Would you groan at this?

[AcornAutumn]

I’m on Masterclass bad haven’t signed in for ages.

Went to it today and guess who has a new class ... Ru Paul.

Would you groan?

• and not bad!

What is the Masterclass in?

Well is you want to learn about drag makeup and how to run and international television show, I imagine it could be insightful.

Seems to me, to be just celebrities cashing in, similar to the personal cameos they advertising on facey.....

Might be useful if you have a local library gig coming up soon :) ha ha

He’s not everyone’s cup of tea I grant you, but he’s been around for donkeys years, made a success of himself out of nothing, business-wise, and now as a gay elder seems to enjoy that mentor status. He’s got a lot of life experience and a good story to tell. Guessing if you don’t like drag and think he’s responsible for its mainstream popularity you’d rather not bother with him but I don’t see why his inclusion wouldn’t be earned rather than tokenistic.

Interesting points

I’m willing to accept he’s good at what he does but I thought I’d stop seeing him everywhere when I quit live TV and the BBC licence.

Masterclass is a collection of courses covering everything from the economy to poetry, taught by famous people.

I definitely see him as part of why drag became mainstream, hence the groan.

My membership only lasts till the end of the year so I’ll stop seeing him there soon anyway. Just wondered if anyone could relate to the groan. My friends would say “but he’s wonderful”.

Wait why would anyone groan, I'm genuinely not understanding.

What is the masterclass in? What exactly is the issue

I’m just sick of seeing him everywhere, that’s all.

I wouldn't be bothered but he's not someone who pops up much in what I watch. I do know the feeling of being bored of seeing any particular Name to the point you groan if you see them in one more thing though.

I haven’t seen him on anything in years but overload is annoying

See CBeebies, or as I used to darkly refer to it, the Justin Fletcher Channel.

@PotholeParadies

See CBeebies, or as I used to darkly refer to it, the Justin Fletcher Channel.

Now THAT I can get on board with! I’m past those years now but it wasn’t that long ago I was in the same traumatic boat with him. My sister had an dirty dream about him and described it in detail so I have that in my head too when I think of him

She... what? I think people have gone non-contact with relatives for less.

[quote PotholeParadies]She... what? I think people have gone non-contact with relatives for less.

Masterclass is £170 for the year. I think my DS has watched the Quincey Jones and Scorsese but I can’t find much that excites me. Was tempted by Neil Gaiman (gone off him cos of his recent behaviour) and I was going to watch Margaret Atwood’s but again feel disinclined. We got it at 1st Lockdown as a ‘Homeschooling’ resource but I wish I hadn’t wasted the money now.

@WhatsthetruthRuth

Masterclass is £170 for the year. I think my DS has watched the Quincey Jones and Scorsese but I can’t find much that excites me. Was tempted by Neil Gaiman (gone off him cos of his recent behaviour) and I was going to watch Margaret Atwood’s but again feel disinclined. We got it at 1st Lockdown as a ‘Homeschooling’ resource but I wish I hadn’t wasted the money now.

We got it for £90 as an offer but I was disappointed with the economics class.

Shonda Rhimes, David Mamet, Usher - good but it depends how much detail you want. I know some people don’t want to hear the methods behind music and stories and feel it spoils things.

Oh and Misty Copeland is a joy to watch.

I don't mind Ru Paul. He doesn't pretend to be a woman and just seems to be a man who enjoys dressing up. Men dressing up as women but accepting they are still men is fine. Making drag a fun children's activity is weird but I don't think he does that.

For what it’s worth he’s come under fire for Drag Race not being trans inclusive enough for years. In fact I think it was in relation to him I first heard the word ‘transphobe’!

@BraveBananaBadge

For what it’s worth he’s come under fire for Drag Race not being trans inclusive enough for years. In fact I think it was in relation to him I first heard the word ‘transphobe’!

Really?

All I know is, he appeared every time I switched on iplayer or the bbc. But maybe I should thanks him because he made me realise, along with some other things, that I didn’t need live TV anymore.

Drag race is the most popular show watched by, I would say, year8-year12 at my DD’s school. Bitches, fish and shade are the in-words. And they talk in the same exaggerated put on style. Groups of the girls and some boys wear drag style make-up and pose/act like the drag acts on social media. Girls not wearing makeup are lesbians apparently. And body hair is repulsive on girls - even any hair on forearms.

By Year12 some of the girls don’t wear so much make-up and that whole thing starts to wane.

It is bizarre that men getting their kicks out of parodying ‘glamorised’ women are the ones young girls are imitating.

Drag feels very anti woman to me.

This is a 'do you like or don't you' thread. Has FWR board become a celebrity column???? Do not get this thread at all. Drag is a man's parody of women. That could be relevant but the rest is just preference. Yes there was lots of advertising but that happens with any new series, especially at the beeb

It is very heavily advertised and has ‘caught the imagination’ of the teen audience. It is heavily influencing the language and social life of teenagers. My Dd doesn’t want to be called a bitch nor shave her arms to fit in. She doesn’t like ‘lesbian’ and derivatives being used as an insult word, and a word for girls who don’t wear make up. The make up thing and posing is massive. Not just drag race. Look at Little Mix type bands, the Kardashians, all those make-up vlogs. I think it leads to a lot of young girls feeling they don’t fit in to this new culture. That’s why it is an issue.

OP - what is the masterclass in?

That's interesting zandath A friend was telling me this morning about is work in south america in the jungles. Groups of young people who hated their first week. After that the young women found it absolutely fantastic that they didn't have to worry about their appearance, it was very freeing for them. They could just get up in the morning and off they went (they did stink a bit but hey ho). So they may love this make-up idea but it is adding to the stress of modern life.

There's bound to be a backlash