So here we go again, what is broadcast in the UK reflects on you as a transperson. Every month it is a case of spot the positives.
Almost all television featuring anything remotely associated with transpeople is negative, comical or are negative stereotypes.
High Points
CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER, Asia Insight (FreeSat 1333) 09/08
Low points
Jonathan Creek
Big Brother 13 Lauren Harries Thread here
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3899
Don't forget our Soap storyline Archives
viewforum.php?f=16
And what has been happening in Coronation St .
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1441&start=10#p16796
All the following clips have been archived for evidential purposes should they be needed.
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The Cleveland Show
02/08
E4
Animated spin-off from Family Guy. When Rallo's elderly best friend Murray gets a new girlfriend named Hazel, Rallo realises that she is after Murray's money and tries to save him from making a costly mistake.
Cleveland Jr. dresses as a woman to pretend to be the mother of his younger brother.
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Big Brother
03/08
Five
The Twins are set a task to mirror and shadow two other housemates as their twins instead.
Jack gets to dress up like Gina and be all girly. To be fair he tried his best and was not embarrassed at all.
They won their task - and their ice cream sundaes
"Lower your voice and strengthen your argument!" (A BB Fan Joke).---
Mrs Brown's Boys
03/08
BBC ONE
5/6. Mammy of the Groom: Comedy about a brash Irish matriarch. Dermot suffers prenuptial jitters. Agnes tries to find out who in her family is gay. Contains some strong language. Also in HD. [S]
Comment
Old fashioned cross-dressing for laughs.
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Star Trek - Enterprise
'Two Days and Two Nights'
04/08
CBS Action
Prequel series to Star Trek, set aboard Starfleet's first interstellar ship. Archer, Trip and Reed all have mysterious encounters with women who may not be all they appear. Hoshi has trouble with a new language.
Comment
Star Trek Enterprise is running on two different channels hence the number of times it appears with different episodes.
In this it is a repeat (of course) of the same episode shown here and I have simply copied and pasted the same comments here.
Basically two officers are duped by men pretending to be women, robbed and humiliated by them.
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Amsterdam Nights
05/08
Pick TV
A look at the seedy, vice-ridden underbelly of one of Europe's great cities, following the tourists, police officers and others who live and work in the Amsterdam night. In this edition, the cameras go behind the neon windows to reveal the secret life of a transvestite prostitute, the murky world of sex performing and the dangerous streets of the red light cops.
Comment
Over-focus on transprostitution. Repeated relentlessly!
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This Morning
05/08
ITV1
The Crime Section they do - like Crime Watch has this MASSIVE HEADLINE!
CROSS-DRESSING MEN WHO PREY ON ELDERLY (originally from the Daily Mail).
That's all we need!
It is odd the crossdressing is the focus, what about the ethnicity of the men? Or their Age? Or other issues, why Cross-dressing?
Its obvious why. I mean Bankrobbers have been wearing stockings (over their heads) for decades. Nothing new about wearing a disguise. But the way it is presented suggests cross-dressing people are committing crimes. Better wording from ITV1's Flagship magazine programme would be wording it like:
"Criminals are wearing disguises to con the elderly."
Not happy with this at all.
'This Morning' always walk this tightrope of good guy bad guy with transpeople.
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The Simpsons
'Barting Over'
07/08
Channel 4
Bart is furious to discover that not only did he appear in an embarrassing TV advert as a baby, but Homer spent all his earnings.
Homer to Lawyer at the door hand-delivering a summons - "See you in court!"
Marge - "Bart you are suing us?!"
Bart - "Yes I want to be emancipated! (Crosses his legs camp fashion - thats the gag build-up).
Homer - Terrified face (thats the bad part) - "EMANCIPATED!!!! Don't you like being a dude?!"
Lisa - "No dad it would mean Bart would be a legal adult and free to move out of the house!"
Trivia - The Female (Judge Judy type) Judge in Springfield says she grew up as a boy in another episode - the same 'used to be a dude' gag was used there too by Snake (the token small-time criminal).
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Star Trek - Enterprise
'Cogenitor'
07/08
Pick TV
Prequel series to Star Trek, set aboard Starfleet's first interstellar ship. While studying a star which has gone supernova, the crew meet a race with three sexes.
Comment
One of the rare times Star Trek actually embrace third sex - Spoiler -
Spoiler: show
Campus
'Post Coital'
09/08
E4
Comedy series set at the fictional Kirke University. As George puts the finishing touches to her Final Report, Matt is plunged into total crisis over his recent shenanigans and the thought that he might actually have genuine feelings for another member of the human race. Imogen suffers her own inner turmoil about an ill-advised coupling and only Flatpack seems perkily sure of what he wants.
Comment
Another airing of Grace the trans secretary, with her hairy chest... Groan!
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Asia Insight (FreeSat 1333)
09/08
NHK World HD
Waria, or transgender women, have been marginalised in Indonesia. One of them stood up to change the situation for them, living with elderly waria without a kin and offering job training to others.
Warian is a portmantau combining Wanita (Indonesian word for Man with) + Pria (Indonesian name for Woman) Waria = 'WA'nita_p'RIA' = Transgender.
Comment
Brilliant piece of television by the people of that region (Japanese Television) for people of that region rather than a Westener trying to exploit them and not really grasping their cultural needs. As a result it felt very different than what we do here with a similar idea. Loved it! And harks back to our archives with similar programmes from across the world with subtitles that Channel 4 broadcast in the mid 90s - when they were at the top of the game transwise.
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Doctor Who
09/08
BBC THREE
3/5. A Town Called Mercy: The Doctor gets a stetson and a gun, and finds himself the reluctant marshal of a Western town under siege by a relentless cyborg by the name of the Gunslinger. [AD,S]
Comment
The one with the Transgender Horse.
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Mrs Brown's Boys
10/08
BBC ONE
6/6. Mammy's Miracle: Comedy series. Fr Quinn is losing his faith, Dermot and Maria are fighting, and Grandad decides he wants to watch his own funeral. Contains strong language. Also in HD. [S]
Comment
Old fashioned, tired, bored. No xdress = no show.
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QI
11/08
Dave
At the beginning and end of each show there is a show sponsor.
In this at the end of QI but also many shows on Dave the sponsor shows an ad for JustEat.co.uk Online Takeaways.
It shows a man with a beard and other with a moustache and another in stockings wearing wigs and dresses,
"Come along gentlemen we know what we want to be doing at the weekends!"
Dave
Dave
Comment
The 'Weekends is a gag that is used relentlessly to suggest some dodgy cross-dressing activities at the week end. As you can see this is atypical laugh at a 'tranny' fodder.
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Family Guy
'Welcome Back, Carter'
11/08
BBC THREE
Subversive animated comedy about the trials and tribulations of American family life. After Peter catches Lois's dad Carter having an affair, he is strong-armed into keeping a secret. When Peter accidentally spills the beans, Lois's mother demands a divorce and Peter is in charge of Carter's return to bachelorhood.
Comment
Transpanic Gag.
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American Dad!
11/08
BBC THREE
7/20. Phantom of the Telethon: Animated adventures of a CIA agent. Stan holds a telethon to raise funds for the CIA, taking all the glory even though it was Roger's idea. Contains adult humour. [S]
Comment
A number of cross-dressing and intersex gags even!
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The Wright Stuff
12/08
Channel 5
Lively magazine show in which Matthew Wright and guests discuss the topical issues of the day.
Comment
Hosted by stand-in Anne Diamond (good presenter likeable), no this was not trans specific rather it relates to something else.
The topic was about the removal of the racial 'blacking-up' in Tom and Jerry Cartoons by Warner Bros announced earlier this week.
OK the conversation was about offence. And guest panelist Shappi Khorsandi who was speaking about offence and talked about how she was racially abused.
What I found interesting was the line she used here:
She got quite angry with a caller.
"If someone is offended they are offended, you cannot say they are not offended because it suits you."
"You have got to remember that there are children affected by this sort of thing.... I grew up in the 80s! I went into a teacher's office and because I was Iranian they said, 'why don't you blow the door down!'" "That hurt me at the age of 8! So you cannot say you shouldn't have been offended, thats not offensive! It was to me! Because the culture back then was not - My teacher was really racist to me!" And thankfully we have moved on from that!"
Comment
OK so lets break this down...
This is great, I agree, but is this the very same Shappie who said this on 'Live at the Apollo' (BBC) and repeated the same gag, on Channel 4's Comedy Gala?
"Oh a wolf whistle? I never got those when I used to be a man!"
That's offensive Shappie, firstly you have orchestrated a gag - probably got someone to whistle to set it up - once maybe a fluke twice c'mon?! That's clearly a set-up. Secondly you were not a 'bloke' so are using transgender people as a proxy for your gag.
How dare you! It is no different to a white person using Tom and Jerry as a proxy for racism - and clearly you have 'moved on' and society may have racially (although I think thats still a big issue) improved, but when she said 'children are affected by it', does she seriously not understand there are transgender children out there, listening to people laugh at her transgag laughing at her for this?
We had a long debate last week about how as young people ourselves we were affected by such comedy (cross-dressing and pantomime), she just perpetuates this problem as does Sarah Millican. Just because you are a woman does not mean you have any more access to the trans reality than a man. You do not know what you are talking about and it is offensive. So this is in part why we keep archives as every so often it exposes a little hypocrisy and we can prove it - search her name in this site for the comments.
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Embarrassing Bodies
12/08
More 4
Christian Jessen and Pixie McKenna uncover the nation's most awkward medical complaints. Among the patients this week are a woman with severely cracked skin on her hands and feet, a woman with webbed breasts who is considering cosmetic surgery, and a woman whose polycystic ovaries are causing her problems.
Comment
This is generally a good show but I wish they would edit how women compare themselves to negative trans stereotypes to unburden themselves - its cruel and offensive!
A woman has a hairy anus - she uses this line with the doctor...
"How has the hair affected you?"
"Psychologically, it's been terrible, I feel I am a transgender almost! That I have gone from being a woman, quite a feminine woman, to a man!"
To ways of looking at this - 1. She means she is turning into a man.
Or 2. She is equating herself to a negative stereotypical media portrayal of a transwoman.
Seriously this is quite offensive, not least that her needing a few hairs removed from the crack of her bottom in some way equates to be trans - is she kidding me?! This is absolutely outrageous really and shame on Channel 4 for showing it over and over again!
And what is wrong with being trans anyway? After all she is saying she is SO psychologically damaged by this she is feeling like a transperson - meaning what exactly? She has gone from being a 'feminine woman' to a transwoman? She should stop and think what she is saying, I have seen plenty of better looking trans women than her, every week in fact, so she should be so lucky!
Or growing some hairs on her bottom and genitalia makes her a transman. This is ludicrous, and the atypical throw-away comment we have come to expect these days.
The fact is she has... a to quote 'Father Ted'... "A Hairy A*se," goodness me there are transwomen fighting for beard removal on the NHS. This was just pathetic. And keep your transphobia to yourselves and that includes airing it on Channel 4 (or E4 or More 4)!
Would they accept a hairy racial stereotype instead? I think not.
e4
Maybe when her brow-ridge grows, her voice breaks, and her hair recedes she can call me back!
FAIL!
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Dharma and Greg
12/08
5 USA
Programme Description - American sitcom about an unlikely young couple and their families. Edward becomes Dharma's focus of attention after she loses money in a company that manufactures clothes for transvestites.
Comment
Cornball pipe a wig style trans comedy.
Very old-fashioned humour akin to 'Mrs Brown's Boys' (BBC) in this episode, thankfully just the one!
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This Morning
12/08
ITV1
Treva Askey and Victoria Askey
One ray of sunshine this week came in the shape of Eamonn and Ruth interviewing a couple.
Apart from the transwoman being apparently dragged onto the show by her partner and sat there shell-shocked unable to say much, I did feel for her she appeared terrified with stage-fright. Fortunately Ruth and Eamonn gave her some breathing space and spoke to the partner and allowed for her fear factor and she did speak towards the end of the programme.
Don't know what to say really, it was the usual fayre served up by 'This Morning'. Transpeople sitting down talking about the same things they have covered many times before, and as seasoned pros the presenters tend to ask the same questions over and over. Its like interviewing a transperson 101. I think they need to maybe break with this tradition and bring in transpeople to talk about issues in general. Be a bit more creative with this idea. I mean last week the Transgender Memorial was vandalised, this is our interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBvZr9fW ... e=youtu.be and why 'This Morning' didn't do it who can say? There's an opportunity missed. Eamonn also made a slip saying it was 'International Transgender Day' - no one I know has heard of it
The TDOR and Awareness day is not for a few months - 'silly season' (Parliament is on a summer break no news etc) n' all that they are forgiven 
Despite all this 'this Morning' is on target to being in the shortlist of the best shows this year in our Transgender Awards. Let's hope they can keep it up!
Under the hastag #TransgenderSoldier, better than #SexchangeSoldier at least that has been already used, however Sex-Change was under the name title - along with 'him'.
ITV
Treva Askey Wife is supporting him through a sex-change
ITV
Victoria Askey - Lives with her husband who dresses as a woman.
That should not be worded like that, She lives with her husband (maybe prefer partner but ask) who now has transitioned to a female gender-role. That's a bit wordy so, 'lives with her transgender partner' would be good enough. All open to debate.
That's a classic schoolboy error and needs to be addressed. They spoke about Trevor as a soldier and how he worked in the army to try and shake it out of his system, she then became Treva all along her supportive partner Victoria - they showed before and after photos shots in the army their wedding etc.
ITV
Treva Looks worried - terrified with stage-fright in fact.
ITV
Eamonn reassures her that if they cannot get her to speak don't worry your wife speaks enough for the both of you! [FUNNY!
And a nice way to ease the stress]
ITV
Still thanks to them both for having the courage to go on national television and speak up! Very brave Treva and don't worry about the nerves - everyone gets them!
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The Simpsons
'Mr Spritz Goes to Washington'
12/08
Channel 4
When Springfield Airport changes its flight paths to send all its planes over Evergreen Terrace, the Simpsons convince Krusty to run for Congress so he can change things.
Comment
Couple of Transgags in this one.
1. On the Mafia Staff Jet - "This is a private jet why have we got to watch the divine secrets of the ya ya sisterhood?" "The Boss he's got a thing for the Ya yas!" (Boss crying) "Why was I born a man..."
2. Krusty - Just one thing! Are you guys any good at covering up youthful and middle-aged indiscretions?
Mr Burns - Are these indiscretions, Romantic, Financial or Treasonous?"
Krusty - "You tell me?!"
Mr Burns - That's OK I'll tell them you were on our fact finding mission!"
Krusty - "I found out one thing! She was a guy!"
Dr Hibbert - "Well if Eddie Murphy can go onto make Dr Dolittle, "
I suppose we can make this thing work!"
Comment
Hmmmm... This wreaks of transphobia, the Mafia joke is quite innocent, the Kusty one is not. Basically it is loaded with shame, humiliation, even knowing a transperson can end your political or acting career! Dangerous stuff! This has already happened and we reported it about a similar 'gagfest' on the Daily Show some years back (thats a US political satire show where a politician got 'embroiled' with a transperson and another wanted to transition to female). Plus Krusty despite using a female pronoun still refers to her as a male. "A GUY."
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Five Children and It
13/08
Film4
Family fantasy based on E Nesbit's classic tale. 'It' is a psammead - a sand fairy - found by a family of WWI evacuees and grants them one wish per day, though the spell always ends at sunset.
Comment
Eddie Izzard voices the Sand Fairy - not a bad tale if all be told
Stars - Zoe Wanamaker/Eddie Izzard/Kenneth Branagh/Jonathan Bailey/Freddie Highmore/Zak Muggleton;John Stephenson;;
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Made in Chelsea Teaser
13/08
E4
The gang are dressed in superhero costumes one is called ladies man.
They then twist this into Ladyman, (Keith Lemon has tried that too).
And then Ladyboy...
Ladyboy Gag in the Superhero 'Made in Chelsea' Promo
Hahahaha how drole... NOT! Its just cr*p! Lazy comedy, I mean they do not do it with race. So leave the trans community alone please!
And on a Channel 4 Channel too.
Clearly have not listened to a word they have heard from Trans media campaigners.
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I'm Spazticus
15/08
Channel 4
Hidden camera prank show in which individuals with disabilities play practical jokes on unsuspecting members of the public. A group of celebrities are fooled into endorsing a bizarre new charity for amputees and a blind man walks a 'guide pig'.
Comment
The title of the show is straight out of an Ian Dury Song Title.
I really wanted to like this - disabled people make jokes at their own expense, the perfect package, as noone else feels right about it, and like 'The Last Resort' (Channel 4) proves, it can work if the people writing the content or delivering it are careful, so like transpeople and trans comedy 'trans-on-trans' this is a new exciting market ripe for the picking! As was a similar show on ITV earlier this year with older people entitled 'Off Their Rockers' .
However, there is this assumption that minority groups can pick on other groups and get away with it, the Gay community using 'tranny' for laughs and mocking us is apparently acceptable because they may have seen one in a bar they drank at - how? And on what planet?
Now here within a few minutes of the opening episode there is a transphobic comedy sketch. I could hardly believe my ears, and more so because the person making the joke is visually impaired. So in other words, he couldn't see what a train-wreck he was going out with I suppose.
Here is the Transcript:
(MAN READS LETTER FOR HIM)
Channel 4
Cockney Londoner reads letter - "They say love is blind, and it certainly was in our case! But you were the first man to make me feel like a woman, the way you held me and the way you touched me."
"Ohhh!" He says.
"...Made love to me...you make me feel like a real lady,"
[Emphasis on the 'REAL'?]
"Oh yeah I'm good I am yeah!"
"Well...HAHAHAHA [Jack the Lad LAUGHTER, ah you old dog you...laugh]...Well there's something I've got to tell you, so I might as well come out with it, [PREGNANT PAUSE AS HE READS AHEAD IN SHOCK] I've only been Fiona for over just a year, I am a post-operative transsexual."
The visually impaired man takes a deep breath in shock. The man reading the letter says, Oh Nahhhhwwww!"
"Go on..."
"I was once a man like you."
[THIS IS A MESSED-UP LINE]
The VI man takes another deep breath and puffs he cheeks."
"And that's it." "I hope we can carry on being as happy as we were."
"Blimey thats a bit heavy init?!"
"I certainly didn't see that coming..."
[If you read that one line is objectifying, I certainly didn't see...[self-mocking] That coming [objectifying can be further broken down in to 'that' (subhuman) 'coming' with a U?].
"That's a bit of a facer isn't it?"
"That's a bit of a heavy one isn't it!"
VI - "Have you ever been out with anyone who has been..."
"NO!!!!"
[AGGRESSIVE HOW DARE YOU RESPONSE - TRANSPANIC]
VI - "Transgender or?..."
"NO!!!"
[AGGRESSIVE HOW DARE YOU RESPONSE - TRANSPANIC]
there is a break for another sketch then it continues...sadly!
VI - "what do you think I should do?"
Man - "I don't know."
VI - "SHOULD i Carry on with her?"
Man - now defensive hands in pockets swaying - "Up to you mate!"
VI - "Its been alright - if she hadn't of told me!"
[MEANING?]
Man - "Don't worry about it then...Anyway"
[STARTING TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AND TRAPPED BY TRANSPANIC - let's get out of here!]
He cannot get away quick enough now he knows the whole story...
Whilst he thought she was a 'real woman' he was all over the letter like a rash...
I think part of the problem here, is the story is one that left me icy cold. Its such a serious issue to be mocked in this way, to get a cheap laugh. This is one of the most difficult things for a transperson to have to deal with in life. And can lead to violence and the sort of reaction the man at the door had - disgust.
It had no place in this show, and didn't really work. No transperson was standing there either.
The fact a visually impaired person was 'duped' also sets out the fears of society of transpeople being people you cannot trust who deceive vulnerable people into sex. A viewer will simply say, "yeah thats all they can get, blind people!"
It also plays into this particular legal issue.
http://www.complicity.co.uk/blog/2013/0 ... criminals/
The fact that a transwoman would deceive perhaps one of the most vulnerable disability groups - the visually impaired is awful, it also suggests the transperson was ugly or masculine and unable to find a 'normal' person - they could have used a disfigured person for the same 'joke' but would they? Its a disability joke show after all - but just saying that sounds terrible and so it should.
Transpeople are often very gender dysphoric even after surgery, and seriously body dysmorphic feeling ugly and ashamed - what possible benefit did they think this would have?
Mocking the 'afflicted' in their absence?.
This was deeply offensive and very poorly thought out. Remember a transperson can also be visually impaired.
So why not find a visually impaired or disabled transperson to work a gag with? It is beyond lazy.
Two visually impaired people and one being transsexual would have been funny, more inclusive and probably a better bet. As they could have both been picking each other apart rather than what this was, projective transphobia onto an imaginary person.
Channel 4 again should know better and have ignored all they have supposed to have learned from Trans Media Watch and other agencies.
They have learned nothing!
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Family Guy
15/08
BBC THREE
7/22. Lethal Weapons: Animated comedy. Bonnie convinces Lois to join her tae-jitsu class. Quahog is invaded by New York 'leafers' looking at the pretty autumn leaves. Contains adult humour. [S]
Quagmire approaches woman from the back in a bar.
"Oh Transvestite back off! Wait a minute pre-op or post op?"
"Pre-op!"
"Transvestite Back off!"
Comment
Where to begin? - I'll leave it there...
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Mrs Brown's Boys
16/08
BBC ONE
1/6. Mammy's Spell: The family celebrate the baptism of Dermot and Maria's triplets with a party. Contains adult humour and strong language. Also in HD. [S]
Comment
Old fashioned and without the dress would not even have made it on air let alone prime-time BBC!
It is cross-dressing for laughs, those that say it is not then be Mr Brown's Boys then and see how well that does!
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Family Guy
16/08
BBC THREE
3/18. Welcome Back, Carter: Animated comedy. When Peter spills the beans about Lois's dad's affair, his wife demands a divorce and Carter returns to bachelorhood. Contains adult humour. [S]
Comment
Transpanic gag - when Carter is in bed with an Asian lady.
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American Dad!
16/08
BBC THREE
7/20. Phantom of the Telethon: Animated adventures of a CIA agent. Stan holds a telethon to raise funds for the CIA, taking all the glory even though it was Roger's idea. Contains adult humour. [S]
Comment
Repeat - sadly intersex and cross-dressing gags don't do a lot for this.
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Campus
'An Ending and a Beginning and an Ending'
17/08
E4
Comedy series set at the fictional Kirke University. George prepares to deliver some bad news, but the revelation turns out to be not quite what everyone had anticipated.
Comment
Features a non-transperson playing a transwoman called Grace with a overly deep voice and hairy chest.
Another Channel 4 beauty eh? What a mess!
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BB Bots- Rylan's Supersized Sunday
18/08
Channel 5
Big Brother Winner is about to lose his crown to this years winner and in this final Sunday as Champion he appears on Rylan's BBBOTS
Rylan's Super-sized Sunday where he took part in games and conversation with other past winners.
Good Stuff!
LUKE Anderson
Luke is probably the only person so far to rescue what has been a pretty poor show trans-wise this year.
Maybe they need a big Trans Celeb for their Celebrity version coming up?
[NB. And how close was I saying this- I was unaware that Lauren Harries was in the wings
SMUG!]---
New - Family Guy
18/08
BBC THREE
Lois Comes Out of her Shell: Peter struggles tries to keep up with Lois's new, wild lifestyle. Stewie finds a turtle. Contains adult humour. [S]
Comment
Peter wears a dress.
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That Puppet Game Show
17/08
BBC ONE
2/8. Dougie's Birthday: Game show run by puppets. It is Dougie Colon's birthday and Freddie Flintoff and Gary Lineker do battle in a clash of the titans to win £10,000 for charity. Also in HD. [S]
Muppet Host - "I hear you are good at impersonating birds!"
Freddie Flintoff - "Yeah we do a bit of dressing up!"
Muppet Host - "But you haven't dressed up as a lady have you Freddie? Tell me you haven't!"
Freddie Flintoff - "Not on Tour (CHUCKLES) just at the weekends!"
Muppet Host - Of course, of course, something special for the missus!
Gay Lineker and audience all laugh.
Comment
That 'at the weekends' again - mentioned earlier - remember that line!
What is interesting here is the shame giggle, to have to justify cross-dressing as 'something you do in a straight 'normal' relationship 'for the misses' or at the 'weekends', not because you like to dress-up, in any case the cricketers who do are taking the P*ss anyway for the most part are just as bad. It is that 'at the weekends' gag I have heard a thousand times and it infects our archive like a cancer. That it is 'funny' if you do that. And the Muppet Host, who is obviously voiced by a man under a desk, says, "TELL ME YOU DON'T DO THAT!" This suggests it is wrong or something to be ashamed of. What a mess!
When you step back from this it is as transphobic as hell and on family viewing time. The joke is on transpeople and its on the BBC.
This sort of throw away line happens all the time and is subliminal it the way it spreads. After all he is not the first person to say, at the weekend' so he has picked that up somewhere. So it does embed in the psyche and this time will too on another group of people who may use it.
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I Love My Country
19/08
BBC ONE
3/8. Gabby Logan hosts as two teams of well-known British faces battle to prove who knows Great Britain best. With guests including Sally Lindsay, Gemma Atkinson and Billy Boyd. Also in HD. [S]
Comment
Frank Skinner and Micky Flanagan dress as the women from Bucks Fizz to have their skirts ripped off.
bbc
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This Morning
20/08
ITV1
The Hub
"And Finally I have a tweet here, I found out the best way to pass your test was to wear a miniskirt for the exam, it didn't work for me and the driving instructor refused to get into the car until I dressed more appropriatly, this was from Josh!"
BIG LAUGH from Eamonn and Ruth and the camera crew off camera.
Hmmmmm... 'This Morning' despite their efforts with transpeople which are quite good on the whole, fail in their absence. We have a number of comments on file like this from Phillip Schoffield holding up some strange device in a game saying - "Its a gender changing tool!" And feeling very smug that he got a big laugh for saying it. To other similar gags to that above. They are laughing at a transphobic joke. Yeah its 'just a joke'. But break it down.
A person who clearly looks masculine is wearing a skirt and is being told they cannot wear it in the car, and because the person's name is a traditionally male name they all assume its a big joke. Its possible this may not have been a joke.
It probably was, but they have to be a lot more careful with this sort of thing.
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Family Guy
'To Love and Die in Dixie'
20/08
BBC THREE
Animated comedy series about family life. When Chris sees a convenience store hold-up and identifies the thief in a police line-up, the Griffins are put into the witness protection programme and must relocate to a small town in the Deep South.
Comment
Chris falls in love with his best mate, who turns out to be a tomboy all along - not trans but you can see where I am coming from on this one. It questions sexuality cross-dressing and the relief when he turns out to be a her. Why should that be?
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American Dad!
Stan's Night Out
20/08
BBC THREE
Also shown on the
American Dad!
25/08
BBC THREE
"Put that gun to good use and shoot my hooker's penis off!"
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CSI - Crime Scene Investigation
22/08
5 USA
Ch-Ch-Changes: Forensic drama series. A roadside murder turns out to be the ultimate case of mistaken identity, and requires the team to explore the world of transsexuals (8/26). [AD,S]
Comment
I have commented before on this one its on the round schedule, it is a bit stereotyping but there are acting jobs given to transgender people in this.
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8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
22/08
Channel 4
Comic Joe Wilkinson comes on wearing a wedding dress to the whoops and jeers of the studio audience. Would they dare try it in African tribal costume as often? Why always trans comedy? The argument often given that it is not transphobic as it is dressing like a woman or just a 'laugh' - well unless they pass 100% in every way, they are not seen in this way, they seen by the public as a man in a dress (even if its drag), so are dressing as a transperson, it has that association.
Crossdressing is the laziest form of humour there is - any numbnut can put on a dress and get a laugh. And it is harmful. Interesting thing is when we compare someone like Eddie Izzard, we see someone who has all the licence in the world to self mock in a frock, but does not... That's the lesson right there.
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Jonathan Creek
23/08
Drama
The Black Canary: Made in 1998 is Feature-length episode of the mystery drama. A case involving a suicide wife and a man who walks through snow without leaving footprints provides deadly intrigue. [AD,S]
Interesting one this, in part because it is a return to the transphobia that we witnessed in a recent special edition of Jonathan Creek.viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3655 .
This also too featured Rik Mayall's return as the DI.
In this older episode Rik Mayall's character is assisted by a person of indeterminate gender for the sake of the running gag. In this and similar to the more recent Jonathan Creek Special. A male actor plays the part here - Dave Haskell, as this allows for 'better' commentary and jokes.
(Image: Drama/BBC).
[...] Commenting on the DI and Sgt arresting a suspect.
Caroline Quentin - "When she carted him off..."
Alan Davis - "He(!) you mean." "That was a man! [THAT]."
Caroline Quentin - "B*gger off!"
Alan Davis - "Course IT was."
Caroline Quentin - "Not in a month of Sundays!"
Alan Davis - "Alright (ROLLS HIS EYES)."
Caroline Quentin - "How much?"
Alana Davis - "£10 QUID!"
Caroline Quentin - "You're on!"
(Image: Drama/BBC).
During the programme we then see various stares and glances of them trying to decide.
(Image: Drama/BBC).
(Image: Drama/BBC).
Finally at the end they still do not know for certain, so more 'TRANS-SPOTTING' to look forward to eh(?) in future episodes?
Caroline Quentin - "Adam's Apple!"
Alan Davis - "That's just the way she was swallowing!"
(Image: Drama/BBC).
Caroline Quentin - "Don't be so ridiculous!""£20 quid says you are wrong!"
Alan Davis - "Alright!"
Paddy Power did something similar when their advert played a are they trans or not 'guessing game' - but at least they were not betting money on it (IRONIC its a betting firm). And the trans characters in it were trans women and being paid. By contrast this is out and out minority exploitation or 'transEXPLOITATION'. This is why it is so important for the BBC to employ transpeople for these roles rather than actors pretending, as that at least offsets this sort of thing somewhat, and it is likely the part would be written more sensitively if an actual transperson were involved, as it would just be uncomfortable to say these things otherwise in their presence and more obviously offensive than the proxy of a non-transperson who doesn't care.
BBC at their finest? (although repeated on Drama).
Remember the BBC still likely get paid for this showing even if they are not broadcasting it themselves!
This is a major problem with repeats.
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Mrs Brown's Boys
23/08
BBC ONE
2/6. Mammy's Inflation: Agnes is disappointed when Cathy decides to undergo surgery to impress her boyfriend. Contains adult humour
and strong language. Also in HD. [S]
Old fashioned humour frock CD comedy.
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That Puppet Game Show
24/08
BBC ONE
I didn't ask you to put on a dress
http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u67 ... 7a0a99.jpg
Crazy Puppet in dress - I so rarely get to wear it!
Puppet in trilby hat - Hello miss I so like your bald head.
Crazy (mental state here, thats important) Puppet in dress - oh thank you I have just had it polished.
http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u67 ... 932258.jpg
The puppet then jumps on the man and kisses him to more laughter.
With audience canned laughter to the point of ridiculous.
Then the puppet says later - "I have a confession Ian, I'm not really a lady!
Ian - I'm a MAN! Well nobody's perfect!"
Comment
The line from the ending of 'Some Like it Hot' of Course. But they had a chance there to make good and have a trans puppet and blew it back into transphobia.
They have female puppets, so why do this(?), the idea a man wearing a dress then becomes some 'sex pest' or out of control springs to mind. Still the old excuse always will be used to defend this, "lighten up its only a joke!" Trouble is it that's all this ever is.
They could have a transsexual puppet, I mean why not? Why can't one of the female puppets there be trans? Thats forward thinking and changing perspectives. But it seems the tried and tested old fashioned jokes is always best. Lazy and like the Puppet game show also shown this month it is two trans gags in a row. Because they struggle to poke fun at any other minority only trans seem to be fair game it seems.
BBC ONE too!
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The Cleveland Show
'The Men in Me'
25/08
E4
Animated spin-off from Family Guy. Cleveland wins a dance competition for the chance to attend a pop concert, in doing so earning the tag 'The Whitest Man in America'. Unable to shake off his new reputation, Cleveland becomes determined to understand his roots and where he came from. Reuniting with his former nanny, Barbara, Cleveland finally learns that happiness comes from being comfortable in your own skin.
Comment
Cleveland despairs at his son Cleveland Jnr talking to his stuffed toy in a dress, and then uses a magic wand to take this 'dark thought' he has seen and places it in a jam jar labeled.
"Junior talking to a cross-Dressing doll."
Its a stuffed animal toy and has no gender so there is a joke here that makes no sense. Other than for the sake of it and project something onto it?
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Bob's Burgers
'Sheesh! Cab Bob'
26/08
E4
Animated comedy. Tina is desperate to have her first kiss at her 13th birthday party. But after Louise breaks the deep fryer, Bob takes a second job as a taxi driver to pay for Tina's party.
Comment
The only problem with this is the problem any programme featuring a trans storyline is you have to 'reveal' the people are trans.
So in this we see close-ups of hairy hands and Adam's Apples 'to prove the point' - plus they are also sex-workers.
So this, even though the cartoon attempts to show they are 'nice sex-workers', does not change the fact that this is stereotyping for laughs.
Sorry E4 (Channel 4).
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Embarrassing Bodies
26/08
More 4
The series looking at medical complaints travels to Thailand. Dr James continues his 60-day experiment living with hookworm buried inside his intestine. In the clinic, Dr Christian helps a woman who has had botched cosmetic surgery and Dr Pixie sees a patient whose large breasts are ruining her life. 21-year-old Caroline's diabetes is damaging her sex life and 59-year-old Javis is worried about the risk of prostate cancer.
Comment
The one with trans girl Adele wanting her butt-implants removed and have hair transplants across an FFS scar. She looks and sounds perfectly passable - I just do not get it in this episode when so many others would give their right arm to look half as good as her. It just played down the need for FFS and they didn't really go into that (why she had the scar at her hairline) which they should have done.
All I can say is she is very smart and lucky getting this done free.
Sadly it just came across like many trans stories in the press of the beautiful wanting to be more beautiful. A transwoman who looks amazing getting breasts on the NHS causes outcry etc... This was brushed over too much into 'gimmie gimmie, gimmie' rather than explaining her genuine need for this and how it affected her life.
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CSI - Crime Scene Investigation
'The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp'
27/08
Five
Drama series about a team of forensic investigators in Las Vegas. The CSI team works to solve the death of a transgender teenager while trying to uncover the identity of a skeleton that was found in the ruins of a demolished hotel.
SPOILER
Spoiler: show
Secret Lives of Women
27/08
COMMUNITY
Transsexuals: Meet Cristina Juanes. Cristina has a secret - she used to be a man. She details her journey and how her life is changing both physically and emotionally.
Comment
Transwoman in her 50s transitions and has a make-over - Brilliant ticlks all the boxes and friends and familiy all supportive.
A little gem hidden away on some obscure channel at 3am - shame.
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Celebrity Juice
29/08
ITV2
Keith Lemon returns to present the brand new tenth series of the outrageous comedy panel show. Radio DJ and TV presenter Fearne Cotton returns as team captain following her maternity break, with fellow presenter Holly Willoughby once again leading the opposing team. One of the big name celebs joining the gang for the first show of the new series is boxing hero Amir Khan. Only Keith can pull off such an irreverent mixture of laugh-out-loud silliness and too-rude-for-words naughtiness.
Comment
Sadly a return to the Fearne Cotton Proxy transphobia we have seen so often in the past.
If you call a white person the N-WORD to their face for a laugh on national television, the fact they are not black and it has no affect on them makes no difference. Because the way it is said and the fact it is being used to mock black people by proxy of a white person is enough to control it.
In this instance, Keith Lemon (Leigh Francis) is saying comedic things to Fearne Cotton about being male, but because she is not trans then is this acceptable?
KL - First up Fearne (who recently gave birth), congratulations on becoming a dad! That's amazing - big studio laugh.
KL to Holly - She looks like a bloke and you sound like one!
You know my view is all these little things add up to a huge problem. In isolation he might say - "thats nothing get a life!" But when you see our logs you see this all bunched up, and these so called 'minor issues' are a problem. If they were removed from scripts these logs would not exist - job done!
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Mrs Brown's Boys
30/08
BBC ONE
3/6. Mammy's Break: Agnes wants a holiday but nobody can look after Grandad, so she must convince a health inspector that he is losing his marbles. Contains strong language. Also in HD. [S]
Comment
Groan - just Groan.
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The Cleveland Show
'Mama Drama'
30/08
E4
Animated spin-off from Family Guy. It's Mother's Day in Stoolbend and Donna is feeling blue due to her estranged relationship with her own mother so Cleveland hires an actress to step in and play the part. However, things go awry when Donna's real mother shows up.
Comment
A sort of rescue attempt from an earlier version where Cleveland's father projectile vomits when he finds out she is trans, and Cleveland uses the word tranny!
In this later effort they try to at least have some respect for the transperson bringing Donna up when her mother bandonned her.
She farts a lot too?
And says, "I'm OUTRAGEOUS!"
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So endeth another month of happy transempowering television - yeah right - see you next time!
Don't have nightmares - I mean there is an editor right now putting together then next transabuse.
