Quote: zooo @ June 11 2008, 12:16 AM BSTBut the more older people I talk to*, the more I think the general public were just blind to anything about gayness unless it was f**king spelled out to them.
(*and I mean older than any of the regulars here, so don't think I mean you.)
What? - "Ooooh, 'ello! I'm Julian and thith ith my friend Sandy????
Yeh, right - my old nan thought they were Irish labourers.
Quote: zooo @ September 24 2008, 6:38 PM BSTHaha!
Did he have his doggy with him on that tour?
He had Hugh Jelly with him. Does that count? 
Ha! How ruuuude.
Quote: Morrace @ September 24 2008, 6:41 PM BSTWhat? - "Ooooh, 'ello! I'm Julian and thith ith my friend Sandy????
Yeh, right - my old nan thought they were Irish labourers.
I've never listened to that show so I wasn't specifically refering to that.
Quote: zooo @ June 11 2008, 12:16 AM BSTBut the more older people I talk to*, the more I think the general public were just blind to anything about gayness unless it was f**king spelled out to them.
They would 'f**king spell it out' to YOU, you patronising AGEIST - i.e. 'queers, benders, brown-hatters, shirt-lifters, bummers'. Who you been talking to - DEAD people?
You could go to prison for years if you were caught by the police.
How many paedophiles and credit card faudsters do you know?
Poor old Alan Turing.
Quote: Morrace @ September 24 2008, 6:41 PM BSTWhat? - "Ooooh, 'ello! I'm Julian and thith ith my friend Sandy????
Yeh, right - my old nan thought they were Irish labourers.
From what I heard (in documentaries and such), I don't believe anyone got that they were 'gay' (in todays terms), except homosexuals themselves. That was the point wasn't it, to get one over on the establishment.
Or am I mistaken?
I don't know about in the sixties, but I remember watching TV in the seventies with my parents and none of the endless gay innuendos from Larry Grayson, John Inman, Dick Emery etc were lost on them. They knew perfectly well it was about "poofs". I can't imagine that ten years earlier they would have listened to Kenneth Williams's gay lawyer remarking "I spend all day at my criminal practice" without realising what the joke was, even without knowing all about Polari etc.
BTW I was listening to some vintage comedy on BBC7 a while back and Kenneth Williams was doing a sketch about a highwayman or Scarlet Pimpernel or somesuch, and one of his jokes involved him going through a checklist of his belongings with a lady companion. At one point he says "Rapier" and she says "No thanks!". Blimey. Aren't rape misunderstandings hilarious.
Quote: Morrace @ September 24 2008, 7:39 PM BSTThey would 'f**king spell it out' to YOU, you patronising AGEIST - i.e. 'queers, benders, brown-hatters, shirt-lifters, bummers'. Who you been talking to - DEAD people?
Calm down, love.
You're getting so incandescent that I can't quite make out your point...
Quote: zooo @ September 24 2008, 8:04 PM BSTCalm down, love.
You're getting so incandescent that I can't quite make out your point...
That's because you don't get out much, love - except perhaps to talk to old people.
Quote: Nil Putters @ September 24 2008, 7:45 PM BSTFrom what I heard (in documentaries and such), I don't believe anyone got that they were 'gay' (in todays terms), except homosexuals themselves.
If you don't believe it, fair enough. Again, two lisping men, usually hairdressers or somesuch, blatantly flirting with 'Mr 'Horne - oh come ON! The general public weren't that THICK. That's basically what you're saying.
Quote: Nil Putters @ September 24 2008, 7:45 PM BSTThat was the point wasn't it, to get one over on the establishment.
I agree. More to the point, that part of the establishment - the BBC. However the establisment/BBC did not (usually then) consist of Joe/Jane Public, who by and large, knew the score. Today though, I must admit that a larger percentage of Joe/Jane Public are aware, e.g. Banner headlines about George Michael carelessly whispering to a U.S. policeman in a public toilet!
I think it's fair to say that unless you're older than Plato, you could hardly be unaware of homosexuality.
Quote: Ian G @ September 24 2008, 8:42 PM BSTI think it's fair to say that unless you're older than Plato, you could hardly be unaware of homosexuality.
Zoo may have talked to Plato's parents.
More to the point, that part of the establishment - the BBC. However the establisment/BBC did not (usually then) consist of Joe/Jane Public, who by and large, knew the score.
The "Establishment" largely consisted of ex-Eton schoolboys and Oxbridge graduates. I suspect some of them may have known a thing or two about homosexuality.
I've clearly angered you Morrace.
I don't quite know how, but my apologies.
Quote: Griff @ September 24 2008, 9:07 PM BSTThe "Establishment" largely consisted of ex-Eton schoolboys and Oxbridge graduates. I suspect some of them may have known a thing or two about homosexuality.
We know they did - NOW, there's no 'suspect' about it. However, as far as Joe/Jane Public were concerned, they kept well within an iron-clad closet. The reason being, Joe/Jane Public were well aware of homosexuality and generally disapproved of it.
It was a crime, I'm often astonished at how many people look down on people for breaking injust laws.