Time for Women with Talent to Take Back Older Female Roles in Pantos

[SpringTimeIsRingTime]

Panto Dames have been a thing since 1806 when a certain Mr Simmons decided to play Mother Goose as a Witch (how original) rather than as a caring grandmother figure. Nowadays panto dames are mainly played by gay men in drag.

I think it's time for talented actresses to take back elder female roles from the tired tropes played by men since the Victorian era.

Not a fan of this show either.

These characters were never made for older women

Have you ever watched a pantomime? It’s also not transphobic because these people aren’t trans

An essence based on misogyny?

Dawn French and other female actors are leading the way forward.
The role can be funny and entertaining without portraying older women in a negative light.

In what way is a pantomime misogynistic?
The focus of the joke isn’t women. It’s the man performing as a pantomime dame. He is the butt of the joke.

The Dame character is not the villain in a pantomime. Which you’d know if you’d ever actually seen one.

But trans men are men.

How do you know they aren’t trans.

How does the audience know they aren’t trans.

That is so transphobic. Trans men are men

Methinks the "HighLadyofTheNightCourt" doth protest too much.

The winds of change are already blowing.

Ten years from now, it will be female-dominated.

What is the point you are trying to make?

What? What are you talking about?
This post makes zero sense.

What exactly are you trying to suggest here?

How do you know the Dame is not trans?

Which Dame? All of them?

I know the actors that have played the Dame in my local theatre aren’t Trans but I obviously can’t speak for every actor who has ever played the part of a panto Dame.

Peter Alexander, Trevor Bannister, Stanley Baxter, Christopher Biggins…. All dames none trans. Plenty more pantomime dames non of which are trans.

Trans men identify as men

I don't know whereabouts you are, but I am panto daft and live in Scotland. The principal boy in about 90% of the pantos I go to see (and I see a lot of pantos) is male.

Tankflop isn't actually defending trans people here, it's purely a strawman argument.
A PP said that most panto dames are played straight men, so Tankflop is trying to deflect to suggest that the PP is being transphobic by not acknowledging that there is a possibility those men could actually be transmen, which the PP would technically have no way of knowing without having access to their medical records.

I have reported them for trolling, before anyone accuses me of troll hunting and not following Mumsnet rules.

I don’t fully understand why they even brought trans in to it. It’s a character with over done make up and hair and usually a man in drag. Whether it’s a man, a woman or a trans man or trans woman the character is usually flamboyant and made to be a comical character

I didn’t bring trans into it at all. Another poster did accusing the whole thread of being homophonic and transphobic.

I have reported you because you are personally attacking me.

I am a genuine poster and I believe my arguments are logical and stand by them

They should cancel Mea Brown's Boys anyway, because it's awful.

I didn't insult you, or personally attack you, I merely explained what you were doing. Do you not like it being pointed out? If that feels like a personal attack, maybe it's time to reflect.

When I said they I just meant who brought it up

Well your post has been deleted.

you can stop attacking me now.