It's blatant homophobia. Absolutely blatant.

Straight man horseplays with straight woman - fine

Straight man horseplays with gay man - fine

Gay man horseplays with straight man - predatory.

The homophobia isn't exactly subtle either. Standards are applied to Austin that aren't applied to anyone else because he's gay.

I'd bet a packet of crisps that had Stevi taken Austin into the diary room to have a romantic meal and he behaved in the same way as Bobby did i.e grabbing Stevi's "boob" and kissing him on the shoulder, which he did as a joke, there'd be at least two pages of this thread lambasting Austin's "predatory behaviour"

It's homophobic and it's quite blatant.

Austin's invitation for James to massage his hamstring was a joke. He even got Bobby in on it to back him up because it was CLEARLY a joke. People who have a problem seeing all gay men through the prism of them being a predator isn't a new kind of prejudice and it isn't surprising that it still exists.

Homophobia isn't just beating up someone who is gay, same as racism isn't always about being violent towards someone of the opposite race either. It's applying different rules and different standards towards people because of their sexuality, and that's precisely what happens with Austin.

He's gay so everything he does is predatory, or creepy.

So what you're saying is that the goalposts are free to be shifted at any time for arbitrary reasons depending on the agenda the outside viewer wishes to push?

Another lie.

When has James tried to get Auaten to massage him. Thrown his kecks at him. Whipped of his towel and talked about them having a special relationship more close than with childhood friends?

That Austin is married is only an issue if his husband has an issue with his flirting with other men. It's *their* relationship, after all, not ours. If he's not threatened by it (he clearly isn't) then why should we be?

As for whether any of them fancy any of the others or not, that's irrelevant. There's still double standards being applied as to what is and isn't acceptable flirtation.

Yeah.

It's the whole, "I'm not homophobic but...." routine.


In reality it's no different to people who don't bat an eyelid when they see a man walking down the street holding his wife/girlfriend's hand, or embracing each other on the beach or holding each other's hand over the table at a romantic mean, who'll say when it's two people of the same sex doing the exact same thing:

"Geez, I'm not homophobic at all, many of my friends are gay, but do they have to push it down everyone's throats?"

It's amazing that in 2015 it still needs to be explained that treating people differently and applying different expectations of behaviour on them based on some preconceived stereotype - is prejudiced.

Well said. Some of these posters are. blatantly homophobic

I disagree. If a wife is prepared to put up with her husband flirting in front of her or having affairs, or puts out one of those BB statements about how they trust their partner that doesn't stop us having an opinion on their behaviour.

It's not about what his husband thinks but about us judging his behaviour and attitude and seeing whether that is someone we can relate to.

Its a gay man reacting to a straight show and the straights can't cope

You're already associating flirting with having affairs, which is a flawed assumption to make. Many people flirt with others without having any intention of jumping in bed together. Hell, I do it and I'm single. I also know many straight guys who flirt with gay men and they have no desire to actually bonk. It's playfulness, that's all, and if Austin's husband knows him well enough and trusts him enough to not be concerned by it, then it's not our business to be so on his behalf.


It's fine to say 'Well I personally wouldn't do that', but not fine to say 'he shouldn't do that' and labelling it 'predatory' when that word has a rich history of being used in conjunction with 'homosexual' to paint gay people as somehow rapey (along with, for the record, all those tedious 'backs against the walls, lads' jibes that still, amazingly, get trotted out now with alarming regularity)

IMO Austin is only flirting with James because it's not reciprocated - I do the same, I've flirted with MAW on here because I know he's happily married and so won't take it seriously. (I'm married too, but still like to flirt as long as it's only in fun!)

A little bit hysterical dont you think?

What a load of tosh.

It depends what your definition of horseplay is. Horseplay in my definition is just messing about. The examples you give are too vague. When as a straight man asked either another straight man, a gay man or a woman to massage his 'leg', and it not be considered creepy?

Also you missed off lesbian women and straight women.

I think the creepy'ness comes from people not knowing were the line is. From what Austin said last night its clear that he assumed he was much closer to James than he actually was.

For the record I don't think Austin as been preditory. Though early on asking James to massage his 'leg' was being too forward for someone he hardly knew. He's lucky James is comfortable in his sexuality that he took it as a joke.

Predatory ? i do wonder how people come up with these strange threads on here. You only see a few minutes of them a day, how can you even come to this conclusion ?

I believe both Austen and Gail gave his legs a massage in the garden and he also took Austen's towel off at some point as well apparently. He was snuggled up to Austen in bed(he's snuggled up to Austen a lot, I can't remember seeing Austen snuggling up against him) when James asked Austen (not the other way round) to pick him up and carry him to the shower(James was only in his pants at the time). He's had no end of showers, baths and pool dips with Austen and he's quite happy to sit right next to him skin on skin; Austen is not forcing him too. Then there's the topless workouts, well there's been a lot of topless everything. Oh, and James cheekily asked Austen (while James was sprawled out on his belly) in bed if Austen was a good 'swallower'? He also taught Austen a rather suggestive handshake, and at one point kissed him on the hand(Austen returned the favour).

And they both did a bit of skinny dipping in the pool last night too.

No I didn't, or didn't mean to. I gave two examples of behaviour a partner might put up with but would still make me think poorly of the person who died it.

Here's another - a partner might think the man should rule the household - they might both be very happy with that arrangement. But i might still have the opinion that he's an arse and she's a mug.

If you'd care to check I have stated that I don't think he is predatory. I just think his behaviour is disrespectful to his partner and that I think he does actually fancy James. That's a long way from predatory. In fact I think James is the boss in their relationship.

I do think Jenna is trying to use her sexuality to influence James - and not succeeding though...

Why? because he's married

It's a personality show and if I see a married man flirting with another person on a TV show I am allowed to criticise and judge and think whatever I want to about that without being labeled homophobic, I know his husband is saying it's just banter etc but I don't believe that he really is cool with it and Imbelieve despite what he says on Twitter that he's gutted seeing his husband fall for someone else.
It's my opinion and I'm not going to be labeled homophobic for voicing it.

[quote=broadshoulder;79682920]
Please stop with the name calling, final warning

So the issue, as far as you're concerned, isn't that it's predatory behaviour, but that Austin is married and should refrain from flirting to appease his husband who doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Is that right?

No I think Austins behaviour in that conversation. Where he claimed to know James better than anyone else and he got shouty and argumentive because James didn't agree that he was his best friend after three weeks was over the top, clingy and possessive.

I think Austin is being disrespectful to his husband with his obvious attraction to James. I don't like when married people come on the show, even housemates who have a boyfriend/ girlfriend come on the show and immediately forget they are in a relationship
I don't think Austin and James friendship has been a platonic friendship. Last night I the pool with James Austin took his pants off threw them in James face swam underwater to try and grab his cock etc it's very flirty and I don't believe despite what he says that his husband is ok with that, he must find it humiliation when loads of strangers on Twitter are telling him his husband has strayed etc

All gay men are predators apparently. What homophobic nonsense. Austin may be a prat but he's not that.

Sorry you have gone too far now

I don't know why you think you know Austin's husband better than himself. If he says he's fine with it then it's nobody else's business to say 'No you're not'.

Sure, don't believe him if you don't want to, but all the evidence suggest you're wrong here and merely projecting your own expectations of what behaviour is and isn't acceptable within a relationship. Ultimately, it's those two people in that relationship who decide where the boundaries lie, not you.

I know how I feel watching a married man flirt on TV that's enough ok? I hated the way John Mccrirrik treated his wife with such disrespect and I said that too although she obviously doesn't mind being talked about like dirt and her husband being a pervert I still disliked him for it
It's a personality show and it's my personal opinion