Jolly’s Bar in Banjo-Tooie

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Screenshot of Jolly Roger’s Bar Image credit http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=455948

In Banjo Tooie, the character Jolly Roger owns a bar called “Jolly’s.” While not represented explicitly as a gay bar, players have interpreted it as a gay bar (see here, here, and here). Their evidence: First, it is owned by the flamboyant Jolly Roger and his partner Merry Maggie Malpass. Second, the bar’s signature drink is “Ginger Beer” which is old Cockney rhyming slang for queer (see here, here, and here). Third, additional bar items such as “toad in a hole” and “seaman’s surprise” are assumed to be suggestive references to homosexual sex. Finally, after Banjo rescues Maggie, she tells Banjo (who is male) and Kazooie (who is female) that it is “grab a sailor night every Wednesday” (which can be seen in this video). Although the gender of the sailors is not explicitly stated, players have read this as suggesting it is a bar that attracts men who would like to grab other men.

Other LGBTQ references in this game:

Jolly’s Bar

Jolly Roger

Merry Maggie Malpass

Citations: 

  1. A load of pony- queer meanings in Cockney rhyming slang. (n.d.). TimeOut London. Retrieved from http://www.timeout.com/london/lgbt/a-load-of-pony-queer-meanings-in-cockney-rhyming-slang
  2. Banjo-Tooie’s gay bar. Or ITT how we discuss video games hidden innuendo’s. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=455948
  3. Clarkson rapped for “ginger beer” rhyming slang. (2007, May 21). Reuters. Retrieved from A load of pony- queer meanings in Cockney rhyming slang. (n.d.). TimeOut London. Retrieved from http://www.timeout.com/london/lgbt/a-load-of-pony-queer-meanings-in-cockney-rhyming-slang
  4. Danny. (2000, April 21). Ginger Beer. Cockney Rhyming Slang. Retrieved from http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/slang/ginger_beer
  5. Hidden Messages in Banjo Tooie. (2003, September 11). IGN boards. Retrieved from http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/hidden-messages-in-banjo-tooie.45115265/
  6. JCANDRE2. (2013, March 22). Gay Representation in Banjo-Tooie. APA340. Retrieved from  https://apa340.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/gay-representation-in-banjo-tooie/
  7. JO ThumbsUpMaster. (2013, January 18). Rated E?- Banjo-Kazooie: Jolly. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JugHP3RhCd8
  8. LGBTQ representations in video games. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_themes_in_video_games
  9. Radar: Banjo-Kazooie. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Radar/BanjoKazooie?from=Radar.Banjo-Kazooie
  10. Some disgusting things in BT. (2006, July). Retrieved from http://www.neoseeker.com/forums/863/t724309-some-disgusting-things-in-bt/
  11. synystersk8r. (2015, August 21). Banjo-Tooie: Let’s Play!- Part 8- IT’S A GAY BAR?!? (Jolly Roger’s 2/2) [Xbox|Rare Replay]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oirhmMiRMic
  12. Wow, Jolly Roger Lagoon is suggestive. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/196695-banjo-tooie/58672688