Androgyny means blending traditionally masculine and feminine qualities in appearance or style, so that gender presentation becomes fluid and expressive. In 1980s pop, androgyny became a powerful form of self-expression, most famously through Boy George, whose makeup, braids and flowing clothes challenged television audiences while his band Culture Club topped the charts. New wave and synth-pop embraced that freedom, helping change fashion and attitudes. The theme runs through the MGM+ docuseries New Wave.
(Michael Markos / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0))
Mentioned in: Inside the ‘New Wave’ Docuseries: Billy Idol, Boy George and Belinda Carlisle Revisit the Decade That Changed Music