sophiaserpentia | (no subject)

"Reality TV" is quickly becoming a venue, like the Coliseum in ancient Rome, where the human spirit is demeaned and desecrated.

This was mentioned today in

transgender:

A controversial new reality series is expected to bring huge ratings to Sky One this autumn.

Find Me A Man, due to begin on November 15, features seven "lively and outgoing" young men competing for the affections of a lady whom, unbeknownst to them, is actually a man.

The six-episode series was recorded in Ibiza last summer. According to this week's Broadcast, the men were asked to select the woman they found most attractive from a lineup which included Miriam, a pre-op transexual. All seven chose Miriam.

Before Miriam's secret was revealed, the contestants had to sign eight-page consent forms allowing the footage to be shown. A Sky spokesperson told the magazine that no complaints had been received from any of the participants afterwards, adding that all those involved had been offered psychological counselling before and after the show.

I'm not sure where to even start pointing out how many ways this is demeaning and insulting. Not just to the men involved, or to Miriam, or to transsexuals. What saddens me is that at the moment they met her, Miriam struck the men as charming and attractive, yet when her "secret was revealed," this suddenly meant nothing. It really is too bad that we don't have a model of attraction that teaches us that we are attracted to people, not things, because of who they are, not because of what they can do for us. A model like that would be far more respectful on many different levels.

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Sky's karma concerns me not; I'm sure their fair and impartial owners don't care either. I was thinking more about Miriam's karma. My bad for not making that clearer...

If this does open up rational discussion and debate by open-minded people, that'd be good. But I think what will happen is it will reinforce stereotypes and reassure "normal" people that transsexuals are still "men who dress like women for sex." Your usual level of discourse found on Springer, Maury, etc...

I'm being cynical, but it's because I'm finding that for every step forward, we fight through yards of underbrush and crap...

I read too fast. I answered your comment without checking the original. Like you, I was really referring to Miriam, but I just botched her name.

I was referring to debate amongst people not open minded. Debate will bring out opposition. People who had not yet considered anything different will be made uncomfortable by extreme bigots. It prods people to think. I am old enough to remember when all homosexuals were in the closet & nobody would hire or socialize with someone who even hung out with such people. I am continuously amazed at how much gays & lesbians have been able to get jobs and be themselves in some communities. Certainly not universally true. Sure a long way still to go. But it is still a big change from 50-60 years ago. Portraying a transsexual as being convincing enough & pretty enough to pass as a woman is possibly a novel concept for a lot of straight people. They gonna have to wonder about every woman they see but do not know. Soon some will be going to be seeing transsexuals everywhere -- Oh! the Horror! Some will be adventurous enough to contemplate experimentation -- even if far fewer actually do attempt to date a transsexual. But in the long run, I think the TV series, if if really bad, may wind up opening doorways in many peoples' minds which are now locked shut.

'sokay, it's easy to misread stuff. No harm, no foul.

Okay, now I understand a bit more, and I do agree with your point. Transpeople have made so many strides in the past few years, but there is so much farther to go. Going to meetings like Southern Comfort has been an experience in learning how to expose people to TGism in a more positive light.