David Mitchells article on the pole

halfjack started this discussion · 4/22/2010

Yet another ignorant article about pole dancing. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/18/students-pole-dancing-david-mitchell onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; This really annoys me because I actually like David Mitchell I think he's very funny and very clever, I love his comedy show, Peepshow, but...sigh. he obviously just hasn't a CLUE about the strength, stamina and grace it takes to pole. Please can we spam it with lots of pole educating comments and amazing links to prove to all the idiots that pole dancing is actually a lot more than just "spinning around". What really gets me as well is that Mitchells points about women in the current UK election are actually spot on...so he makes a couple of really valid points for feminism but then spoils it all. He says "Pole dancing is grim and I don't see anything empowering about learning it. Even if you say that it's just dancing and good exercise, surely it would be more empowering to learn a dance that can be employed in contexts other than strip clubs?" It's like oh yeah david...thanks for telling me what sort of dancing it is 'acceptable' for me to be learning. YOURE SUCH A FEMINIST. Not. 🙄 SO ANNOYING.

12 replies

EVamp83 · 4/22/2010
*growls* I like David Mitchell too, but he shouldn't write about things he clearly doesn't know anything about. 🦇 💪 👎 Boo! Also, I find it very empowering to choose my own sport/dance style, regardless of what its background may be 😀 . Or quite possibly even because of its background. 😂
AnjilsBaby · 4/22/2010
i just wish people would do the tiniest...TINIEST bit of research before publishing stuff....all he had to do was go to youtube and type in "male pole dancer" and he would have discovered that a good portion of his argument was void. And a touch more research would have him stumble upon Chinese pole which i believe started as predominately male. other than that, i still think its sad that theres such a negative connotation to pole dancing, but i dont much mind cause as far as i know it doesnt affect me. Everyone knows i pole and im not ashamed of it, in fact i usually discuss it the same way my co-workers discuss going for a jog every morning. Ive never had anyone react badly to me pole dancing, usually they react sceptically, then once they check out a few videos of felix, jenyne, or another of my favorites (too many to name lol) they understand why i do it and more often than not are interested in trying. But there will always be people who decide what the proper way to live is and i guess us women need to "put on our big girl pants" 😂
Solya · 4/22/2010
*huge rant ahead* I CANNOT belive the stupid ignorance that radiates from this article, I don't understand how this could make it to a national newspaper. I totally support freedom of expression IF the author has sufficient knowledge about what he's writing about. Clear not the case here. David Mitchell a, knows nothing about pole dancing b, knows nothing about what's done at Cambridge Uni c, knows nothing about female empowerment. I won't even go into analysing his ignorance because this form of stupidity is exactly that I'm tired of wasting time and energy on. I find this article personally insulting in several ways. I go to a top 10 university in the UK and just like Cambridge we have a pole club. We're part of the uni's Athletic Union and are considered a sports club just as football or rugby is. "And I suppose if some stupid or impressionable women want to join in, that's fine as well." Seriously, sod off. Everyone who comes to pole is a student at a top university and not some skank who wants to learn how to bounce her booty for her bf. Incredibly disgusting remark. And then he delivers the final blow: "They're standing for Parliament – they want to be empowered. I doubt they started with pole dancing." Well David Mitchell, I pole dance, I'll be graduating with a joint degree in Politics and International Relations and I'm currently interning in the Hungarian Parliament. What would you say to that? I'll never watch Peep Show again. *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk*
chemgoddess1 · 4/22/2010
I cannot even waste my time and energy on people such as this.
Sassafrassle · 4/22/2010
One of my workmates sent me this article earlier this week and I was so livid that my voice went all high and squeaky right through my rant about how awful it was. I so wanted to post a reply but clearly from the comments that were left, the readership of the article are so closed minded that no amount of proof or logical argument was going to sway them from their bigoted POV. Argh, turns out I'm still angry about it! I may never watch an episode of QI with David Mitchell in it again...
Rin Rin · 4/23/2010
omg, what got me the most were the comments of people agreeing with him! One of the most recent - anyone bloke who thinks that pole dancing is empowering for women is a complete dimwit and any woman who shares that view is also, along with not understanding sexism..... are you kidding me? GOD I hate ignorant a**holes!
halfjack · 4/23/2010
Oh my god I know. One of my favorite comments was "Pole dancing at Cambridge?? How can clever people be so stupid?" Bless, it must have taken them all day to come up with that one. It makes me sad, but it kinda fires me up even more. makes me want to don my most killer pleaser shoes, a sparklie thong and whizz round my pole in all my glory and F off to them if they don't like it. Considering I've been pretty un-motivated atm thats definitely a good thing. At least I'm working out and having fun...whillst they are probably sat on their fat arses (excuse my langue) complaining about the world. 🤸 😀
amcut · 4/23/2010
It's a bunch of men telling me what will and will not empower me.... I don't have time to get hot and bothered over the opinions of a guy who looks like his only social interactions have been during Dungeons and Dragons, though.
minicoopergrl · 4/23/2010
Crap like this drives me even more. I swear im doing a dance to Breakdown by Seether. "Break me down if it makes you feel right. Hate me know if it keeps you all right. You cant break me down with all your might. 'Cause im so much more than meets the eye." So damn empowering eventhough its about a nasty breakup.
NightFall · 4/23/2010
To be honest, before I stumbeled across one of Veenas vids on youtube, I thought the same. This article just tells me he doesn't like strip clubs, hasn't looked at pole dancing vids online (presumeably goes straight to the hardcore? :-S). The key is here in the text: "And if, as Francisco claims, it's "not intended to be sexual", why is it only for women? Shouldn't men get the chance to be empowered too? I told you it was sexist!" I think a pole fit class for men would make this article moot. If it's great fitness, great fun, why not push it for men as much as for women? Don't assume men would find it unmanly, give them a choice. I think, until we do, we'll always hear this view. xxx
PipsyPops · 4/23/2010
wow, now there is a blow from who used to be one of my fav comedians He clearly didn't do any research on what pole dance actually is, and how much strength and determination it takes. Exactly the type of thing he critisizes other people for doing... *sighs*
Ritalin · 4/28/2010
OMG, That article made me so damn angry. What an ignorant, bigoted, supercilious moron. I used to enjoy watching David Mitchell on QI, but I don't think I'll be watching any shows where he appears every again! I particularly enjoyed this quote: "Even if you say that it's just dancing and good exercise, surely it would be more empowering to learn a dance that can be employed in contexts other than strip clubs?" Well, a) Pole dancing can be applied in many contexts, such as a pole dance fitness club, or as an aerial performance art like silks or lyra. And b) Perhaps dear David would have us all learning something like Tango instead? Is that a more 'socially acceptable' dance form? I suspect dear David is unaware that the Tango originated in Argentinian brothels to lure customers, and represents the interplay between a prostitute and her pimp. Ugh, so angry. What an arrogant, uninformed arse.