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I was confused about Richard today. I think at least three of the housemates nominated him for his inability to make a joke without using sexual innuendo; something I don't believe I've witnessed at all, despite having watched 80-90% of all the highlight shows this year.
When Michael was complaining about it ~ "cream? [Canadian lecherous accent] Oh, mm, creeam ... wood? [Canadian lecherous accent] Mmm, oh, wood!" ~ I actually sympathised with him as well. With three people independently commenting on this tendency of Richard's, I'm inclined to believe there must be some truth in it, even if I haven't see it myself.
Yet I'm not entirely sure how to feel about this. My thoughts are as follows.
* I imagine it might be quite difficult for Richard, as a "scene" gay man, being in a house where nobody else is really part of that culture. He spoke to Spoiral today about how unusual it is for him and how he sometimes starts the kind of conversation he might have had outside the house, then realises the person he's talking to either wouldn't understand, or wouldn't be interested, or even be offended. It seems important to him to retain the way he behaves outside the house (I think he defines himself as camp; sees himself as playful; likes "girly fun", though as has been noted on this thread, also has a "gym bunny" kind of masculinity) and not feel that whatever persona he felt comfortable with outside is restricted or repressed here. So if that involved a degree of camp innuendo, a part of me says he should be entirely at liberty to keep up that side of himself, just as Aisleyne should be able to wear thong bikinis without worrying about arousing Spoiral.
* However, Richard was complaining himself about the testosterone alpha-maleness of Spiral and by extension Mikey ~ the kind of maleness we've seen manifested in biting Aisleyne's bottom, telling her she's a cock-tease, making her worry about what she wears and asking Pete if he prefers her with or without pants. Isn't the kind of comment Richard made to Mikey (according to the latter), along the lines of "I'm going to come into your bedroom and put my cock up your arse" an equally offensive kind of... verbal trespass, a crass crossing of the boundaries between friendly banter and making someone feel sexually uncomfortable?
I would feel first bored, then probably offended or uncomfortable if I lived in a house with someone who constantly made sexual remarks, particularly if those remarks were personally directed at me, about what I wore, about what arousing effect I had on them and about what they were going to slip into bed and do to me. (Unless there was some mutual attraction and flirtation I suppose. I would still find it embarrassing in public.)
So... I don't know and would like to throw it open. If it's reasonable, as I'm inclined to think it is, for Richard to enjoy his "camp innuendo" persona in the house, then is it also reasonable for Spiral and Mikey to enjoy their "laddish banter" personae in the house? If the former makes Mikey uncomfortable and threatened, and the latter has the same effect on Aisleyne, is that because Mikey is uptight and homophobic? I wouldn't think of Aisleyne as uptight and frigid (would that be equivalent?) for not enjoying Spiral's banter.
I... do you see what I mean. |
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