กะเทย/kathoey
May. 26th, 2010 11:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
askygoneonfireOh my god. Oh my god. OH MY GOD.
I just got home from the Ladyboys of Bangkok.
It’s the second time I’ve been to their Brighton show. The last time was in 2008, as with last time, I went with Becky. Last time, however, we also went with Ali (who loved it), Hanna, (Becky’s flatmate at the time who also loved it), Hanna’s boyfriend (who spent the whole time saying he was confused and trying to spot a bit of testicle, something he was convinced he eventually did, and something I’m convinced he didn’t) a friend of Becky’s (who, after about 5 minutes, spent the rest of the 2 hours with his head in his hands not looking at the stage) and Stacey (who spent the whole time pointing out why the Ladyboys didn’t look like girls – she was on a bit of a dyke power rant and became rather offensive)
This time, it was just me and Bex and we had a whale of a time.
For one thing we were both immediately in love with half of the performers and spent time picking out Becky’s perfect wedding dress (we settled on something like this; feathers!)
It hasn’t escaped my notice that all the drag artists in Brighton boycott the Ladyboys of Bangkok, every year (or they did, last I heard. Can’t find current link to support that tonight). Their argument being the artists involved aren’t paid enough and generally exploited. The facts behind this are...hazy. My understanding runs thusly, Bangkok is a mecca for those who identify as being of the ‘third gender’, life can be shit as a ladyboy although their beauty is highly prized in many areas of society so it ain’t all bad. The company for whom the ladyboys who come on tour to Brighton every year work for is right up there in terms of being classy, professional and offering decent work and working conditions. Making a living as lady boy can be hard and basically the apotheosis of this life is having a contract and working across the world – as these girls do. As I say, this is merely my understanding of the situation, I stand to be corrected by verifiable sources if anyone can produce them.
Frankly, if we want to talk about exploitation in Thailand let’s talk about the young girls sold into sex slavery who work in the popular tourist area of Patpong and offer all night sex shows, let’s talk about the massive amount – to be found spilling out of every bar in Patpong – of white, wealthy men – mostly British and American – who visit Thailand and these clubs as sex tourists and ‘hire’ women for weeks or months. Strolling through the knock-off night market in Patpong when I was last in Bangkok I glimpsed, through open doors, many, many dead eyed girls dancing all night on the bars and turned down endless offers of “sexy show! Pussy eat banana! Pussy pingpong!” The Ladyboys of Bangkok show is leagues away from this sordid but very easily accessible world. But I digress...
The cabaret aspect of the show is undoubtedly similar to the basic principle of drag shows in and around Brighton but beyond that? It’s inherently different. It’s sexy, and sexual – but not crass - and yes there are comedic bits but....it’s largely not about the same things. And it is in this morally comfortable position that I enjoyed and delighted in the spectacle before me this evening. The world looks slightly better after that decadent display. Really, just so much better.
Photo to follow, just as soon as I get it to a scanner. Despite my fears of looking like a stunted troll next to these *incredibly* hot girls, me and Bex looked awright. Hurrah!
I just got home from the Ladyboys of Bangkok.
It’s the second time I’ve been to their Brighton show. The last time was in 2008, as with last time, I went with Becky. Last time, however, we also went with Ali (who loved it), Hanna, (Becky’s flatmate at the time who also loved it), Hanna’s boyfriend (who spent the whole time saying he was confused and trying to spot a bit of testicle, something he was convinced he eventually did, and something I’m convinced he didn’t) a friend of Becky’s (who, after about 5 minutes, spent the rest of the 2 hours with his head in his hands not looking at the stage) and Stacey (who spent the whole time pointing out why the Ladyboys didn’t look like girls – she was on a bit of a dyke power rant and became rather offensive)
This time, it was just me and Bex and we had a whale of a time.
For one thing we were both immediately in love with half of the performers and spent time picking out Becky’s perfect wedding dress (we settled on something like this; feathers!)
It hasn’t escaped my notice that all the drag artists in Brighton boycott the Ladyboys of Bangkok, every year (or they did, last I heard. Can’t find current link to support that tonight). Their argument being the artists involved aren’t paid enough and generally exploited. The facts behind this are...hazy. My understanding runs thusly, Bangkok is a mecca for those who identify as being of the ‘third gender’, life can be shit as a ladyboy although their beauty is highly prized in many areas of society so it ain’t all bad. The company for whom the ladyboys who come on tour to Brighton every year work for is right up there in terms of being classy, professional and offering decent work and working conditions. Making a living as lady boy can be hard and basically the apotheosis of this life is having a contract and working across the world – as these girls do. As I say, this is merely my understanding of the situation, I stand to be corrected by verifiable sources if anyone can produce them.
Frankly, if we want to talk about exploitation in Thailand let’s talk about the young girls sold into sex slavery who work in the popular tourist area of Patpong and offer all night sex shows, let’s talk about the massive amount – to be found spilling out of every bar in Patpong – of white, wealthy men – mostly British and American – who visit Thailand and these clubs as sex tourists and ‘hire’ women for weeks or months. Strolling through the knock-off night market in Patpong when I was last in Bangkok I glimpsed, through open doors, many, many dead eyed girls dancing all night on the bars and turned down endless offers of “sexy show! Pussy eat banana! Pussy pingpong!” The Ladyboys of Bangkok show is leagues away from this sordid but very easily accessible world. But I digress...
The cabaret aspect of the show is undoubtedly similar to the basic principle of drag shows in and around Brighton but beyond that? It’s inherently different. It’s sexy, and sexual – but not crass - and yes there are comedic bits but....it’s largely not about the same things. And it is in this morally comfortable position that I enjoyed and delighted in the spectacle before me this evening. The world looks slightly better after that decadent display. Really, just so much better.
Photo to follow, just as soon as I get it to a scanner. Despite my fears of looking like a stunted troll next to these *incredibly* hot girls, me and Bex looked awright. Hurrah!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-27 07:36 pm (UTC)