Has anyone read this interview with Philippa Perry?

I'm sure I've heard, or read, Grayson Perry say on more than one occasion that Claire isn't an alter ego. It's just him in a dress. It was other people, especially journalists, who didn't seem to be able to grasp the idea that even when dressed he was still the same person.

Oh, ok.
There is a recent l trend of self-diagnosis for ADHD, I would say particularly in adult women (or perhaps that's the demographic I just happen to see more of). I can't comment on whether this is accurate or not, or helpful or not. What are your thoughts?

I think this is what P Perry meant in the context of the interview, but could be wrong. That's what I mean by her use of "labels" not making much sense.

I buy into her parenting advice - in that sense I think she's great and has a lot of wisdom.

However as a person I cannot help finding her extremely odd. She seems to be really interested in fame and her refusal to engage on trans activism I think is about protecting her position and status. Which I don't admire when you compare with how other famous women have used their platform
(Rosie Duffield, JKR etc).

I actually think she's quite self interested and selfish.

I think he has. Although he has also said he can't be arsed to dress up anymore as it's too much effort! I know the feeling.

Yeah I'm still, Nope. Not appropriate even 15 years ago

I guess they wanted to raise a lot of money but he had the choice to wear what he wanted.

From the OP:

She also dismisses 'labels' as social contagion and mentions ADHD as an example, which I have some sympathy with…

I enjoy your banging on, Warrior.

The problem for me is not even the outfits. It's that they require audience response/participation.

Although the fact that he chooses "little girl" outfits is concerning.

I don't track it but has he begin to move away from this?

It was very much his brand and what got him noticed then, if that helps. When in performance mode artists can be utter twats. coming from an arts background

I'm same, I do like his work and I find him very insightful. I actually wasn't prepared for quite how extremely pornographic his work is till I leafed through a library book of his work.

One issue is that he became popular. Many artists are really grim and totally inappropriate. Few become a nation's fave in the way he did. And part of that was the crafts element rather than being a fine artist; more could relate. It's more accessible. (And more like the 'art' of the past eg Ancient Greece, but I'll stop myself before I start banging on)

Sometimes I have a cheeky peek and think ‘nest of vipers, no thanks

I did note that. She's missing out on a very valuable opportunity to challenge herself, there.

I've met Grayson Perry, he actually came across very well. In a way I prefer a man who is up front about his dressing up being a fetish, he doesn't claim to be a woman and doesn't claim the right to women's spaces. Although the fact that he chooses "little girl" outfits is concerning.

I've read other interviews with Philippa and she seemed quite reasonable on trans issues - there will be reasons for the dysphoria and these should be explored etc. Also her agony colum advice is often quite on the mark, far better than Pamela Stephenson who she shares the space with.

As the parent of two children diagnosed with ADHD by NHS specialists, all I’m getting from your post is pot, kettle, black. It seems we all have our own special prejudices?

I'm sorry, I don't understand this. The poster was saying that being able to describe yourself as having ADHD might sometimes be useful, contrary to what P Perry was sort of insinuating (I think she was more railing against self-diagnosis in the interview... it's a bit muddled)?

I agree, she doesn't usually just trot out the party lines and is usually thought-provoking - I guess that's why the dismissive 'well it doesn't affect many' is a bit disappointing. Can fully accept might be out of context etc. Maybe she would prefer not to discuss it through the Times' lens - with any paper, stuff risks getting reduced to soundbites and I'd be wary too (on any subject!)

Also She never looks at feedback on social media: “Sometimes I have a cheeky peek and think ‘nest of vipers, no thanks’. I don’t let it worry me.”

Haha!

I do agree that she's a bit nonsensical about labels: she seems to conflate "definitions" or "descriptors" with some sort of inherent "judgment" -

"But, I venture, dyslexia is a label you use and that helps you.

“Yes, but wouldn’t it be great if I could just be understood as someone who gets the letters muddled up in their words and be accepted as that rather than having to have a label?”"

That's literally what dyslexia means? It's like saying "don't call me a Sainsburys customer, I'm just someone who regularly shops at Sainsburys!"

As the parent of two children diagnosed with ADHD by NHS specialists, all I’m getting from your post is pot, kettle, black. It seems we all have our own special prejudices?

I'm not surprised she sometimes gives bad advice if that's her partner of choice. That outfit is only suitable for a fetish night.

I don't think wearing a dildo/codpiece to a children's cancer event really has ever been acceptable, but maybe that's just me. Honestly, I'd prefer not to think this was deliberate, so please do talk me out of it. I like Perry's work. I've enjoyed many of his talks.

I’m guessing he wouldn’t do this now, but to be fair that was a charity celebrity ball at the Dorchester fifteen years ago, rather than a school Christmas fete.

In short I think that dismissing her because of the trans thing is just another extreme black and white response. Some of her advice is good and some I disagree with. I still really admire her as a woman thought leader

I agree with this. And same applies to Grayson. Ffs though read the room, mate, at that cancer event 🤯

Jeeze, no.

Didn't read the full thread (slaps own wrists.)

Oh well I'm none the wiser there 😑

Thanks, will read with interest.

We can both talk the hind legs off a donkey, so here is an edited version of our conversation

Yeah same, the struggle is real

Just on Grayson; Some of his most recent pots are interesting in terms of some of the phrases he's included. I can't share be pics as a relative sent them to me. Quite terfy.

Obviously art is v subjective and one if his approaches is to just add phrases from the radio he hears to his pots (often radio 4) so who knows.

Went to his stage show pre pandemic and he was extremely clear that sex is male and female.

Link, for above image.

https://www.gettyimages.in/detail/news-photo/artist-grayson-perry-arrives-at-the-childrens-cancer-news-photo/73686429

This picture of Grayson Perry attending a charity event for Clic Sargeant took me aback. In what universe is that a suitable outfit?

I suspect Philippa Perry does follow the trans issue more than she cares to admit, particularly as Suzanne Moore is a close friend of hers. In an interview with Suzanne, she said this:

"When we feel like there's something wrong with us or we're not happy, sometimes we attack our own bodies. We might have body dysmorphia, when we think something like, I'd be happy if only I could get rid of my big nose or if I lost loads of weight. Because it feels like an easy thing that we can control.
But we can make ourselves anorexic. We can even have surgery to apparently change our genders. But this never looks at the underlying issue. It never looks at the problem that the body modification is trying to solve. What we need to do is to look at the problem rather than attack the body.

But we can make ourselves anorexic. We can even have surgery to apparently change our genders. But this never looks at the underlying issue. It never looks at the problem that the body modification is trying to solve. What we need to do is to look at the problem rather than attack the body. "

Comes very close to admitting that hormones / surgery are not the answer to body dysmorphia.

I don't blame her for not wanting to wreck her career over this. She has a book out, she wants to sell copies, she doesn't want the TRAs tearing her apart. Disappointing but understandable.