Monday, January 21, 2008

'Women Behind Bars' special



ahh sweet memories of a friday night before 'Hitman and her', Bea, lizzie and the gang used to thrill me with their exploits in 'Prisoner', (I only mention this as I have just got my hands on every one of the 692 episodes ever made and will start to watch them imminently!)...I used to sit in awe as the big butch lesbians all fought and spat anger at each other. It was other worldly and not a part of Australian culture that I had seen when living there for 7 years as a child. I really can't remember my mum ever saying "stay away from big butch lesbian ladies wit tattoos" when we were trolling down the street on the way to the beach. 'Prisoner ' was a beautifully crap series with ham fisted acting, flimsy sets and horrible costumes...but it became an iconic gay hit...it was full of tragic women leading tragic lives in a tragic environment...what else could a good gay want?



...well there was always 'Within these walls' starring Dame Googie Withers as a governor with a heart in an English Womens prison..quite a bit more refined than the Australian counterpart. Out of interest 'Prisoner' was only created in Australia as the Aussies wanted something a bit more gritty than the English 'Within'. The prisoners were a lot nicer in the English version and were serving time for crimes not as decadent as the Australians...such as '3 months for making Damson jam out of season', '6 months for knitting scarves in summer weather' and the ultimate 'life for not laughing at Last of the Summer Wine'. In reality, having been into a womens prison, Holloway in fact, I can attest that it is one of the scariest places I have ever been to...as soon as the first inside gate locked i was being ogled, wolf whistled at and attempted groping took place. It was not nice, damn those women behind bars and long live their fabricated stereotypes :)

ciao xx

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