High Points
Leveson Inquiry submission by by Helen Belcher of Trans MediaWatch, and the BBC Breakfast Build up with Paris Lees and Saffron and Livvy.
Low points are quite simple.
Come dine with me
Don't forget to follow our Soap storylines here
Jason in Hollyoaks
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=434&p=18228#p18228
Coronation St
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1441&start=10#p16796
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Model's Misfits and Mayhem
01/02
ITV2
I must admit if you are going to do anything remotely 'trans' as is mocking or improvisation, then I doubt there are currently any better places on British Television than this show to do it.
I find myself warming very much to Toni (the runner) she is working hard, she is fun, and when this week they had to do a dear Dierdre photo story whereby they discover a boyfriend is wearing a dress and then later another scene where a man discovers the girl he has seduced is in fact biologically and anatomically male (with a female model) and play the shock face etc. This could have been very uncomfortable indeed were it not for Toni being present and assisting to the shoot. However is she agreeing to it cos she is not the boss? - who can tell.
She give licence for issues that would otherwise be awkward, A perfect example for this is Toni suggests some ideas for a model shoot and one dress could have the star of David and the Islamic crescent on the same dress, of course the principle said that this maybe offensive and they dropped it, but were this a Muslim and Jewish fashion designer team it may have worked.
And it is this what works re trans issues.
At the end of the day it is as camp as Christmas, but Toni is 'real' and has a real job, and is on camera a lot. In a past episode we see her talking to wannabee model and young TS Jackie Green and I think it was at that moment I saw the Real Toni and it is someone I now like :)
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Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy
02/02
E4
Andy Warhol dresses as woman, and as you'd expect Noel Fielding and his gang take it with a pinch of salt even mentioning that he was a transvestite which he angrily denied. Nevertheless it was still rather lazy to say this gag when he is otherwise so inventive.
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American Dad
Phantom of the Telethon
Repeat
BBC Three
02/02
Hermaphrodite gag.
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This Morning
03/02
ITV1
Show opens with some raised eyebrows about the TS who slept with a 1000 men. I suspect that there may have been some sour grapes that 'This Morning' had the opportunity to beat 'the Sun' to this story or perhaps it was intentional to raise the profile of the transperson in advance of the story being published?
This Morning somehow legitimising the story in advance. There is no evidence she slept with anyone so whatever the case we only have her word for it.
Either way, they remark, "it stirred up a lot of controversy(!)", Eamon retorts, "Well someTHING stirred!"
Its a willy gag I know.
This story did make the front page of the Sun, which when there are soldiers dying in Afghanistan and far bigger stories in the world, seemed ridiculous.
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Mock the Week
03/02
Dave
Hugh Dennis
"I have been saving up for a sex change. I do not care what My wife says, SHE IS GOING TO HAVE IT!!!
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Family Guy
Stu and Stewies excellent adventure
03/02
BBC Three
Meg becomes FTM Ron
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My Super Ex-Girlfriend
04/02
Channel 4
Eddie Izzard plays a 'baddie' in this comic book film.
The lack of trans talent on television seems have channels searching Eddie Izzard's back catelogue to appease us when in actual fact they should be nurturing and creating new films with new trans names. They say no man is an army, that correct it seems until we get to EDDIE! :)
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Mrs Brown's Boys
New Mammy
04/02
BBC One
This is the BBC at its best (NOT!), Lame crossdressing comedy vehicle that belongs in the 70s.
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Mock the Week
04/02
DAVE
Frankie Boyle
No stranger to abusing others, Frankie however almost makes it with this gag were it not for the pronouns, read and you will see.
"There's a great case in Scotland at the minute, a guy had a sex change and he had everything chopped off and then he decided he wanted to change back! And they wouldn't let him! So he went to the European Court, and they said OK you can change back again, now he has changed his mind again! Wants to stay as he is!!! "TYPICAL WOMAN!"
Sexist comments aside if he had told it like this
"There's a great case in Scotland at the minute, a MTF [DIFFICULT AS SOME DO NOT LIKE THIS] transgender person had surgery and SHE had everything altered [better than sex change and more open ended and quicker for a joke] and then he [correct NOW AS HE IS IDENTIFYING ONCE MORE AS MALE] decided he wanted to change back! And they wouldn't let him! So he went to the European Court, and they said OK you can change back again, now SHE [CHANGED MIND SO PRONOUN CHANGES] has changed HER mind AGAIN!!! Wants to stay as SHE is!!! "TYPICAL WOMAN!"
SO it would read like this
"There's a great case in Scotland at the minute, an MTF transgender person had genital surgery and she had everything altered and then he has decided he wants to change back! And they wouldn't let him! So he went to the European Court, and they said OK you can change back again, now SHE has changed HER mind AGAIN!!! Wants to stay as SHE is!!! "TYPICAL WOMAN!"
That said this is not bad for Frankie and shows if he thinks a little about what he is saying he can do pretty good gags! Even about transpeople :)
Close but no cigar...
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Comedy Lab
Totally Tom
06/02
E4
Another Channel 4 [e4] airing of this wanabee Little Britain.
Using crossdressing for laughs akin to Dick Emery, but not cutting edge and lazy.
Hire two transsexuals to do it and you may have had a good idea!
Pointless.
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South Park
'Cartman's Mom is still a dirty slut!'
06/02
viva
It is revealed that Cartmen's Mom is a 'hermaphrodite' and is actually his father.
The men all vomit upon discovering she has a penis.
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Family Guy (Second repeat)
Stu and Stewies excellent adventure
03/02
BBC Three
Meg become FTM Ron
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Quantum Leap
'Another Mother'
07/02
Sam leaps into the body of a woman whose son gets kidnapped.
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Leveson Inquiry
08/02
Helen Belcher presents evidence for the inquiry on behalf of transgender people and how they are treated in the press.
Very good and calm job she did too. If she had nerves I couldn't see them and hid them well.
More on that here
http://blog.transgenderzone.com/?p=702
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Models, Misfits and Mayhem
08/02
ITV2
More shenanigans with Transgender Toni the modelling school runner.
As I have said before she seems a lot of fun and I certainly warmed to her. It is ITV's only open transgender person on camera who is not the subject of an interview docu or abuse. So well done for that at least.
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BBC Breakfast
09/02
BBC One
Paris Lees appears from Trans Media Watch.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArPKBSwC ... e=youtu.be[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAyjyT2w7DY[/youtube]
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The Cleveland Show
'You're the best man Cleveland Brown'
12/02
E4
2 issues here from Channel 4
An interesting aside was made during this programme that unless you knew would not realise the links with trans issues.
His father was boasting about all the women he slept with and then Cleveland adds, "Yeah and one man!" and the father shakes his fist.
This is linked with the episode where the father has sex with a pre-op transwoman and upon finding out results in projectile vomiting plus the term 'tranny' being used.
So this links directly to that. It's subtle but is no less transphobic in what it means.
The second was
When Cleveland's father was talking to his bride to be, she said,
"Let Cleveland be your best man, after all he is your only son!"
We then see a series of faces with a bell gong in a montage, suggesting these are all his children.
The only trans one was a prostitute looking in a car window trying to pick up business.
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Lorraine
Trans man gives birth in the UK
13/02
Following the UK Trans Man who gave birth there was a spate of comments on the magazine programmes
Nnadia Sawalha filling in for Lorraine was 'careful' not to offend - Lorraine came second in our topical show awards. A particular credit must go to Martell Maxwell who read and commented on the story, although complicated she handled the pronouns with perfection :)
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The Wright Stuff
13/02
Channel 5
Matthew was faced with two transgender linked stories one was the demand for children to be allowed to wear skirts to school - from the Scottish parliament. He was sensitive and mentioned the issues surrounding a young trans person he knows facing the disabled toilets rather than be allowed to mix in. He then was again very cautious with the topic of the UK male who gave birth. He used the term transgender, and was again a perfect gent. He won our best presenter award for 2011 and this is why! :) But he did have a laugh at the expense of non trans kids wearing skirts and others commented on their kids. There is a clear definition between the two. It is tempting to critque everything when this is not actually about transpeople at all, rather the right for cisgender boys to wear skirts should they want to.
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This Morning
13/02
ITV1
This Morning raised the issue above via their 'hub' (facebook and tweets) I found it interesting they choose a comment that suggested it was ridiculous, "It's like allowing men to wear dresses and heels to work!"
I'd say, why not?. I understand balance but this wasn't it. Ideally they should have read out two with one supporting it. But again this was not actually a trans issue although it may have some links of course.
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Late Rooms Advert
'LateRooms.com'
Shows a bio male going to Amsterdam and packing female clothing and then we see 'her' crossdressed with some others. Now it is open to question if this is a 'night out en femme' or if its a cisgender drag do, either way it ends with him getting the girl but the feet poking out of the bed show he still has the stockings on.
I think this is a clever advert and works on two levels, it works if you want to see this as a trans night out and the trans thing not being an issue with a modern thinking girl. Or it is a night out on a stag.
Watch it and decide for yourself. :)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JcFNvqz ... ature=plcp[/youtube]
The fact it was in the break of Royal Marines: Mission Afghanistan was interesting also ;)P
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The Wright Stuff
14/02
Channel 5
They decided to give the whole, 'boys wearing skirts to school' debate 10 mins and it was interesting.
He was careful to differentiate transgender with cisgender boys - which was important. The child raised as gender-neutral by hir parents was described as, "he, she, it thing?" But again this I feel was more of a dig at the parents than the child who is not trans as far as we know.
It is quite complicated to have a lightweight debate about 'total clothing rights' as Eddie Izzard puts it. Because this is not actually a transgender issue in as much as it is an equality issue for cisgenders to thrash out. Again he did raise the advantage to transgender kids.
All in all it was managed well in transgender terms and that's all I am commenting on.
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Models, Misfits and Mayhem
15/02
ITV2
Very good episode this and a repeat of the meeting between trans model Jackie Green and Trans Model school runner Toni.
Perhaps one of the best clips in recent months where they discuss being trans on the swings.
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CSI NewYork
'The Lying Game'
15/02
The team investigate the murder of a trans showgirl but find the case is complicated by the sheer number of suspects.
Now at first glance this may assume to be the typical trans murdered storyline and a bit of a blight on Channel 5 as they were our channel of the year for 2011.
However, this particular showgirl in flashbacks is non other than transsexual Candice Cayne (who later went on to Dirty Sexy Money). In this instance even if the storyline is unpalatable, they hired a transwoman to play the part of a transwoman - a bit like the UK Paddy Power ad storm in that a trans person is a transperson no matter how uncomfortable it is. And she got to do plenty of acting in flashback. So this is great and what I personally have been and still continue to advocate and press for in UK media.
When I first saw this a few years back I had a different view, primarily down to the exploitative title, the 'Lying Game' ('Crying Game' Film title etc) and suggesting she was lying being a trans woman, but Candis' later work has won me over. This is clearly a big step to hire and actual transwoman and so this softens the blow so to speak.
You have sometimes got to kiss a lot of frogs (metaphorically speaking of course :)) to find that princess role.
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Alexander Armstrong's Big Ask
Dave
15/02
Basically there was a clip showing the first ever censored film and it was a kiss lasting 45 seconds in a silent film.
However to 'spice it up' they did a voice over. "You do know I'm a man don't yah!" in a high pitched voice. It is unlikely if this even were the case she would identify as male anyway, but that is not the point. It is yet another 'cheap gag' based on transgender issues!
Of course Alexander Armstrong's best bud is Ben Miller, and Ben Miller was the lead in the infamous Moving Wallpaper episode that gave birth to Tans Media Watch in the first place. In their Show Armstrong and Miller they often use crossdressing and trans issues for laughs. And to top it all the voiceover artist is none other than Dave Lamb (Come Dine with Me C4) who has not shortage of 'tranny' comments in his arsenal.
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10 O'Clock Live
15/02
Channel 4
Charie Brooker gets to say all the things they are not usually allowed to get a laugh out of by using the Levenson enquiry and the Sun Newspaper as a proxy.
Clever, and kinda 'right on!' reminiscent of Ben Elton a 2 decades earlier.
In a kinda rap about all the 'bad things' the Sun have done and the minorities they have abused he mentions, "Former men with new vaginas!" It gets perhaps the biggest laugh.
I am in two minds about this.
On the one hand he has avoided the term 'tranny' which a few years ago would have been in, it appears PC and on the side of the victim. Or did vaginas rhyme better?
On the other hand this is a clever way to use abusive terms for laughs under the guise of being PC. A bit like,"...Hmmm, how can we say all these 'bad things' without getting in trouble?" These comics and critics are top of their game for a reason, and this is why. He uses the term 'former men' with new vaginas, I suspect they would not have ever identified as men inside, few transsexuals do, unless they are FTM and the joke does not work then.
I think on balance they have got away with it this time, as basically they are saying the Sun was 'shat' out of their presses and how can they (the Sun) be victims when they have a witch-hunt on an almost daily basis.
So well done Charlie Brooker.
It is true that to not offend transpeople they must now 'up their game' to get laughs with the transgender community rather than at the t-community's expense. This was one of those rare occasions a little thought went into the gag. A complex and clever list that not only rhymed but hit home with the majority listening.
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Live at the Apollo
16/02
BBC Three
Kevin Bridges
"Phil Mitchell [Eastenders]? Where is he? He's up at King's Cross dressed up as a Ladyboy trying to raise enough money to buy a Pot Noodle!!!" Cuts to the invited 'celebrity' guests laughing.
This is wrong on so many levels but here are just a few.
1. Ladyboy is not a get out of jail free card replacement for 'Tranny', If the topic does not involve someone from Bangkok who has agreed to it being used about them or their 'night life' then it has no place in British conversation when describing transgender people.
2. The term Ladyboy here (or actually Katoi is the correct term) is used as the lowest of the low here, a crack addict trying to raise money for food. Now this is cruel in one sense that to mock someone who had an addiction let alone it being somehow linked to transpeople. At no time was the Eastenders plot linked to trans issues. so this gag was snatched out of the air to get a laugh using transgender as a proxy.
3. Transgender people are sex workers, is the gist of it it seems.
4. Phil Mitchel dressed as a woman would be funny(?), but many transpeople suffer terrible abuse from their local communities as they may still look very masculine even after treatment. So this is just nasty. Someone at home who is trans and may look like Phil Mitchell crossdressed, is unlikley to be laughing and may even feel abused by the remark
Ah the good old BBC continues to fail by rebroadcasting transphobic material. The geniuses who are pouring money into tackling transphobia, simply do not get it.
It still stands that last year the BBC was the worst broadcaster and BBC three being top of that list. So they are on target for the same next year.
http://blog.transgenderzone.com/?p=437
They have to actually 'do something' to tackle it not just pour money into people talking about it.
Live at the Apollo
16/02
BBC three
Stewart Francis
"You really find out about someone after you marry them! For example my wife does not have a peanut allergy she has a .... Penis .... yeah that's it she has a penis!"
Looks at camera deflated.
What is wrong with this?
1. He is lying but thats ok he is a comic.
2. He uses the, the trans = deceit and mistrust angle to get a laugh. The woman is not a 'real' woman, she is an imposter who duped him.
3. It gets a big laugh.
Swap ethnicity for transgender here and he would be finished, let alone the material aired.
Stewart Francis is no stranger to using transgender issues for laughs as many a clip we have archived of him on Mock the Week prove.
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Paddy Power Advert causes a storm
17/02
Sky
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XZ5MOB3 ... BF39EB5F62[/youtube]
Now at half a million hits one wonders if complaining has resulted in a kinda own goal. One of the few British adverts to employ a transperson as an actor.
It came and it later went off television ... but this is just a 'moment' that seems to have carried the can for everything else, In this list here above and below alone there are issues that deserve equal attention that have gone ignored as a result of the interest in this ad in particular.
Me personally I don't care either way, its just another ad. There will be others. Its a bit of a shame for any trans actors who may have hoped this would be their big break.
They were doubtless excited and proud to have been chosen then to discover they were worse than plague victims seemed unfair.
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Let's Dance for Sport Relief
18/02
BBC One
Keith Lemon had the deciding vote and, after much deliberation, saved Terry Alderton – meaning the Let’s Dance cross-dressing comedians making it through to the final.
I think it just looks like they are taking the p*ss and transpeople get the run off afterwards. What other reason is there? Unless they are trans (not many of them about, wonder why that is?) on television then is suspect the motivation would be, "Oh go on it will be a laugh!"
http://cdn2.sportrelief.com/cdn/md5532c ... /terry.jpg(Image CopyrigHt BBC)
Terry Alderton as Tina Turner
The crossdressing and 'the laugh' is something that I think the BBC should consider easing up on, they have done it with the very popular 'Black and White Minstrels' in the 1970s, when that was the biggest show on television, and they have also done it with 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' in the 1980s by not repeating it. It is time to take a fresh look at crossdressing for comedy, and employ some trans actors and comedians and use them for this sort of thing at least then it would not be offensive. Why not see if Grayson Perry is up for it, imagine Grayson's alter-ego Claire sang a Judy Garland song or even 'the Good Ship Lollipop' :), we could sit back and enjoy the performance too. Because there is a non-existent pool of transpeople in television broadcasters always choose the lazy route of bringing in cisgender males or bio females to play transpeople or drag and it rarely goes right. The Asian community would not tolerate being represented in a soap by a 'browned up' person - the transcommunity unfortunately has to tolerate the 'tranned-up' equivalent.
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American Dad
'Stan's Night Out'
18/02
The BBC drop the ball again (no pun intended) with yet another transgag, this is really quite nasty.
Two trans comments to note here
The first was Roger the Alien comparing how bad Hayley looks to a
"If you fixed yourself up a little men would find you attractive too, instead of thinking you are midway through gender reassignment surgery!"
Image BBC Three/ Fuzzy Door/ FoxThe second is Stan and his drunk CIA buddies pick up 3 hookers
One is trans - guess which one [Groan]
Image BBC Three/ Fuzzy Door/ Fox
Image BBC Three/ Fuzzy Door/ FoxTransgender Hooker With a deep voice latches onto a man who remarks,
"Stan if you want to put that gun to good use shoot my hooker's penis off!"
I won't even dignify this comedy of errors with a crtique it's an obvious BBC fail again.
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Come dine with me
18/02
Channel 4
And here it is again, perhaps the most transphobic episode of Come Dine with Me ever shown and Channel 4 have broadcast it again at 6pm so all the family can 'enjoy' the voice overs.
Inviting a transperson to take part in the series is not the green light for transphobic commentary, and although the individual self described once, the term tranny was used countless times in her absence and by other guests including the Voice Over artist Dave Lamb.
The transgender viewing public have made it quite clear now they do not want to hear this, I was offended and sickened by it.
Channel 4 and the BBC this month who appear to be oh so sympathetic to trans issues again FAIL to stop it. The MOU they signed last year is appearing like toilet paper atm.
Here are just a few 'gems' that was spouted.
"Tranny Craddock" VO Artist
"I'd make a really bad tranny wouldn't I?" As man puts on pink wig
"Well the half-French tranny isn't impressed"
"They are an unusual bunch and none more so than ex-restaurateur and truculent tranny Ana..."
"Guest - "Will you stop MAN-handling me!"
"Narrator -" Shouldn't that be tran handling?"
Outrageous! WTF is going on???!!!
Rather than cover old ground take a look at the august 201o!!! entry for this show
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=542
Even in light of all the hard work Channel 4 are carrying on regardless as I suspected they would.
This is also very similar to the Paddy Power Ad in that,
1. Transwoman is featured.
2. Voice over abuses them in their absense in post.
What is the difference?
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Louie Spence's Show Business
18/02
Sky Pick/ Freeview 11
This week we see an audition for a drag Snow White.
I just shut my eyes and imagined them dressed in tracksuits, and they were bloody awful.
This is often the case with drag, take away the frock and we are left with what is often dire talent.
There are exceptions of course, Danny LaRue being one of those rarities, and Lily Savage at Paul O'Grady's height, he was a good comic so as he has later proved he didn't really need the drag. But this episode was proof positive why drag has such a negative effect on the transgender community. It reinforces so many stereotypes, that they leave at the stage door and that the trans community are left to live with.
Deflating to watch.
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Jonathan Ross Show ad break
Find a property dot com ad
18/02
ITV1
Find a property have launched a series of cross dressing ads :\
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... zCyC7_ii-8[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... Kgwypr9dds[/youtube]
http://rap.findaproperty.com/
Why have a man crossdressed? Why not hire a transperson or even a hip older person?
Why not hire an actual pregnant woman who is a comic?
What goes through these ad execs heads is beyond me. Out of touch I think.
Funny, they never suggest blacking up.
The 'pink pound' can boycott their site, I suppose they never thought of that.
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Five Children and It (2004)
19/02
Film 4
Eddie Izzard voices the sand fairy - which is more like a lizard wearing a shell.
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South Park
19/02
Viva
The [weak group of] boys crossdress as Charley's Angels and Stan is forced to become Bosley.
Interesting only the lame kids dressed as girls.
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American Dad
'The Most Adequate Christmas Ever'
20/02
Transvestite gag.
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The Wight Stuff
20/02
Channel 5
Mentions transgender (postively) as an issue with bus stop advertising recognising gender
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Loose Women
20/02
ITV1
Denise Welch gets a laugh out of crossdressing comments.
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Watson & Oliver
20/02
BBC TWO
New (French and Saunders Style) sketch show and one of the rare times a woman crossdresses as a man for laughs - as we can see here in the Will and Kate bedroom sketch.
Past occurrences would be French and Saunders, and of course Catherine Tate.
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Mock the Week
20/02
DAVE
Russel Howard
"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius but on the weekend, Marjorie!"
Big laughs.
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8 out of 10 Cats
20/02
4 Music (Channel 4's Music Channel)
Sean Lock
"I'm sorry Canada is boring, even their transvestites are Women!
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Lorraine
21/02
ITV1
Discuss the papers
The 5 year old Zach who wants to be a girl. OK but the idea a transperson does not know at 5 is incorrect as many transgender people will tell them.
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The Wright Stuff
21/02
Channel 5
They discuss the topic of Zach the 5 year old who has decided to be a girl. This was everywhere of course. But the Wright Stuff again handled it impeccably well.
They later discussed the issues around prams for little boys to push their dolls around in, and although there are some cross-overs most said that, "why not if that's what they want to do", plus many single fathers push prams and why shouldn't a child push one like daddy.
The funniest comment was one person said they liked playing with guns and prams, and a panalist said what about a pram full of guns :) using like a means to move equipment about clandestinely, so that was quite funny.
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Look East
21/02
BBC One
Interesting piece calling for potential gay and transgender parents to adopt children
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This Morning
Saffron James and Livvy defend their right to choose gender.
22/02
ITV1
Saffron James argues with Anne Atkins about the issue of childhood transgender diagnosis.
In light of a very young child named Zach being diagnosed as Gender incongruence This Morning bused in a Journalist who disagreed and matched her with Saffron James in an argument. Despite a solid case the public 'vote snake' on screen, even before the person against it opened her mouth showed 2/3rds against it. they brought on Livvy at the end to contradict the argument that she may change her mind, but it still didn't seem to sway the 'clapometer'.
A few problems with this as Saffron mentioned - who is this Journalist? Well she has been a round a while and has appeared on other trans talk shows, with a little archive digging I think I could find her 10 years ago.
Phillip made a bit of a pronoun mess that Matthew Wright did not on the Wright Stuff. Matthew corrected a panelist who described Zach as he, "She...(you mean),""oh yes sorry she..."
Phillip unfortunately spent the whole time referring to Zach as he, c'mon Phil you can do better than that.
The viewers are not so dumb they won't get it.
Emma Willis, who won 3 awards in the Transgender Zone awards see here for Big Brother's Bit on the Side, viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2662 was more cautious only raising the issue of if it were her child who is now coming up to that age, she would not be sure how to handle it, so fortunately she didn't undo the good work on BB :).
My only critiscim is showing the 'snake' vote throughout the interview was distracting, and not representative, after all the people watching would not be at work, they may not be watching, they may not vote. Those that are are probably at home mums, and before a word was said the trans argument was at 35% and the against were at 65%. Which kinda defeats the object a bit.
I am glad Livvy was not used as some hammer to hit people over the head with here (and just popped in at the end), after all I still think that Livvy should be allowed to have a childhood privacy free of the campaign trail at least for a few more years - she has a lifetime to do this later. Saffron is powerful enough to manage this alone I think.
Critics will seize on the 'stage mom' angle otherwise. Now Saffron has shown she is competent enough to argue in Livvy's absense, all they need do is flash up a photo of Livvy to show who she means.
After all it is unlikely any of her peer group have to do this, so why should she?
The argument it is winning people over, 'the snake' doesn't seem to agree with :) [GROAN!].
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American Dad
'Stan's Night Out (Repeat)
22/02
"Put that gun to good use and shoot my hooker's penis off!"
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RADIO 5 LIVE
Tony Livesey
22/02
Is cross dressing on a night out offensive to the transgender community?
Broadcast on BBC Radio 5 live, 10:30PM Wed, 22 Feb 2012
TransgenderZone.com were contacted by R5 but unfortunately it was too short notice as we picked up the BBC email the next morning :)
That said they managed to source a commentator based on the Exeter University block on crossdressing as it is offensive to transpeople in the form of regular face (been on a lot of television lately, This Morning and Embarrassing Bodies) Jenny-Anne Heart (AKA Pre marriage to Elen Heart as (Jenny-Anne Bishop). See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -knot.html
Not much to say really other than I think it was quite balanced but was more her opinion than a global view. But thats fine.
For the record I find that most crossdressing done by non-transpeople is for humiliation, be that drag or stag nights making the groom look absurd for laughs. I do think Exeter Uni are on to something here and are being very respectful towards their trans students. Even if this means there are some restrictions on dragging up for laughs is the case. The lessons taught here will be useful later when these academics become broadcasters, employers and workers.
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Little Britain
22/02
BBC Three
We are met with transgender mental Patient 'Anne' who smears excrement on a painting and hands it to a child.
And of course Emily Howard.
Just because the BBC has this doesn't mean they have to show it.
They also have 'It ain't half hot mum' but they do not show that.
But I do not remember any of that cast handing sh*t paintings to children. Or mocking the transgender community.
It has always been the case that the male characters they play in LB are weak and forgettable so they pile on the crossdressing, but the moment they do they pick away at the transgender community, and leave a mountain of abusive catch-phrases that are now cat-called in the streets by the public.
The BBC continue to fumble about in the dark. And still warrant worst broadcaster of 2011.
http://blog.transgenderzone.com/?p=437
It gets worse with Graham Norton see later.
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The Wright Stuff
23/02
Channel 5
A real hot potato was handled today by Matthew and the panel.
With one transgender caller.
It revolved around Exeter University and their policy to ban crossdressing student who are not identifying as trans to protect them from ridicule. Groups or rugby players 'tarted up' for laughs for example getting drunk in the town.
Mathew is always very considerate and uses the terms, "My friends in the transgender/transsexual community!" He is one if not the only one who speaks in this way and was awarded best presenter in our awards for 2011 you can read more on that here and why. http://blog.transgenderzone.com/?p=437
The transgender caller did take offence at them joking that Kirsty (the phone call jockey? The one who reads out the callers names etc) was a man and she said yes I am called John.
We have to remember that this is a morning show and tries to keep things as 'light' as possible. Matthew is without a doubt one of the allies of the transgender community. There is no malice is what he says or does, well at least not as far as I am aware, and we clip EVERY transgender comment he makes. Few others are placed as well as us to criticise in the way we do.
At the same time he cannot be bias and has to show balance and consideration to the other views, views that we may not agree with. The outcome of the topic was quite simply they felt that this was equally offensive to women as to transgender people. And the overall opinion and one they agreed with the transgender caller was that is is misogynistic rather than just a trans issue.
But it did raise the issue on a big platform and it has planted seeds that will grow.
The transgender community must try and be fair. I think he treated the transgender caller very well, as there were points in it where she was humming and ahhhing, where with most callers he would have dropped the call, yet you could see he really did not want to offend her and in light of his award I suspect that was in the back of his mind - bite your lip Matt! :)P
I felt he did a good job and kept the issue balanced, was considerate to the caller/s one who disagreed. And again reinforced that he has trans friends at the end.
Fair play.
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American Dad
'Threat Levels'
24/02
BBC Three
Intersex gags
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Doctor Who
'The Shakespeare Code'
24/02
BBC Three
Martha - "And those are men dressed as women? Yeh?"
The Doctor - "London never changes!"
Nothing wrong with this as such just thought I'd mention it.
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Benidorm
24/02
ITV1
First of a new series of this comedy series that is filmed in a Spanish hotel. BTW I think they nicked the Hawaiian club bar from Hi-de-hi (they had an Hawaiian ballroom too). Anyways I digress.
It opens with transvestite Les (Tim Healey) dressed in male attire suggesting that he could lend his dresses and bikinis to the women who lost their baggage, later we hear the term 'Tranny'.
"Oi Tranny Annie! Are you trying to kill me?!"
We have been here before so rather than cover old ground lets move on...Just search for Benidorm in the little box at the top.
Just a clown using transpeople for laughs.
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The Graham Norton Show
24/02
BBC One
Graham shows a series of photos and one was a thumb holding a glass that looked like a penis.
I quote
"This is the awkward moment when your friend's thumb makes you look like a tranny! This is so unfortunate!"
Minnie Driver (one of his guests) laughs the most, of course we keep archives and we can remember Minnie Driver raising her eyebrows and making some cruel comments about a south sea islands transgender culture when she had to watch a trans event - like a fashion show nothing bad. Mysteriously missing from the imdb. Well we have it and its 'Minnie Driver's Excellent Adventure'. Although in her defence she did appear opposite Eddie Izzard in, 'The Riches', and in that she was supposed to have a trans child, Clearly Eddy's influence paid off here. Nevertheless all 'celebrites' have paths that crossover into trans issues. The interesting thing is the other guest when seeing this gag Mark Wahlberg never even smirked. Is this because he was tired and didn't get it? Or was it because he is more than aware of how that may come across to his fan base?
Graham does 'get away with it' because he is gay, thats not the same thing BEEB!
We did write to 'So Television' is production company 'politely' and explain that it is best to avoid the term, heard nothing back, not surprised really, next time it will be OFCOM.
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Mock The Week
24/02
Dave
Ed Byrne
"Hemaphrodites up for the chop!" Joke.
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Let's Dance for Sport Relief
25/02
BBC One
Second episode of this opportunity for 'celebrities' to crossdress and perform for laughs.
Some acts are pretty good, but my heart sinks when the drag acts appear, as they are doing it for only one reason to 'shock' and give the audience a giggle.
Luckily this episode was won by Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards, I actually did some work with him in my press days :) when he opened a dry Ski slop in the south west. He played Austin Powers and did his dance. Went down well, fortunately they did not pick 'The Only Way is Essex' stars, one of whom dragged up to be Madonna.
This show is going to run for a few weeks so prepare yourself to be mocked.
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The Jonathan Ross Show
25/02
ITV1
A couple of trans gags here.
One was where one of boyband JLS accidentally misgendered a proposal for marriage and Jonathan was right in there with a trans gag.
"I went down on one knee and said I want to make you the happiest man in the world!"
Jonathan replies laughing, She thought you were going to pay for the operation!" The audience erupts with laughter.
The second was his invited guest was usual Hard-man actor ('Sharpe' etc) Sean Bean. They went through all his latest things and promoted his new film work, however, Jonathan of course brought up the shot of him dressed as a woman - where he plays a transvestite in the upcoming BBC programme 'The Accused'.
But unlike if this was an actual transactor say like Eddie Izzard or Candis Cayne, it quickly became a laughing stock. It has not even been aired yet and so much mileage has been had from various commentators and especially in the press, it does demonstrate how serious this trans-vacuum is.
I would rather watch a second rate trans actor than a first rate non-transperson, because no matter how good Sean Bean is he will still appear to be taking the p*ss. In his defense he was very kind with his comments about trans he met in Manchester researching the role and said he enjoyed their company, but the undercurrent of laughter throughout just spoiled it. This laughter was missing from his new film clip he was promoting.
However, he is playing a transvestite, so he has to play both a male and female role, and this is where he has some space to work. But I'd still prefer someone like Izzard than him as it is just more believable.
Also abuse and commentary in the build up promoting it simply would not work with an actual transperson as it would be offensive. The humour would also be on their terms not the host's.
'The Accused' will be broadcast on the BBC in due course.
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2748
He is actually playing TV.
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Live at the Apollo
25/02
BBC Three
Sean Lock, makes one of his less problematical comments about having a vagina.
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Family Guy
'Boys do Cry'
26/02
BBC Three
Again this would be harmless were it not for the title as that immediately links to 'Boys don't Cry (1999)' and the Murder of trans man Brandon Teena.
Basically Chris falls for a boy and is relived when he discovers she is actually a tomboy.
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American Dad
'The most adequate Christmas ever'
26/02
BBC Three
Transvestite gag.
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Little Britain
26/02
BBC Three
Another airing of trans mental patient Anne smearing sh*t on a painting and handing it to a child. And of Emily Howard being humiliated on the seafront.
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She's the Man (2006)
26/02
e4
Modern update of Shakespeare's 'Twelth Night', as a teenage girl, fuming at her school's decision to drop the ladies football team, disguises herself as her twin brother and enrolls at his all-male prep school in order to catty on her soccer career.
In summary she would have been read in 5 mins :)
Has some trans interest as there are a number of masculine cliche's she must adopt to pass.
'Mulan' for soccer players ;)P
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American Dad
'Threat Levels'
25/02
BBC Three
Repeat of intersex gags
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The Graham Norton Show
27/02
BBC One
Repeat of the 'tranny' Comment
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Mock the Week
28/02
Dave
Frankie Boyle
"Having your man-breasts done is a very decadent stage to get to, thats why when I had mine done I donated them to an African Trannssexual!" Russell Howard laughs his head off.
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Quantum Leap
29/02
ITV4
Sam experiences an uncomfortable landing as a beauty contestant en route to the 35th Annual Miss Deep South Pageant. Gender is the last of his worries as he learns that a room-mate is about to make a life -changing decision - posing nude for a photographer that will help scupper her promising Hollywood career. [Sic]
Again an intersting twist on trans issues as although he stands there in a dress clearly a mans man. How soon we learn to accept him as a woman, with the briefest glimpse in the mirror of the actual person he inhabits - that of a beautiful woman.
Way ahead of it's time and a format that makes you think!
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10 O'Clock Live
29/02
Channel 4
David Mitchell slips a 'sex-change' [SIC] gag into a discussion about Ed Milliband and gets a big laugh suggesting he should change sex to be more like Margaret Thatcher.
It that 'goto' gag when everything else fails.
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Thats the Freeview rundown for this month don't have nitemares ;)P
