Larry King Asks Susan Stanton if She Pees Standing up! TRANSCRIPT

[melissa90299]

Yet another TS takes her place in the spotlight and allows herself to be exploited on Larry King tomorrow night. Well at least we have reached the point that the media thinks we are worthy of exploitation, I guess that's a start.

EDIT: Turns out the spokespersons were excellent, King was beyond clueless, which at times was ROTFLMAO  hilarious. He had a real hard time distinguishing between orientation and gender preference. He somehow seemed to think that the very passable and pretty Ms Lam was magically transformed when she had GRS! He still holds the notion, even after the show, that a person is a man one day (pre-op) and a woman (post) the next day. Still, the clulessness of King actually has a positive effect, as astute viewers could see him being educated before their very eyes.

All in all, it was a positive show for the community (that's the trans community or the lesbian community that the FtM referred, Larry thought she meant her neighborhood community)

In another sense, it was better to have a clueless dinosaur interview the panel than say, someone a bit enlightened, say a Charlie Rose or Bill Moyers, as the stupid questions are ones that maybe 30-50% of the populace would have. I was really proud of how the panelists maintained their poise and were not intimidated by King, actually that is one thing King does well, he doesn't intimidate his guests, he does try to accommodate them, the focus is on what the guests have to say not the interviewer. Of course, this style is necessary for someone who is lazy and does not do his homework. (He explained years ago that he never reeads his guests book because he doesn' want any pre-conceived notions!)

BTW this show will never be cancelled when they haul Larry off kicking and screaming, it will be replaced by someone else in his chair. If CNN were smart (they aren't, they keep losing share to MSNBC and FOX) they would be grooming a successor. OTOH, I don't think King's ego will allow them to do that.

I have posted a transcript, it is well worth the read, although seeing King's body langauge was invaluable.He was shocked, for instance, that all the transpeople said they were happy!

================================================================
BTW I love writing about this stuff, I once wrote a media/entertainmemt column for a Baltimore Newspaper, and a note to my critics, amny of my posts are tongue in cheek, I sometimes display a smart-ass POV, I did not insult anyone, I based my original views on the first promo I saw, which was pandering and exploitive. We might as well face the fact that there will be some exploitation as that is bidness. In fact, in the music business,it is common to talk about how to expolit a song, meaning how to promo it. Exploitation is not always bad. Neither is transploitation!

[seldom]

Melissa, it depends on perspective.  There is a line between exploitation and education.  Whether you like it or not trans people do need media exposure to at least change public perceptions.  Appearing on TV and having TS being a focus of discussion is not exploitation in of itself.  Honestly it has been a lack of TS who are willing to speak publicly in an honest, non constructed way that has hurt trans people in a way.  What I would be worried about is if there is some bigot on the air who discredits and insults trans people.  If the show though is largely positive...and focused not on those who detract from who we are, it helps us not hurts us.  Especially if the dialog is open and honest, and focused on the human aspect of who we are, and portrays us as real people.  Thats not exploitation, that is attention that has been needed for decades.  I do not like the way the show is being presented in the tag line, but if the guests are forthright and honest, and portray who we are and our societal issues....well what is there to complain about?

For example I would hardly call trans generation or the recent special on young trans people exploitation.    Nor the widespread media attention paid to the florida city manager.  The truth is the people who ended up discriminating against her ended up coming off as completely bigoted, and it highlighted the discrimination trans people often face.

I normally do not say this, do not judge something as exploitation until you see the show, it very likely could fall into the realm as educational.  While I have problem with the mainstream media, they have by in large have been doing a good job as of late with regards to trans people.  The worst thing has not come from the US as of late, but from the UK via a BBC broadcast.

There has been an improvement as of late, but that may be largely because the NTCE has done a very good job and focusing the dialog themselves and advising what producers not to put into shows to avoid exploitation. 

In other words...do not be so quick to judge.  Those who are willing to speak in such a public forum are not always being exploited and there is a point to it.    If we can control the dialog, in the long run we will only benefit and it can change peoples misperceptions on trans people. 

[melissa90299]

Amy, did you see the promo?

I will keep an open mind but it is Larry King, for God's sake, better than Jerry Springer, for sure, but...

I would be more optimistic if it were Charlie Rose, or, say, David Bracaccio.

The problem I see with people who choose and who are chosen to speak for us is that most are self-promoters or just looking for their 15 minutes of fame. The really successful transitioners, those who, for example, are corporate executives avoid the spotlight.

[RebeccaFog]

Amy, did you see the promo?

I will keep an open mind but it is Larry King, for God's sake, better than Jerry Springer, for sure, but...

I would be more optimistic if it were Charlie Rose, or, say, David Bracaccio.

The problem I see with people who choose and who are chosen to speak for us is that most are self-promoters or just looking for their 15 minutes of fame. The really successful transitioners, those who, for example, are corporate executives avoid the spotlight.

        Larry King is a benign tumor on the butt of society.  (no offense to Friends, family or fans of Larry King)

        I agree it would be better with Charlie Rose.  He's classy and intelligent.  Larry King will just ask stupid questions that nobody will even care about.  "What do you eat for breakfast?  Do Transsexuals eat breakfast? Do you have to do taxes? Excuse me while I look into the camera and scare little babies!  What do you think of Jessica Simpson? Are you going to vote for Mitt Romney? I'm Larry King and, if you're watching me, you have no life!"

[melissa90299]

Literally LOL, Rebis!

[seldom]

Activists do not avoid the spotlight though.
And calling anybody "really successful transitioners" and using "corporate executives" as an example stinks of both trans-elitism and classism.  Which is not to surprising coming from the source, and you have proven that many times over.

One does not have to go stealth and avoid the spotlight to be successful either, and I am all for those who are willing to put themselves forward. 

I did not see it as self promotion or those seeking fifteen minutes of fame either. 

As  I usually say, if you see a problem, hiding in the shadows and doing nothing is no solution.  There has been exploitation in the media, but the recent trend has moved away from that.  Its not perfect by any means but jumping and insulting those who are willing to speak in such a public way is incredibly insulting.

 

[melissa90299]

I had a very specific person in mind when I mentioned corporate executive, the woman in the Newsweek feature. Dismissing someone as "not successful" because she is a corporate executive is baffling, and, to me, quite silly and short-sighted.


Amy, you are taking this all too seriously. Did you see the promo, Amy? (second time I had to ask)


BTW Amy, you have every right to disagree with what I say but no right whatsoever to personally attack me.


Posted on: August 10, 2007, 09:01:20 AM

Amy, did you see the promo?

I will keep an open mind but it is Larry King, for God's sake, better than Jerry Springer, for sure, but...

I would be more optimistic if it were Charlie Rose, or, say, David Bracaccio.

The problem I see with people who choose and who are chosen to speak for us is that most are self-promoters or just looking for their 15 minutes of fame. The really successful transitioners, those who, for example, are corporate executives avoid the spotlight.

        Larry King is a benign tumor on the butt of society.  (no offense to Friends, family or fans of Larry King)

        I agree it would be better with Charlie Rose.  He's classy and intelligent.  Larry King will just ask stupid questions that nobody will even care about.  "What do you eat for breakfast?  Do Transsexuals eat breakfast? Do you have to do taxes? Excuse me while I look into the camera and scare little babies!  What do you think of Jessica Simpson? Are you going to vote for Mitt Romney? I'm Larry King and, if you're watching me, you have no life!"

You forgot "Can you loan me fifty dollars?"

(An old joke from his Miami days)

[ErickaM]

I agree with Amy, we as a community needs those few that are willing to help educate the public about the Trans community at large.  Granted that shams like Jerry & Maury has done a lot to make Trans people a joke or to appear as a perverted community, well that is how a lot of Americans see us thanks to people who like to exploit our brother & sisters; and we owe a lot to those who appear on such TV shows.  What we truly need are people from the Medical Professions that support and treat the Trans community to come forth and speak on our behalf as well.  Also some Anthropologist couldn't hurt either; we need the world to understand that transgender people have been a part of society though out history and we have contributed in positive ways. 

[Sarah Louise]

I agree, the public does need to be educated about the TS problems.  I have seen a couple of positive shows about us, but in general they ridicule us.

I have heard Larry King talk about TS's on two of his shows, in both cases he was pretty insulting and anti TS's.  I will give him the benifit of the doubt about this show until after I have seen it.  I hope he can be more fair than I have seen him in the past.

Sarah L.

[seldom]

Erika, no offense, there has been many instances in the past when medical professionals have spoken on trans issues they seek out the wrong medical professionals (such as Blanchard).  Honestly this is why having a national advocacy group like NTCE is important.  To often we are often cast in the wrong light.

Additionally it is always better for us to speak for ourselves, than to have the medical profession speak for us.  That has been part of the problem for several years, they do not offer a good voice for trans people. 

I have a general problem to with a "Corporate executive" used as the ultimate measure of success in life and especially a successful transition.  I would have rather they found a teacher or doctor who transitioned, somebody who benefits society on larger basis than just making a profit. 

[Kate]

Do we know who his guest is? Or the theme of the discussion?

Many of my friends, family and coworkers tend to catch these shows when they're on... and I'm wondering if I'll be saying, "Yes! That's just like me!" or doing damage control afterwards, lol...

~Kate~

[ErickaM]

I don't know if you have seen the programs on Discovery Health or the 20/20 show on the Children that as young as 4 or 5 who know they are Trans and the parents that supported their child, in everyway that one can be supported. These are good positive messages to the public; however, the taboo of Gender Identity is so deep in the bones of our culture, thanks mostly to the Christian Church and the narrow view of the Bible, that we've must hope that the people that are on TV speaking on our behalf are speaking issues that effect us as a community.  And yes, I agree it would be great if some of these Executive types would step up and be true leaders of the Transgender community, but let's face it they are living stealth and with good reason, most of them would loose their positions if they where found out.  How many of our fellow brothers & sisters had great jobs making a very good living for themselves and their families and are now unemployed or have lost their great job and now work for Wal-Mart or McDonalds?  I'm not saying that it is right for these Executives to be quite but maybe just maybe they are in positions that can help change the mind set of their companies and who knows maybe one day there will be less hostile work environments for all of us and the public will except us for who we are and what we do, and not the butt of the joke.

[RebeccaFog]

I agree with Amy, we as a community needs those few that are willing to help educate the public about the Trans community at large.  Granted that shams like Jerry & Maury has done a lot to make Trans people a joke or to appear as a perverted community, well that is how a lot of Americans see us thanks to people who like to exploit our brother & sisters; and we owe a lot to those who appear on such TV shows.  What we truly need are people from the Medical Professions that support and treat the Trans community to come forth and speak on our behalf as well.  Also some Anthropologist couldn't hurt either; we need the world to understand that transgender people have been a part of society though out history and we have contributed in positive ways. 

Yes.  History. Historical context.  Most of us don't even know it.  It's very important in my opinion.

   Also, we really need to undo the damage that the church has done.  I am saying this about the church because in the west, it's been the church that has worked to suppress our people.  I will go no further because it is making me angry.  I am not blaming religious or spiritual people.  I am only addressing the institution of the church which was very entwined with governments for many centuries.

   Ideally, and I don't expect this, but ideally, once the general population discovers our history and the part that the church played in having us persecuted, the people will hopefully stop listening to the churches that still advocate 'Tough love'  or even hatred against us.

   I hope I didn't get off track here.  But this is part of what I'd like to see from good healthy exposure of the Trans community.

[melissa90299]

Erika, no offense, there has been many instances in the past when medical professionals have spoken on trans issues they seek out the wrong medical professionals (such as Blanchard).  Honestly this is why having a national advocacy group like NTCE is important.  To often we are often cast in the wrong light.

Additionally it is always better for us to speak for ourselves, than to have the medical profession speak for us.  That has been part of the problem for several years, they do not offer a good voice for trans people. 

I have a general problem to with a "Corporate executive" used as the ultimate measure of success in life and especially a successful transition.  I would have rather they found a teacher or doctor who transitioned, somebody who benefits society on larger basis than just making a profit. 

Who said being a corporate executive was the "ultimate measure of success? It just so happened the woman in Newsweek that I used as an example was a corporate executive. It is no more or less valid than a doctor, a teacher, a sales rep, or a fashion designer, cosmetologist, publisher, writer or attorney...attorney...hmmm...I might want to rethink that. LOL

[RebeccaFog]

Rebis with a moderator hat.   

Erika, no offense, there has been many instances in the past when medical professionals have spoken on trans issues they seek out the wrong medical professionals (such as Blanchard).  Honestly this is why having a national advocacy group like NTCE is important.  To often we are often cast in the wrong light.

Additionally it is always better for us to speak for ourselves, than to have the medical profession speak for us.  That has been part of the problem for several years, they do not offer a good voice for trans people. 

I have a general problem to with a "Corporate executive" used as the ultimate measure of success in life and especially a successful transition.  I would have rather they found a teacher or doctor who transitioned, somebody who benefits society on larger basis than just making a profit. 

Who said being a corporate executive was the "ultimate measure of success? It just so happened the woman in Newsweek that I used as an example was a corporate executive. It is no more or less valid than a doctor, a teacher, a sales rep, or a fashion designer, cosmetologist, publisher, writer or attorney...attorney...hmmm...I might want to rethink that. LOL

Rebis with a moderator hat.   

   Amy,
     I thought that Melissa meant anyone who is a good solid citizen when she made her statement.  I knew she only meant that we need stable people who are role model material to represent us. I really did not see her taking an elitist stance.
     It's only natural that we all would like to see a certain type of person in the spotlight as opposed to the over the top people who do the Jerry Springer circus, I mean show.

    Please remember that if someone makes a statement that seems odd, snarky, or overly blunt, it may just be the wording or the interpretation of the reader.  I am writing this because I would like to encourage everybody to take a moment and to reread a post that may seem unreasonable at first glance.
   Also, I would like to suggest that in the event that a member reads a post which they truly believe to be negative in some way, that a good way to handle it is to ask the writer if you understood the post to mean what you took away from it.
   I think that we all (me too) need to relearn some good discussion techniques and try to practice them.

   I only wish to minimize misunderstandings.

Rebis with a moderator hat.   

Rebis

[melissa90299]

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/larry.king.live/

Friday's Show
Friday's Show

Men who have surgery to become women, women who become men. IGo iside the world of transgender people. Tonight, 9 ET.

• E-mail your questions.
• Send us a video e-mail!

   
      
Quick Vote
Have you ever wished you could be the opposite sex?
Yes
No

Ummmm...since I am female, no, I never wished to be the opposite sex!

Posted on: August 10, 2007, 11:31:27 AM"men who have surgery to BECOME women"

Doesn't sound too promising...

[RebeccaFog]

I sent these questions:

I have 2 questions.  One is for Larry King, one is for the Guest.

For Larry King:
   We transgendered people as a group are often denigrated by the Mainstream Media. Mr King, Are you going to treat this topic with the respect it deserves?

For the Guest:
   have you found it easy or difficult to find the support you needed for beginning and undergoing your transition?

   I really wanted to make a speech, but I knew it wouldn't get on air anyway.  And I don't want to steal time from the transperson.  I am always curious about people's support systems.  To me, it is one of the most important aspects of a transperson's mental well being in order to make a successful transition.

[melissa90299]

The panelists were great, especially Jessica, Larry was clueless, actually hilarious at times in his cluelessness, Jessica said she was a lesbian, Larry called, "Oh you are like a Lesbian." Jessica mentioned something that I never neard anyone mention before, she, like me, said, pre-transition, she had to envision herself as a woman in order to climax.

Susan Stanton told Larry the show was productive in that it gave them the opportunity to educate people like Larry. Larry had more gaffes than I have time to mentioned, he actually asked Susan if she peed standing up!!!

Transcript coming...

[Keira]

Even the few times I was with a woman (4) and in all my fantasy sex life, I could never have an orgasm without being a women in my mind. Obviously that's pretty screwy when your with a curveous blonde with a perfect body and you've got to imagine you've got a vagina to half-heartedly have a not incredibly successfull intercourse with her!!

Yeah, that was MY bizarro world.

[RebeccaFog]

Tonight on Larry King Live:

                   Does Larry King pee standing up??