The Problematic Gaze

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This week, we're heading into the wonderfully unsettling world of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), the psychological thriller that brought two of Hollywood's greatest stars together for a spectacularly uncomfortable family reunion.
With Bette Davis as the grotesquely theatrical former child star Baby Jane Hudson and Joan Crawford as her wheelchair-using sister Blanche, it's a film packed with jealousy, resentment, faded glamour and some truly extraordinary performances.
But is it really a story about two sisters who hate each other, or does it reveal something much more troubling about Hollywood's treatment of ageing women?
And, naturally, could you get away with it today?
First, we're travelling back to Britain in 1963 for our regular Culture Corner.
It's a year of scandal, satire and enormous social change.
The Profumo affair exposes the secrets of Britain's political establishment, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll's divorceprovides sensational headlines, and a new generation of satirists begins challenging the country's traditional deference to authority.
Meanwhile, Beatlemania is sweeping the nation, Dr Beeching's railway proposals threaten the future of Britain's branch lines, National Service is coming to an end, and nuclear anxieties continue to fuel the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
At the cinema, James Bond returns in From Russia with Love, while television prepares to introduce a mysterious traveller called Doctor Who.
And, of course, we'll be taking a look at what Britain was listening to as the pop revolution gathered pace.
Then it's time to enter the Hudson household.
We revisit the making of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, its extraordinary success, its Academy Award recognition and the performances that transformed two established Hollywood stars into icons of psychological horror.
But behind the famous make-up, costumes and deliciously theatrical dialogue lies a rather uncomfortable question.
Why was Hollywood so terrified of women getting older?
We explore the industry's double standards, the limited opportunities available to ageing actresses and the emergence of the genre sometimes labelled hagsploitation — a term we're rather less enthusiastic about than grande dame guignol.
And what about that legendary feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford?
Was their rivalry really as extraordinary as Hollywood folklore suggests, or have decades of publicity, gossip and dramatisation turned a complicated professional relationship into something far more sensational?
We separate the mythology from the better-documented incidents, including that unforgettable Academy Awards episode.
We also examine the film's more problematic elements, including its treatment of disability, the character of Elvira and the racial stereotypes associated with the so-called “magical Negro” trope.
Then there's the film's extraordinary afterlife.
From its influence on later psychological thrillers featuring older female stars to its status as a beloved piece of queer camp cinema, Baby Jane has become far more than simply a horror film.
Is it a cruel spectacle built around ageing women, a surprisingly sharp criticism of Hollywood, or a glorious combination of both?
And how much of its appeal comes from the fact that Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were quite simply magnificent?
With Fontaine the poodle keeping us company, we revisit the film, its stars, its cultural legacy and the uncomfortable questions that still make it fascinating more than sixty years later.
Was Baby Jane the real monster, or was Hollywood itself the villain?
Join Dr Lee Arnott and Dave Moore for another affectionate, irreverent and occasionally horrified look at a classic film through modern eyes.

GAZER HOMEWORK: Nest week were watching two episodes of Tales Of The Unexpected: The Flypaper and Lamb To The Slaughter
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Channel 5 is bringing Ghostwatch back into the spotlight this Halloween with a brand-new documentary, Ghostwatch: The Night That Terrified Britain, airing on Saturday 31 October at 9.15pm — exactly 34 years after the original BBC broadcast.
To mark the occasion, we're reopening the archives at The Problematic Gaze and revisiting our own deep dive into one of the most extraordinary and controversial moments in British television history.
On Halloween night in 1992, millions of viewers settled down to watch what appeared to be a live BBC investigation into a haunted suburban home.
With Michael Parkinson in the studio, Sarah Greene inside the house, Craig Charles reporting from outside and Mike Smith taking viewers' calls, everything looked reassuringly familiar.
But something wasn't quite right.
There were strange noises, unexplained disturbances and a mysterious presence known only as Pipes.
And as the evening progressed, things became increasingly unsettling.
The problem? Many viewers believed it was all real.
In fact, Ghostwatch was an elaborately staged television drama, written by Stephen Volk and directed by Lesley Manning, which blurred the boundaries between fiction and reality with extraordinary results.
The broadcast prompted thousands of complaints, made national headlines and became so controversial that the BBC never repeated it on British television.
But was Ghostwatch a brilliantly innovative piece of television horror, or had the BBC taken its Halloween trick a little too far?
In this special Halloween reissue, Dr Lee Arnott and Dave Moor revisit the programme that frightened a generation.
We explore the familiar television faces that made the deception so convincing, the ingenious techniques used to create an atmosphere of mounting dread, the mystery of Pipes and the extraordinary public reaction.
We also consider the programme's lasting influence on horror, its transformation into a cult classic and why, more than three decades later, people are still talking about that Halloween night.
And naturally, we're asking the question at the heart of The Problematic Gaze:
Could you get away with it today?
In an age of reality television, social media, fake news and increasingly sophisticated screen trickery, could a programme like Ghostwatch still convince — and terrify — a modern audience?
With Channel 5's new documentary revisiting the original broadcast and its extraordinary legacy, there's never been a better time to return to the house, turn down the lights and look out for Pipes.
Whether you watched it live in 1992, discovered it years later or have never seen it at all, join us for a very special Halloween trip into British television history.
Just remember: it's only television. Isn't it?
This episode is a special Halloween reissue from The Problematic Gaze archive.
Subscribe to The Problematic Gaze for more classic film and television, nostalgia, cultural history and the occasional programme that probably shouldn't be watched alone.
Click here to visit our YouTube site, The Gaze Channel, where you can watch video versions of our podcast.

Our YouTube site also contains playlists for each episode with provides wider context to each episode.

Click here to follow us on all our socials

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!
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Periods, pig's blood, religious repression and quite possibly the worst school prom in cinema history. Welcome to Carrie!
Hello Gazers!
This week we're going back to 1976 for Brian De Palma's horror classic Carrie, starring Sissy Spacek as the painfully shy teenager whose schooldays are about to take a rather spectacular turn for the worse.
But is Carrie simply a terrifying tale of supernatural revenge, or is it really about the horrors of being a teenage girl?
And, more importantly, could you get away with it today?
We begin with one of cinema's most uncomfortable opening sequences, as Carrie's first period becomes a source of humiliation in the school changing rooms.
It's a scene that raises some interesting questions about the male gaze, the representation of teenage girls and why De Palma chooses to introduce his heroine in quite such an intimate way.
From there, we explore the relentless bullying Carrie endures, her emerging telekinetic powers and her deeply troubled relationship with her fanatically religious mother, Margaret White, played with extraordinary intensity by Piper Laurie.
Then, of course, there's the prom.
The dress. The date. The bucket. And one of the most memorable sequences in horror-film history.
We discuss how Carrie turns teenage cruelty into something genuinely disturbing, whether its portrayal of female anger can be read as empowering, and why the film seems determined to punish its heroine just as she begins to find a little happiness.
Is Carrie a monster, a victim, or simply an outsider pushed beyond her limits?
Along the way, we revisit the making of the film, Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie's Oscar-nominated performances, its box-office success and its extraordinary influence on popular culture.
We also look at the various attempts to revisit Stephen King's story, including the remakes and the forthcoming television adaptation.
And then it's time for Culture Corner!
Although Carrie was released in America in 1976, British audiences had to wait until January 1977, so we're taking a trip back to Britain at the beginning of a particularly memorable year.
The Ford Fiesta was arriving on British roads, the Sex Pistols were making headlines after being dropped by EMI, and the Sinclair pocket television offered a glimpse of a technological future that wasn't quite as convenient as advertised.
Meanwhile, Britain was dealing with political tensions, IRA bombings and the death of former Prime Minister Anthony Eden.
And naturally, we couldn't visit January 1977 without switching on Top of the Pops to see what Britain was buying, listening to and dancing around its living rooms to.
It's a fascinating contrast: while Carrie White was discovering the terrifying possibilities of her own power, Britain was entering the year of punk, pop and enormous social change.
We finish with our verdicts on Carrie, its legacy and whether its treatment of women, sexuality, religion and teenage cruelty still stands up today.
Is Carrie a feminist horror masterpiece, or does its portrayal of female rage reveal something rather more problematic?
Join us for another affectionate, irreverent and occasionally horrified look at a classic film through modern eyes.
Subscribe to The Problematic Gaze for more film and television nostalgia, forgotten cultural history and questionable attitudes.
Click here to visit our YouTube site, The Gaze Channel, where you can watch video versions of our podcast.

Our YouTube site also contains playlists for each episode with provides wider context to each episode.

Click here to follow us on all our socials

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.

Daniel Craig in tiny swimming trunks, a very dangerous poker game, and the important question: which James Bond is actually the sexiest?
Hello Gazers!
This week we're dusting off our tuxedos, ordering something shaken rather than stirred, and heading back to 2006 for Casino Royale, the film that reinvented James Bond for a new generation.
But was Daniel Craig's tougher, moodier and considerably more muscular 007 really a step forward? Or was he simply the same old Bond with a gym membership and a slightly more troubled expression?
First, we're revisiting the film itself, from Le Chiffre's high-stakes poker tournament and Bond's increasingly complicated relationship with Vesper Lynd, to some particularly uncomfortable encounters, spectacular action sequences and a memorable finale in Venice.
We explore how Casino Royale revitalised the franchise, the controversy surrounding Craig's casting, the film's critical and commercial success, and whether its grittier approach borrowed a little too enthusiastically from the Bourne films.
Then it's time for Culture Corner, where we're heading back to Britain in 2006.
It was the era of metrosexual men, lads' magazines, Top Gear and an increasingly confused national conversation about masculinity.
As traditional ideas about manhood collided with changing attitudes towards gender, class and sexuality, we ask whether Daniel Craig's more physically imposing but emotionally vulnerable Bond reflected a wider cultural shift.
And what better way to explore changing masculinity than by examining every James Bond?
From Sean Connery's unapologetic swagger and Roger Moore's raised eyebrow to Timothy Dalton's intensity, Pierce Brosnan's polished charm and Daniel Craig's brooding physicality, we're examining how each incarnation of 007 treated women, expressed masculinity and reflected the attitudes of his era.
Naturally, this leads to the most academically rigorous segment in the history of The Problematic Gays:
Our ranking of the James Bonds by hotness.
Yes, we're objectifying the world's most famous womaniser for a change.
We also discuss Bond girls, exotic locations, racial stereotypes, the franchise's enthusiastic product placement, and that famous moment when Daniel Craig emerges from the sea and suddenly becomes the object of everyone's gaze.
Has Bond genuinely evolved, or does Casino Royale simply package some very old-fashioned attitudes in a rather attractive new body?
We finish with our ratings for the film, our thoughts on the wider Bond franchise and the usual question:
Could you get away with it today?
And next time, we're heading somewhere rather less glamorous as we revisit Carrie (1976).
Subscribe to The Problematic Gaze for more classic film and television, cultural nostalgia, questionable attitudes and the occasional entirely unnecessary discussion about attractive men.
The name's Gaze. Problematic Gaze.
Click here to visit our YouTube site, The Gaze Channel, where you can watch video versions of our podcast.

Our YouTube site also contains playlists for each episode with provides wider context to each episode.

Click here to follow us on all our socials

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.

Click here to visit our YouTube Channel!
We're back! After a week off, we're reunited in the cellar at PG Towers, accompanied by Fontaine the dog, a little background building noise and the usual complete inability to stay on one subject for more than five minutes.
And what a lot we've got to catch up on.
First, we're opening the mailbag for your reactions to The League of Gentlemen, including a surprising connection to Roy Chubby Brown and some excellent suggestions for future episodes.
Could The Mighty Boosh be heading for The Problematic Gaze? And have we been overlooking the deeply questionable world of Mr Men and Little Miss?
Then it's time for a little reality television.
We're discussing The Celebrity Traitors, which doesn't seem quite itself this year, and Big Brother, which might finally have rediscovered its mojo. There's also the small matter of housemate Rob, who apparently cannot stop singing.
But the week's most extraordinary controversy comes courtesy of Doctor Who.
Yes, apparently even a preschool cartoon can provoke an internet meltdown.
We examine the outrage surrounding the BBC's The TARDIS Crew, where some online commentators have managed to discover a supposed “bisexual agenda” lurking in the programme's colour palette.
Because obviously that's what children are thinking about when they see a brightly coloured cartoon spaceship.
Back in the mailbag, we're talking about the wonderfully unsettling In Fabric, revisiting Tales of the Unexpected and its particularly disturbing episode The Flypaper, and returning to two subjects that simply refuse to go away: Britain's rudest place names and the controversial merits of rum and raisin ice cream.
We also clear up a little Dynasty trivia involving Catherine Oxenberg and Princess Diana, before checking in with The Great British Bake Off and looking ahead to Mike Flanagan's forthcoming adaptation of Carrie.
There's also a brief detour into an ITV investigation involving Reform UK, because apparently the real world is determined to remain every bit as peculiar as the television programmes we cover.
And there's plenty coming up at The Problematic Gaze.
Our next main episode is Casino Royale (2006), as we revisit Daniel Craig's first James Bond film and examine Bond girls, masculinity, sexuality and what happens when 007 himself becomes the object of the gaze.
Plus, there's more Dynasty on our YouTube channel, where we're celebrating the show's glorious camp appeal, outrageous glamour and magnificent shoulder pads.
So make yourself comfortable, ignore the building work and join us for another thoroughly rambling visit to PG Towers.
And don't forget to subscribe to The Problematic Gays for more Gazette catch-ups, listener correspondence, television recommendations and our weekly investigations into the films and programmes we once loved.
Now, has anybody seen Fontaine?
Click here to visit our YouTube site, The Gaze Channel, where you can watch video versions of our podcast.

Our YouTube site also contains playlists for each episode with provides wider context to each episode.

Click here to follow us on all our socials

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.