Lots to talk about plus ..... just what is it about boots?

[xaphod]

The following is a paraphrased version of the Johann Hari editorial in 'The Independent' of 28th May 2004.

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In the Television programme Queer Eye for a Straight Guy, a group of five gay men enter the life of a badly-dressed straight guy. They gasp and tut their way around his flat and wardrobe, gaping at the ways of the mysterious heterosexual. He is then taken into hand: they ensure he is plucked, deodorised, and re-dressed, before being presented to a cheering girlfriend and mother. the show is a cult hit in the US, and a British version launched last week.

The show is straightforward peddling of prejudice. It is all the more aggravating that the producers no doubt consider themselves terribly radical and 'right on'. Queer Eye is based on a myth: the idea that gay men are somehow more stylish.

I am tragic and irrefutable proof athat this is untrue. I realised that something was wrong with the way I dress when my friends started buying clothes and throwing them in the washing basket, in the hope that I would unwittingly wear something decent. Even my grandmother asked "Oh Johann, why can't you dress like those nice gay boys on television?"

Some people might imagine that camp behaviour is and inherent part of being a gay man. Aren't we somehow - perhaps genetically - more feminine? Aren't camp and gay basically the same thing? It's only if you look at the history of camp that you understand how flawed this belief is. Camp behaviour evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries for a good reason. Gay men couldn't be open about their sexuality, so they developed a shared way of behaving. Only by acting in a certain way could they send signals to each other and find sexual partners.

So camp behaviour represents the values of the 19th century closet. To survive and retain any sense of self-esteem, the gay men of that generation developed a camp outlook on life. Its main features were irony, theatrical frivolity, an aristocratic detachment from the worries of straight people, parody, and an emphasis on style over substance. It made sense then. But, I've got news for you, the closet is broken and wer're never going back - yet too many gay people are still trapped on an out-moded camp-site.

The persistence of camp has also led to a dysfunctional gay culture. In a camp world, it doesn't matter what you do, so longer as you do it with style. This explains the camp man's admiration (and staggering willingness to vote for) Margaret Thatcher. Sure, she introduced the most explicitly homophobic piece of legislation in decades with Section 28 (*), but, darling, did you see her boots?

The truth about gay people - as we finally shuffle past the twitching, ball-gowned corpse of camp - must be dull, dull, dull. In reality, we are not gifted stylists and geniuses with eye-liner. We are just as likely to be mediocre - or brilliant - as our straight brothers.

Being welcomed as performing chimps for the straight folks does not mean we've won the battle for cultural accepatance. No, it will come when we are (rightly) seen to be as boring and lacking in style as anybody else.

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(*) Section 28 was a piece of legislation that forbade the teaching of positive images of homosexuality over heterosexuality. Not wishing to be authoritative, my interpretation was that school children were to be taught that heterosexual relationships were the norm. Homosexual relationships were mentioned, but that was all.

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Spot the slip where Mr Hari is not as quite as 'right on' as

he might wish ! This part is verbatim from the newspaper.

This aside, I thought I would post the article for people to comment on .... it raises a few questions, other than mine.

The bit about Margaret Thatcher's boots. I remember she wore some straight-leg cossack boots with perhaps a 3" medium-thickness stacked heel, in the mid 80s when they were popular. My question, is, just what is it about boots that sets guy's all-a-tizzy?

Xa

[Rockpup]

Thats an interesting way to look at gay history. Never quite thought about that, but when thinking about it not sure if that holds true. I will admit that both myself and my boyfriend could use some help when it comes to fashion, decorating, clothing, grooming, etc (I use irish spring on my face, and a dish scrubber on my greasy arms, I've even used brake cleaner to get rid of stubborn stains on my skin. None are acceptable.. hehe) Shit, 7 months in a new house and all the walls are still white. I have gotten shit from my sister in law for not being able to help her make fashion choises (her older sister is a lesbian), but the shit I got was done with a grin Trying too hard to not offend anyone results in a lack of humor, and no real convictions. "We cannot offend our canibal bretheran, so we must repeal all laws banning the butchering of people". Um.. no. heh Fuck it all. Do not be afraid to offend, in a free society you must be prepared to face opinions diferent then your own. The problem arises when one puts violence behind their opinions.. Killing abortion doctors, blacks, gays, etc. Think what you want, say what you belive, but let your fellow human do the same. Jim

[shyguy]

Think what you want, say what you belive, but let your fellow human do the same

Wow what a great sentence. And a great sentiment. How few wars there would be if we all took that attitude.

[Dr. Shoe]

Section 28 was introduced in a misguided attempt to "protect" children from positive images of homosexuality at just an age where they have doubts about their sexual identity.

It was formulated as a knee-jerk reaction to the outrage expressed in the popular press when it was revealed that a school was taken to see a gay version of Romeo and Juliet.

[Rockpup]

Amazing how much bad law comes from knee jerk reactions. I am sure AnitaC know's about quite a few obscure, but dangerous laws. Jim

[dressboots]

xaphod; You make a very valid point in reference to fashion sense possessed by homosexuals. I expect people in general are at great risk of wrong conclusions when they label someone based on their outward appearance. I am heterosexual and love women's knee boots,* the styles one sees on the street,nothing fetish mind you. I do not know why I like them so much,but always have. For me to wear them may signal that I have an opinion on fashion that is homosexual. I hear the comment that men who are "too perfect in appearance" must be gay. Here in my corner of the United States Gays are pretty much open season for people wanting to laugh at someone's expense. Case in point ; I used to work with a man who never missed an opportunity to tell racist and/or anti religious jokes. When he got reprimanded by our supervisor for doing so he shifted his focus to gays to which he never was told to stop. His departure has virtually stopped the hurtful jokes and "comedy." When it comes up it is more in this guy's legacy than anything else and no one acts amused. * I also am "sensitive", an artist, a gardener, cook, all definite signs of a gay person by many standards. Know a person first, then value them for who they are.

[verngentleheels]

You all are taking "Queer Eye" far too seriously! Aside from the "hook" to get you interested, the advice given is not on the basis of sexual orientation, but from the point that each of the fab five is a legitimate expert in a particular field. The food experts expertise doesn't come from being gay etc. The show is light hearted and doesn't take itself too seriously. Why then should we? Especially given our hobby! Vern

[chris100575]

There's an article reproduced here about men's love of boots:

http://users.powernet.co.uk/wingett/articles10.htm

Personally I don't know why I love them, but I do find boots a hell of a lot sexier than shoes, both on women and to wear myself. I suppose in my case it might have some subliminal association with female dominance as I do have fantasies in that area, but that explanation doesn't fit those that don't. It also doesn't explain why I enjoy wearing them myself so much more than shoes.

I've only seen one episode of "Queer Eye..", as makeover shows of any kind aren't really my thing. One thing I did notice was that all the gay guys on it conformed to the high camp stereotype. Of the four guys I've met who I knew were gay (and I've probably met loads who are without knowing) only one of them was camp, and with him it was an affectation that he only played up when he had an audience. It used to really annoy me, I'm not sure if it was the campiness itself or the knowledge that he was just doing it for attention. The other three were like any other guy I knew apart from their sleeping arrangements, and I only knew they were gay because they told me.

Chris

[genebujold]

Yo! Everyone! Zaphod, Shyguy, JimC, etc. It doesn't matter whether you're designing for a TV show, a runway model fashion show, an architecturual presentation, or a presentation on how to secure major corporate intranetworking. There are two facts at stake: 1. Style plays a decisive role. 2. Style cannot be relegated to any particular gender or sexual preference. While some of the purists out there might disagree, I've seen equally fine presentations from all camps - as well as equally ridiculous presentations from all camps. Bottom line, successful style is all about piquing the interests of the majority of those who'll carry the style through marketplace fruition while successfully avoiding the alienation of your more influential customers, who're ultimately capable of either reversing your style trend or, at the very least, having it "fashionably outlawed" due to their influence. Even in network engineering I face a "style board" that ensures what I'm relaying to my clients is what is currently "fashionably acceptable" with respect to the leading edge engineering practices with respect to network security. It's maddening, to be sure, having those who're more concerned about appearances second-guess my expertise, but that's the world functions nonetheless. So, I accomodate - and usually get the job. And the benies when everything goes much better than expected. Sadly, that's another reason I wear flats while at the office.

[dressboots]

verngentleheels: Right you are! Everyone should be able to laugh at oneself, especially here. I stand* corrected! *In my heeled boots of course!

[dressboots]

verngentleheels: Right you are! Everyone should be able to laugh at oneself. If another is amking fun of you for wearing heels waht better response than to laugh with them. It would demonstrate confidence in oneself. I stand* corrected! *In my high heeled dress boots, of course!

[Dawn HH]

Why do I like boots? I really don't know why. All I know is that they look great on my legs and feet, fit me well, feel good and are quite comfortable all day long, and support my arthritic ankles very well. Besides that, they are fun and I like the elevation of the heel under my foot. You see, I don't really know why I like boots so much. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[Calv]

From Xaphod using Calv's machine.

Orientation ....

Big Brother is a television programme where a group of people of different types and backgrounds are locked in a house which is fully monitored using closed-circuit cameras. External psych characters play various games with the subjects in an attempt to "mess with the contestants' heads".

The reason for calling them 'contestants' is that every so-often, one of the contestants is expelled from the house by popular vote on a phone-in line (premium rate, of course, so that the dummies who watch this, IMHO, farce, contribute even more to the profits of the company broadcasting such crap). The last contestant remaining after many expulsions, over a few weeks, wins something like £100,000 ( $180,000 ).

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From the Independent 6th August 2004

The reality of modern Britain by Johann Hari (in precis)

If you hate Big Brother, you hate Britain and everything we have become. I love Big Brother because I love living in a country where Nadia, a ballsy Portuguese transexual, is odds-on favourite to win the nation's biggest popularity contest. And I love Big Brother for revealing our nation's dysfunctions in all their fetid, furious glory.

Look at how the latest series of Big Brother offers a window onto Britain's confused gender politics. We think we have absorbed feminism, adjusted to the equality of the sexes, and moved on. In fact, Big Brother is a reminder of how the most basic precepts of feminism have only been loosely absorbed. The Big Brother house was quickly dominated by smart women and gay men, whose emotional literacy and extroversion match the show's format (and, increasingly, our culture's values) pretty neatly.

This left a rump of angry, alienated straight men who had been brought up with a sense of masculine entitlement, only to find nobody else was interested in playing their game. Twenty-three year old Victor Ebuwa complained violently he was "getting no respect", and found being challenged by women unbearable. "Who are you? Who are you to question me?" he yelled at them, even physically attacking one woman who yelled in his face.

Similarly his friend Jason Cowan (a body-builder) aggressively asserted his masculinity, buffing up his body into the condom-stuffed-fill-of-walnuts look beloved by threatened men. He dismissed taking about emotions as "women's bullshit". He has become more and more isolated and more and more angry, sounding like a Tourette's victim as he curses the "harem" that quickly grew tired of him. He found it very hard to deal with the sexual rejection of blonde contestant Vanessa, at one point pinning her on a bed and thrusting himself against her as hse said: "No, get off. Stop it."

Together Victor and Jason declared they were the " Jungle Cats", a masculine posse protecting themselves against the tide of oestrogen. They were bemused that Stuart, the metrosexual sttraight boy who let the girls put make-up on him, was the only one to find a sexual partner in the house, or receive female attention.

This rump of angry men can be spotted in every pub in Britain; we all know Jungle Cats. They have the worst elements of the old masculinity - a lack of empathy, gratuitous aggression and obsession with "respect" - but none of its positive qualities, like stoicism and a willingness to provide. For this group of men who won't (or can't) feminise their behaviour, Britain is becoming increasingly unwelcoming.

You can see the suppressed masculine rage about this emerging in the phenomenal rise of violent internet porn based on debasing women and "putting them in their place". Jungle Cats do not like living in a country that prefers Nadia, the shrieking, sexy, emotionally incontinent transsexual, to their testosterone-tanged misogny. A populist anti-feminist backlash is brewing, not just in the Big Brother house, but in wider culture. The Jungle Cats constituency is large and isn't going anywhere; it is genuinely hard to know how to integrate them without compromising on feminist values.

Given that the theme of this year's Big Brother has been gender rage, it is fitting that Nadia is odds-on favourite to win. Her presence on the show initially seemed exploitative - like the Jerry Springer shows where they wheel on the transsexual and treat us to gawp at The Freak. Who would have imagined the she would be so amazing, so funny, so likeable, that within just 10 weeks the notoriously transphobic, homophobic Sun newspaper would have to declare on its front page that Nadia was their readers' choice?

A relative of mine said she thought Nadia was "disgusting" after the first show, and said: " I hate Her, Him, It." Earlier this week we spoke again, and I asked her who she was voting for. "Nadia, of course," she said. " Isn't she great? She's such a nice person. And she even wears high heels in the shower! I love her." When I remeinded her of her initial reaction, she said - to my astonishment - " I guess I was prejudiced. I know better now."

One of the most abused minorities in Britain has been humanised by Big Brother 5. Nadia isn't seen as an entertaining mutant; people genuinely like her.

Henry James once said of an art work: "All human life is there." If he was alive today, he would say the same about Big Brother.

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After that lot, I'd had enough of typing for a while. Here's the follow-on, a letter to the Editor of 11th August.

Sir: Johann Hari tells us: "If you hate Big Brother, you hate Britain and everything we have become." Well no, my hatred extends only to those aspects of Britain - extreme triviality, vulgarity, exhibitionism, sex-obsession and celebrity-obsession along with a deep, deep ignorance - reflected in Big Brother. That is not the whole of British life.

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Yep, I'll admit I'm looking at Big Brother from what I think to be the high ground of an intellectual snob. I hope I have still enough of my feet on the ground (allowing for 5" heels) to be street-wise enough to realise that Big Brother topped Channel 4's ratings by a large margin (5 million viewers as opposed to their usual of about 3.6 million in a UK population of about 60 million).

This means that there's a hell of a lot of people out there who go for QUOTE those aspects of Britain - extreme triviality, vulgarity, exhibitionism, sex-obsession and celebrity-obsession along with a deep, deep ignorance UNQUOTE. I'll add one of mine, that of image-obsession, as evidenced in the shallowness of the contributors to the style site discussed here http://www.hhplace.org/hhboard/viewtopic.php?t=3356

In conclusion, I think that the Big Brother has helped the cause of guys wearing heels, opening people's eyes to the fact that non-conventional styles of dress do not imply that the person is in any way sub-human; indeed they may be a more rounded and broad-minded individual than average. Conversely, there are many people as evidenced by the Jungle Cats for whom no amount of rational argument will alter their prejudices. The only argument these sub-humans respect is a swift clout on the nose. Personally it is a last resort for me if I have to lower myself to this level to defend my right to choice in my dress style.

Xa

[tightlevisandhhboots]

All I know is I don't care what anyone else thinks, my hhboots are here to stay! tightlevisandhhboots

[Dawn HH]

My high heeled shoes and boots have been here for decades, and definitely are also here to stay. Cheers--- Dawn HH