Ja'mie: Private School Guy-dressed-as-a-girl.

I feel like I've been a little distracted recently. Bug-eyed homophobes disguised as X Factor winners, dating apps, sex texts; they've all pulled me away from my one true love; TV.

As I have mentioned many times before, I am a hardened binge-watcher and the colossal-ly shit weather that's hit the UK over the last few weeks has provided me with the perfect opportunity to bang through some shows that are yet to make it to our shores (shores that, due to last week's downpour, can now be found in Leicester). First on my list was Chris Lilley's latest offering- Ja'mie: Private School Girl.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Chris Lilley's work, get familiar with it; if you haven't watched Summer Heights High at least then we can't be friends. Each of Lilley's series' focuses on a group of characters that are all played by Lilley himself, regardless of whether they are male, female, young, old, black, white or Asian; he does it all.Ja'mie: Private School Girl continues the story of Ja'mie King, a character first introduced to us in Summer Heights High. Shot using a single camera and interspersed with talking-head interviews, the show mimics a documentary that follows Ja'mie as she completes her final term at Hillford Academy.

Although the show seems to have been well received by Lilley's fans, Ja'mie: Private School Girl seems to have divided the opinions of TV critics, with some declaring the show a “crowning glory” and other's branding it “transphobic drag” (Phil Dyess-Nugent, of The AV Club, I'm looking at you).

And here is where I pull out my soap box, stretch out and take a swig of water.

First up, let me make it quite clear that I don't find Ja'mie: Private School Girl to be transphobic. In fact, what I do find to be a tad transphobic is referencing trans-sexuality and drag in the same sentence, as if the two are in any way related. To put it quite simply, Ja'mie: Private School Girl isn't transphobic because the show isn't laughing at trans-gender people; it doesn't feature a transgender character, or actor. Ja'mie: Private School Girl has nothing to do with trans-gender people at all.
I'm assuming that the trans-gender-ness that Phil Dyess-Nugent is referring to is the fact that Lilley, a man, plays the title character, a teenage girl. However, the humour in Ja'mie: Private School Girl isn't supposed to come from the sight of Chris Lilley wearing a school dress and applying lip gloss; if that's what has got you laughing then you've missed the point entirely, and I suggest that you head to HMV and pick up the Little Britain box set, I imagine it's pretty cheap at this time of the year. The comedy in Ja'mie: Private School Girl comes from the fact that the script is routed in reality, like all good comedy; the brilliant script is just magnified because it's performed by A GUY IN A DRESS.

For me, Lilley's decision to play Ja'mie just underlines and exaggerates the point that I think the show is trying to make; girls like this exist, and we helped to create them. Ja'mie: Private School Girl is a social commentary, an anthropological exploration into the culture of teenage girls; whether it's a culture that they've created, a culture that we've created around them, or a bit of both.

Also, it's really bloody funny.



PS- I've also seen some critics call the show bigoted. Personally, I think that's bullshit, but I went to town on the baked Camembert over Christmas, and this soap box is starting to sag beneath my weight, so I'll have to save my defence for another day. However, does a bigoted protagonist result in a bigoted show?

Celebrity Big Brother - Launch Night

It's been around 6 hours since the last series of Celebrity Big Brother ended, so of course, it's time for the next one! The start of each series fills me with hope and enthusiasm, a little like the start of the new year. However, I usually give up after a couple of weeks; again, like the start of the new year.
As is tradition now, CBB launch night was stretched over a two hour slot, when it could have fit comfortably within an hour and fifteen minutes. Although, dragging things out does seem to be an ongoing theme within CBB; whether it's the career of the housemates, a poorly thought-out theme, or the series itself.
However, I am BB until I die (or the series does) and cleared my Friday night in order to live tweet the crap out of launch night. Here are my thoughts, freed from the constraints of 140 characters...

The show began with the obligatory house tour, lead by the unstoppably-beautiful Emma Willis. The décor is predictably gaudy and the diary room chair looks like something that Liberace threw out for being a little too tacky.
Jim Davidson & Linda Nolan
We finally get to meet our first housemate; it's Jim Davidson. Jim fucking Davidson. The second his suspiciously pink, squidgy face flashes onto the screen I instantly worry about what each episode will do to my blood pressure. Jim says that lots of people shout “There's that sexist, racist, homophobic comedian!”; I would suggest that next time they save themselves some breath and just shout “There's Jim Davidson”, as I find the two terms to be completely synonymous.
Jim also keeps mentioning how he missed out on appearing in the last series of CBB due to his arrest as part of Operation Yewtree; a little like how if someone has a spot on their face they mention it at every opportunity, in an effort to head you at the off.
It's at this point that The Twist is revealed; you know, the twist that they crowbar into every single series? Word on the street is that the latest twist was inspired by 50 Shades of Grey, only two years after everyone lost their knickers over it. The housemates are to enter the house in pairs, shackled together by an exaggerated pair of gold handcuffs. As always, the first two housemates in are given a Special Power; they can choose one pair to de-cuff at the end of the night.
Jim's new buddy is revealed to be Linda Nolan. Apparently they have some history; Jim once got Linda thrown out of a club and she hates him. Of course, when they see each other it's all smiles and kisses and off they trot into the house together.
Dappy & Liz Jones
The next housemate we meet is Dappy; the guy in the hat from N-Dubz. I know he's a bit of a dick, or a lot of a dick if you've seen that picture, but I think he'll be a great housemate. Anyone who's seen his infamous Never Mind The Buzzcocks appearances will know that he's pretty bloody funny, whether to laugh at or with.
Dappy is paired up with Daily Mail 'journalist' and sacked Marie Claire editor Liz Jones. It's at this point that in the show that I become suspicious that producers have tapped into my brain and have deliberately found housemates that already really piss me off. Liz says that as a result of giving bad reviews she has been banned from major fashion shows, like Victoria Beckham and Burberry. Perhaps if I get her to write a bad review of me, which shouldn't be too difficult as I am 1) a woman and 2) 23, I can ban her from my life too?
Sam Faiers & Jasmine Waltz
Our next pairing is Sam Faiers, who has made a career out of being from Essex, and Jasmine Waltz; a girl so un-famous that even my wealth of Z-List celebrity knowledge can't save her. Her most recent work includes hitting Lindsay Lohan.
They're both attractive, so obviously they will hate each other, right? I doubt it, they seem like nice girls, but that's clearly what the producers are hoping for.
Lee Ryan & Casey...Someone
Once they're in, Lee Ryan's gormless face fills the screen. Last year's series featured my first love Abz from 5ive and this series features my second love, Lee from Blue. He enjoys leaving socks in hotel rooms, apparently, so it's safe to say that my taste in men hasn't improved much in the last 13 years. But in case you were labouring under the false pretence that Lee is an idiot, he tells us of his concern for orphaned 'Badger Children', so it's clear to see that he's not afraid to tackle The Issues.
He's paired up with Casey...Someone; a glamour model. She foolishly declares that “gets 'em out”, so cue the boos!
Ollie Locke & Lionel Blair
The ninth housemate is Is-He-Isn't-He-He-Definitely-Is Made In Chelsea cast off Ollie Locke. He seems excitable, but harmless; kind of like a Labrador. He's one of those housemates with the potential to get quite far, but could end up being fucking boring.
He's been matched up with his long-lost Grandfather Lionel Blair. Expect tap dancing and impromptu singing. Or lots of sitting down, saying nothing of note.
Luissa Zissman & Evander Holyfield
Finally, we get to our last couple; Luissa Zissman and Evander Holyfield. Luissa seems desperate to make “energy of a Duracell bunny, brain's of Albert Einstein and looks of Jessica Rabbit” her 'thing' and has clearly enjoyed a few spritzas in the dressing room.
I know nothing about Evander Holyfield, other than he's the guy that Phoebe from Friends has a cardboard cut-out of to get her through the sexually charged months of her pregnancy.

So, there are our 12 housemates, although I'm sure they'll chuck some others in there at some point. And when they do, I will be right here to make snooty remarks about them. If you actually watch the show then please drop me the occasional tweet; us CBB fans have gotta stick together.


P.S Jim and Linda chose Dappy and Liz to be un-cuffed. They cited Liz looking stressed as their reason, but I think that's just how Liz's face looks.