The Problematic Gaze

We are back after a week away and apparently the world survived without our opinions on Eurovision, AI, and 1970s sex comedies — though only just. This week we answer listener letters, discuss Cilla Black’s fifty-seven emotional interpretations of “Alfie,”, defend Confessions of a Window Cleaner as the cinematic equivalent of finding chips on the floor and still eating them, and prepare emotionally for Eurovision. Our Dave (AKA Judith Chalmers) reports from Dubrovnik with urgent passport warnings for the middle-aged and disorganised, while Dr. Lee worries that AI will destroy the planet, steal everyone’s jobs, and probably start writing this podcast description. Plus: George Michael, Freddie Mercury, Rocky Horror memories, Emma Willis rumours, Star Trek teasing, and preview our next Sex Month episode with Porky’s looming on the horizon like a grubby cultural comet.Click here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We kick off Sex Month on The Problematic Gaze by diving headfirst into Alfie, the swaggering, unsettling snapshot of 1960s masculinity that still raises eyebrows today. We explore how Michael Caine’s charismatic performance—paired with that infamous fourth-wall-breaking narration—pulls us into Alfie’s world, even as his misogyny and emotional detachment push us away. We unpack the film’s origins in Bill Naughton’s play and Lewis Gilbert’s direction, while confronting its most jarring elements: the casual disposability of women, the cutting language, and the harrowing illegal abortion sequence that still lands with force.But we don’t stop at the screen. We place Alfie squarely in the contradictions of 1966 Britain—Swinging London’s promise of liberation colliding with the realities of Harold Wilson’s Britain, economic uncertainty, the shadow of the Aberfan disaster, and the ongoing shifts of decolonization. Against a backdrop of chart-topping music and cultural change, we ask whether Alfie reflects this moment in time—or critiques it.By the end, we’re left wrestling with a film that is as compelling as it is uncomfortable: bold, bleak, and still deeply problematic.You can watch Alfie on YouTube. Click hereGAZER HOMEWORK: Next week we turn our lens to 1974's sec comedy 'Confessions Of A Window Cleaner'. Click here to watch on YouTubeClick here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time ever, we visit 1991 on The Problematic Gaze to focus on class comedy caper Keeping Up Appearances. Hyacinth’s number is mistaken for a Chinese takeaway, she prepares for a church concert, Richard fears early retirement, Rose considers becoming a nun, and the farce culminates with Hyacinth fainting after discovering Rose and the vicar in a cupboard.We place the sitcom within its wider historical and cultural moment, reflecting on 1991’s defining events—from the Gulf War and recession to rising unemployment, the death of Freddie Mercury, an IRA mortar attack on Downing Street, the birth of the World Wide Web, early steps toward the Premier League, the Maxwell scandal, and the launch of The Big Issue, alongside charts and TV ratings of the time.Our discussion centers on British class anxiety, accents, and aspiration, exploring how the show both mocks and reinforces class stereotypes. We also highlight the standout performance of Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth and delve into trivia surrounding the rest of the cast too!Watch our chosen episode of Keeping Up Appearances on YoutubeGAZER HOMEWORK: Next week we kick off our SEX season with Alfie from 1966Click here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we return—after a battle with some truly on-brand technical “gremlins”—to tackle The Rocky Horror Picture Show, separating the film from its 1973 stage origins and digging into what makes it endure. We share our own very different relationships with Rocky Horror, unpack its production history, and explore how it evolved into a midnight-movie phenomenon with a fiercely devoted cult following, eventually earning preservation in the National Film Registry.We walk through the plot—from Brad and Janet’s ill-fated car trouble to their surreal encounter with Dr. Frank-N-Furterand the unforgettable Time Warp—while placing the film in the context of early-1970s UK theatre, glam rock aesthetics, and a moment of shifting queer visibility. Along the way, we touch on 1975’s pop landscape and how it intersects with the film’s sound and sensibility.We also grapple with the more complicated aspects of Rocky Horror: questions of language, consent, and the “queer villain” trope, balancing critique with an appreciation of its lasting impact. Ultimately, we explore why this strange, campy, audience-participation spectacle continues to resonate as a story about freedom, identity, and the joy of not fitting neatly into any category.GAZER HOMEWORK: Next week we cast our Gaze on the classic UK TV sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. Click here to watch our chosen episode on YouTubeClick here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we are taking a break from our regular scheduling this week, we're giving Gazer new and old a treat from the past. This was the episode that won us Best History Podcast at the 2025 Independent Podcast Awards. Normal service will resume next week with The Rocky Horror Picture Show!Greetings from PG Towers! Join social historian Dr Lee Arnott and TV Producer Dave Moor for a lighthearted look at the world of TV, Film and Popular Culture from yesteryear. February marks LGBT+ History month in the UK. To celebrate we focus our Gaze on the landmark film 'The Naked Civil Servant' from 1975. Starring John Hurt in his BAFTA winning title role, this was a pioneering film, charting the life of the bold, courageous and unapologetic LGBT trailblazer Quentin Crisp. We also chart the progression of gay rights throughout the 1970's in Britain. Click here to watch 'The Naked Civil Servant' on YouTube and join in with our conversation!Click here to follow us on all our socialsPlease leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze. And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you!Click here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Problematic Gaze podcast we dive into the 1982 cross dressing classic Tootsie, and we're thrilled to be joined by our Down Under correspondent, TV historian, host of TV Gold Podcast, and former TV VJ Andrew Mercado! Andrew joins us in “Culture Corner,” where we unpack what 1982 looked like in both the US and Australia.We cover key cultural moments and trends—from Brisbane’s Commonwealth Games and political repression under Joh Bjelke-Petersen to E.T., the rise of MTV, early home computing, teen sex comedies, the Lindy Chamberlain case, Men at Work, and Cold War nuclear anxiety.Andrew breaks down the golden age of US daytime soap operas, highlighting major shows and some of the more bonkers storylines, and we connect that directly to Tootsie’s soap setting.We also critically analyse the film’s satire of sexism, Michael’s toxic behaviour, the ethics of deception, its relatively non-homophobic approach for the time, underdeveloped supporting characters, and its romantic comedy ending—asking whether Tootsie still holds up today.Find Andrew on his own podcast TV Gold hereClick here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Problematic Gaze, we’re diving headfirst into the messy, hilarious, and sometimes uncomfortable world of early 2000s pop culture.This time, we head back to 2003 to unpack Bo’ Selecta! (Series 2, Episode 2), a chaotic snapshot of pre-social media celebrity culture. From exaggerated caricatures to shock-value humour, we explore how this episode acts as a time capsule of what audiences once laughed at—and what might not fly today.We watched this episode of Bo Selecta from 2003 : Check It Out here!In our Culture Corner, we set the scene: the era of Tony Blair and the Iraq War protests, the rise of early platforms like MySpace and Bebo, low-rise fashion, and the explosion of UK TV hits like Little Britain, Peep Show, and Pop Idol. We also revisit the sound of the year—from Girls Aloud to Dizzee Rascal and The Darkness.We break down the episode’s sketches and get into the bigger conversation around its humour—looking at how it leans on “punching down,” sexism, homophobic jokes, and racial caricature, including the controversial portrayal of Craig David. We also reflect on how the show was later removed by Channel 4 in 2020, and the apology from creator Leigh Francis.Funny, reflective, and at times uncomfortable, we ask:was this just the humour of its time—or something we should have questioned all along?Click here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Check out our YouTube ChannelThis week on The Problematic Gaze we revisit Fight Club (1999)—soap, anarchy, and all. We unpack the plot, cast, and reception, and take on the enduring question: is this a razor-sharp critique of toxic masculinity, or a film that accidentally glamorises it?We place Fight Club back in its late-’90s moment, with a detour through 1999 Britain—Y2K jitters, New Labour optimism, Cool Britannia swagger, Spice Girls-era pop, club culture, and the early days of dial-up and brick-like mobile phones. It’s a “lads, lads, lads” landscape shaped by football and magazines like Loaded and FHM, and we explore how that cultural backdrop speaks to the film’s anxieties.From male malaise and the lure of support groups to violence as a search for meaning, we dig into Project Mayhem’s cult logic and, yes, that twist. We also consider the film’s afterlife—how Fight Club has been reinterpreted (and often misinterpreted) online, especially within incel and manosphere spaces.GAZER HOMEWORK: Next week we dissect comedy sketch show Bo Selecta from 2003 : Check It Out here!Click here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't forget to visit our YouTube Channel.We’re checking into the Bates Motel this week on The Problematic Gaze Podcast as we dive deep into Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960)—the horror classic that changed movie history one shocking shower scene at a time.First up, our Culture Corner spins the dial back to Britain in 1960—a world of lingering post-war austerity, buttoned-up social conservatism, emerging youth culture, and a time when homosexuality was still illegal. We set the scene with the films, music, and social climate of the era before turning our gaze to Hitchcock’s most infamous thriller.We unpack the production history of Psycho, its box-office smash success, awards buzz, and how it pushed the boundaries of screen violence, laying the groundwork for the modern slasher genre. Then we walk through the film itself—from Marion Crane’s desperate theft and flight, to the eerie roadside stop at the Bates Motel, to the unforgettable shower murder, and the investigation by Lila Crane and Sam Loomis that leads to one of cinema’s most legendary twists: Norman Bates and Mother.Along the way we debate Hitchcock’s reputation, the film’s portrayal of mental illness, and the complicated ways Psycho has been interpreted through gender and trans-adjacent readings.GAZER HOMEWORK: Next week get out toxic masculinity heads on and take a look at Fight Club (1999).Click here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IN A CHANGE TO OUR ADVERTISED SCHEDULE (The Day Jobs Have Swamped Us This Week! Tune in next week for our take take on 1960's Psycho!) HERE'S ANOTHER CHANCE TO HEAR OUR MOTHER'S DAY TAKE ON 'MOMMIE DEAREST' FROM LAST YEAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!Greetings from PG Towers! Join social historian Dr Lee Arnott and TV Producer Dave Moor for a lighthearted look at the world of TV, Film and Popular Culture from yesteryear. This week we cast our Gaze over the 1981 film 'Mommie Dearest' starring Faye Dunaway. Much derided by critics and viewers alike upon its release, it has since become a cult camp classic, deeply embedded in gay culture. But do the harrowing scenes of abuse lie easily alongside the fantastically colourful scenes of Hollywood glamour? Just how true is this story? And why you would NEVER want to get into a fight, scripted or not, with Faye Dunaway.Click here to follow us on all our socialsPlease leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze. And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you!Click here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we begin by digging into gender inequality statistics before turning to one of British television’s strangest dystopias: The Worm That Turned, the 1980 eight-part serial from The Two Ronnies.Set in a nightmare vision of 2012 Britain, the serial imagines a world where women rule, men are domesticated and forced into women’s clothing, and law and order is enforced by a PVC-clad female Gestapo led by screen siren Diana Dors. We follow the unlikely heroes Janet and Betty (Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett) as they flee the regime, seek out the resistance, and attempt to escape to Wales.We place the serial in the political and cultural context of 1980 Britain — early Thatcherism, unrest, and rapidly shifting TV and music trends — and ask whether the comedy is mocking women’s power or exposing male fear of it. Along the way, we note the male-gaze elements and fascist aesthetics, but also the moments that highlight just how “shit” women’s lives are under patriarchy.Click here to watch 'The Worm That Turned' on YouTubeGAZER HOMEWORK: Next week for Mother's Day we focus on the Hitchcock classic: PSYCHO from 1960.Click here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch The Problematic Gaze on YouTubeIn this episode of The Problematic Gaze, we revisit Russ Meyer’s cult classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) and ask: could it get away with it today?We explore its violent, quotable tale of three go-go dancers tearing through the California desert—drag racing, fighting, kidnapping, and flipping gender roles on their head. Is it pure exploitation, accidental feminism, or both?In our Culture Corner, we set the film against 1965 Britain: post-austerity optimism, Swinging London, strict gender expectations, censorship, racism, and a society on the brink of change. We look at what life was really like for women at the time—limited rights, rigid roles, and growing feminist unrest.We unpack the film’s kinky boots, hyper-feminine styling, and female rage; Russ Meyer’s provocative worldview; and the movie’s journey from box-office flop to cult touchstone. Along the way, we consider its influence on everyone from Quentin Tarantino to riot grrrl culture and pop icons like Madonna and Beyoncé.Can a film objectify women while also celebrating their power? We debate, we rate it, and we leave you to decide.Watch Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! on YouTubeGAZER HOMEWORK: Next week we watch The Worm That Turned from The Two Ronnies. Watch it here on YouTubeClick here to follow us on all our socialsDon't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen!Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.  And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.