The Problematic Gaze
Direct 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 of yesteryear that has since been considered problematic. Each week we focus on a different piece of pop culture, and put it into context by looking at the news events and cultural landscape of the year it was released. Out and proud, Dr Lee and Our Dave present a humorous take on life as LGBTQ+ men of a glorious age, and present a digestible mix of academic social commentary, unflinching life lessons, media analysis, and hot takes on feminism, race, politics and cancel culture.
The Problematic Gaze
Sex and the 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl' 2007: Billie Piper, Empowerment, and the Male Gaze
Secret Diary of a Call Girl wants you to think it's in control — sexy, smart, subversive. But is it really? In this episode of The Problematic Gaze, we peel back the glossy layers of the pilot episode to expose the contradictions hiding beneath the lingerie. Who’s really being seduced here?
We break down how Secret Diary plays with fantasy, flirts with feminism, and whether its bold aesthetic is actually reinforcing the very gaze it claims to subvert. With its playful fourth-wall breaks and picture-perfect escort life, is this just empowerment wrapped in a high-gloss package... or something more complicated?
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Gazer Homework: Next week we discuss UK comedy classic The Office. Click here to watch our chosen episode on IPlayer
