bels

In the midst of outlining an essay for my anatomy and physiology course, I'm choose to write about the pathophysiology and philosophy as well as the cultural genesis of anorexia nervosa (I suffered from the disorder for about 8 years). I'm devoting a section to the misdiagnoses and consistent misunderstood nature of anorexia within males, symptoms are typically see as a, form of inherent form of "rugged" discipline.

So therefore, I'm discussing two figures within popular culture who suffered from anorexia nervosa, contracting its clear obsessive traits but not within developing the need for muscular/lean aesthetics as what is thought typically for male anoretics.

Richey Edwards of Manic Street Preachers mythos comes up. Simply due to his cultural legacy and candid nature in relation to anorexia nervosa. Edwards lived a life of cultural awareness, exposed expression, anger, truth, self-destruction, and wrote words that have been haunting the minds of well read teenagers since 1992. This clear openness, seen in magazine and television interviews, influenced a cult-like status of Richey Edwards that influenced many for better and for worse in the years before and after his disappearance at age 26. Say what you will about the man but his image and words he left this world with has forever cemented his name in youth for good reason. Edward's anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa implanted itself as a sought after form of purity and extreme need for control that resulted in chaos and destruction. Sarcasm and assured, misanthropic humor dripped from his mouth, interviews towards the latter parts of 1994/1995 see his clearly emaciated and exhausted frame sprouting words you think would come from someone twenty years his seinor. His flowering yet obscene lyricism within the band's music explored the themes of gender, sweets, sex, purity, religion, sexism, prostitution, self-mutilation, the female body, the human body, his body; in fashions that bloom throughout the imagination.

While researching, I stumbled across an NME interview from 1992 that painted an analogy that has not left my brain. Richard's imprint(especially within queer and transgender communities) has seen him compared to a variety of archetypes and cultural figures, most notably that of the fading waif (i.e. Edie Sedgwick).

Disillusionment. Insecurity. Escapism. Sickness. Tragedy. Loneliness. All leading to an eventual fading. Blanche Dubois is referenced in a variety of writings and analyses of Edwards but these two pieces within my own research stuck with me(please let me know if you would like the links for these lovely bits of writing, one piece analyzes the culture of anorexia nervosa in musicians, the other being an NME piece circa. 1992 detailing the MSP's time in Los Angeles) Negating the Tennessee Williams character comparison but the strange phenomena of lead singer and guitarist, appropriately fashioned with a name that rung true of a certain famed and tragic youth; James Dean Bradfield, singing the tortured and vulnerable words of Richey in all of his smooth tenor glory. Additionally, Bradfield had also been compared to a variety of figures akin to his namesake. The brow-line glasses, tight white tee shirts, tight trousers, leather boots, and the messy, long quiff his hair was fashioned into towards the earlier half of the 1990s being a dead ringer for the rebel without a cause.

Anyways, I leave you with these. I love when our culture becomes a mirror or when it tends to repeat itself in strange and formative and provocative methods. Vulnerability is a courageous and sometimes exploitative act. I think I could go on for hours and hours on the cultural references seen within this band and the rock n roll folklore surrounding them.

I love you. Take care of yourself. x