I'm a Cisgender heterosexual male. So I never have nor will I ever be able to emotionally react to Trans representation on TV the way an actual Trans person would. But still there is a change I've noticed in my perspective I'd like to share.
I've never been hostile to Trans representation. I've never had trouble believing that situation is real. Even my moderately socially conservative parents have never had trouble believing it.
But very recently, the extent of my potential to be emotionally bothered by offensive portrayals of Trans individuals in fiction has increased significantly.
I can't say the Caitlin Jenner story breaking changed my perspective on the issue at all, but it definitely increased how often it entered my mind. And was a main inspiration for this post on my SolaScirptura blog, which I made coincidentally two days after season 6 of PLL started.
I think a major factor in what has changed my outlook is "Game Over Charles", the season 6a finale of PLL. Both the content of the story itself which I felt was ultimately putting the blame on Transphobia. And the controversy surrounding it, reading everything Heather Hogan has written about it.
I'm on record on this blog for one thing as saying how bothered I was by killing Charlotte off.
But perhaps a good example is the NCIS season one episode "Dead Man Talking". I wasn't watching season 1 of NCIS when it first aired, but I know I'd seen all the closing episodes of Season 1 before PLL premiered, in fact I had seen all the first 5 seasons by when TVD started like a year earlier.
"Dead Man Talking" is an episode in which the killer winds up being a Trans Woman. She and Tony wind up making out, with him not knowing she is Trans. She winds up dead. And the implications are mostly played for laughs at Tony's expense. No one really uses the correct terminology, not even Abby or Kate. It's repeatedly stated that Tony kissed a dude.
When I first watched this episode, it didn't bother me. I knew on an intellectual level it was problematic, but I was mostly indifferent to that. And even laughed at the jokes.
It aired on TV again very recently, in the last few weeks. I caught only the ending really. And this time I was really bothered by it. And felt bad about how I'd reacted to it originally. And I thought of Charlotte DiLaurentis, and more importantly all the real life Trans Women who I'm sure saw it in 2004 and were deeply offended.
I'm not going to use this to defend PLL by saying "look how much worse it could be", that would be inappropriately dismissive. Like saying it's invalid to be object to Gone with The Wind because it's not Birth of a Nation.
I'm sharing this experience, partly to apologize for not being more sensitive sooner. And partly to offer hope, that minds are changing for the better on this issue.
And to any Trump voter who would call me a "pussy" for caring about this. Who would think I'm being "politically correct" for not wanting to stereotype an entire group of people as being manipulative murders.
FRAK YOU!!!
Showing posts with label LGBT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LGBT. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2016
Sunday, January 25, 2015
My thoughts on Gankutsuou
Gankutsuou is an Anime that is based on The Count of Monte-Cristo, but which adapts the plot to a distant future setting with various Sci-Fi twists to the story.
I have recently watched it. The English Dub only, I prefer to avoid Subtitled versions if I can. It can be viewed for free on Hulu. Now all I need is some kind of western release for the Anime version of Les Miserables, and I'll have a pretty good handle on the history of Anime directly drawing on French literature/history.
I enjoyed it a great deal, all the voice actors were great, it shared a lot of common voice actors with the dub of Code Geass.
I like that it starts with when Albert and The Count meet. I feel that is ideally how modern versions of the story should start, all three Hollywood films I've seen spend half the movie on the origin story. Which in a two hour movies leaves little time for what we actually came to see.
I feel a serialized format is best for adapting something like The Count of Monte-Cristo, it was a serialized format originally, but people forget that.
It does follow the common rout of adaptations making him save Mondeago for last.
The biggest problems I have all come down to Eugenie Danglars. I enjoy this take on her character in many ways, but it takes away her being a Lesbian in favor of making her and Albert the romantic endgame.
Her Lesbian affair is frequently dropped from adaptations partly because of it being censored from the earliest translations, and partly for the same reason it was censored. I can't even decide if including Eugenie but changing her sexuality is worse then most adaptations that don't even include her.
In addition to the issue hurting the potential LGBT representation. I also consider it interesting how in the original novel the Junior Lead doesn't wind up with either of his love interests.
Eugenie's Lesbian history is possibly homaged by the fact that she at times has somewhat of a Bifauxnen look. I don't think the writers were ignorant of it, because the versions that censor that tend to also censor the opium sequence, which is referenced in a sense in this Anime.
It disappoints me because I felt it lent itself to an Anime trope quite well, the Yuri or GL genre. But I guess they felt Eugenie's seeming coldness to Albert lent itself to another romantic Anime trope, which I'd probably screw up the name of. Perhaps it didn't seem like a good Yuri story to them because of Eugenie being younger even though she would have to be the Seme.
The loss of a Lesbian character is perhaps counter acted by the fact that Franz is clearly in love with Albert. And also Peppo being some kind of either Trans or Intersex person.
But another problem with what ultimately happens to Eugenie is her becoming ultimately a Damsel in Distress. And experiencing something very disturbingly similar to a Rape.
I have recently watched it. The English Dub only, I prefer to avoid Subtitled versions if I can. It can be viewed for free on Hulu. Now all I need is some kind of western release for the Anime version of Les Miserables, and I'll have a pretty good handle on the history of Anime directly drawing on French literature/history.
I enjoyed it a great deal, all the voice actors were great, it shared a lot of common voice actors with the dub of Code Geass.
I like that it starts with when Albert and The Count meet. I feel that is ideally how modern versions of the story should start, all three Hollywood films I've seen spend half the movie on the origin story. Which in a two hour movies leaves little time for what we actually came to see.
I feel a serialized format is best for adapting something like The Count of Monte-Cristo, it was a serialized format originally, but people forget that.
It does follow the common rout of adaptations making him save Mondeago for last.
The biggest problems I have all come down to Eugenie Danglars. I enjoy this take on her character in many ways, but it takes away her being a Lesbian in favor of making her and Albert the romantic endgame.
Her Lesbian affair is frequently dropped from adaptations partly because of it being censored from the earliest translations, and partly for the same reason it was censored. I can't even decide if including Eugenie but changing her sexuality is worse then most adaptations that don't even include her.
In addition to the issue hurting the potential LGBT representation. I also consider it interesting how in the original novel the Junior Lead doesn't wind up with either of his love interests.
Eugenie's Lesbian history is possibly homaged by the fact that she at times has somewhat of a Bifauxnen look. I don't think the writers were ignorant of it, because the versions that censor that tend to also censor the opium sequence, which is referenced in a sense in this Anime.
It disappoints me because I felt it lent itself to an Anime trope quite well, the Yuri or GL genre. But I guess they felt Eugenie's seeming coldness to Albert lent itself to another romantic Anime trope, which I'd probably screw up the name of. Perhaps it didn't seem like a good Yuri story to them because of Eugenie being younger even though she would have to be the Seme.
The loss of a Lesbian character is perhaps counter acted by the fact that Franz is clearly in love with Albert. And also Peppo being some kind of either Trans or Intersex person.
But another problem with what ultimately happens to Eugenie is her becoming ultimately a Damsel in Distress. And experiencing something very disturbingly similar to a Rape.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Gay Representation on TV
Gotham is, so far, one of the few shows I watch with my family. On Monday I heard them rolling their eyes at the Renee/Barbara scene. I refrained from getting into a heated discussion at that time, but I know inevitably one will be needed.
They're not full blown Homophobes. In fact they've mostly taken my word on that The Bible does not Condemn Homosexuality. But they definitely still have a Hetero-normative outlook.
They're the kind of people who complain about a Gay PDA, or something Gay on TV, and insist they'd feel the same if it was a Straight couple. Even though I know full well they don't, at least the PDAs anyway.
Watching TV, indeed they will complain about what can be perceived as like a "Soap Opera" even about perfectly Hetero-normative Melo-Drama. Their attitude toward those things are about the opposite of mine. I'm all for the Melo-Drama.
On the subject of Gotham, I intend to explain to them that Renee Montoya is a Lesbian character in The Comics, and a very popular one. But this triangle with Gordon and Barbara is not from the Comics, and I'm not very fond of how it's being handled thus far either.
I expect my dad to be all "I don't care if their Gay but that story doesn't have to be about that". At which point I'm prepared to explain that I'd like a Gay character's sexuality to be "in our faces" no less then the Straight ones. Straight characters get laid, and flirt, and get entangled in triangles all the time. I know full they often enjoy seeing McGee and DiNozzo getting played by a female suspect on NCIS. I think a Lesbian cop experiencing that can be just as fun.
Still, I wish I'd be having this discussion with them prompted by a Gay storyline I was more enthusiastic about shipping. Maybe Barbara and Renee will grow on me more once they've had an episode where they're together for more then one scene. But for now I'm still fearing it could wind up being more counterproductive.
So all that about Gotham I've been wanting to post for onto time. Onto other more recent news.
It's been notated that lately a lot of Lesbian women have been killed off on TV. Heather Hogan did an article mainly prompted by Arrow killing of Sara Lance Wednesday. I agree this trend is very annoying, but Arrow is the last example that ought to be singled out (and it's not the only relevant show Heather covers either). Sara was slated to die long before we knew she was Bi (they refused to even really label her that). She's a non Comic character carrying the future mantle of her sister. I wish her exit had more put into it, that she'd died more heroically, and been in her last episode for more then the last 10 minutes. But it was still inevitable.
I'm more angry at SHEILD. The fact that the entire selling point of this show was that it's incredibly secondary to the MCU and the Movies won't acknowledge it, is exactly why it pisses me off that they bring important SHEILD Agents from the Comics onto the show only to kill them after very brief story-lines. And that it's been done now to more then one Lesbian character is really troubling. It's the opposite of Arrow with Sara, it's closing doors from the comics canon rather then opening them.
But I feel like people in The Lesbian and Feminist communities are far more forgiving of Joss Whedon then they would be most male writers. Yes he did earn a lot of cred with Buffy, which was awesome and my favorite TV show of all time before PLL came along.
But I frankly have always felt like the more a Male constantly proclaims himself a Feminist the less of one he probably really is. Perhaps Joss doesn't realize Misogynist men can share his Fetish for watching Hott women beat up larger men. I get annoyed when people act like Avengers proved Joss should've done his Wonder Woman film. Being right for one Comic based story isn't right for all. To me, no matter how much cred they have, when a Director says he doesn't think much of a Superhero's canonical villains, they should be ruled out for directing that character.
Back to Gay issues. One fact about Buffy's history still bugs me. Joss said when he originally did the Willow and Tara storyline that he only intended Willow to be Bi. And given her multiple very real romantic affections toward Male characters before that makes much more sense. He then decided not to do that because he was afraid it would anger Lesbians to see Willow get with a man after Tara. I think it's a problem within the Community that so many Homosexuals feel like Bisexual representation means less representation for them.
They're not full blown Homophobes. In fact they've mostly taken my word on that The Bible does not Condemn Homosexuality. But they definitely still have a Hetero-normative outlook.
They're the kind of people who complain about a Gay PDA, or something Gay on TV, and insist they'd feel the same if it was a Straight couple. Even though I know full well they don't, at least the PDAs anyway.
Watching TV, indeed they will complain about what can be perceived as like a "Soap Opera" even about perfectly Hetero-normative Melo-Drama. Their attitude toward those things are about the opposite of mine. I'm all for the Melo-Drama.
On the subject of Gotham, I intend to explain to them that Renee Montoya is a Lesbian character in The Comics, and a very popular one. But this triangle with Gordon and Barbara is not from the Comics, and I'm not very fond of how it's being handled thus far either.
I expect my dad to be all "I don't care if their Gay but that story doesn't have to be about that". At which point I'm prepared to explain that I'd like a Gay character's sexuality to be "in our faces" no less then the Straight ones. Straight characters get laid, and flirt, and get entangled in triangles all the time. I know full they often enjoy seeing McGee and DiNozzo getting played by a female suspect on NCIS. I think a Lesbian cop experiencing that can be just as fun.
Still, I wish I'd be having this discussion with them prompted by a Gay storyline I was more enthusiastic about shipping. Maybe Barbara and Renee will grow on me more once they've had an episode where they're together for more then one scene. But for now I'm still fearing it could wind up being more counterproductive.
So all that about Gotham I've been wanting to post for onto time. Onto other more recent news.
It's been notated that lately a lot of Lesbian women have been killed off on TV. Heather Hogan did an article mainly prompted by Arrow killing of Sara Lance Wednesday. I agree this trend is very annoying, but Arrow is the last example that ought to be singled out (and it's not the only relevant show Heather covers either). Sara was slated to die long before we knew she was Bi (they refused to even really label her that). She's a non Comic character carrying the future mantle of her sister. I wish her exit had more put into it, that she'd died more heroically, and been in her last episode for more then the last 10 minutes. But it was still inevitable.
I'm more angry at SHEILD. The fact that the entire selling point of this show was that it's incredibly secondary to the MCU and the Movies won't acknowledge it, is exactly why it pisses me off that they bring important SHEILD Agents from the Comics onto the show only to kill them after very brief story-lines. And that it's been done now to more then one Lesbian character is really troubling. It's the opposite of Arrow with Sara, it's closing doors from the comics canon rather then opening them.
But I feel like people in The Lesbian and Feminist communities are far more forgiving of Joss Whedon then they would be most male writers. Yes he did earn a lot of cred with Buffy, which was awesome and my favorite TV show of all time before PLL came along.
But I frankly have always felt like the more a Male constantly proclaims himself a Feminist the less of one he probably really is. Perhaps Joss doesn't realize Misogynist men can share his Fetish for watching Hott women beat up larger men. I get annoyed when people act like Avengers proved Joss should've done his Wonder Woman film. Being right for one Comic based story isn't right for all. To me, no matter how much cred they have, when a Director says he doesn't think much of a Superhero's canonical villains, they should be ruled out for directing that character.
Back to Gay issues. One fact about Buffy's history still bugs me. Joss said when he originally did the Willow and Tara storyline that he only intended Willow to be Bi. And given her multiple very real romantic affections toward Male characters before that makes much more sense. He then decided not to do that because he was afraid it would anger Lesbians to see Willow get with a man after Tara. I think it's a problem within the Community that so many Homosexuals feel like Bisexual representation means less representation for them.
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