Anyone watching Strictly?

[pickledandpuzzled]

I’m a bit conflicted about Layton.

Many of the couples' dances are about sex and attraction - the rhumba, for example. And the waltz was considered downright dirty when it was invented... the man gripping the woman round her waist and holding her tightly to him while they moved in synchrony with the pulsing beat...whoof! (Rapidly fans blushing face.)

So it makes sense that, in the 21st century, we recognise that sexual attraction between people of the same sex is normal and as beautiful as heteronormative attraction.

The first year an openly gay pro danced with an gay celeb. I like that this year the sexuality of the pro is not relevant, anymore than it was relevant when the gay male pro danced with a female celeb. But I wonder whether a hetero male celeb will ever dance with a male pro. Unless he is an actor, I expect performing sensuality with another man would be exceptionally challenging.

Isn’t the question more why shouldn’t there be same sex couples dancing?

Why shouldn't there be same-sex couples? People should dance with whoever they want to, wear whatever they want to. It doesn't matter.

I really liked Layton tonight, and I haven't been overly keen till now simply because he has too much experience (and he's a bit too Gen Z / talking in soundbites for my ancient ears). But he danced beautifully, wasn't too over-confident, and I thought acted it well too. And at no point did he claim to actually be a woman. All good.

I agree that people should be able to dance with whoever they want.

But it always seems to be "oh you're a gay man so you have to dance with a man".

If they're going to mix it up, mix it up!

We have a massive problem that he went to a top theatre school where dancing, acting and singing are given equal credence. He wad then a west end performer in a top musical.

I only discovered this when I looked him up in the first few mins of his first dance after suspecting he was indeed, a professional dancer.

Frankly, he is far closer to the professionals on the show than the average celeb dancer.

Really not fair and seems like the bbc pushing a narrative.

Lovely as he is, he should not win or be in the top 3.

@DoItAgainPlz Well yes, because you're spending all day pressed up against them, dancing some quite sexy dances, and it all works better if there's a bit of sexual tension. Preferably not marriage-ending, obvs, but I definitely think it helps if you fancy each other a bit.

And the professionals dance in same-sex couples quite often, without always aligning to their sexuality. Presumably because they're professionals and it's much easier for them.

Don't watch the show but does having 2 men mean that the sex split is uneven? So less women on the show? Or do they also have a 2 women couple?

Sex is binary and I personally prefer to watch a male female couple. Makes it even.

You haven't said why you are conflicted?

Actually I didn’t enjoy the dance at all, I didn’t think it suited his more masculine style which although he dialled it down it was still there. I’d have preferred a dance which played to his skill set. He couldn’t really pull off the softness.

I'm not conflicted. I'm weary.
There have been so many men in dresses.
All applauded for being role models of men in adventurous garments.
Only for most, if not all, to turn around and believe their stockinged legs were not just beautiful but also female.

So yeah, yay go Layton but I feel like in a year, especially if he wins, it just might go to his head.

I did think last year that the waltz and the Viennese waltz with John and Johannes suffered from the lack of a skirt. You need a flowy skirt to emphasise the twirls. I don’t care what men or women wear just that it suits the dance. I haven’t taken to Layton though, it doesn’t feel like genuine emotion when he dances. By comparison Annabel’s waltz was much more engaging.

He was literally paid to dance in heels every night, right at the front of a stage, he is a professional dancer, and should not be in strictly. Just like Ashley from the pussycat dolls a few years ago. Not keen on his pretending to be a woman in the way he moves, either, with his hips out, makes me feel uncomfortable.

I agree.

I go to dance classes and events where it's normal to switch partners for lessons and freestyles. I sometimes dance with women and DH sometimes dances with men. It's got nothing to do with sexuality or attraction, it's just for mutual enjoyment and expression/creativity. I like that Strictly have moved away from pairing "gay with gay" and much prefer the "same sex with same sex" format.

I am not enjoying Strictly very much at all this year. It does not sit comfortably with me that Layton is a professional dancer. It does not sit comfortably that the BBC have set out to stoke the gender wars by having both Layton and Amanda, and they appeared to make Amanda apologise for her views. And they are deliberately promoting Layton. Why not make Layton apologise for his views that TWAW, and disagreeing with the PM that women need safe spaces away from any man however they identify.

I do not give a stuff about a man wearing a dress or same sex couples. Just fucking dance and stop making yourself the centre of the universe.

It's been 15 celebrities for a long time, although it was only 12 in 2020 during Covid. There are more men than women this year but I don't think that's the case every year. There have also been two women (Nicola and Jade) dancing with women. Some contestants have also withdrawn rather than being voted off which is a bother for the producers who want a final featuring 3 people just before Christmas.

I don't mind it at all. My problems are with the wig which was awful, and that he's had dance training. It might not have been in ballroom, but Darcy Bussell was a trained-in-not-ballroom dancer and she was a judge!

It’s not drag it’s acting imo.

although we did have a laugh about his claim to identify with Rizzo at that particular point in the film.

He won’t win, not enough of a journey.

I really don’t like the way Layton dances. It’s as if his body is too bendy and looks very odd when he’s dancing with a partner. Apart from that, he can wear what he likes.

I thought the dance was awful. He absolutely cannot pull off dancing a female
role. I don’t like his attitude either…he seems to have so much ego and I imagine he doesn’t like playing second fiddle to Nikita.

The best indicator I've found to who's becoming a fan favourite, and who's likely to win, are the likes each video gets on Instagram and Facebook, I don't think he's in the running to win at all.

Re. Why do we need same sex couples - also not sure how I feel on this.

My original view was dancing is a sport so you should keep it mixed sex. You wouldn't change up the sexes in a game of mixed sex doubles just because one of the players is gay, for example.

However dancing is also, what's the phrase - a vertical expression of a horizontal intention. Throughout human history dancing is about sex. So on that basis I'm coming around to the point that there should be same sex partners.

Although the logical conclusion of that doesn't feel very BBC! Haha

Who is looking to be firm favourite??

And fully agree with those saying it's clothes not drag - was actually v nice to see.

The only thing that felt off for me in the performance (ignoring professional background etc) was the choice of song. This is one of the most intimate sections of the film where Rizzo opens her heart to the audience about being shamed for sleeping with a man and potentially being pregnant. It felt a bit wrong for me to have two men portray that. But admittedly it's "only strictly" and many viewers won't recognise the connection to the film or storyline. I would've preferred Hopelessly Devoted, a classic.

I agree, it's totally inappropriate to portray the dilemma of a woman pregnant out of marriage (at a time where she would have been shamed for it) by two men. Men are just happy to take advantage though, aren't they, in every walk of life? So fed up of it.