I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

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pelmut
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by pelmut »

Stu wrote:In the UK, the word "tranny" was always an abbreviation for "transvestite", ...
Actually, until very recently, it was used as an abbreviation for "transistor radio" or ''Ford Transit" (a make of van) and, before that, "transformer". Because nowadays it could also mean "transvestite" or "transgender" or "transsexual", there is plenty of scope for even further confusion; so for that reason alone it is best avoided.
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Gregg1100
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by Gregg1100 »

I was going to answer the people here that said I used a naughty word- tranny.
But really can't be bothered.
What I will do is take a step back from this site like I did a couple of years ago- it was getting argumentative and stale then.
Bye for now,
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by crfriend »

Hmm... I suppose that "tranny" could be used to connote any word beginning with that prefix.

In my experience it used to be used to denote the drive-train transmission in an automobile and only much later became connected to transvestism. I have never heard it used in the context of trans-sexualism, although I can see how it would.

So, I suppose the old term of "drop the tranny" now means something altogether different, and probably more sinister. Sometimes I really hate the march of time.
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by moonshadow »

Well, I never heard of him... had to google it. Went to google images...

What can I say.... it's nice to see that there are now TWO people in the world who know how to "color clash"... Grayson Perry, and Moon Shadow!

Thank God, I was starting to think I was the only one!

P.S. He seems like he has a lot of fun from the photo's. Good for him... life's too short to not have fun at every opportunity.
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by rivegauche »

As someone who goes out in public as a man in a skirt and dressed as a woman I do not bother about labels imposed by others. Of course Grayson Perry is over the top but what he does is fun for him and for others when they see him. It could be argued that putting an outfit together is an art form and women's clothes provide so many more opportunities for such expression. His commentaries can be highly intelligent and thought provoking and as such provoke debate in a socially aware country (UK). He is not there to help us but he does. He makes people think and discuss and thus all unconventional clothing choices gain toleration. Go Grayson.
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by dillon »

rivegauche wrote:As someone who goes out in public as a man in a skirt and dressed as a woman I do not bother about labels imposed by others. Of course Grayson Perry is over the top but what he does is fun for him and for others when they see him. It could be argued that putting an outfit together is an art form and women's clothes provide so many more opportunities for such expression. His commentaries can be highly intelligent and thought provoking and as such provoke debate in a socially aware country (UK). He is not there to help us but he does. He makes people think and discuss and thus all unconventional clothing choices gain toleration. Go Grayson.
Don't get flamed, but female impersonation is contrary to the stated mission of this site, as put forth in the first post in the first forum on Skirt Cafe. Therefore, I don't find him relevant on here at all.
As a matter of fact, the sun DOES shine out of my ...
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

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dillon wrote:Therefore, I don't find [Grayson Perry] relevant on here at all.
Two words: "Performance art".
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by denimini »

hairy wrote:Only just recently seen this Grayson Perry bloke, he don't just wear skirts but goes over the top, and in my personal view does not do skirt wearers any good. What do the rest of you think? I guess that like everyone he's free to wear what he wants.
I think extremes are good; just wearing a skirt would then be considered a conservative aberration. Often a good strategy to get something accepted.
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by Caultron »

denimini wrote:
hairy wrote: I think extremes are good; just wearing a skirt would then be considered a conservative aberration. Often a good strategy to get something accepted.
Yes, exactly.
Courage, conviction, nerve, verve, dash, panache, guts, nuts, balls, gall, élan, stones, whatever. Get some and get skirted.

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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by FranTastic444 »

Thread resurrection time.

I'd never heard of this guy until reading an article in the Times this morning. I've since checked out three of his documentaries - Who Are You, All Man and Why Men Wear Frocks.

He is big on identity and gender and I found some of the content interesting - as a documentary maker as much as being an artist. Reading some of the comments earlier in this thread, I didn't have a problem with his dress sense - he was open that it has been a big part of his life since the age of 12 and it has fashioned his life and his art since those early days. He describes himself as a masculine man in a dress (with no special insight into femininity) in episode 3 of All Man - and I don't get the impression that he is at any point trying to pass as a woman.

Episode 3 of All Man from about 26 minutes in had a special relevance for me. Jonathan Ruffer is one of my former Clients and I've spent quite a bit of time on calls with him and communicating by email. Small world :-)
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by SkirtsDad »

Being brief, my perception of Grayson Perry is someone with a lot of issues from his childhood that he plays out in his art, and therefore his art is totally egocentric, as are the few documentaries that I've seem. His clothing and alter-ego, I would say, are similarly about attention. I do think that much of his art work has an unrefined child like quality about it. It is not my cup of tea, but it is not for me to try to influence what others may like.

In terms of furthering our cause, I'm not sure that performers of any sort have a widespread effect in expanding acceptability. Many male artists, such as Axel Rose and Ricky Martin, have worn kilts or skirts on stage, but to what effect? People judge clothing differently depending on whether you are on stage, at work, or walking down your local high street. I/we are trying to change part of that, are we not? For Grayson, I don't see the same issue, he is always on-stage!
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

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SkirtsDad wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:43 am In terms of furthering our cause, I'm not sure that performers of any sort have a widespread effect in expanding acceptability. Many male artists, such as Axel Rose and Ricky Martin, have worn kilts or skirts on stage, but to what effect? People judge clothing differently depending on whether you are on stage, at work, or walking down your local high street. I/we are trying to change part of that, are we not? For Grayson, I don't see the same issue, he is always on-stage!
I think they can reinforce negative OR positive perceptions. That is, having to google Grayson, the childlike attributes he adorns himself with give me a bit of unease - the same effect on me at seeing a grown woman wearing a child's outfit (one time on a bus I saw a college-aged adult wearing a pink ruffled dress, with shoes giving an unsettling appearance as overall it was child-like, and she did not appear to be a goth, maybe lolita?).

I struggle with my reaction because I worry that is how others will perceive MIS - but it does all come down to what elements we choose to accompany our clothes, and what level of sophistication we are trying to pull off.

As for positive effects - I truly believe when people are at home watching TV/reading the news, seeing an act of skirt wearing by a "normal" celebrity in a "normal" way, it will give people the opportunity to discuss it in a serious manner, and slowly lead to - if not a change of clothing style for themselves - at least they will have a different reaction to us out there in the wild.
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by FranTastic444 »

SkirtsDad wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:43 am Being brief, my perception of Grayson Perry is someone with a lot of issues from his childhood that he plays out in his art, and therefore his art is totally egocentric, as are the few documentaries that I've seem. His clothing and alter-ego, I would say, are similarly about attention. I do think that much of his art work has an unrefined child like quality about it. It is not my cup of tea, but it is not for me to try to influence what others may like.
Issues abound from his childhood and his elevation from working class Essex urchin to very middle class, radio 4 listening, Guardian reading doyen (or doyenne) of contemporary art in the UK. I view him in a similar light to Eddie Izzard. A gregarious persona acting as a front or shield to a much more complex, private individual. Can you be a 'creative' like Perry or Izzard and have a wallflower personality?

He is certainly not going to produce something like the Hay Wain. But the days of producing photo-realistic art are long since gone. I found the reasoning behind his tapestries in the All in the Best Possible Taste series really interesting - also the way he created the images in PhotoShop and then had them produced on a hi-tech loom in Belgium.

Image
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by Shilo »

The difference between the two is that Eddie Izzard is a guy wearing skirts,dresses and makeup. I’ve seen him looking stylish and not so stylish in same. Grayson Perry tends to assume a character, that of Clare, obviously a guy who doesn’t look like any woman I’ve ever come across.
Last edited by Shilo on Tue Feb 18, 2020 9:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I'm wondering what people think of Grayson Perry

Post by skirtpettiman »

I came across Grayson Perry years ago. Likes to dress up as a little girl so obviously a transvestite fetishist and has nothing to do with what we do here. We're men in skirts, not transvestites.
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