Groundhog Day the Musical - Old Vic

I'd object, and strongly, if the comments regarding the actor/actress were nasty or unpleasant.  I think it's a nod to the quality of this open forum that I can openly admire the voice/face/arse of an actor without feeling I'm going to get battered by the pc brigade.  If I said (and rightly) that Adam Linstead had gorgeous hair, who would complain?  If I said (and rightly) that Darius Campbell was handsome who does it hurt?

I mean, if you think about it, political correctness is just about ensuring people treat each other with respect, and using terms like "PC Brigade" really helps obscure the original intent behind the idea, in much the same way some people think "Feminazi" is a GREAT word to use (and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if people haven't had the thought about me when I'm in one of my more argumentative moods ). If we all continue to treat each other with respect, we don't have anything to worry about, and if you do one day bust out an "excuse me miss, I just wanted to say that's a lovely skirt, have a nice day" and are met with hostility, don't take it personally, 'cos we're not yet in a world where everyone does treat each other with respect so that's a history she's carrying with her which makes her less receptive to entirely innocent and genuine compliments because she's had so much bulls**t before then and will inevitably have more in the future.

ANYWAY!

THAT RIGHT THERE is a great example of a man complimenting a woman, folks!

Re: Tourette's - "coprolalia" is a good word to tuck away in your vocabulary, if "abusive-word-verbal-tick" ever gets a bit much. That's Jess Thom, right, the channel 4 continuity announcer? She's great, I highly recommend her website www.touretteshero.com/ if you ever wanted to lose three solid days to reading a personal, enlightening, fascinating, hilarious, and heartbreaking account of living with a disability.

Nah, it's the same sort of situation. It's more acceptable to say these things about a male actor than a female actor. I can think it's equally gross, but because of the history behind these things, it's still not technically a double-standard. The praise of the male form has never really come at the expense of the rest of the man in the way it historically has for women.

There is a distinct difference between admiration and objectification. Nothing wrong at all with admiration! Objectification is a different kettle of fish entirely.

MrsLovett, you have as much right to object to men objectifying men as women do to being objectified - it's your culture you want to improve. It's harder for straight women to complain about the things gay men say and do among themselves because we'd be accused of imposing our heteronormative views on a different culture.

As much as phrases like 'PC Brigade' and 'Social Justice Warrior' get my back up (the latter provoking a knee-jerk reaction that the person is probably an idiot) I do agree that we seem to have moved to a place of counter-productive hypersensitivity about who gets to say what. 

Oh will, I knew you were sent to us for a reason! Thank you!

(It's felt like Groundhog Day in here...)

Thank you for the responses, kathryn and baemax! That helps give me an insight into what others might be seeing in it that I'm not!

On objectification... I've read a few news articles recently based in part or entirely on the whole Aidan Turner/Poldark thing, some of which have raised the fact that male eating/exercise disorders are on the rise and linking this with the propensity for muscular male actors. I don't see that this increasing focus on male 'beauty' is going to stop anytime soon, so it will be interesting to see how that develops - eg will the scientists point to the same triggers for male as for female disorders of that type? (Though clearly, I would rather nobody had to suffer, whatever gender they identify with!)

I would never, ever compliment a stranger of the opposite sex, no matter how good I thought they looked in an outfit, because I'd find it really creepy if someone said it to me. (A colleague/friend is different, obviously.) In terms of saying someone I've seen on stage is hunky...? I don't have a huge problem with it, in fact I'm sure I've said it a hundred times over the years, but it's in the clear knowledge that I don't expect said person to strip off, I probably wouldn't fancy them in real life, I'm not being entirely serious, and I wouldn't dream of addressing it to said person's face!! ;-)

Just a quick thought to add onto the objectification discussion. Is it actually objectification in this thread of Andy Karl when in the same breath people are also discussing his acting skills and performance? Surely objectification is seeing a person as nothing more than a sexual object to be looked at. None of us know Andy Karl personally so it's not like we can talk about what a great person he is but I guess I don't really see the issue in saying 'Andy Karl gives a great performance and is very attractive to look at' especially when being attractive is pretty necessary in order for his character to make sense. Likewise, if I see a film being discussed and someone has talked about the performance of an actress and THEN said how attractive she may be, I don't have an issue. It's when men just have nothing else to say about an actress/her character other than how much they want to have sex with her that it becomes icky and gross, especially as you often see them discuss all the merits of a male actor's performance and then just a tack on the end about the attractiveness of his female co-star.

IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE A TICKET TO TONIGHTS SHOW PLEASE PM ME.

Awful awful traffic means that I've missed the train. Next train is cancelled so I can't make the show :-(

Would feel better if the tickets isn't wasted.

Cost is £21, stalls seat.

If this means me, thank you!

I hesitate to add -many (many, many) years ago as I got off the bus to go to my office a young guy (same age as me -as I say, many many years ago) ran up after me, touched my shoulder and said "I just had to tell you, you've got a lovely bum". And ran away after the bus. I stood open mouthed, scarlet faced. But I remember it years and years (and years and years) later. Appalling really to think now, but for a bird with low self esteem (Catholic upbringing, remember) it was a memorable moment.

A man came up to my ex Ma in law in a pub some years ago and told her she looked lovely. And went back to talk to his mates. She smiled all night. Last week I told a young woman at a bus stop I loved her skirt (no, honestly, I did)!. Cath Kidson London scenes on a skirt.