Grayson Perry's Art Club' Exhibition

[BitMuch]

www.channel4.com/programmes/graysons-art-club. I really enjoyed watching this series during lockdown because the amateur artists are very diverse and it showcases some interesting work. In this week's episode, for the final exhibition of their work, Grayson Perry dressed up in a way he is open about being very sexually aroused by. He has these clothes specifically designed to hide an erection. He didn't dress this way in any of the previous episodes. I found this totally disrespectful of him, especially when he was talking to the amateur artists who travelled to Manchester for the event despite covid, including a 17 year old girl and a young man with autism. The programme was primarily about the members of the public and showcasing their art. It's a nice pre-watershed family-friendly programme that has children on it, like a young 12 year old boy who made a collage of his twin brother who passed away.

Why does Grayson act out his fetish in events he attends that are not remotely 'adult' in nature?

Grayson went to a a primary school event with the Duchess of Cambridge and decided to wear his fetish gear to that so I have no idea where he draws the line. This is so accepted by society at large but I cannot feel comfortable with it. He seems so Jekyll and Hyde. Would a man wearing a gimp suit be invited along with a royal to speak with children in a primary school?

Also, his wife Phillipa Perry was the joint presenter and she made art too so I don't know why her name was missing from the title. It would have been more accurate to be called 'Grayson and Phillipa's Art Club'.

@Poorlykitten

Do we know he had an erection during those particular instances? Is that a know fact? Are we now going to have to police every male who interacts with kids and double check they are not getting turned on? Should we engage some thought police?....🧐 hmmm that does sound vaguely familiar.

We do not need to engage the ‘thought police‘ or know for sure on each instance of GP attending a primary school in a flouncy dress that he has an erection. He has stated that this is his sexual fetish. He has stated that in these circumstances he has an erection. I would much rather not know. But due to his public statements I do know. And it is fucking grim for him to involve unconsenting others, especially children, in his sexual gratification.

@ABCDay

As long as the clothes cover up what is meant to be covered up I really couldn't care less what is going on in the wearer's head.

What about what's going on in their pants? Do you really think it's okay for him to be in a primary school interacting with children with an erection?

What? Was he showing it to them? Asking them to touch it?

I felt sexy in a skirt today. Same skirt I’d done the school run in earlier. Alert the authorities op.

I'm pretty certain, that upthread he said it gives him a 'stiffy'. Fucking hell what more do you want???

He has recently and repeatedly said he can’t be bothered dressing up anymore and he finds it a ‘chore’ so maybe you will be spared worrying about it for too much longer.

Anyway BitMuch, thanks for the thread. It's been very informative. I'm baffled as to the "don't mention the fetish" direction it's taken. Well, I hope I'm baffled.

@Franklyfrost

I felt sexy in a skirt today. Same skirt I’d done the school run in earlier. Alert the authorities op.

Well I suppose it depends what you mean by ' feeling sexy'. Do you mean that you think that men will look at you and think you are sexy? That you're wearing a skirt that could be considered sexy? Because those are about being the object of other people's desires (what most people mean when they talk about sexy clothing).

GP is not wearing clothing to appear sexy to others, he's wearing clothing that arouses him. He finds shocking other people and their disapproval arousing. That's a sissification fetish. The fetish is not about arousing other people, it's about their discomfort arousing him.

So you wearing your sexy skirt to drop off doesn't make the children complicit because they couldn't be less interested in the fact that Matthew's mummy is wearing a tight skirt. GP wearing an outfit that discomforts or disturbs children or the other parents or teachers at drop off is making them complicit. He gets off on that.

That's the difference.

@Poorlykitten

He has recently and repeatedly said he can’t be bothered dressing up anymore and he finds it a ‘chore’ so maybe you will be spared worrying about it for too much longer.

Got it. Thanks.

@Franklyfrost

I felt sexy in a skirt today. Same skirt I’d done the school run in earlier. Alert the authorities op.

I think that advancing this as an argument in this context demonstrates a very limited understanding of sex and sexuality, particularly male vs. female sexuality.

@Poorlykitten

He has recently and repeatedly said he can’t be bothered dressing up anymore and he finds it a ‘chore’ so maybe you will be spared worrying about it for too much longer.

Please could you post and link what you have seen him say? Seeing him dressed up on a family-friendly TV programme featuring children which was filmed in autumn 2020 was what provoked this thread so he is still doing it.

Is it possible that the people who are defending this man and his fetish, and can't see what all the fuss is about..

...don't have children?

I myself became more aware and more concerned about this kind of thing after having children.

I don’t, @CatsCantCatchCriminals2, but I always centre child safety and well-being in any situation.

@Clymene @borntobequiet

Feeling sexy is a social phenomena. There is huge cultural variation in what humans define as feminine, masculine, attractive, taboo etc. What I consider to be a sexy skirt is based on what other people consider to be a sexy skirt. How the sexy skirt would be received when worn in public is what makes it sexy. That doesn't mean I'm aroused the whole time when wearing the skirt.

A man looking slick wearing a suit is constructing his social and therefore also his sexual persona by being seen in public dressed like a classically powerful male. You would still let him be in a room with children.

The premise that GP is aroused because he is wearing a skirt is an extension of a prejudice correlating pedophilia and homosexuality (despite ample evidence showing no correlation).

The premise that GP is aroused because he is wearing a skirt is an extension of a prejudice correlating pedophilia and homosexuality (despite ample evidence showing no correlation).

Absolute bollocks. The “premise” came from his own mouth - quoted repeatedly in this thread.

@CatsCantCatchCriminals2

Is it possible that the people who are defending this man and his fetish, and can't see what all the fuss is about..

...don't have children?

Well some people haven't read the dozens of disturbing quotes from Perry which I listed starting on Page 4 of the thread. That's my fault, I should have found quotes from Perry to put in my first post. I would recommend reading at least the post of quotes on Page 4 before commenting. I wrongly assumed more people knew Perry frequently talks openly about only dressing up because he is turned on by being seen as an 'unapologetic fetishist' 'pervert' by non-consenting uncomfortable people in public. I hope other posters will also include evidence for any claims for what he means using quotes from him.

There is going to be another series of Art Club in the New Year so it's important for viewers and Channel 4 to know that their final episode which involved children and was intended to be suitable for children was used by Grayson as an 'excuse' to act out what he calls a 'sexist' 'sissy' 'fetish'. He made some viewers and possibly people on the show feel disrespected and uncomfortable when everyone else involved intended it to be an 'uplifting' family friendly show, and was in the other episodes. I haven't yet seen any evidence whatsoever that Perry has changed his moral compass and doesn't want to act out an inappropriate sexual fetish again in the next series or around children ever again.

The premise that GP is aroused because he is wearing a skirt is an extension of a prejudice correlating pedophilia and homosexuality (despite ample evidence showing no correlation).

No, the premise is Grayson Perry's own words: it's a 'turn-on', it gives him a 'stiffy'; but this is interesting because for me, those who can't see - or pretend they can't see - the difference between a man in a dress (nonconformity) and a self-described 'gender-rigid' fetishist who dresses as a woman because it turns him on, are the ones who probably file it all under a singular banner.
There is absolutely nothing about GP that reads as gay to me.

Feeling sexy is a social phenomena
Again, a lack of understanding of sex and sexuality.
Sexual arousal is physical, though sexual feelings and expression are somewhat shaped and moderated by culture.

He's on HIGNFY tonight, all made up.

@ABCDay

He's on HIGNFY tonight, all made up.

I don't have a problem with that.

HIGNFY is a post-watershed adult program, I see no issue with GP appearing on that as Claire, it's the appearance with kids that's obviously an issue and disappointing as Art Club was lovely.

I really don't think he's an awful person, I think he made a really poor choice on that one occasion.

What it is is a conflation of homosexuality and fetish that makes fetish seem more acceptable, now that homosexuality is quite rightly seen as non threatening by most people/ socially acceptable norms, there's an attempt by some people with fetish or less socially acceptable sexuality to attach themselves to the LGB alphabet to normalise behaviour.

To be fair to GP he doesn't do that, at all. He is an exhibitionist and couldn't be more open about what he is doing. I do think that dressing up for kids is taking the piss though.

I agree that GP doesn't try to be things he isn't, I just think that in wider society there's a move to normalise fetish and kink that has allowed GP to dress up in situations where it's not appropriate without challenge.