'All The Things She Said': queer anthem or problematic queerbait?

It's Been a Minute

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🗓️ 29 August 2023

⏱️ 19 minutes

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Summary

In September 2002, the Russian pop duo t.A.T.u. released their smash single "All The Things She Said." The song is a grungy euro-dance track, and the video features the lead singers Lena Katina and Julia Volkova dressed in schoolgirl uniforms and making out in the rain. The video was banned from UK television for being "not really suitable for children."

That did not stop the song from becoming a global sensation. It topped the charts in 13 countries, and in the United States the duo would perform the song over and over on live television. During performances, they made a point to do as they did in their video and make out.

But here's the thing: neither Katina or Volkova identified as lesbians or queer at the time.

From Harry Styles to Katy Perry, debates over queerbaiting have raged online, and t.A.T.u.'s "All The Things She Said" fits squarely in that lineage. But despite roleplaying as lesbians for their own success, is there something redeemable in how they represented lesbianism at a time when no one else would put two women kissing on camera? And how should we look at this song today?

It's Been A Minute senior producer Barton Girdwood talked this out with Girls Can Kiss Now author, Jill Gutowitz.

You can email us at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey y'all, you're listening to it's been a minute from NPR, I'm Brittany Loose.
0:09.2	We are undoubtedly in an era where our favorite queer musicians are having a great time.
0:14.9	Lil Nas X, Sassy Santana, Sam Smith, Kim Petrus, queer pop artists are highly visible and
0:21.0	unafraid of showcasing their sexuality in their art.
0:24.5	But it wasn't always that way.
0:27.2	This week we're opening the vault of early 2000's queer history and looking at a turning
0:32.2	point for the culture.
0:33.9	The release of Russian pop duo Tattoos, all the things she said.
0:48.3	The duo was made up of Lena Katina and Julia Volkova and in the music video for all the
0:53.0	things she said, the two make out.
0:56.2	This was a big deal in the early 2000's.
0:58.8	The video was banned from UK television but the song still shot to the top of the UK charts
1:04.7	and stayed there for four weeks.
1:07.0	All the things she said hit number one in 13 countries and in the US the song was
1:12.9	inescapable on MTV's TRL.
1:24.6	And the kissing became as much a part of the story as the song itself.
1:28.8	They made out on TRL, they made out on Mad TV, they made out on Jimmy Kimmel and this
1:34.1	was months before Britney Spears and Madonna would rock the world with their own kiss.
1:39.6	So today we're revisiting a conversation our senior producer Barton Gurdwood had last
1:44.2	year with writer Jill Gutterwitz.
1:46.6	The two make space for the song as both an anthem for queer women and a four mother in
1:52.2	the queer baiting debate.
	...

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