Anyone watching Strictly?

[pickledandpuzzled]

I’m a bit conflicted about Layton.

The BBC pushing drag. Who'd have thought it eh?

No, not tonight.

I'm watching. It was a beautiful dance.

Why conflicted? He's playing a part. Actors do.

I thought it was a stunning performance by them both. Beautiful.

I don't think Layton is claiming to be an actual woman tho, nor is he crudely mocking women like in the newer misogynistic forms of drag. He can wear what he likes.

Loved it

Yes it was stunning.
I was prepared to be irritated, but as an actor and an interpretation it was gorgeous.

I like him.

It’s movie week. John Travolta played a woman in Hairspray. It’s a show and it was hardly drag! Nothing to be conflicted about.

I’ve enjoyed him dancing women’s steps and roles. More so than John and Johannes last year dancing as two men together.

This.

If there's anything problematic about that number, it's retaining the 'refuse to see it through' line. Not the dance, or costumes, or who's doing it.

I've no problem with a man in a dress, as long as he's not claiming it makes him a woman.

I like Layton more every week. He’s a chap who is flamboyant and is comfortable wearing lots of different things. If I’m offended by anything it’s how much more dance experience he has, but even that is becoming less important the more I watch him.

Yes, this 100%. We need more men who feel comfortable not conforming to male stereotypes and not claiming it makes them women. My issue with Layton on SCD is his background as a professional dancer and performer! Still, I'd rather watch him than Les Dennis.

There are also female dancers playing male parts.

I’m uncomfortable with the crap nylon wig.

Totally agree! He’s bring something new each time

In fact it's quite refreshing these days. Putting the fun back into performance a la Freddie Mercury & co.

Wig did him no favours but a really nice dance. However, as a professional nothing less would be expected.

Couldn’t give a stuff if Layton wears a dress. He’s never claimed wearing a dress makes him a woman

twittwr is full of ppl cheering him socking it the “TERFS & transphobes” showing that they still don’t fucking get it. We couldn’t care less what a man wears - dress, tutu, skirt, heels, whatever so long as he doesn’t insist it makes him a woman

I thought it was good. I like the way that Nikita and Layton danced in men's roles last week and then switched to male/female this week. Layton gave himself an additional challenge because he has to let Nikita lead when he is dancing the female role. Layton rightly gets a lot of praise but Nikita is really committed to their performance too.

Layton is fully TWAW and was on Instagram crying about Sunak's "a woman is a woman..." comment.

The dance was good but I thought the outfit was really ugly - very frumpy 😕

I think it was fine that he danced the woman's role and did so wearing a dress. This is what ignoring gender stereotypes is about. I did not see it as drag: there was no woman-face, no exaggerated feminine stereotypes.

OTOH I do not like him as a celeb. He is already a professional dancer. I do not accept that the difference in the genres means his experience moving to music, learning dance moves and dancing on stage are irrelevant. He is also whiney and needy. Previous same-sex couples have switched around the leading and following roles, which made it so much more interesting, and made there be a point in having same-sex couples beyond sexuality. Layton always seems to take the woman's role.

I don't understand why there has to be same-sex couples dancing.

The only difference between homo- and heterosexuals is the sex they're sexually attracted to. And having sex with each other isn't a prerequisite to appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.

I thought he was great last week and not so great this week. Fighting over who should lead.