CD and TV on TV - Good or bad?

[mike9753]

Hi Folks:

I don't know how many of you are aware of it, but in three separate Prime Time shows in the US there are characters portrayed who are either cross dressers or TV's. Boston Legal has had a CD named Clarence since last season. He has not had any air time so far this year but last year his character was prominently showcase in a few episodes.

This year in Big Shots, a main character had a sexual encounter, while a bit drunk with a Transgendered hooker in a men's room of a gas station.

And in Dirty, Sexy, Money, one of the Baldwin brothers has a love affair with a transgendered person.

So the question is: Is this sort of exposure good or bad?

I have two thoughts:
1. Any publicity is good publicity. (Or is it?) I am sure that there are many people who have no idea that Transgendered folks even exist and have never heard the term, "Cross Dressers" and if they had, did not know what it really meant. So this gives some exposure to the uneducated.
2. However, this is not the right exposure to give. At least on Boston Legal, Clarnece is portrayed as an intelligent, altho flawed guy who can only assert himself when dressed. But he is accepted in this wacky law firm in Boston.

So I thought I'd ask the folks here - what do you think?

Mike

[MarieDelta]

The Character on "Dirty Sexy Money" is played by Candis Cane who is TS and is playing a TS woman on that show.

On "Ugly Betty" the character Alexis Meade is played by Rebecca Romijn.

I haven't been watching "Boston Legal".


I don't know how many people know/ knew that "All My Children" had a TS/ Lesbian ( the TS and the Lesbian were in love) plot going on this spring. Which was interesting to watch because at the height of it they actually showed a TS support group with TS actors and actresses(Jenny Boyland was on -author of "She's Not There" ,and Betty Crow, Helen Boyds partner/spouse), in something approaching a support group setting(although it seemed really too somber to me.)

I personally don't have a problem with it.
I like the fact that we are becoming so common that we are croping up in plots the way that Gays and Lesbians used to, maybe it will become just one more thing.

I am glad too that people aren't just seeing us as ridgid stereotypes although I wish that the wouldn't focus so much on strictly the transgendered females (MtF's), there are males(FtM's) out there too. Some of the guys are really cute too!

That just my two cents anyways...

[izzfan]

I don't think that there are many Trans characters on the television here in the UK. Then again, they show a lot of programs from the US here so some of the shows you've talked about might be on the telly over here.

But in (fiction) programs made in the UK, it isn't really mentioned that much. There was a TS character in an episode of "Sinchronicity" [quite a good program I thought... only saw 2 episodes of it though] but that's all I can really think of in recent times. However, there have been a few documentaries about Trans topics and issues recently (including this really good one a while ago which was presented by Greyson Perry, there was also one about a TG beauty contest in Thailand? and it followed the UK contestant's journey and experiences before, during and after the concert) and there was this enterntainment program called "boys will be girls" where a male band had to perform as women [after weeks of training] and see if anyone would 'read' them.... not technically TG but very interesting nevertheless [if anyone is interested, they released a video of their song... a cover of an 80s pop song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoWuQ6o-jnA ].

But no, I guess TG issues are probably getting much more media coverage than they did a decade ago and as long as it isn't demonising or stereotyping TG people then it can't be a bad thing

Izzfan :flag3:

[19biman61]

My only problem with television is that they usually portray a transgendered person as prostitutes. They are beautiful people with a lot to offer to society.

[MarieDelta]

My only problem with television is that they usually portray a transgendered person as prostitutes. They are beautiful people with a lot to offer to society.

Its either prostituites or the comical man in a dress routine.
the guess what "Now I'm a woman" seems to crop up pretty frequently too.

You know the one I mean- A man finds a girl irrestable , turns out it's one of his old chums.

Pathetic or evil are the two choices that hollywood seems to place us in. We're either pathetic (transamerica) or evil(silence of the lambs). A few times we have been portrayed somewhat accurately (Breakfast On Pluto, Rent).

For those of you who want a more in-depth look at this subject of Transgendered people in the media, I suggest you look at this article from Julia Serano:

Skirt Chasers:
Why the Media Depicts the Trans Revolution in Lipstick and Heels (http://www.juliaserano.com/outside.html#skirtchasers)

[vittoria]

Hi Folks:

I don't know how many of you are aware of it, but in three separate Prime Time shows in the US there are characters portrayed who are either cross dressers or TV's. Boston Legal has had a CD named Clarence since last season. He has not had any air time so far this year but last year his character was prominently showcase in a few episodes.

This year in Big Shots, a main character had a sexual encounter, while a bit drunk with a Transgendered hooker in a men's room of a gas station.

And in Dirty, Sexy, Money, one of the Baldwin brothers has a love affair with a transgendered person.

So the question is: Is this sort of exposure good or bad?

I have two thoughts:
1. Any publicity is good publicity. (Or is it?) I am sure that there are many people who have no idea that Transgendered folks even exist and have never heard the term, "Cross Dressers" and if they had, did not know what it really meant. So this gives some exposure to the uneducated.
2. However, this is not the right exposure to give. At least on Boston Legal, Clarnece is portrayed as an intelligent, altho flawed guy who can only assert himself when dressed. But he is accepted in this wacky law firm in Boston.

So I thought I'd ask the folks here - what do you think?

Mike

in an effort to include everyone in this country as a part of dialogue, unfortunately some tele programs HAVE cd or tv characters on, but only to mock them, poke some sort of fun, as a side show curiosity and they usually arent taken seriously.

pity.

[onewhocares]

Not sure if this is the right place for these comments, but here goes. If television is a depiction of real life, then I can share this. My husband and I had the pleasure of having a transgendered woman as our house guest since Thursday. Bree (from this site) was in town for a medical conference and we spent lots of time together. During the time that I was with her I can honestly say that no one seemed to bat an eyelash that this beautiful six foot four woman was in their midst. We went shopping and tried clothes on in the woman's fitting rooms, went to the ladies room and tried bras on....ok so she is better looking with her fake boobs than my real ones...mine are saggy and hers are new and pert....I am SO jealous. She was accepted as any other woman would be.

I guess to me it is a sign of the acceptance of Transgendered People being accepted into main stream living. Televison is then perhaps listening to what it's audience is composed of.

Funny the only person who was rude to Bree was my mother in-law who lives with us. She blatently ignored Bree and did not even have the politeness to say hello. Forgive her Bree....ignorance is her forte.


Belle

[BreeIsMe]

Belle,
you are so kind with your words. It was Belle's amazing energy and friendship that made everything seem so natural. She took me to get my nails done, shopping, sightseeing, and to dinner on multiple occasions. I was overwhelmed with how much kindness she, Bill, and her daughter took me into their lives for a few days. If all the world were made of people like Belle, we would have very little to worry about (okay well maybe we would still worry about short doorways, but that is about it LOL!).

Bree


Not sure if this is the right place for these comments, but here goes. If television is a depiction of real life, then I can share this. My husband and I had the pleasure of having a transgendered woman as our house guest since Thursday. Bree (from this site) was in town for a medical conference and we spent lots of time together. During the time that I was with her I can honestly say that no one seemed to bat an eyelash that this beautiful six foot four woman was in their midst. We went shopping and tried clothes on in the woman's fitting rooms, went to the ladies room and tried bras on....ok so she is better looking with her fake boobs than my real ones...mine are saggy and hers are new and pert....I am SO jealous. She was accepted as any other woman would be.

I guess to me it is a sign of the acceptance of Transgendered People being accepted into main stream living. Televison is then perhaps listening to what it's audience is composed of.

Funny the only person who was rude to Bree was my mother in-law who lives with us. She blatently ignored Bree and did not even have the politeness to say hello. Forgive her Bree....ignorance is her forte.


Belle