Frank Ocean gets gay themed Matt Groening tattoo
Frank Ocean (L) (Jason Merritt/Getty). Frank Ocean’s Matt Groening inspired tattoo (R) (Instagram)
Frank Ocean has gotten a new tattoo that depicts a famous 1983 animation from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening that looks at the differences between “homo” and “hetero” relationships.
Ocean – who is openly bisexual – shared a picture of the new tattoo on his Instagram story, which led fans to unearth the famous Groening animation.
The animation looks at the “advantages” and “disadvantages” of opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. The animation says both gay and straight people can experience happiness, ecstasy and fulfilment, but that only straight couples had societal approval.
Matt Groening animation argued that gay and straight couples are the same
Groening’s animation ultimately suggests that the only real differences same-sex and opposite-sex couples have is that same-sex couples lack societal approval.
It comes from a comic strip that was created by Groening and was published weekly between 1977 to 2012 called Life in Hell.
The comic strip famously depicted anthropomorphic rabbits and a gay couple – who feature in the drawing in Ocean’s tattoo.
In a 1996 interview with Flux Magazine, Groening said that the characters – who are called Akbar and Jeff – were gay.
“Yeah, of course they’re gay! Big commercial mistake on my part, by the way.”
– Matt Groening
When asked about the characters, Groening said: “Here’s my standard reply: Akbar and Jeff are either brothers or lovers – or both. Whatever offends you most, that’s what they are.
By Matt Groening in 1983: 'Homo vs. Hetero – Which is Better?' http://t.co/4VEXnkMC— Letters of Note (@LettersOfNote) February 15, 2012
He continued: “Yeah, of course they’re gay! Big commercial mistake on my part, by the way. A big brewery approached me wanting to have Akbar and Jeff promote their beer.”
Groening explained, however, that the company backed out when they found out that the characters had an “alternate lifestyle.”
Frank Ocean came out as bisexual in 2012
Frank Ocean has become famous for his award-winning music, and drew the attention of LGBT+ fans when he came out as bisexual in 2012.
While the artist tends to keep his private life his own business, he announced in 2012 that his first love was a man.
Shortly after coming out publicly, Ocean accused Chris Brown of punching him and threatening to shoot him after one of his entourage called Ocean a “faggot.”
He also posted a powerful essay to his Tumblr in 2016 after the Orlando nightclub shooting, in which 49 LGBT+ people were killed.
“I was six years old when I heard my dad call our transgender waitress a faggot as he dragged me out a neighbourhood diner saying we wouldn’t be served because she was dirty.”
– Frank Ocean
In the essay, Ocean, said: “I heard on the news that the aftermath of a hate crime left piles of bodies on a dance floor t his month. I heard the gunman feigned dead among all the people he killed. I heard the news say he was one of us.
He continued: “I was six years old when I heard my dad call our transgender waitress a faggot as he dragged me out a neighbourhood diner saying we wouldn’t be served because she was dirty.
“Many hate us and wish we didn’t exist. Many are annoyed by our wanting to be married like everyone else or use the correct restroom like everyone else. Many don’t see anything wrong with passing down the same old values that send thousands of kids into suicidal depression each year.”
