Channel 4’s ‘Secret Life Of Human Pups’ had everyone asking the same question

Well, it certainly got people talking.

Whether you were watching Channel 4 on Wednesday night or not, it surely won't have escaped your attention that there was a very eye-opening documentary on called Secret Life Of The Human Pups. For many viewers, the very premise was ridiculous and certainly something they hadn't encountered in their day-to-day lives. The idea of grown adults pretending to be canines for kicks was a new one. https://twitter.com/TashaBirch89/status/735577655806939136 But rather than being the kind of exploitative programme that Channel 4 has been criticised for making in the past, it was a surprisingly tender look at a hidden subculture of what is essentially people pretending to be something else for a while. It turns out that the 'human pups' come from all walks of life, and although the movement has BDSM origins, it's not really a sexual thing. Many - but not all - are gay men who find solace in their four-legged alter-egos. https://twitter.com/Channel4/status/735578521787994112 Tom, also known as Spot, featured on the show taking part in the 'Mr Puppy Europe' competition in Antwerp. He spoke to the Guardian about what it means to him:

“It feels like you can be gay, straight, bisexual, trans and be accepted. All I want is for the pup community to be accepted in the same way. We’re not trying to cause grief to the public, or cause grief to relationships. We’re just the same as any other person on the high street.”

Despite the fact that the outwardly bizarre show was an affectionate portrayal at heart, many viewers at home had the same nagging suspicion. Namely that the programme was some sort of BrassEye satire by the master of subversive comedy himself, Chris Morris... https://twitter.com/RobinStent/status/735584147259940865 https://twitter.com/341VVO/status/735583023979241472 https://twitter.com/Goblin73Matt/status/735593371578826752 https://twitter.com/Stan_Ferguson/status/735587060543836164 https://twitter.com/030594dill/status/735582867082903552 https://twitter.com/scouselesley/status/735582179003138050 https://twitter.com/ladyjenkin/status/735579094558052352 https://twitter.com/Chrisjameson9/status/735580568553988097