The Problematic Gaze

David Moor and Lee Arnott
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Winner  -  ‘Best History Podcast’ - Independent Podcast Awards 2025   ‘Top 30 Podcasts To Listen To Right Now’ - The Radio Times 2025 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4 GIỜ TRƯỚC

    The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): Dammit Janet: Queerness and Controversy

    In this episode, we return—after a battle with some truly on-brand technical “gremlins”—to tackle The Rocky Horror Picture Show, separating the film from its 1973 stage origins and digging into what makes it endure. We share our own very different relationships with Rocky Horror, unpack its production history, and explore how it evolved into a midnight-movie phenomenon with a fiercely devoted cult following, eventually earning preservation in the National Film Registry. We walk through the plot—from Brad and Janet’s ill-fated car trouble to their surreal encounter with Dr. Frank-N-Furterand the unforgettable Time Warp—while placing the film in the context of early-1970s UK theatre, glam rock aesthetics, and a moment of shifting queer visibility. Along the way, we touch on 1975’s pop landscape and how it intersects with the film’s sound and sensibility. We also grapple with the more complicated aspects of Rocky Horror: questions of language, consent, and the “queer villain” trope, balancing critique with an appreciation of its lasting impact. Ultimately, we explore why this strange, campy, audience-participation spectacle continues to resonate as a story about freedom, identity, and the joy of not fitting neatly into any category. GAZER HOMEWORK: Next week we cast our Gaze on the classic UK TV sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. Click here to watch our chosen episode on YouTube Click here to follow us on all our socials Don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen! Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.    And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 phút

  2. 3 NGÀY TRƯỚC ·  NỘI DUNG TẶNG THÊM

    THE GAZETTE: Confessions 2, MAGA meltdowns & please stop Carrying On!!

    We’re back in the Problematic Gazette saddle — no plan, no structure, just vibes (and mild chaos). This week, we kick off by comparing ailments like it’s an Olympic sport: one of us is fresh off a greatest hits run of gastroenteritis, a colitis flare, and recent COVID (thriving!), while the other is living vicariously through a husband who’s just attended a very hush-hush celebrity wedding 👀 From there, we spiral — naturally — into TV chat. We debrief the The Apprentice UK final, confess our soft spot for Race Across the World, and get genuinely giddy over Madonna teasing Confessions 2 (Coachella rumors! a possible sample! we’re unwell). There’s also pre-holiday anxiety as we eye our upcoming Dubrovnik trip while nervously refreshing headlines about a looming jet fuel shortage — what could possibly go wrong? On the telly front, we’re dipping into Things You Should Have Done, celebrating the return of Taskmaster, checking in on Rivals season two, and gently mourning Only Murders in the Building losing its way a bit. Elsewhere, we get unexpectedly academic about the decline of late-era Carry On films, name-drop the diaries of Kenneth Williams, and issue a heartfelt apology for out lost episode (Riverside, we will never forgive you). We round things off with a quick dip into the exhausting whirlpool of MAGA/Donald Trump-adjacent chaos, reflect on our collective doomscrolling fatigue and — as ever — plug where you can find us next. Come for the chat, stay for the spirals. Click here to follow us on all our socials Don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen! Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.    And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 phút

  3. 14 THG 4

    FROM THE GAZER VAULT: 'The Naked Civil Servant' from 1975

    As we are taking a break from our regular scheduling this week, we're giving Gazer new and old a treat from the past. This was the episode that won us Best History Podcast at the 2025 Independent Podcast Awards. Normal service will resume next week with The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Greetings 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 from yesteryear. February marks LGBT+ History month in the UK. To celebrate we focus our Gaze on the landmark film 'The Naked Civil Servant' from 1975. Starring John Hurt in his BAFTA winning title role, this was a pioneering film, charting the life of the bold, courageous and unapologetic LGBT trailblazer Quentin Crisp. We also chart the progression of gay rights throughout the 1970's in Britain.  Click here to watch 'The Naked Civil Servant' on YouTube and join in with our conversation! Click here to follow us on all our socials Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze. And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Click here to follow us on all our socials Don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen! Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.    And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 phút

  4. 10 THG 4 ·  NỘI DUNG TẶNG THÊM

    THE GAZETTE: Trump, Artemis 2, Bananarama & The Studio

    This week on The Gazette, we kick things off with a cozy chat about UK gardening and wildlife—blue t**s nesting in the eaves, wasps causing chaos, and the latest updates from our bee hotel—before diving into listener emails about our Tootsie episode, reactions to America’s Next Top Model, and some Star Trek recommendations. We talk about nearing the end of a full Carry On film watch (and the disappointing drop in quality), plus a new 2026 satirical series about organizing the FIFA World Cup, and what we’ve been watching lately, including The Studio. Then things take a turn into the unexpected with YouTube reaction videos praising Cilla Black. From there, we get into heavier territory: concerns about Trump, shifting narratives among right-wing pundits and grifters, and the wave of online misogyny targeting Artemis 2 astronaut Christina Koch—plus bizarre flat-earther conspiracy reactions. We wrap up with highlights from an interview with former Bananarama member Jacquie O’Sullivan and a look at the Paley Center reunion celebrating the 50th anniversary of Charlie’s Angels. Click here to follow us on all our socials Don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen! Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.    And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 phút

  5. 7 THG 4

    Tootsie (1982) with Andrew Mercado: US Soap Opera Secrets & 80s Drag Deception!

    In this episode of The Problematic Gaze podcast we dive into the 1982 cross dressing classic Tootsie, and we're thrilled to be joined by our Down Under correspondent, TV historian, host of TV Gold Podcast, and former TV VJ Andrew Mercado! Andrew joins us in “Culture Corner,” where we unpack what 1982 looked like in both the US and Australia. We cover key cultural moments and trends—from Brisbane’s Commonwealth Games and political repression under Joh Bjelke-Petersen to E.T., the rise of MTV, early home computing, teen sex comedies, the Lindy Chamberlain case, Men at Work, and Cold War nuclear anxiety. Andrew breaks down the golden age of US daytime soap operas, highlighting major shows and some of the more bonkers storylines, and we connect that directly to Tootsie’s soap setting. We also critically analyse the film’s satire of sexism, Michael’s toxic behaviour, the ethics of deception, its relatively non-homophobic approach for the time, underdeveloped supporting characters, and its romantic comedy ending—asking whether Tootsie still holds up today. Find Andrew on his own podcast TV Gold here Click here to follow us on all our socials Don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen! Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.    And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 giờ 17 phút

  6. 3 THG 4 ·  NỘI DUNG TẶNG THÊM

    THE GAZETTE: Jane McDonald reigns supreme, Madonna prepares her comeback, and Denise Welch: Tiger Mom!

    This weekend on the Gazette, we chat through an Easter bank holiday weekend filled with solo parenting, noisy dogs, and even planting tomatoes and cucumbers—alongside deep dives into culture past and present. We recap our latest main episode on Bo’ Selecta! and Britney Spears, correct the truth about Fergie’s one-handed cartwheel, and explore Madonna’s resurgence as Into the Groove trends again on TikTok. We also discuss reports of Madonna filming in London and a possible cameo with Seth Rogen and Julia Garner. Plus: Jane McDonald topping the charts, Denise Welch’s viral tweet, Last One Laughing, Daily Mail headlines, looksmaxxing discourse, a preview with Andrew Mercado, and excitement over newly discovered Doctor Who episodes. If you love pop culture commentary, TV history, music throwbacks, and sharp but funny conversation, this is for you. Click here to follow us on all our socials Don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen! Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.    And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    19 phút

  7. 31 THG 3

    “Bo’ Selecta (2003): From Iconic to Offensive

    In this episode of The Problematic Gaze, we’re diving headfirst into the messy, hilarious, and sometimes uncomfortable world of early 2000s pop culture. This time, we head back to 2003 to unpack Bo’ Selecta! (Series 2, Episode 2), a chaotic snapshot of pre-social media celebrity culture. From exaggerated caricatures to shock-value humour, we explore how this episode acts as a time capsule of what audiences once laughed at—and what might not fly today. We watched this episode of Bo Selecta from 2003 : Check It Out here! In our Culture Corner, we set the scene: the era of Tony Blair and the Iraq War protests, the rise of early platforms like MySpace and Bebo, low-rise fashion, and the explosion of UK TV hits like Little Britain, Peep Show, and Pop Idol. We also revisit the sound of the year—from Girls Aloud to Dizzee Rascal and The Darkness. We break down the episode’s sketches and get into the bigger conversation around its humour—looking at how it leans on “punching down,” sexism, homophobic jokes, and racial caricature, including the controversial portrayal of Craig David. We also reflect on how the show was later removed by Channel 4 in 2020, and the apology from creator Leigh Francis. Funny, reflective, and at times uncomfortable, we ask: was this just the humour of its time—or something we should have questioned all along? Click here to follow us on all our socials Don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen! Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.    And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 phút

  8. 27 THG 3 ·  NỘI DUNG TẶNG THÊM

    THE GAZETTE: Manosphere Meltdowns, Midlife Injuries & TV That Hits Back & The Comeback Comes Back!

    In this edition of our bonus episode, we dive into listener emails, TV comebacks, midlife mishaps, and the relentless pace of modern life. Picking up from last week’s Fight Club debate, we unpack Louis Theroux: The Manosphere and the rise of influencer culture—asking whether it’s all just a phone-fuelled grift. New listener Fiona writes in with a recommendation for Deadloch and a nudge toward Star Trek—so we ask: where should we even start? We celebrate the reopening of Camden’s iconic LGBTQ+ venue The Black Cap (now with a Lily Savage tribute), swap our own “getting older” injury stories, and talk honestly about exercising after 50. Along the way, we take aim at absurd headlines, reflect on how news used to travel slower, and discuss what social media and endless scrolling are doing to all of us. Plus: TV chat on The Comeback, Last One Laughing, and The Apprentice—including one painfully awkward shopping task. Got thoughts on your own scrolling habits? We’d love to hear from you. GAZER HOMEWORK: Next week we dissect comedy sketch show Bo Selecta from 2003 : Check It Out here! Click here to follow us on all our socials Don't forget to hit that FOLLOW button to get every episode of The Problematic Gaze downloaded and ready to listen! Please leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. They really help to spread the word of The Problematic Gaze.    And if our fellow Gazers want to comment on what they've heard in our episodes, or to suggest future topics, please email us at theproblematicgaze@gmail.com. We love hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 phút
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Giới Thiệu

Winner  -  ‘Best History Podcast’ - Independent Podcast Awards 2025   ‘Top 30 Podcasts To Listen To Right Now’ - The Radio Times 2025 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thông Tin

  • Nhà sáng tạo
    David Moor and Lee Arnott
  • Năm hoạt động
    2024 - 2026
  • Tập
    124
  • Xếp hạng
    Thô tục
  • Bản quyền
    © 2026 The Problematic Gaze
  • Trang web chương trình
    The Problematic Gaze

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