Elaine C Smith receives Freedom of Glasgow award, reflecting on city’s changes and women’s evolving roles.
Elaine thought about how Glasgow changed, having lived there for 66 years and still residing in Glasgow’s east end. She said Glasgow changed a lot since she went to drama school in 1975. The city was very industrial back then, where men and their work mattered most, with steelworks, Parkhead Forge, and shipyards being important. She felt it wasn’t easy to be a woman.
Over time, the city’s attitude softened. Elaine noticed positive changes for women, and Scottish comedy improved for women too. She headlined the King’s panto, something that would never have happened before. Even so, only three women do it in the UK, so things still need to improve more for women.
Shows like Two Doors Down are different now, with men and women having equal roles. Those shows couldn’t have been made in the 80s. She remembers a sketch from Naked Video where she asked to play the doctor. They thought the gag was about a female doctor as it was very rare back then to see women doctors on TV.
Elaine believes drinking culture changed too; people don’t drink as hard today. Glasgow directions were once pub to pub, and pubs were mostly for men. Now things are different as more places welcome women. Seeing women in charge is a big change, such as The Tron having a female artistic director now. Oran Mor offers plays, pies, and pints, and that’s all different now.
Elaine talked about her east end neighborhood, saying Dennistoun still feels the same to her. The Barras market changed a lot, though. She loved the vendors there as a kid, and they had great sales pitches. She ate mussels and welks with her dad, though she did not like the smell of them. Patsy Cline played in the background; country songs were the soul of Glasgow’s singers.
Elaine thinks Glaswegians are still the same. They are cheeky and don’t get arrogant, and they don’t like people who are fake. She felt at home in New York, as they were like Glaswegians.
Elaine grazed cattle on Glasgow Green after getting the freedom of the city. 143 people got the freedom since 1800, but only seven were women. Marie Curie and the Queen Mother were also honored.
Elaine felt proud she did not leave Glasgow. Some think you must be famous outside of Scotland. She realized she was funny in the UK and toured with Rab C. Nesbitt. She said Scotland has a chip on its shoulder because people in Norway don’t need Sweden’s approval.
She was lucky to work on network TV shows here. Older actors had to leave Scotland to get good work since there were not enough opportunities here. She is a woman who lives and works here.
The awards dinner was near International Women’s Day. The tables honored women like Mary Barbour, Joni Mitchell, and Maya Angelou. Even Elaine’s mom was remembered.
Elaine stated that she stood “on the shoulders of giants,” meaning women who came before her. They should have been honored too.