LOSE-UP

Julian Clary

Are you a Mincing Machine? positively asserts himself in That is what Julian Clary a prejudiced world that asks at the end of his act. would use Section 28 to put Here he is, the man who can an end to his show. None of mince like no other, quip us has either the brains or about how daft it was at- the looks to fend off abuse as tempting the Matterhorn in succesfully as he does. With slingbacks, and still manage great composure, and care- not to put himself down. 'Un- ful timing, he presents an canny' and 'unnatural' he image the tabloids would may claim to be but his caba- love to hate, except that his ret generously controls wha- script is better than their tever hostility he might copy. If Larry Grayson and arouse. He may look and John Inman seemed gro- sound like a poofter but he's tesquely self-oppressed, Ju- really rather nice. And he lian Clary shows you why. knows that just as much as They had something to hide. you do. Julian hasn't. He is an out In the driest camp delivery gay man. And that is his and zaniest of costumes, Ju- strongest resource. lian Clary sends himself up Parody is his mode. Never better than anyone else. And for one moment does he let it's this that distinguishes us imagine that how he looks him from the sit-com and and acts is anything but a show-biz queens of the 70s send-up of how bigots would who could let their wrists go like him to be. You don't limp in a tv studio but never glimpse the 'real' Julian dare to set foot at Gay Pride. Clary underneath the cosme- (Remember those cringeing tics. Instead, he masters our squeals of 'Oh what a gay gaze on his post-modern at- day' and 'Are you being tire, mixing up 14-hole pa- served?'. Hardly encourage- tent leather Doc Martens ment for those of us who with luminous cycle shorts. wanted to step - rather than His props include a fluffy mince - out of the closet.) pink truncheon as a defence It's hard to get away with against Manchester's police chief, James Anderton. Clary's achievement is to be 'He presents an image the political without getting te- dious. And this puts a new tabloids would love to hate, gloss on his frequent use of except that his script is better smut. All those really funny than their copy' jokes on 'erections' and Joan Collins Fan Club: Strangely attracting the punters 'behinds' are 'exposed' for what they are: send-ups Treat was nothing like as so- Breakfast Show on Radio laughing at the Joan Collins of the vulgarity to be-found phisticated as Julian's own One ...) Unlike Mike Smith, Fan Club. You laugh with on the regular club circuit. stage performance. The Joan Julian is, of course, a ta- him instead. Although his He reminds us, all the time, Collins Fan Club got more lented person. His exotic stage act doesn't refer to how stupid 'straight' humour applause than Radio One's presence tells you that Mike Dynasty's Alexis that much, is. DJ. is as brain-dead as the blue- the blusher on his cheeks is Increasing numbers of Trick Or Treat has been his eyed heart-throb next door. his key reference-point: to a punters now find themselves initiation into the mains- While Mike reels off bad melodrama that almost strangely attracted, as he tream. He has a series jokes from the autocue, Ju- seems camp by accident. would say, to what he does. planned to go ahead on Chan- lian shows what it takes to Joan's fans are also Julian's. From more traditional work nel Four, provisionally powerdress with wit. His is And since his image is based on the stage, he moved into called Sticky Moments With the last laugh on a tv culture in popular telly, it made per- the alternative club scene, Julian Clary. How come now tired to death with being so fect sense for him to appear found his way to the Edin- is the time to have a gay man safe and so straight. If Julian on LWT's recent quiz show burgh Fringe, and ended up in front of the family while can be popular, what hope is parody, Trick Or Treat. on tv. But his act had to be they're eating their tea? Will there for an endless sche- Julian Clary doesn't want to adjusted for the LWT pro- he turn a nation of young dule of bland quiz shows on be tolerated as an alternative gramme he hosted with the Mike Smiths into bum-boys? deregulated tv? He's now comedy queen. In fact, it's man with the mail-order The answer is obvious. He well placed to brighten up a the other way round. With catalogue looks, the inno- will help us to 'relieve our- wet Sunday on the box. • his killing one-liners, he cuous Mike Smith. Trick or selves'. (If only he did the Joseph Bristow

48 MARXISM TODAY JUNE 1989