One of the earliest times I'd appreciate Prince (and his curious attributes) independent of my parents was when I eventually saw 1989's Batman. Prince providing the soundtrack was just a consequence of his affiliation with the movie studio, but having him at the helm couldn't have been more appropriate. Intimidating, fixated, zany, unpredictable, maniacal, snarky and obsessed with purple, Jack Nicholson's Joker was Prince's comic book spirit animal. The character was hands-down the most entertaining one in the film--no matter how macabre--and I was completely mesmerized by him. Thus, Prince became more fascinating to me (in a positive way) by extension. "Partyman" is still one of my favorites. I giddily squeaked when I discovered the canned "Dance with the Devil," named after the (best) popular Joker line "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" …show more content…
Though, over the years, he'd strike my feministic sensibilities with divergence as well. His contributions--most I firmly believe were unintentional--to discussions about gender politics, sexuality and music are convoluted and conflicting. As some songs have egalitarian tones and portray women as divine and supreme beings, others are problematic and aren't so progressive. Further, his involvement with and management of his string of ingénues and protégés have continued to be a point of analytical debate. It all begs the question, can you feed and slay the beast simultaneously? Writer Nichole Perkins eloquently explores Prince's feedings and slayings in her 2015 piece "How Prince Taught Me About Female