| | |
| | |
 | You and Yours - Transcript BBC Radio 4 |
| |
| Print This Page |
| |
| |
| TX: 09.11.06 - Crippendales - Disabled Strippers PRESENTER: LIZ BARCLAY |
| |
| Downloaded from www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 THE ATTACHED TRANSCRIPT WAS TYPED FROM A RECORDING AND NOT COPIED FROM AN ORIGINAL SCRIPT. BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF MISHEARING AND THE DIFFICULTY IN SOME CASES OF IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS, THE BBC CANNOT VOUCH FOR ITS COMPLETE ACCURACY. BARCLAY A group of disabled men who get their kit off for kicks is taking the film world by storm. The Crippendales have made a short film that's attracted critical acclaim at the Sheffield Documentary Festival and is being shown tomorrow at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, the biggest in the world. It tackles the issue of sex and disability. Our reporter Carolyn Atkinson has been talking to the film's director - Havana Marking - and to Crippendale member Lee Kemp and he responded to Havana's advert for sexy dancers after he was paralysed. KEMP In 1991 I was involved in a road traffic accident - I was on a motorbike, I got hit by one car and thrown into the path of another. Before my accident I was a bit of a mover on the dance floor and I haven't let my disability change that, I've always kept that. And so this was a new challenge for me and this is something - I'm comfortable in my body so just decided to go with that. ATKINSON From your point of view what were you trying to do? MARKING I knew that there was a film to be made that covered the issues of disability, sexuality and sort of performance of some kind. So then we set up auditions. Lee has a very good friend called James who's blind who was - used to model for Levis before he went blind, so that Lee and James were on the panel, we had two professional male strippers from the Adonis cabaret and then they chose the group. CLIP What do you think you can bring to us? Well I can bring talent. I'm unique, special. I've a nice body, have a good figure. I'm cool, wicked. I don't let my disability get in the way of anything. I come from a very [indistinct word] background, I think it might be an interest for you because I'm a Pakistani and a Muslim striptease. Excellent. MARKING It's an area that needs to be discussed, it's an area that needs to be sort of uncovered really and lots of people feel very uncomfortable talking about it. Meeting Lee was brilliant because it suddenly - I realised that there was a way that you could talk about this without it being a very kind of serious worthy film. In a way one of the shocking things about the film is actually just - you realise how rarely you see disabled people just laughing on television. CLIP Okay, right we've got a week to get you suited, booted and wiggling your bits, right, in time to music preferably. We're just going to try some exercises. I want you to bend to the side, I just want you to let your hand go down your body as much as you can, and you go down your wheel. James, we're going to have to work on that facial expression, you are not getting away with just looking cute okay? As cute as you are I want a bit more grrrrr - okay growl for me, go on. Grrrr. [Laughter] MARKING Loads of people think - just automatically think if someone's disabled they're not sexy, they're not sexual and even worse than that is they think they're just not sexual beings and they have no right to be sexual beings, it's like taboo subject - you can't - just because suddenly someone loses their legs or suddenly someone loses their sight or maybe someone's born with something there is some idea that it's not - they somehow should not be allowed to have sex and should not be allowed to have all the same feelings that anyone has, which is an appalling thing. And a. that's not true - people can be and if you watch the film I would think by the end everyone is … KEMP It was a brilliant reception. MARKING It was a brilliant reception, the girls really in the club just loved it, they really, really appreciated it and quite a few said it was so refreshing to see someone that was kind of - it wasn't some kind of weird of fake fantasy. CLIP Upper back is just too cute. Upper body - okay you can give it a rest - give it a rest. I like the look on your face, look at that. It's [indistinct word] when you go there you're looking down and then you go [doo doo, doo, doo]. If you want to you can. Okay take your shirts off for me. Feel your body and feel how amazing it is. Feel what it is you're showing the world. It's wonderful. So don't take it for granted because what you're selling to these punters out there is how fabulous that body feels. ATKINSON I can't believe that nobody was complaining or upset or offended or worried on your behalf or … MARKING Well there were a few people who said this is exploitative, we think you're exploiting them. And I just - it makes me so mad, I've worked in TV for six, seven years now, I've been involved with putting hundreds and thousands of people on the TV, different people in various different films, various different shows, I have never been asked if I'm exploiting someone until they're disabled. Again as if - as if just because someone's lost their legs that means they can't think for themselves as to whether they want to be on a programme or not or whether they actually want to do this or not. It's a completely - well it's this extraordinary assumption that anyone who's disabled then becomes childlike basically and can't think for themselves. KEMP We don't need sympathy, I mean I don't give it to anybody else, I can do what anyone else can do apart from - of course play football. ATKINSON What about the argument that some people would say that bigging up sex and disability is one thing but just doing something about striptease is actually nothing to do with sex? KEMP It's about yourself - it's about expressing yourself, we're having a dance. I mean we've all got choices, I mean we get choices taken away from us when we're disabled, it's about having choices brought back to us and saying if we want to do this we can do this, do you know what I mean and that's all it was - basically the choice that I wanted to do. CLIP And all say - We are sexy! Come on. We are sexy. Now say it like you really mean it. We are sexy! [Yell] Thank you boys. MARKING The Adonis cabaret, it's one of the most successful male strip clubs in Britain, they have nights all over the country, every weekend they have 200 women on hen nights in there fully - all dressed up in all the different - some are nuns, some are schoolgirls, some are cowgirls, potentially very terrifying. It's a room full of women screaming for men but they want to have a good time and they want everyone else there to have a good time, don't they. KEMP Yeah. CLIP We've got three lovely guys who've had a really long journey to be here with you this evening. They're absolutely brilliant ladies. I want you to give a big round of applause [Inaudible words]. Playing themselves The Crippendales. Music KEMP I knew it would work because I did a website and I've got a form on the website with different comments. One lass that had been to the show said - What a brilliant show - she said - the strippers before, yeah they're strippers but you lads [inaudible words] but she was just full of praise and she actually put a page on her blog about us, what a show she'd been to and how much she really enjoyed it. Music ATKINSON Obviously you got a buzz out of it, do you now want to make it your career, if you like? KEMP Yeah, I mean most definitely, also the rest of the lads. I mean people loved it, I mean what a night we've had, I'd love to have that experience again and again and again, it's like a natural drug, [indistinct words], you just want to keep coming back, we're hooked. CLIP Give it up please. [Inaudible words] The three of you have done us so, so proud. I would work with you any night of the week. Why shouldn't they, if everyone else can then why can't they? We don't care if they're in a wheelchair, on crutches, the size of the willy - that's all that matters. I'd do it again next year. Music BARCLAY The Crippendales is showing tomorrow if you happen to be in New York for the International Film and Video Festival and Channel 4 says it will shown next year but they can't be more specific than that at the moment. Back to the You and Yours homepage The BBC is not responsible for external websites |
| About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy |
