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My son had his hair cut last evening. Yes, for the second time in a week, but this time not in a barbers that smelled of grass. His last cut had been a trim, but he wanted his Samsonian locks removed. Everyone in our house has long hair at the moment (or did before last night) and I think Ernie has wanted long hair to be like his sister (rather than his dad). I liked his long hair, but it did mean that he has been constantly mistaken for a girl. That's society's fault for making such an assumption, but he's about to turn six and self-consciousness is creeping in and I guess he identifies as a boy and the world is telling him that boys have short hair. I told him that I was a man and I had long hair, but he said that I had a beard so people could tell (not entirely true - I am often mistaken for a woman from behind due to my shortness and voluptuous bottom).
It's a little bit sad to see this change, but also important that he has autonomy over his body. And he's still wearing pink pyjamas for the moment so society hasn't stamped out all his individuality.
I saw him for the first time this morning (though I'd seen pictures) and it was really like he was a different boy. But he still acts exactly like Ernie and that is something that can not be defined in a binary way. He is one in a billion (so another six people like him in the world I guess). For all his Ernieness I love him more than any other male-gendered person on this planet, though appreciate gender is fluid so that may change. Also Michael Palin is close and could overtake, especially given the fact that Michael Palin is much less annoying around my house.
Ernie is a handsome guy though. He takes after his dad. Not in looks. In being an annoying prick.
We chose not to go to the British Podcast Awards, despite our double nomination, mainly because they were asking for £300+ per person (they did start doing cheaper tickets but we were deemed too successful to qualify). So I followed the results on Twitter. But I was pretty sure that we hadn't won anything as no one had asked us who'd pick up the award or worried that we weren't coming. I saw Elis James tweet quite early on that he'd won the entertainment award, though the feed of the Awards was lagging at least an hour behind. Could we place 2nd or 3rd in either category?
I will spare you the search. No, we couldn't. Let's just say they didn't let us win because we hadn't paid to be there (though we had paid to enter). It didn't really feel like a very podcasty occasion though. High entry and ticket prices would have kept most podcasters away and radio shows that are podcast count as podcasts. So it's just an award for best audio entertainments, which is fine, but not really in the spirit of the medium. Not the original spirit at least. It's not punk rock any more. It's big business. And I am not against that. Even though I am relatively small business, it's still big business for me.
But glad we didn't blow £1000 going, not even be drinking the "free" booze and then have the ignominy of not placing in either award! We've been there before with the Sony Awards. You feel like a loser rather than a winner and it's cost you so much that you are a loser. I see it as £1000 saved to make more podcasts with. And as much as I have reservations about the whole thing, it was nice to get those nominations. I'm in the top 5 entertainment and interview podcasts that paid to be included.
And I made a podcast instead. Ally and Herring's Twitch of Fun made an unsteady return (was it ever steady though?) with the most invention as always coming from Phoebe who had come up with two new characters. I had even forgotten about Henry Hippo, but I am not sure how well that'd play in the current climate. You have to remember that the spring of this year was a very different time and a hippo talking about big wobbling boobies was acceptable and funny to the people back then. Now, of course, it seems ludicrous that anyone could have found it funny. But that's true of all my old work. Anyway he'll be back next week if I can find him.
Watch the show here. 
