifth episode of the eighth season of “rupaul’s drag race all stars.