Despite my fandom, I still haven't gotten around to seeing the documentary "Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche," daughter Celeste Bell's look at her late mother, whose voice always reminded me of Anglo-Somali-punk Bernadette Peters. (Styrene died of cancer in 2011 at just 53.)
Celeste became the unwitting guardian of her mother’s legacy and her mother’s demons. Misogyny, racism, and mental illness plagued Poly’s life, while their lasting trauma scarred Celeste’s childhood and the pair’s relationship. Featuring unseen archive material and rare diary entries narrated by Oscar-nominee Ruth Negga, this documentary follows Celeste as she examines her mother's unopened artistic archive and traverses three continents to better understand Poly the icon and Poly the mother.
But until then, let's enjoy X-Ray Spex's third single, "Identity," which hit No. 24 on the U.K. chart in 1978.
P.S. Die-hard fans take note: Poly Styrene Throbbleheads are available for pre-order
Limited to 500 numbered units, Poly stands at 7 inches tall, and is made of solid polyresin. Sculpted in one of her classic original outfits, braces, and army helmet, Poly comes in a full color collector's box. Check out the full promo video HERE.
Pre-order HERE.
1 comment:
Great documentary
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