{"product_id":"the-b-52s-cosmic-thing-by-pete-crighton-9798765133125","title":"The B-52s' Cosmic Thing","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe B-52s\u003c\/strong\u003e were always queer, though not overtly, and this book dissects the coded queer messaging in their music, using 1989’s \u003cem\u003eCosmic Thing\u003c\/em\u003e as a focal point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAlongside the author’s own queer awakening, Crighton investigates the band’s history and recorded work to date, providing cultural context along the way, and proves what was obvious all along – the B-52s aren’t just pop culture icons, they are queer history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCosmic Thing\u003c\/em\u003e took the world by storm in 1989 in the wake of the band’s single greatest tragedy: losing guitarist Ricky Wilson to complications from AIDS in 1985. \u003cem\u003eCosmic Thing\u003c\/em\u003e is a celebration of queer joy in the face of that seismic setback. Not only did the B-52s have to fight through their pain and grief to make their fifth full-length record, the band was also up against a conservative government under Reagan (then Bush), a misunderstood virus still ravaging the queer community and an indifferent public after years out of the spotlight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWatching the band enjoy their greatest success in the face of adversity was part of what made \u003cem\u003eCosmic Thing\u003c\/em\u003e such a marvel to behold - as miraculous as the B-52s’ entire career.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47455753339116,"sku":"9798765133125","price":21.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/61X4gHiuYML._SL1500.jpg?v=1774796314","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/the-b-52s-cosmic-thing-by-pete-crighton-9798765133125","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}