Top 10 Gender Benders of the 80's

The 80's was a decade of quite a bit of androgyny. Guys were wearing makeup and sporting long hair and girls were cutting their hair short, some even had buzz cuts. Lot's of guys were looking like girls and lots of girls were looking like guys. Lucky we got out of the decade not completely confused Adam was Adam and Eve was Eve and not vice versa.

So, who were the biggest Gender Bender Offenders??? Well, let's count them down.

#10

Michael Caine

Dressed To Kill (1980)

Michael Caine donned a wig, shades and a trench coat to play a psychopathic psychiatrist in the 1980 movie Dressed To Kill.

#9

Peter Scolari & Tom Hanks

Bosom Buddies (1980-1982)

These two made a couple of the most hideous looking women I have ever seen. It must be really, really hard to find an apartment in New York is all I have to say.

#8

Dee Snider

Twisted Sister

Scariest transvestite in the history of mankind. Dee Snider looked like a Rocky Horror Picture Show, acid induced nightmare in the 80's.

#7

Joyce Hyser

Just One of the Guys (1985)

This movie scared me, because I didn't know what to do with my feelings of attraction when Joyce was dressed like a guy. I'm still confused to the day.

#6

Jamie Farr

M*A*S*H* (1972-1983)

I take it back about Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari being the most hideous women I'd ever seen. Jamie Farr as Cpl. Klinger takes the grand prize for that category. What's a fella have to do to get out of the services, anyway???

#5

Pete Burns

Dead or Alive

In the 80's Pete Burns was the poor man's Boy George. The thing is George has moved on from his gender bending past, to a certain extent. Pete, however, has decided to not only continue, but even further his endeavors. He, pretty much, is unrecognizable as a man these days.

#4

Poison

I remember the first time I ever saw this album cover and I thought to myself, Who are those hot chicks. When I found out it was a bunch of dudes, I felt so dirty that I had to go take a shower.

#3

Dustin Hoffman

Tootsie (1982)

Dustin Hoffman wasn't so much ugly as a woman, he was just not pretty. Hoffman used his gender bending ability to get ahead in his career in the 1982 movie Tootsie.

#2

Annie Lennox

The Eurythmics

Was I supposed to feel disgusted? Repulsed? Scared? I don't know, but for some reason I was strangely attracted. So, when Annie did away with some of the shock value I knew why. Annie Lennox was actually beautiful in her natural state as a woman and she couldn't even hide it with short red hair and a business suit.

#1

Boy George

The Culture Club

Was there ever any doubt who should be #1 on this list? I had absolutely no idea for the first hit or two The Culture Club had that the lead singer was a guy. He looked like a girl, walked like a girl, danced like a girl and he even sang like a girl. And to top it all, he even was attractive as a girl. I'll never forgive him for that.

Well there you have it, the Top 10 Gender Benders of the 80's. How I ever made it out of the 80's with my mind not in a permanent state of confusion is some kind of miracle.

I'll be typin' at ya later,

Bob the Blogger

Top 10 Wrong Occupation Music Artists of the 80's

These people had to be talented to make it in the music business, because they did not look like your typical music artists. This list is full of people who looked as if they had a different occupation than that of a music star. Enjoy!

#10

Thomas Dolby

Your strange junior high science teacher, perhaps. Your hit making 80's music artist, no way.

Thomas Dolby, despite his nerdy looks, had a smash hit record in 1982. However, that hit record was about something nerdy.....science. Dolby scored a #5 hit with She Blinded Me With Science.

#9

Phil Collins

The new stand-up comedy sensation, maybe. The man who had hit after hit as a solo artist and as lead singer/drummer for Genesis, never.

Phil Collins used his comedic looks brilliantly in quite a few of his videos. He also parlayed that comedic flair into a minor acting career.

#8

Falco

The new and latest actor to take on the role of 007, yeah I can see that. The very strange Amadeus wig-wearing Austrian crossover music sensation, are you kidding?

Falco had two gigantic hits in the 80's with 1981's Der Kommissar and 1985's Rock Me Amadeus. Sadly, Falco isn't with us anymore. He was killed in an automobile accident in 1998 at the age of 40.

#7

Elvis Costello

The fresh out of high school kid bagging your groceries, absolutely. The critically acclaimed cult figure of 80's musicians, yeah right.

Elvis Costello never had major hit singles in the U.S., but he sold a lot of records and had a huge following.

#6

Peter Garrett

Stunt double for Hollywood actor Michael Berryman (pictured below), he's hired. Lead singer of Australian crossover group Midnight Oil, need not apply.

Peter Garrett fronted the Australian politically themed band Midnight Oil. They had a top 10 hit single with Beds Are Burning in 1987. Peter is now an elected Australian politician.

#5

Dee Snider

Lead villain in the new straight to video B-movie Horror film Psycho Hookers From Hell, for sure. Lead singer of a group of, just as gaudy looking, musicians called Twisted Sister, yeah I guess I can see that too, but more the first one....LOL

Dee Snider sang lead vocals for Twisted Sister, who had a top 20 hit with the 1984 classic We're Not Gonna Take It. Dee is actually one of the more level-headed rock musicians. He very articulately stated his case in front of a Senate sub-committee on censorship in music.

#4

Mark Mothersbaugh

The inventor of the internet, sorry Al Gore, but it's got to be this guy doesn't it? Lead singer of a New Wave, Synthpop band called Devo, I don't think so.

Mark and Devo had a huge cult classic hit with 1980's Whip It. Mark now hosts a children's drawing television show and is an accomplished painter.

#3

Robert Palmer

The attorney you hired to get you out of that nasty DUI mess, he's on retainer. Brilliant singer-songwriter of both solo and collaborative works, don't make me laugh.

Robert Palmer had a long and outstanding career as a solo artist and as a lead singer with groups such as Power Station. His biggest success came with 1986's #1 smash Addicted To Love. Unfortunately, Robert is no longer with us, he died of a sudden heart attack in 2003.

#2

Boy George/Pete Burns

The two new stars of the transvestite strip club down on Bourbon St., absolutely. The two new stars of pop music in the 80's, are you serious!

I just couldn't separate these two. Boy George and Culture Club were hit machines throughout the 80's. Pete Burns and Dead or Alive were almost as successful with hits such as You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) and Brand New Lover. They've both had their problems in the 90's and 00's.

#1

Ric Ocasek

Walking anorexia awareness billboard, cut him a paycheck. Lead singer of the great rock band The Cars, not in a million years.

Ric Ocasek and The Cars were one of the best bands of the 80's. They had numerous hits throughout the decade. What I want to know is how does a guy like this get a girl like this (below). Must be the mullet.

Well there you have it. Another top 10 list down the tubes. Agree? Disagree? Leave it in the comments. Hope you liked!!!

I'll be typin' at ya later,

Bob the Blogger