Mark Simpson's Blog, page 20

Sassy Misandry

‘Does the empowerment of women have to take the form of beating up on men?’ Yours truly in the Daily Telegraph on the painful corporate cliche of sassy misandry.

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Dreamy Scaffies

Premier Inn appear to have launcheda builder-themed gay night. Or a Top Gun-themed builder night. Either way, I’m checking in. This hilarious, very smart newTV ad ‘Scaffolders’ for the budget UK hotel chain is currently airing nationally – not just in Manchester’s gay village. It masterfully deploys the famous Kenny Loggins ‘Highway To the Danger […]

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Joe Orton’s Wallpaper: The Visa Affair by Jake Arnott

Joe Orton has been pricking up my ears lately. On a recent visit to London, thanks tothe randomised wonderof ‘dating apps’ – or online cottaging – I found myself, as you do, visiting someone I didn’t know terribly well but wanted to get to know much better. He happened tolive very close toNoel Road, Islington. […]

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Durex Extra Safe’s Uplifting New Ad

(PS. Despite appearances, it’s not actuallyan ad for extra strong condoms – it’s promoting topless spiritual uplift, apparently.)

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Get Hur! How Gay Subtexts Became Ancient History

by Mark Simpson (Originally appeared on Out.com 18 August, 2016) We don’t really do subtexts in the see-through, digital 21st Century. Sextexts, definitely. Subtweets, possibly. Subtexts, not so much. Who has the time? Who can even be bothered with having a subconscious? Subtexts are so analogue. Perhaps this is why Toby Kebbell who plays Messala […]

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Smartening Up – Or Dumbing Down?

Mark Simpson on how hard shoulders are being given… the hard shoulder Hard shoulders don’t sound very inviting – and often look very unloved and untidy. But you may miss them when they’ve gone. The Transport Secretary just announced that 32 miles of hard shoulder will be axed from the M4 between Hayes and Theale […]

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Whose Road Is it Anyway?

Mark Simpson on the tarmac war between cyclists and drivers Like many drivers, I hate cyclists. They’re in your way. They’re too slow. They’re too erratic. They’re too self-righteous. They get away with murder. But when I’m on my pushbike, I hate drivers. They’re up your arse. They’re too fast. They’re too aggressive. They’re too […]

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Sporno Italico

Mark Simpson visits Rome’s Foro Italico, home of Mussolini’s Olympic ‘gay gang-bang in Carrara marble’ Off the well-worn tourist track, on the North bank of the Tiber in the Eternal City, hidden away in the Foro Italico sports complex, is a vast, open-air shrine to the idealised male form that most visitors to Rome are […]

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Inside Spornosexual Pride

Mark Simpson goes to BodyPower, the UK’s biggest fitness expo, &tries not to stare too hard. Even though staring is very, very welcome. “Would you like me to take my top off?” is theusual response when you ask a chap if he minds having his photo taken. Followed by much flexing. Those that are actually […]

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Man Down – Defining Deflated & Liberated Masculinity

by Mark Simpson ‘What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an Angel! in apprehension how like a god!… And yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust?’ – Hamlet There has been a […]

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