With the stereotypical, “Ooh Matron!” persona as articulated by the likes of Alan Carr and the distinct lack of engagement with sexuality as espoused by Simon Amstell and his ilk, comedy which engages with the modern gay man is at a crossroads. This is particularly true when considering the Britain in which we live. We are supposed to be a tolerant, progressive and modern society in which people can express their sexual identity in any which way they choose. However, the lack of discussion surrounding men and the ways in which they negotiate modern gay identities is striking.
Enter Kevin Dewsbury, a man who proposed to fill this void. On the promotional materials for his set, he purports to be “a proper bloke, [who] likes football, beer and... sexy men”. In just under an hour, Dewsbury explores topics like the right-wing perception of a ‘Gay Agenda’, discusses the coalition government’s legislation on marriage equality and jokes about Grindr, the gay dating application for phones.
Whilst Dewsbury’s topics of conversation are contemporary, his approach and comedic delivery are most certainly not. Although he claims to present a myth-debunking view of the gay community, almost every punch line evokes crude innuendo that the most ardent homophobe would associate with LGBTQ-related humour. Whilst many of these lines raise a smile, there are only so many times that references to blow jobs and gay sex can feel fresh and surprising within such a short period of time.
This premise also fails in that the piece follows a number of predictable tropes for gay comedians. Topics like coming out to one’s parents are rather lazily incorporated and feel no different to portrayals told time and time again by other comics. If this is perception-busting, it’s unclear what the original conceit actually is.
In his address, Dewsbury also takes to preaching to the converted. Throughout, he referred mostly to the gay members of the audience and treated their heterosexual counterparts as the ‘Other’. If his raison d'être is to ridicule stereotypes of gay people, Dewsbury’s delivery of this material to a gay constituency first and foremost seems baffling. Surely, as those marred by such cultural assumptions, they are the first to know that the conceptions he attempts to bust are not true?
In all, Kevin Dewsbury presents a passable evening of comedy through a vulgar vernacular that accord to his X-rated subjects. Whether his piece lives up to its sterotype-redefining credentials, however, is highly uncertain.
