Ben Elton's Identity Crisis

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

Has anyone else read this? Am reading it now - a satirical reflection on today's society with a particular focus on gender identity and social media.

I've just got to the bit where Mumsnet gets name-checked: after a trans woman is murdered, there's a thread on MN asking why this murder gets more attention than the murders of "ordinary women" and then an online campaign forces MN moderators to ban the phrase "ordinary women" as hate-speak.

I did pause to reflect on this passage, where the protagonist is thinking about the character who is very clearly based on Germaine Greer:

"Even five years earlier no one would have imagined that a whole generation of women with vaginas would unite in defence of women with penises to take down a woman with a vagina who had previously been a feminist icon."

Squashed - the option to return a title and get your credit refunded is intended for when you've bought a title you're not happy with. It works very well, but Audible do say that they may limit the number of returns they agree to.

Just to say I saw Ben live a few weeks ago and had already announced that I intended to get up and walk out if he said "TWAW".

He was very, very careful in what he said - understanding and making it clear that he knew what would happen if he was not careful.

But he also made it clear that he's not buying it - and referred to the Greer business in a 'who can believe a feminist icon has been treated like this/@ kind of way.

My dear friend at work who I peak transed a year ago has just lent me a copy of this, looking forward to reading it.

Just came on to say I saw Ben Elton on his tour this week and he was bloody brilliant! He's so good on identity politics and such a feminist supporter. I love him. He had me genuinely laughing out loud and sobbing at times too, especially when he talked about his dad who had Alzheimer's in his latter years.

Me too - he was superb. I saw him several times in the late 80s and early 90s and loved him then. We bought his 1993 show (which I originally had on videotape) on dvd after we saw him recently and it was interesting to see how his style had changed with the ageing process.

I recommend anyone to go to his current tour - he's well worth seeing. The stuff about his late father is extremely moving.

He's not on any social media apparently. Which is good because it comes in for a bit of a hammering in the book

He covers this on his current tour. He makes himself out to be a bit Luddite as regards social media, but I left convinced it's because he knows it's a hiding to nothing if you have 'opinions'.

Vicky he wasn't that careful last night.

I'm not talking Ricky Gervais' Jenner sketch, but wondering if he's become bolder as the tour continues, realising that the audience are not buying the self ID doctrine.

HandsOffMyRights

Do you know, we wondered if he might do that - we mused on whether he was trying out audience response.

Feel free to PM me the kinds of things he said when you saw him, for comparative purposes!

I'll message you Vicky
It started with gender being a social construct and went upwards from there!

Just seen this book is 99p on amazon kindle if anyone fancies reading it.

Thank you, I have just paid my 99p and am looking forward to reading it.

So frustrating, this current atmosphere of gender politics. I actually do try to talk about it as much as I can and have maybe opened a few eyes if I have not exactly changed minds. I was discussing it with my sister at Christmas and sheeeeesh! She of course says she doesn't care what anyone does as long as it doesn't effect her. Okay, says I, here are all the ways it may effect you...... She of course either did not believe me or did not care..... But the seed is there. The idea is there. Next time, she might even listen.....

Ha I got all excited and then found I've already bought it and forgot Now just need to find time to read it!

Dinnae click, wims. Spam on a zombie post.

I once nearly got hugged by Ben Elton, I was sitting in the stalls for one of his plays when the man himself appeared in the aisle and swooped towards me with a big smile on his face and his arms open wide, I mentally prepared myself for the smooch but at the last moment he ignored me completely and went for Kenneth Branagh who was sitting directly behind me.