Category Archives: interviews

Scrape Me With a Strigil! The Grooming Guru interviews Mark Simpson

The Grooming Guru, alias Lee Kynaston, interviews Simpson about how Top Gun made a generation of young men ‘gay’ and why the Romans knew a thing or two about exfoliation. A snippet: GG: Many commentators complain that men are ‘becoming more like women’ with their grooming/beauty regimes. What would you say to this? MS: I think

The Persueders: Mark Simpson rubs Suede the wrong way

This month Suede release their ‘Best Of’ and threaten, just like The Smiths did with the 80s, to finally own the decade that rejected them. So here’s a spikey confrontation which originally appeared in Attitude magazine, 1994. Why didn’t Mr Anderson just punch me? I have something to confess. When I listened to Suede’s eponymous debut album

Metrosexual Daddy Mark Simpson interviewed by Elise Moore

English author and journalist Mark Simpson on love-hating the metrosexual, why bromance lacks balls, and why women are strapping on Captain Kirk. By Elise Moore (Suite 101, May 6, 2010) If you could copyright neologisms, Mark Simpson would be a billionaire. Since you can’t, the British gay/gender issues and pop/culture commentator talked to Suite101 about the

There’s Something About Henry

A friend has just drawn my attention to this teasing ‘Letter to David Beckham’ by Mr Rollins recorded a couple of years ago, warning Becks when he moves to LA to play for LA Galaxy he’s not going to be so special: the town is already full of ‘metrosexuals… with crunchy hair and distressed jeans and absolutely

Gore Vidal Turns Off The Lights on the American Dream

Mark Simpson speaks to the mother of Myra Breckinridge and scourge of imperialism, monotheism and monosexuality (Arena Hommes Plus, Summer 2009)   I’m having trouble hearing the last living Great American Man of Letters. He says something else I don’t hear and I ask him to repeat it. Suddenly this 83 year old legend is

I See Dead People: Bruce LaBruce’s Otto

Mark Simpson chats gaily to Bruce LaBruce about the death instinct (The Advocate, Nov 2008) ‘He’s 18. He’s cute. He’s dead.’ What’s not to like about a film with a tagline like that, whose credits include ‘Lascivious Ballet Dancer #9′, ‘Orgy Zombie #5′ and ‘Yummy Boy eating Ice Cream Cone’? The credit for ‘Director’, of course, could only

Mark Simpson Interviewed by Manchester Evening News

Email interview with Mark Simpson by Sarah Walters of Manchester Evening News (unedited version) pegged to his appearance as the bad fairy at this year’s Queer Up North Festival SW: Sexuality has been part and parcel of your life and writings — how has reaction changed to the topic of sexuality since you started writing? Is

Queer Eye of the Straight Gal

          Mark Simpson meets Julie Burchill and feels her gums.

The North Rises Again: interview with Mark E Smith

Mark Simpson meets The Fall’s legendary front-man who has some deep-fried career advice for the Arctic Monkeys and the Kaiser Chiefs (Arena Hommes Plus, Summer 2006) “’Avin’ been around the world I reckon we’re very lucky,” says Mark E Smith, pop genius and (usually) loveable curmudgeon in a moment of uncharacteristic optimism. “They don’t realise