John Maclean

[TheWholeHog]

Just seen him referenced on a Fionne thread, so I looked him up. Erm, wtf? He’s taking the piss, right? Is he taking the piss? Is it satire? Or not...because actually quite useful make-up tips. But what’s with the accent? I am so confused.

I've only looked at one of his clips but his accent seemed like a slightly 'feminised' Scots accent unremarkable in a MacClean. I don't think he's taking the piss, I got the impression that make up is his business.

But...no...I don’t think it can be real real. Is it performance art? Do Scots say fill-um as well as us Irish? The over-annonciation can’t be a real thing, surely?

Ok, I’ve just watched the Christmas 2017 message and now I’m convinced it is some sort of performance art thing.

John’s the real deal. Watch some more of his videos.

John’s just a bloke just getting on with being himself. Loads of threads on here about him.

All hail the truly awesome Lord Maclean!

I’ve just watched a proper make-up one and I feel slightly hypnotized. All this time I’ve just been applying make-up like a fool, without using any brushes with abnormally complicated names. I’m so ashamed.

I find his videos kind of mesmerising. I know there are people for whom aesthetics are a priority, but I’m not one of them, so his videos are a glimpse into an alternative reality for me.

He’s clever and interesting and amusing and I enjoy his extreme presentation, while quaking a little at the time it must take.

I started to watch a video linked to on the 'he gets it' (wrongly named as Lyn) thread, and just thought WTF? some strange views/ thoughts/ sentences coming out of his mouth, rather too much.. self-regard.. it seemed to me IYSWIM.

wholehog Yes, Scottish people say 'fillum'. I honestly don't even find his accent that remarkable tbh, he speaks like a lot of flamboyant Scottish guys speak.

I don't think it's a joke. Why should it be? He's doing exactly what hundreds of other beauty bloggers do, he just happens to be a bloke.

All power to him, he puts a shitload more effort in than I ever could.

He has a perfectly normal accent for someone from Stornoway, and an exaggerated arch delivery style. I take it you've never been to the islands, OP?

I can't imagine that his take on makeup was normal for Lewis, though

I am a fan.

I am Scottish- his accent is not surprising for a feminised West coast Island individual.

Some people do say "filum" in Scotland. He has come in for some criticism of his pronunciation of the word so now over- emphasises.
He is a successful professional make up artist - works for a large cosmetic house in London.

He is not a parody- he is flamboyant, tongue in cheek, his "self regard" is not totally serious.

He has some interesting views on life, feminism, minorities, his Q&A videos are interesting.
I think he is a pretty switched on individual.

Interesting that he presents a feminine persona yet never wants to be regarded as a woman.

The accent has certainly evolved if you go back to some of his first videos. It's a performance and a good one, of a character he has developed in recent years, which is gaining him a lot of attention.

that I don't agree it's necessary a character, I find that quite reductive. I think it's more like he's probably gained confidence and feels more able to be himself or to talk in a certain style. You can see it with most youtubers/presenters, but we don't talk about other people as characters, generally. I think it's like saying we can't take him seriously because he's a feminine man.

Thank you, OP! That was a joy to watch. So soothing. And stunning to see the transformation. There is something timeless about him.

I've just been watching John's Q&As - he cracks me up! It is a very mannered delivery, but it's beautifully done.

I absolutely love him, but I assumed that it was all a bit exaggerated: not a 'character' as such but all the over enunciation and everything was for the videos. I couldn't imagine him just speaking to his Mum or his friends like that. But then I don't know anyone else from his part of the world so it could be that that is just how everyone there speaks.

He does seem very switched on.

Yes I discovered him yesterday and thought WTF! He’s like no one ever. Was a bit confused at first. But he’s so funny and genteel and has such such a lovely way with words. I’ve got similar eyes to him too so going to try some of his tips to try to make my eyes look as amazing as his!

The btl comments are funny too.

His voice!!!!!!!
I'm a little bit in love

@ThisIsTheFirstStep I don't think it's a joke. Why should it be?

I didn't think it was a joke, exactly, but something a bit more sophisticated than that.

I watched the 'Christmas Message 2017' video before watching any of the make-up ones and was bemused by the accent (sounds posh to me, but then he says 'fillum' which is decidely non-posh), the presentation (is he styling himself on the Queen?) and the message itself: "I'm not going to say it'll get better, because it might not, but it might, but it also might not...but I'm not going to say it will get better..."

It made me laugh, but I wasn't sure if it was meant to be serious or not. Also, what's with the dramatic cutting?

Having watched some more his the make-up ones, I'm still not entirely sure if he's being serious or if he's gently mocking other beauty bloggers (I've watched very few, but the ones I have seen also seem to be bizarrely serious about make-up.)

Anyway, I think I'll have to watch a few more of his videos before I get it. There's something very soothing about them. Even if he does say "going in with"' far too often.

@SophoclesTheFox He has a perfectly normal accent for someone from Stornoway, and an exaggerated arch delivery style. I take it you've never been to the islands, OP?

I'm Irish and have never spent more than a few days at a time in the UK, so I'm not entirely sure what islands you even mean. I am pretty sure I've never been to them though. (Unless you mean the Arran islands, in which case, yes, I have been. )

Shit I thought he was Irish.

Hypnotising. I tried a tiny version of his cat eye thing today (literally a 20 second scrabbling around in my make up case for what might be ever so marginally similar.)

Massive fan.

Love the way he nonchalantly throws in the make up brush size, "it's a 4.2.."

I love the way he asks you to forgive him for being ill, for ages, in the q and a filum.

wholehog He doesn’t sound posh to me, just like a feminine rural west coast Scotland accent. ‘Fillum’ is neither posh nor not posh in Scotland, I’d say, maybe just slightly old fashioned for some.

I’d say he’s playing himself up a little but at the same time is pretty serious. He’s being a bit sarcastic in a dry way but that’s just typical Scottish humour you’d see in any video. He talks about serious subjects quite often and I don’t think he’d be doing that unless he was serious.

I kind of wonder if it was a woman doing this if we’d be wondering if it was a joke? This is where being who you are not being accepted thing starts to irk me. Half the reason we have all this trans stuff is because people look at a man wearing make up and talking in a specific way and think ‘is he taking the piss or what??’