Grayson Perry..

[CurlewKate]

I’ve always had a lot of time for Grayson Perry- but I saw a couple of pictures on a thread, bizarrely enough, about Sewing Bee,of him wearing what appeared to be an erect dildo at a charity event. While I am prepared to believe anything about the behaviour of men, this does seem distinctly out of character. Is there a background story I need to know, or do I have to add him to my list of shits

This picture approx 20 years old maybe 18 it isn't new he has always shown who he is, not everyone has to be uncomfortable with him but I don't understand how an old picture is "the line" .

No, it's on Alamy or one of the photo licensing sites, with others from the event, too.

when it’s become acceptable (less so these days hopefully) for men in frocks to read stories to toddlers in the library whilst wearing fetish gear, anything goes.
It makes my skin crawl.

I remember ca 1980, a friend whose sister was a nurse describing how they used to wheel the beds of vulnerable child patients into store rooms to hide and protect them when Jimmy Savile came round on one of his famous charitable visits, and one of our group whining 'oh, you always have to spoil everything'. Some people can't bear any criticism anyone who has the glamour of fame, even when the person, like JS, is obviously a creep in plain sight.

Btw, not massively important but Savile is spelled like that, 'vile', anagram of 'evil', no extra 'l'.

Men can be interesting, intelligent, informed, witty, compassionate, thoughtful.

That doesn't preclude them from being fetishists, or abusive, etc.

Perry is quite self aware. He has written openly about his fetish and some of the lengths he's gone to to indulge it. He made a TV programme about ... well, TVs.

The photo is absolutely genuine, I can assure you. He had a phase of wearing cod pieces.

Here is the original link.

https://www.gettyimages.in/detail/news-photo/artist-grayson-perry-arrives-at-the-childrens-cancer-news-photo/73686429

just another sad old perve to me.

@Pluvia I don't think you can dress up as a parody of a woman and not cause grievous insult to women.

Even more so dressed up as a sexualised parody of a female child.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womensrights/5020672-grayson-perry-and-kirsty-young-speaking-sense

KY: ‘When people have a … an uncomfortable or a negative reaction to a man wearing a woman’s clothes, do you think it might be because they understand that they are participative in something that is quasi sexual and they haven’t consented to that?’
GP: ‘Yeah, yeah’
KY: ‘and they haven’t consented to that?”
GP: ‘Yeah, yeah. Yeah.’
…
‘But then again, a couple walking down the street holding hands is sort of charged with sexuality as well, so it’s sort of like, where do you draw the line, you know …
KY: ‘There is I suppose - a person might say a straightforwardness about that, you can just see what it is , which is it’s two people being affectionate towards each other, there’s a straightforwardness to that that’s far from –‘
GP: ‘Yeah, I think it’s got to be faced up to, yeah’
‘yeah’
GP ‘yeah’
KY: ‘And how do you think …’
GP: ‘‘Well, you know, for me, it’s like: ooh, there’s a bit of darkness in the old dog yet. [laughs]’

Never liked him, don't like his 'art' and think he is famous for being 'shocking' rather than a decent artist

I like the fact that he is living proof of my belief that men and women should be able to wear whatever they like without being restricted by gender stereotypes.

But that absolutely isn’t what’s happening here @CurlewKate .
He conned a lot of us into thinking that, and then brazenly announced that it’s a sexual fetish, one so extreme and revolting that he went as far as showing a huge fake erection at a children’s charity event.

The only thing we can thank him for is openly admitting to autogynaephilia, which for years the activists told us doesn’t exist, and is a cruel defamation of trans people.
It’s worth noting that not long ago, mentioning AGP or using the word fetish in this context got your post removed by MN. That’s how much of a taboo it was to accuse those poor men of such a thing.

The fullness of the dresses may serve to hide his boner, but the shortness of the dresses increases the risk of it 'accidentally' showing. Not that he has said this AFAIK, but, like the rest of his boundary-pushing, it's hiding in plain sight.

And he's an artist, and artists are a sacred caste and get away with all kinds of appalling behaviour because they're artists. Think Picasso and the appalling way he treated so many women during his lifetime. Think of Eric Gill, whose statues are everywhere, including on the BBC's HQ, who was known to have sexually abused his daughters and the family dog.

I'm always dubious about praising 'honesty'. Eddie Izzard was always 'honest' about being a transvestite, cross-dresser whatever. Then he wasn't.

It’s interesting that you had no problem with his cross dressing when this is part of his fetish. He gets a sexual thrill from wearing little girl’s clothes in public, and when people ignore that, they’re adding to his fetish.
Back when I was a child, any man found to be dressed like him would be castigated - now they’re at best ignored ‘he’s just being his authentic self’, or even worse they’re celebrated ‘GP should be awarded for being an AGP role model, love is love’.
Grim.

There's plenty of blame to share. The two are different though. GP has never claimed to be trans, unlike EI. That's what would have made a difference, as EI did originally. A man putting on a dress as an alter-ego, not to represent miraculous transition to the opposite sex.

The Bee conversation included Gill.

There is only so much leeway I'll give an artist.
At least Perry is honest. But as this convo shows, not everyone knows everything. Gill? No. His "art" is not acceptable to me because he shouldn't have been gree to make it. He belonged behind bars.

I tried reading Marikn Zimmer Bradley - whose books I adored and had read multiple times - when I heard about her. Couldn't do it.

Each of us has a personal line. Gill, Perry and Bradley are over mine.

I dont understand why admitting its a fetish makes it ok? Its as if the worst thing about men performing fetishes in public is the hypocrisy of pretending that they aren't.

There was a million other inspirations the sewing bee could have used instead of him, and his perve inspired dresses. But they picked him.

I am finding myself having a similar problem with re-reading Gaiman.

How do some people just get away with it?

Charm. Sycophants, enablers and fellow perverts. The fear some have of being seen as a killjoy/fuddy duddy/frigid/any other criticism which means STFU we're going to do what we want whether you like it or not.(hopefully not because that makes it all the more thrilling).

It sounds such a lovely marriage...
In that interview Philippa Perry describes how she was taking him coffee in bed and she tripped and it went all over the stairs. And he wasn't angry, but instead said, let me help you. And that hit her "like a bullet" as she'd never had kindness like that before.

These appear to be two very damaged people. But that doesn't mean that they should inflict damage on others.

www.facebook.com/reel/711540328152352

It's got to the point I can't watch anything nice any more. Strictly, seeing bee, bake off, all full of misogynists and worse

That picture has peaked many, many people. I sent that pic to a friend who thought he was wonderful and she was almost speechless. Let's just say she's no longer a fan.

That pic will haunt him forever.

How did nobody around him question him before he walked out the door at home or in the door at the function?
"Come on G, you can't wear a fucking erect penis to a children's charity event" would have sufficed.

Or maybe they did and he decided to do it anyway, that's the point of his exhibitionism, isn't it, shock and awe.

So in his mind what better place to wear an erect penis than a children's charity event.

Vile.

I’m astounded that his wife is being blamed here.