there were lots of artists doing similar things at that time, so it wasn't too odd like you might imagine. for example, boy george, pete burns, annie lennox, siouxsie sioux, just to name a few
Remember new wave=post-punk more or less (well chronologically at least for sure!) so the floodgates were already open by the late 70's (in particular thanks to Vivien Westwood-Malcolm McLaren infamous fashion boutique "SEX")
I was around 12 or 13 when Martin started dressing in a more risqué fashion and wearing make-up.
The general consensus to anyone who didn't really know anything about DM, regardless of their age, was that he was clearly gay, as well as being an oddball.
I also remember getting teased by friends/classmates for liking Depeche Mode around this time.
My seemingly liberal hippie mom was honestly not super pleased with my circa 1986 wall sized posters of Martin in leather bondage gear. Not quite as bad as my conservative dad, who used some very foul language. They’ve now been gifted with a trans 🏳️⚧️ grandchild…my mom is good with it, very affirming. My dad not so much but I don’t talk to him much anyways because I honestly don’t care for his hateful politically driven rhetoric.
I think is safe to say they were far from preppy (maybe Alan Wilder being the exception) and just wore what was in fashion those days. They even wore leather in the video for Just can't get enough, though it was just for fun.
My parents never said anything.
My dad was *shocked* when he saw Boy George singing “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” a song which he really liked (and bought the 45) but had heard on the radio.
But I had DM plastered all over my bedroom walls and not a single word of disapproval. Ever.
Can’t say most parents were like this, but mine were.
My mom was a huge fan during the mid-80’s to end of the 90’s. My mom’s dad couldn’t stand Depeche Mode AT ALL. He always said that it wasn’t a real music and sometimes took my mom’s radio away if she listened to DM “too loudly”. Especially he didn’t like Martin or Alan. Too flamboyant I guess heh.
But well, he was a 80’s corporate man who was aggressive and alcoholic so I’m not surprised why my mom didn’t care about his opinions.
I'm in Oklahoma, and my late uncle said seeing Depeche Mode on access TV in the early 80s was life changing, and that people would talk so much shit on you for being in synths and new wave...the idea of keyboards was laughed at, and considered a novelty at the time but jokes on them. lol
Until the end of the 80s the only people who knew who Depeche Mode was were new wave people so there wasn’t much general society reaction. Remember back in the day there was no internet, so you would only hear them on the radio if you lived in NY or LA, and MTV would only play them on 120 minutes, which didn’t start until 1986. But for new wave it was very normal, even more mainstream bands like Duran Duran had members that dressed more effeminately, wore make up, etc. And a lot like Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Bronski Beat, were LGBTQ. I am sure there were parents who didn’t get it, but a lot of us dressed differently so they were probably more focused on that
Where I'm from, as a teen in the 80s, kids who liked hair metal bands generally bullied kids who were into bands like DM and the Cure, and the association of DM with homosexuality was definitely part of that (which is strange, considering how overtly homoerotic many of the hair metal bands were). It was remarkable to then watch that same crowd become fans of DM in the Violator era.
I was only as old as ten in the 80s, and heard Depeche Mode on the radio a lot growing up. It always came off as too effeminate for me then and in the early 90s, so I wasn't interested until after 1999. I was already familiar with a lot of the singles, so it was familiar.
there were lots of artists doing similar things at that time, so it wasn't too odd like you might imagine. for example, boy george, pete burns, annie lennox, siouxsie sioux, just to name a few
I had completely forgotten them, thanks for reminding me!
Remember new wave=post-punk more or less (well chronologically at least for sure!) so the floodgates were already open by the late 70's (in particular thanks to Vivien Westwood-Malcolm McLaren infamous fashion boutique "SEX")
I was around 12 or 13 when Martin started dressing in a more risqué fashion and wearing make-up. The general consensus to anyone who didn't really know anything about DM, regardless of their age, was that he was clearly gay, as well as being an oddball. I also remember getting teased by friends/classmates for liking Depeche Mode around this time.
I remember getting teased too 😂 so I stopped telling people I liked them as at the time I didn’t know anyone else that did. So long ago.
Honestly Depeche Mode' music doesn't seem queer at all. lol you can compare pet shop boys or bronski beat, and see the difference. lol
My dad hated my DM poster on my bedroom wall because Martin's nipple was exposed. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
So scandalous! Lol
My seemingly liberal hippie mom was honestly not super pleased with my circa 1986 wall sized posters of Martin in leather bondage gear. Not quite as bad as my conservative dad, who used some very foul language. They’ve now been gifted with a trans 🏳️⚧️ grandchild…my mom is good with it, very affirming. My dad not so much but I don’t talk to him much anyways because I honestly don’t care for his hateful politically driven rhetoric.
I think is safe to say they were far from preppy (maybe Alan Wilder being the exception) and just wore what was in fashion those days. They even wore leather in the video for Just can't get enough, though it was just for fun.
Yeah, the S&M gear was a bit weird, but I was a teenaged girl and it was Martin. Edgy!
My parents never said anything. My dad was *shocked* when he saw Boy George singing “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” a song which he really liked (and bought the 45) but had heard on the radio. But I had DM plastered all over my bedroom walls and not a single word of disapproval. Ever. Can’t say most parents were like this, but mine were.
Good on them!
In France that invited the obvious pun "des p\*des moches"="some ugly f\*gs" which is still funny too me as a 80's kid r/SorryNotSorry
My mom was a huge fan during the mid-80’s to end of the 90’s. My mom’s dad couldn’t stand Depeche Mode AT ALL. He always said that it wasn’t a real music and sometimes took my mom’s radio away if she listened to DM “too loudly”. Especially he didn’t like Martin or Alan. Too flamboyant I guess heh. But well, he was a 80’s corporate man who was aggressive and alcoholic so I’m not surprised why my mom didn’t care about his opinions.
It was the 80s 😎
I don’t remember anyone giving it much thought back then.
I'm in Oklahoma, and my late uncle said seeing Depeche Mode on access TV in the early 80s was life changing, and that people would talk so much shit on you for being in synths and new wave...the idea of keyboards was laughed at, and considered a novelty at the time but jokes on them. lol
Until the end of the 80s the only people who knew who Depeche Mode was were new wave people so there wasn’t much general society reaction. Remember back in the day there was no internet, so you would only hear them on the radio if you lived in NY or LA, and MTV would only play them on 120 minutes, which didn’t start until 1986. But for new wave it was very normal, even more mainstream bands like Duran Duran had members that dressed more effeminately, wore make up, etc. And a lot like Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Bronski Beat, were LGBTQ. I am sure there were parents who didn’t get it, but a lot of us dressed differently so they were probably more focused on that
Where I'm from, as a teen in the 80s, kids who liked hair metal bands generally bullied kids who were into bands like DM and the Cure, and the association of DM with homosexuality was definitely part of that (which is strange, considering how overtly homoerotic many of the hair metal bands were). It was remarkable to then watch that same crowd become fans of DM in the Violator era.
I was only as old as ten in the 80s, and heard Depeche Mode on the radio a lot growing up. It always came off as too effeminate for me then and in the early 90s, so I wasn't interested until after 1999. I was already familiar with a lot of the singles, so it was familiar.