Now I could be in trouble with this posting. I don’t want to offend but fear I might. You see we’ve been watching Strictly like everyone else for what seeems like the last 5 months and I have to say it’s been enjoyable. I especially loved it when Debbie McGee got to do the dance off. She’s not my favourite to be honest. For someone who looks like a crinkly pringle, she takes herself far too seriously as a dancer and her facial reaction on hearing that news that she might be heading out of the competition was just indescribably mouth-watering. Not that pringles have that effect on me normally.
Anyway there’s no doubt that the programme has improved with the girls in charge – I think Darcey is just delightful but not keen on new judge Shirley. But despite upping the female quotient I fear it’s turned into the campest thing on tv. It is so gay. Sorry folks but I don’t know how else to describe it especially because I like to think of myself as pretty handy with words. The outfits, judges Bruno and Craig, dancer Ian Wade, celebrities like the Rev Richard Cole and Judge Rinder. Susan Calman was just such fun and by far the most engaging character on the show. But the blokes on the show are just getting mintier. Don’t you agree?
Maybe that’s it’s evolving appeal; it’s moved on from lots of attractive girls (and have you noticed how the hottest ones have been moved out?) in sexy outfits and a few blokes – usually playing the comic roles – to lots of outrageous chaps of indeterminate (er…) sexuality. And every once in a while they up the camp factor (maybe that’s the alternate title for the show given its competition on ITV) with an injection of ooh er mrs. Last night apropos nothing they brought on former contestant Russell Grant dressed in Ali Baba style clothing including a ridiculously big gold hat to introduce the phone line details whilst singing badly. I have no idea what it was all about but I had to avert my gaze. Speaking of which here’s a shot below of Russell shaking his muscles in a fetching little outfit. If I’m wrong I’ll be the first to admit it…
I’ve added a little more to this piece because I was hopingto make a serious point and didn’t do it justice. So here goes. I think it’s great that the country’s most popular light entertainment show features a number of people from the gay community (some might say disproportionately high). Having Susan Calman on was a fairly bold step too and she has proven to be an inspired choice of contestant. However I do not think the excessive campness does the LGBT community a lot of favours; it’s stereotypical casting and if anything I think the BBC is exploiting the minority. People are there as comic figures to be laughed at not respected. Take a look at RG below. I don’t want to get all po-faced but this isn’t dignified is it? The Strictly producers know exactly what they are doing here and I find it a little bit distasteful and demeaning to be honest. So come on BBC if you really want to do something important for the LGBT community introduce same-sex dance partners. Oh and if you can turn down the flounce wick, that’d be appreciated too. Thanks.
pp
Pasta Paulie 