Gulp - radio interview?

[Charlie]

I was contacted by a journalist from the local radio station - would I do an interview about men in skirts? I declined, partly because of my inability to string two (spoken) words together without getting into a knot, and also because I'll be hard at work.

The request was inspired by some Frenchmen in Poitiers, who wear skirts. There's an article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2 ... ion.gender . Here's the text.

The Frenchmen fighting for the right to wear skirts

Dominique Moreau is a trailblazing freedom fighter, a man battling for equality and recognition in a world of prejudice and gender-based stereotypes. At least, that is what his supporters say. To others who may be less aware of the socio-political implications of his sartorial habits, however, Moreau's heroism is less apparent. To them, he is just a bloke in a skirt.

"Today, millions of men around the world wear skirts, like the sarong in Asia or the djellaba in Africa, without being bothered," he insists. "Why not us?"

Moreau is the president of Hommes en Jupe (Men in Skirts), an association of about 30 men in Poitiers, western France, who don skirts to go about their everyday lives. For them, getting dressed in the morning is less about style and more about political substance: they are fighting to reclaim an item of clothing last worn by Frenchmen more than 500 years ago.

"We're fighting against prejudice and cliches," says Moreau, a 39-year-old civil servant who quotes Virginia Woolf as a gender-bending inspiration. "Women fought for trousers; we're doing the same with the skirt."

The self-proclaimed militants of Poitiers know it will be hard to change attitudes, even if they are grateful to David Beckham for having stepped out in a sarong. For now, they must content themselves with buying their skirts online. Prices for a male design (and, yes, there are crucial differences: wider waist, narrower hips, absolutely no floral pattern) range from €100 (£79) to €400 on specialist websites in Europe and the US.

For the male skirt movement is not restricted to France. The bible of New York style, the Sartorialist, recently snapped men all over Europe wearing multicoloured kilt-like clobber. One British representative, Tim Stannard, wears skirts most days. He admits the "hostile" reactions of his friends and family were hard to cope with at first: "My little world is not ready for a man in a skirt, whatever style it is." But, after suffering a heart attack last year, Stannard is throwing caution to the wind. "If I don't do it now," he remarks, "there probably won't be another chance."

Charlie

[Uncle Al]

Charlie,

Thanks for the article. A very good read. It is unfortunate that the
British man in the article, Tim Stannard, had to wait until he had a
heart attack before he would wear a skirt 'Full Time'.

One British representative, Tim Stannard, wears skirts most days.
He admits the "hostile" reactions of his friends and family were hard to cope with
at first: "My little world is not ready for a man in a skirt, whatever style it is."
But, after suffering a heart attack last year, Stannard is throwing caution to the wind.
"If I don't do it now," he remarks, "there probably won't be another chance."

I hope that each member of the forum does not go through the same
scenario as Mr Stannard. This kind of 'health problem' nobody needs.

Uncle Al
Duncanville, TX

[Charlie]

The programme went out and I listened to it this evening on the 'listen again' facility the BBC has on the internet. I won't post the link because its a daily show and the link would only be good for one day. I skipped through the programme in 5 minute chunks, so may have missed any response from 'the listeners'.

Anyway, they had two interviews; one with Lance of Midas clothing, and a bit later on they talked to a reporter at BBC Gloucestershire. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/co ... ture.shtml (this is also referred to in another recent thread). This guy wears his skirts to work, and says that in the two years he's been doing it, he's had no hassle.

The whole thing was positive; so often the media treats this sort of thing as quirky and something to poke fun at. This time they didn't, which was nice.

Charlie

[crfriend]

[The BBC] had two interviews; one with Lance of Midas clothing [...]

So, Lance is still trying to make a go of MIDAS? That is happy news -- a bit irrelevant to those of us in the US because our economy is in the tank and the exchange rate is at a level we haven't seen since the 1960s, but happy news nonetheless.

The whole thing was positive; so often the media treats this sort of thing as quirky and something to poke fun at. This time they didn't, which was nice.

That is remarkably refreshing. Perhaps the notion is catching on. Wouldn't that be nice!

Charlie -- I was going to egg you on about going on-air, but deferred as you quite likely have a better idea of how tongue-tied you'd get than I do.

[Peter v]

Um an intervieuw, it is scary, but would be great to voice skirt wearing for a large audience.

"we" ( men who wear skirts, as men ) are in need of more positive media coverage. Not that the lack of it would stop us wearing in public, but that besides actually going out in force skirted, is the only way in short time that finally the greater public can see that there is a freestyle movement active, and that skirt wearing is part of that. with a greater public UNDERSTANDING of what is actually going on, there would be less resistance to men in skirts that there is from some today.

Eductaing people in new things is very important, and I suppose the only way people are going to be educated in male skirt wearing is if we get behind it and stimulate the media to get interested and make positive reports about it. The fact that people would be more aware of the true story behind men in skirts would I am sure get much more men out on the streets, in a s kirt, and with it more people who want to get a piece of the action and sell products to those men, slowly getting the circle round. Once the ball is in motion, it would be more and more possible to be catered for, in vclothing and acceptance.

Any negative reaction to us would them be seen for what it is, anti social behavior on the part of the culprit, and of no fault of the skirted man in question. But I am very anthousiastic, although I do believe it can be done in a very short period of time if the media gets behind us. Only how to get things going on a large scale, and keep skirt wearing a "normal" way of living.

[Charlie]

Charlie -- I was going to egg you on about going on-air, but deferred as you quite likely have a better idea of how tongue-tied you'd get than I do.

A bit of egging might have tipped the balance Later that evening (when I'd had a chance to think about it) I realised they could have recorded an interview which would be less nerve-wracking than going out live. I'd rather wear a skirt down the road than speak live on local radio It was a bit late by then to do anything about it. And having a question to answer is easier than having to speak for however long (I'm lousy at presentations).

Charlie

[Peter v]

Charlie -- I was going to egg you on about going on-air, but deferred as you quite likely have a better idea of how tongue-tied you'd get than I do.

A bit of egging might have tipped the balance Later that evening (when I'd had a chance to think about it) I realised they could have recorded an interview which would be less nerve-wracking than going out live. I'd rather wear a skirt down the road than speak live on local radio It was a bit late by then to do anything about it. And having a question to answer is easier than having to speak for however long (I'm lousy at presentations).

Charlie

One of the Dutch skirt forum members has given a speach to a police corps about men in skirts recently. I haven't seen the speach / info, but from the posting it went well, much to the delight of the skirter.

I think that it is a shame that we are not quite ready for that if we get a chance to do it. But who is prepared to give a talk show / intervieuw?

[Charlie]

Thanks for the article. A very good read. It is unfortunate that the
British man in the article, Tim Stannard, had to wait until he had a
heart attack before he would wear a skirt 'Full Time'.

Tim asked me to put the record straight

Please point out that I was wearing a skirt a long time before my heart attack, the actual remark to the lady from the guardian was that after my heart attack, I realised that I ought to wear one more often, as time was running out.

Charlie