Transgender as a comedy device Movies that should be protested against.

[mixie]

I'm trying to compile a list of movies and television shows that use Transgender people as a comedy device.  It is my intention to give these to an friend of mine who is an advocate for transgender rights and a blogger for Union.


So far I have  Jack and Jill  (which I don't think is quite the same thing,  since Jill is supposed to be a woman, so it's just a man in drag.  But we disagree on this"

Ace Ventura Pet Detective

It's Pat


I am not sure how I feel about cross dressing used as a comedic device? 

How do you all feel?

Please add to the list.

[Mahsa Tezani]

I think you can never offend enough people with comedy.

[mixie]

that actually makes things make a lot of sense.   

[xxUltraModLadyxx]

I think you can never offend enough people with comedy.

true. i've seen one of those stand up comics on tv making fun of people with cerebral palsy, and how it's hard for them to put on deodorant, which was pretty low.

[Torn1990]

I'm trying to compile a list of movies and television shows that use Transgender people as a comedy device.  It is my intention to give these to an friend of mine who is an advocate for transgender rights and a blogger for Union.


So far I have  Jack and Jill  (which I don't think is quite the same thing,  since Jill is supposed to be a woman, so it's just a man in drag.  But we disagree on this"

Ace Ventura Pet Detective

It's Pat


I am not sure how I feel about cross dressing used as a comedic device? 

How do you all feel?

Please add to the list.

If they are directly making fun of trans people and it becomes dehumanizing, then it is a problem.
I'm pretty sure Glee is becoming notorious for it, so you may want to look into that.
Actually! I just looked into it, looks like we have a post about it from back in april: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=97643.0
I hear in their last season it was apparent.

There's definitely comedy i will not tollerate if it becomes intentionally hateful... Unlike Lisa Lampanelli who gets away with it, but her comedy is still racist.
Here's a link that talks about transphobia in films: http://www.tsroadmap.com/info/film-quotations.html
^ some good stuff in there. They give you actual transphobic quotes from the movies.

[tekla]

You'd have to start with the number one and number two comedies on the AFI list (Some Like It Hot and Tootsie), and 76 (Victor, Victoria) and 67 (Mrs. Doubfire) too.

[Mahsa Tezani]

You'd have to start with the number one and number two comedies on the AFI list (Some Like It Hot and Tootsie), and 76 (Victor, Victoria) and 67 (Mrs. Doubfire) too.

Mrs. Doubtfire seems like something that would have taken place in San Francisco. Only in that City could Daniel get away with that for that long.

[tekla]

would have taken place in San Francisco

It did.  The entire movie is filmed in the Bay Area, mostly SF, but San Ramon, Danville, San Mateo and Oakland are used too.

[Mahsa Tezani]

would have taken place in San Francisco

It did.  The entire movie is filmed in the Bay Area, mostly SF, but San Ramon, Danville, San Mateo and Oakland are used too.

I suspect every baby sitter I meet now of being my ex husband in disguise.

[tekla]

Never used baby-sitters.  My kids were always more mature than my friends.  Seemed counter-productive somehow.

[Mahsa Tezani]

Never used baby-sitters.  My kids were always more mature than my friends.  Seemed counter-productive somehow.

I babysitted a 3 year old in the Castro this year. She's the product of my ex boyfriend and our ->-bleeped-<- hag. Wow, she was mean...she could take care of herself one day since her dad is a gay soccer star and mom is a paralegal.

[tekla]

Most kids are pretty mean, all of them have that ability.  People romanticize kids, but only from a distance.

[Mahsa Tezani]

Most kids are pretty mean, all of them have that ability.  People romanticize kids, but only from a distance.

She saw me as a girl despite what her Mother & father said. Just wasn't nice otherwise. She isn't happy about having a little sister either.

[Lily]

would have taken place in San Francisco

It did.  The entire movie is filmed in the Bay Area, mostly SF, but San Ramon, Danville, San Mateo and Oakland are used too.

I remember seeing that movie and thinking one of the restaurants looked familiar. It was about 5 min from the house I grew up in.

[Mahsa Tezani]

I remember seeing that movie and thinking one of the restaurants looked familiar. It was about 5 min from the house I grew up in.

BRIDGES?

[Lily]

BRIDGES?

Yeah, I used to eat there sometimes with my family 15+ years ago.

[Maddi]

I figured I would chime in on this,

I don't think it should be protested. I think anything can be funny, just like George Carlin said it's all about context. 99% of the time it's meant as light harded jabs and not personal attacks. George Carlin also said, "Words them selves aren't hateful or racist. It's the context. the word N**** isn't a bad word, but it's the racist pigs that make it so." I think that as long as we can laugh at ourselves and own stereotypes, just like all the others do, it won't be a problem. Now if it's in that 1% that's down right there to hate and bash...then get the pitchforks! lol. Plus, lets say we did protest a movie, and it did for some reason get banned. We literally just set up a censorship on comedy and acting. That is a scary residence to have.

While we are serious in that we want equality, how we want, and in safety, we can't take ourselves too seriously to where it could hurt us or others.

[Lily]

Years ago I remember reading an interview with Dave Chapelle, talking about concerns he had about his show. For those who don't know, Chapelle was a black comedian who had a TV show early this decade dealing primarily with African American culture. It was probably one of the funniest shows of all time. One concern he had was that because a lot of the sketches were edgy and made fun of stereotypes, some people might be laughing at it for the wrong reasons, and that there could be groups of racist whites watching it to laugh at black people acting stupid. He was concerned that his show might inadvertently encourage racism.

I feel the same about a lot of these trans comedies. They may not be done with malicious intent, but mischaracterizing a group that is already hated and misunderstood by a large segment of society can reinforce negative attitudes.

[Embla]

Speaking of which, isn't there a new comedy show on one of the major american networks about two men that dress up as women for office work (and do a really bad job of it too)? 

Couldn't find it in google (poor memory)... but I saw an ad for it on TV...and I feel really bad for anyone who is making or just made a workplace transition and has to deal with people watching that show once a week or something. 

To me it just felt humiliating to even watch the ad.  It seems like it would trivialize the whole matter, and doesnt seem clear why these two bumbling men decided to dress as women in the first place.

[Shana A]

Speaking of which, isn't there a new comedy show on one of the major american networks about two men that dress up as women for office work (and do a really bad job of it too)? 

Couldn't find it in google (poor memory)... but I saw an ad for it on TV...

I posted about this recently, and you can watch the video there too... if you don't feel like getting sick 

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,111431.0.html