CBeebies bedtime story Christine

[Redebs]

I'm just listening to a CBeebies bedtime story called 'The Moon Keeper' with my granddaughter. It's read by 'Christine' who is wearing one red glove.
Granddaughter asks me why she is wearing it. When I look it up on the internet, it turns out that 'Christine' is a man, pretending to be a woman.
I'm not going to tell my granddaughter. She doesn't need to know what men do yet.
I told her that she is wearing one red glove because she wants to.

Getting sick of this.

I think you've misunderstood. Have a look at wikipedia, which gives birth name and stage names for the artist.

He isn't pretending to be a woman.

She's a woman who 'identifies as' a man or nonbinary or something.

That's a woman. I don't understand the significance of the red glove.

I told her that she is wearing one red glove because she wants to.

That's true isn't it? Is there some significance I'm missing?

Christine is female anyway.

Ah, I see.
I was multi-tasking and assumed that the 'he' and drag queen vibes meant the person was male.

I get that 'freakpop' might appeal to some, but CBeebies bedtime story really isn't the time or place for such adult play, surely?

See, this is where we're at, where a woman in a tailored trouser suit is considered to be somehow cross-dressing, or non-binary, or genderqueer or whatever. When in fact she is simply a woman who is not particularly conforming to sex-based stereotypes. As for finding the single glove weird, that's just.... well. Many artists have done this, emulating Michael Jackson for a start, or just for their own style. It's hardly anything worth commenting on.

Is the get-up a bit of an homage to Michael Jackson? Suit with white socks and shoes, with one glove. No diamanté, of course, but still one glove.

Ah, have just read that Heloise now publicly identifies as a man... last I saw Christine and the Queens that was not the case. Still, this is a female person, in a tailored suit. Heloise apparently doesn't agree with using hormones or having operations, so it really is simply a matter of presentation.

See, this is where we're at, where a woman in a tailored trouser suit is considered to be somehow cross-dressing, or non-binary, or genderqueer or whatever.

Not exactly. She considers herself to be cross-dressing, or non-binary, or genderqueer or trans or something.

She is an artiste no more weird than marcel marteau or david bowie or helena bonham carter sometimes
Your response was perfect
"Because she wants to "
End of

Heloise apparently doesn't agree with using hormones or having operations, so it really is simply a matter of presentation.

So she's a crossdresser who identifies as the opposite sex? It's usually men who do that. Maybe she's taking the piss.

but CBeebies bedtime story really isn't the time or place for such adult play, surely?

Such adult play? It's a red glove and a fairly normal black suit. It's hardly RuPaul's drag race.

The woman is well known French singer originally known as "Christine and The Queens" most people will remember the song "tilted".

She now identifies as a man. And her stage name is Redcar.

The glove is a bit creepy. CBeebies obvs now trying to be gender inclusive 🙄

I'm not sure what I'm missing (I might be biased because I love Christine & The Queens) but I watched this and I didn't notice anything inappropriate.

Hadn't realised that Christine identifies as a man now. I do remember reading years ago her saying something about gender and feeling more masculine. She's a lesbian, right? (In the correct sense, obvs).

Chris has a lovely soothing voice.

Off-topic but I just looked at these and it's disappointing they don't have text for children to follow along.

The point that poster made is valid though. If one is to criticise people who identify as trans as conforming to gender stereotypes, then not conforming to gender stereotypes should not be the source of ridicule for men or women.

The criticism the poster was responding to was also there without the knowledge of the woman in question's identity so it's important to pick up on.

It was CBeebies that informed me that Christine and the Queens was now called Redcar and was using male pronouns. I don’t do TikTok so missed this and wasn’t clear from Instagram…clearly don’t bother reading profile if I have been following someone for a while. They are a very flamboyant artist so assumed the slicked back hair and suit was just a new image. They are somewhat of an Michael Jackson fan….very obvious from their choreography. But definitely born female. The story clip seemed sweet but very removed from the usual adult sat with cuddly toys and a book.

CBeebies have very random storytellers, as much as I like Tom Hardy, has he been in any child friendly films? I haven’t checked?

Watching the CBeebies clip I wondered if that was recorded for the bbc at or around the same time as when she performed songs from her new album and tour on Jools Holland, just after she’d had to delay her tour due to a leg injury; her London tour dates were around then too but had to be postponed. Last September I think. That was the first time I saw her perform as Redcar. The lighting and aesthetic of the CBeebies clip reminds me somewhat of the Jools Holland set.

I got the impression from scrolling through her twitter that she’d been through something of an introspective period during the pandemic - there were references to spending a year praying to the Archangel Michael, comments about ‘another great day on earth in my meatcar’ I think it was, which I assumed was her body, and some defensive tweets about criticism for smoking pot. I think it’s pretty clear that as a singer / dancer / artist / performer, Redcar is her latest creative project - like David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust or Madonna and Madame X. In contrast a year ago she was collaborating with a much more sexualised singer called Charli XCX where the aesthetic seemed to come from the other performer rather than her. I got the impression that the he/ him pronouns were linked to the Redcar character rather than to her as Christine but that was a few months back so things may have changed. There’s also a video of her being made up by one of the Ru Paul team where she talks about trying out different characters / personas and also about masculinity/ femininity and dealing with the male gaze. There’s recent videos on her you tube channel of a live performance in Paris where she performs songs from Redcar but isnt wearing the Redcar suit - she’s back to her trousers and bra look from Glasto, plus a huge skirt for one song, and topless with nipple stickers and a feather boa for another.

I find her really interesting as an artist and enjoy watching her performances even when some of the songs aren’t to my taste.

I find her a surprising choice for CBeebies as her target audience is definitely not children who are learning to read, but when she’s being interviewed as herself rather than as a performer / character she always seems delightful if slightly nervous. I’d love to see her perform live but I’m not her target audience either, I would stick out like a sore thumb.

I found the milk from ru Paul drag make up session interesting as I thought he tried to make her up in a way which would be unflattering / slightly clown-like but she’s got such elfin features it’s impossible to make her look unfeminine.

You're right LoobiJee I also assumed it was recorded at the same time as Jools, etc.

I thought Chris was a fantastic guest and plenty of other star names who get involved could have their suitability picked apart if you can’t separate this appearance from the more adult content of their day job.

It’s a really interesting theory that this male identity is an artistic phase attached to the Redcar persona. To an outside observer, it makes a lot more sense in that context. Chris did an interview with Miranda Sawyer in the Guardian which took it all incredibly seriously and it was just mind boggling to see everyone just agree without any critical thought that Chris is literally a man now, because they say so. Wikipedia changed, Twitter lectures from the blue hairs about correct pronouns. But it is a quite fascinating fiction and still not particularly clear what it really means, and how Chris can expect to be treated outside of Chris's own ponderings on the matter. As OP illustrated, if you didn't know in advance, what is one supposed to do?

In my case, DS8 came in and casually asked ‘why is she wearing a red glove?'. Is that the part where I was supposed to say 'well no dear, you’re wrong, Chris is a man'? And that's simply just a lie, it is as many people have said on here before, teaching kids not to trust what they clearly see.