Time Magazine: Don’t Applaud Jared Leto’s Transgender ‘Mammy’

[suzifrommd]

Don't Applaud Jared Leto's Transgender 'Mammy'

By Steve Friess, Time Magazine, Feb. 28, 2014

http://ideas.time.com/2014/02/28/dont-applaud-jared-letos-transgender-mammy/

What did the writers of "Dallas Buyers Club" and Leto as her portrayer decide to make Rayon? Why, she's a sad-sack, clothes-obsessed, constantly flirting transgender drug addict prostitute, of course. There are no stereotypes about transgender women that Leto's concoction does not tap. She's an exaggerated, trivialized version of how men who pretend to be women — as opposed to those who feel at their core they are women — behave. And in a very bleak film, she's the only figure played consistently for comic relief, like the part when fake-Woodruff points a gun at Rayon's crotch and suggests he give her the sex change she's been wanting. Hilarious.
...
Leto claims his research included sit-downs with transgender people, but none have come forward to acknowledge they advised him and the full credits don't specify any particular transgender consultants. The transgender world is pretty small, especially in Los Angeles, as I learned when I wrote my L.A. Weekly cover story about the suicide of transgender L.A. Times sportswriter Christine Daniels. Nobody who knows anything about this life is sticking up for this performance.

[Just Shelly]

Well no! Why would they defend his performance since its not a accurate portrayal of a trans women....but it is a very accurate performance of a trans women prostitute and drug addict though!

Lets not be ignorant to the fact there are some trans that choose this type of life or opt for it for financial reasons....it doesn't make it any better, but these type are out there. Just like the many 16-25 year old male prostitutes.

I think most logical people are past the Jerry Springer type image of a transgender person.....if someone takes Jarred Lettos performance as an accurate representation, then they already have preconceived thoughts!

What this writer should be writing about is the sick perverts that are supplying the demand for these young men and women to do what they are doing!

[BunnyBee]

I finally saw the movie.  I did not think his performance was very good, he didn't deserve the oscar by any means.  The character was also written poorly, basically she was an amalgam of 80s trans tropes.  It did not come off authentic in any way for me, but instead like a charicature cis people drew up of their ideas of what being a trans woman means, based on knowing nothing.  I wouldn't go so far to say only trans people should play trans people, but idk.   I kind of feel a little bit that way now, esp after seeing orange is the new black.  It would take a special cis actor to pull it off, and jared leto was not that person.

It think you kinda have to go through it to get it right.  Hormones, rejection, fear, self-hate, rebirth, victory, peace.  All of it.

[BunnyBee]

Matthew M on the other hand did deserve his oscar.

[DiDi]

I don't think it is fair to dis Tootsie in that article. Dustin Hoffman does not play a transgendered person. He plays a male actor who learns a lot by impersonating a woman. Neither are the men in Some Like it Hot transgendered. They just want the work. Their schtick gets tiring really quick but I can excuse a movie from the 1950s.

[suzifrommd]

Why a transgender actor wasn't hired for the part:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/AudioMobile/Q/ID/2438451999/

[Ltl89]

I never saw the movie, so I can't judge.  To be honest, I didn't like what I've seen in the clips that I watched.  However, I also don't think the film was going for a "this is a transwoman that's transitioning with her life together".  Perhaps the over the top nature does describe some people even if it doesn't apply to most of us.  Still I didn't find myself identifying with what I saw and personally felt that this will likely blur our real stories than make people understand who we are.  Can't say I really believe he tried to learn about us like he said he did when studying for the role.

[BunnyBee]

The char was written, and he played it, like a drag queen basically.   Nobody did any research i don't think, certainly not the writers.  And the actor came across like a cis straight man pretending to be a cis gay man in drag.

Te movie is really good though and MM was great in it.

[Just Shelly]

Oh YAAA Mathew is very yummy!!!  And what a good boy!

I did not see the movie but I think the actual person portrayed may have been someone more of the drag queen type....

No I don't think its a good representation of the trans community....but the actual person may not have been either. If you reverse the circumstances and had an actual trans person playing the part, she probably would have been given flack also for portraying the trans community poorly.

[BunnyBee]

She was fictional, also the doctor lady was not real.  MM's char was based on a real person tho.

[BunnyBee]

Oh and I wouldn't give Jared Leto flack, I just wouldn't give him credit for doing a good job, cause he didn't.  I would give the writers flack tho.

[DriftingCrow]

How Accurate is Dallas Buyers Clubhttp://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/11/01/dallas_buyers_club_true_story_fact_and_fiction_in_the_matthew_mcconaughey.html
Slate : Aisha Harris
Rayon in particular was created as a character to give Ron a dramatic challenge to his prejudices while facing disease, Borten told me. The real Woodroof didn't have any particular Rayon in his life, but he was, in fact, deeply changed by his diagnosis and his subsequent work with the Dallas Buyers Club.

[Ltl89]

The char was written, and he played it, like a drag queen basically.   Nobody did any research i don't think, certainly not the writers.  And the actor came across like a cis straight man pretending to be a cis gay man in drag.

Te movie is really good though and MM was great in it.

If that's what the character was written as, then I can't say he did a bad job based on what I saw.  The character felt more like a drag queen gone into prostitution more than a transexual woman.  I don't know.  I really don't know anything about hte movie other than the few clips I've seen.  No matter, I find it hard to believe that he really sat down and "learned" from transwomen as he claims he did.  I'd hope he would of came away with a bit of a different interpretation than what he performed; although, perhaps that's what the role called for and he really did nail it.  In any case, I still love him and will let it slide, lol.   

[amZo]

I'm not sure I understand the criticism. It appears Leto's character was a disturbed transvestite drug addict, what's the problem? Arguing she should have been an authentic transwomen seems no different that arguing she should've been a rich investment banker.

[Just Shelly]

I'm not sure I understand the criticism. It appears Leto's character was a disturbed transvestite drug addict, what's the problem? Arguing she should have been an authentic transwomen seems no different that arguing she should've been a rich investment banker.

This is the point I was getting too!

Has there never been people like this!

[BunnyBee]

I would say watch it and you decide what you think.   I wasn't impressed.  Before I saw it I was very inclined to defend it too, cause you know ... Jared Leto and stuff..

[Arch]

Part of the problem is that trans characters in films past (and present) have overwhelmingly been represented as psychos and deviants and weirdos, oh, my. Either that or comedic fodder. This character is apparently both.

But, hey, if she doesn't get murdered in the end, we're ahead of the game, right?

[BunnyBee]

I would say this character represents progress.  Here we have a man playing a sympathetic trans char, not for laughs, but for drama, and winning an oscar for it.   That is something that could not be said until last night.  If nothing else it shows society shifting toward awareness, and taking us seriously, and seeing us as actual human beings worthy of caring.  All together it is good.  It reminds me of the trajectory gay characters were on a decade or so ago.

But now, let's try to do better, progress more, and just try to do some research next time and create a character that actually rings true for trans people.   Use OITNB for a template, they did it right.  I would also recommend finding trans peeps to do the acting.  You can't fake hormones, for one thing .

I am aware that i am biased toward my own experience, which colors what I feel is authentic seeming, so if Rayon did ring true for somebody out there, then i am sorry, and if you correct me I will take it all back.

[Just Shelly]

I would say this character represents progress.  Here we have a man playing a sympathetic trans char, not for laughs, but for drama, and winning an oscar for it.   That is something that could not be said until last night.  If nothing else it shows society shifting toward awareness, and taking us seriously, and seeing us as actual human beings worthy of caring.  All together it is good.  It reminds me of the trajectory gay characters were on a decade or so ago.

But now, let's try to do better, progress more, and just try to do some research next time and create a character that actually rings true for trans people.   Use OITNB for a template, they did it right.  I would also recommend finding trans peeps to do the acting.  You can't fake hormones, for one thing .

I am aware that i am biased toward my own experience, which colors what I feel is authentic seeming, so if Rayon did ring true for somebody out there, then i am sorry, and if you correct me I will take it all back.

This is good!

I will admit that I was unaware that the character was fictional, this does make a difference! It would of been better if he portrayed a more authentic trans women.

....but I still feel the character may have been proper especially if she also suffered from AIDS (not sure though since I did not see the movie)....if so it would make better sense if she were a drug addict or prostitute. Not saying these are the only people that acquire AIDS...just statistically more likely...

[Arch]

I would say this character represents progress.  Here we have a man playing a sympathetic trans char, not for laughs, but for drama, and winning an oscar for it.   

I haven't seen the movie, but Friess says that she is the only character in the movie who is consistently used for comedy. That sounds to me as if she's being played at least partly for laughs. Is he wrong?