YMMV / Cliff Richard

• Critic-Proof: His 1999 single "The Millennium Prayer" was absolutely ravaged by critics and many radios refused to air the song (either down to its lack of quality or Cliff's old-fashioned image clashing with modern sensibilities), whilst his own record label refused to release it, leading Cliff to rely on an independent . This arguably helped the song to rise to number 1 for three weeks in the UK - the fact that it was a charity single helped things further (though it wouldn't be number 1 over the Christmas period).
• Oestrogen Brigade: his fanbase, largely female and of a certain age.
• Values Dissonance: Cliff was also the Butt-Monkey for gags about his presumed homosexuality, as he was pretty much unique in being a big-name rock singer who didn't have a detectable sex life. His celibacy was directly equated to "not interested in girls, therefore a closet gay". This doesn't happen so much today. the man is in his seventies, so perhaps a new prejudice is supplanting the old one - Old people do Not Have Sex. Or else people are realising that poking fun at perceived gays is not nice or especially grown up. Or else people are more clued up on celibacy - choosing not to have sex means neither hetero nor homo. it's just the way some people are.

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