The hope we carry with thought of one day being taken as just another real human being with no obvious abnormality, just looking pretty, is getting closer than you think.
I just came about this vid and couldn't believe that such a big commercial company would go as far as to acknowledge us as their spokesman  spokeswoman  I guess even if money is the motivating force in such decisions, I go for that! I will support this company and buy their product and let them know about it. The future is upon us girls!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Alexiaelliot?feature=mhum#p/f/9/tKFYnJVUeQE

Wow, this just in. After watching the vid above click this link and be amazed!
http://www.satinelle-ice.philips.com/global/

I am truly moved by this company efforts!

Wow this is great .My only problem though is that some people might confuse him as a trans woman and then feel free to refer to us as men.

I agree with Tori.  I don't look nearly as feminine as the spokesperson but I'm not a man.

It encourages me that we are on the radar.  Just acknowledge that I am human and that I am here, then we can work on acceptance.

- Kate

Yeah, I would say WOW, but the reference to the person being a man is sooooooooooooo wrong as far as our community is concerned. Interesting add though.

Stardust

I take any that comes my way. I do understand your concerns but just the same if someone hands me a measly meal when I am hungry with the smile on their face I will accept graciously and praise them for a magnificent meal. We are often concern with details, that we miss the whole picture. Small steps girls, small steps.

Quote from: alexia elliot on September 28, 2010, 08:31:29 PM
I take any that comes my way. I do understand your concerns but just the same if someone hands me a measly meal when I am hungry with the smile on their face I will accept graciously and praise them for a magnificent meal. We are often concern with details, that we miss the whole picture. Small steps girls, small steps.

Wise, wise words, Alexia.  I could not possibly agree with you any more than I already do.  Society's perceptions must be altered in gradations if they are to be altered at all.  That's just the way it is.  I agree with you that this is a great advance for us.   

Thank you so much, Alexia for letting us all see this!

James is a person who was born male, presenting female and being portrayed by a multi-national corporation as being beautiful, cool, interesting and a positive role model for cis-women ... There is no way on earth Phillips would have done that unless their market research had told them that consumers were accepting of someone like James and ready to hear this message ...

... that is FANTASTIC news!!

As for the he/she issue, there are three things to say ...

1. It is far less important than the existence of the ad campaign itself
2. The tag-line only works if it says, 'Being a man I can't take pain,' because it's playing to the female target audience who (rightly or wrongly) think men are actually the wimpier sex, and ...
3. I get the feeling James still identifies as an androgynous male who feels free to present himself in a female style. I don't think he actually considers himself TS ... and that, surely, is his choice.

Its interesting that there have been several adds lately where the main character is within the TG spectrum. I understand that it is good news in that we as a community are being normalised which is good but I do find being called a man, ->-bleeped-<-, ladyboy and some, offensive. I also understand that the add does not necessarily portray a TS but a TG and I get what the add means in regards to its target audience.

However I had an encounter with three late teens when I first started my transition over three years ago who were discussing me as they passed by and I heard one of them say to the others, "that's a ->-bleeped-<-." It offended me so much I turned around and asked if they were talking about me. One of the other young men spoke up and said yes, so I said, "its really rude," and for the next five minutes I kept on saying why and how rude it was. They eventually all apologised to me and I walked on. So I guess I feel the way I do because of that, its just sooooooo unacceptable. 

I can laugh about it now but it can still make my hackles rise. I don't get it now but I've changed a lot in three years but some of my friends do and it still makes me mad. I hope I'm making sense.

Stardust

Yeah as someone who seems to get confused with drag queens often.....I definitely cringed when I saw the ad.....It'd be fine if people were educated enough to understand the differences....

I think it's beautiful.

http://boinkology.com/2008/05/19/behind-the-phillips-satinelle-ad-karis-speaks/

More data on Karis, the girl in the video

When I first saw it, I was a little upset.  I saw that they were using a female impersonator and the the general public would see the trans community as nothing more than female impersonators.  But when I watched it a second time and listened I began to understand that it wasn't about the actor, but the product.

I would like to see more Transpeople in commercials, but not as the butt of some joke.