ABC soon to air wildly problematic, transphobic show

[Kim]

Source (http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/abcs-work-it-unnecessarily-injurious-to-transgender-americans)

The following post from HRC President Joe Solmonese and GLAAD Acting President Mike Thompson appears in the Huffington Post's Gay Voices:

Ask many transgender advocates and allies and they'll tell you that ABC's new sitcom Work It just doesn't work. Next month, ABC plans to premiere the show, which features two men who dress as women in order to gain employment. And while the characters in the show are not presented as transgender but rather as "unrepentant guy's guys" in dresses who very much identify as men, audiences will nevertheless connect them with transgender women.

The so-called "comedy" of Work It is based on the premise that people who were born male but encounter challenges in presenting themselves as women is inherently funny. The problem is that some transgender women may find themselves in this situation, at least temporarily, during the early stages of their transition, due to the prohibitively high costs of transition-related medical care and widespread insurance inequities. Transgender Americans -- who can be legally fired in 34 states today just for being who they are -- face an inordinate amount of workplace discrimination that images like those on Work It perpetuate.

The premise of this show is repulsive, and ABC -- a network that routinely scores highly in GLAAD's annual TV reports and whose parent company, Disney, receives a perfect 100-percent score from HRC's Corporate Equality Index -- should know better than to air it. ABC is a network that has brought us groundbreaking shows featuring LGBT personalities, like Modern Family and Brothers & Sisters, and it is the network that most recently featured Chaz Bono on Dancing with the Stars. LGBT community members and youth have often looked to ABC's programming for positive images that build acceptance, not images that make jokes of our lives and the challenges that many in the community face. ABC's own "Stand Together" project, featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, aims to put an end to bullying nationwide. But all the goodwill in the world doesn't justify putting images like Work It in the living rooms of millions.

By encouraging the audience to laugh at the characters' attempts at womanhood, the show condones similar treatment of transgender women. Unfortunately, such behavior needs no encouragement: 97 percent of self-identified transgender people reported being mistreated at work, and 26 percent -- that's one in four -- reported losing their jobs because they are transgender.

Though characters who challenge traditional gender norms have the potential to expand how an audience thinks about itself, the clumsy, offensive portrayals and marketing of this series are clearly not accomplishing this. By trying to create humorous scenes of these characters putting on makeup and feminine clothing, for example, Work It makes similar implications about transgender women's identities and their ways of expressing them, while also reinforcing the erroneous notion that transgender women are not "real" women.

It's not just the LGBT community that will be insulted by the show, either. Besides spreading the dangerous misconception that it's easier for a woman to get a job, the show resorts to some of the most outdated and sexist stereotypes about women you're likely to find on television. Work It isn't above racism, either, as demonstrated when the main character's best friend Angel remarks, "I'm Puerto Rican. I would be great at selling drugs!"

ABC should not air this show -- plain and simple. At the very least, Work It is offensive and insulting. At worst, the show is downright dangerous and sends a message that transgender people are to be laughed at, or are somehow less-than. This show would be a setback for transgender Americans, and for everyone who believes that all people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

Not that I'm surprised, but it's certainly depressing. Mostly posting to let people know that it's up and keep y'all informed. Feel free to post your thoughts, if you want.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

Didn't Shakespeare do that kind of shit all the time? Just in reverse?

I get how it could be offensive to some people but what if it's actually a good show? Granted, it's ABC so it probably won't be.

Edit: Also, there was this movie called Just One of the Guys where a chick pretends to be a guy and I've never heard it referred to as offensive. I don't get what's actually offending people about this prospect. Two guys dress up like chicks. They're not transgendered. If they were and it was played for laughs then, holy shit, I'll join in you in being offended by something so hateful.

[Kim]

Also, there was this movie called Just One of the Guys where a chick pretends to be a guy and I've never heard it referred to as offensive. I don't get what's actually offending people about this prospect. Two guys dress up like chicks. They're not transgendered. If they were and it was played for laughs then, holy shit, I'll join in you in being offended by something so hateful.

The post clearly explains exactly what is wrong with this show.

I don't even know what the crap with the rest of your post.

[POS Industries]

This show wasn't funny back when it was called "Bosom Buddies," and that at least had Tom Hanks.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

The post clearly explains exactly what is wrong with this show.

I've read it a couple times already and all it seems to say is that it could make people look at transgendered people as laughable. But these people aren't transgendered. They're assholes that cross-dress. And this story has been done before multiple times and I just haven't noticed any complaints before.

I don't even know what the crap with the rest of your post.

I'm not being disrespectful to you. I would ask the same.

[Kim]

I've read it a couple times already and all it seems to say is that it could make people look at transgendered people as laughable. But these people aren't transgendered. They're assholes that cross-dress.

It is treating trying to present as female while being male-bodied as ~hilarious~, which people will associate with trans folk and it will promote negative attitudes about trans folk, and all the while any trans folk who take offense will get yelled down with, "It's just a joke! Why do you have to take everything so seriously?" by every cis-gender asshole who wants to protect their God-given right to laugh at the expense of the under-privileged.

And this story has been done before multiple times and I just haven't noticed any complaints before.

You haven't heard the complaints. There's a difference.

[Amake]

Yes, when you've got a show based on the supposed understanding that dudes in dressing in wummin's clothes is a joke, cue laugh tracks, then you have problems. To put in perspective, imagine the show's premise was that our two white guys had to wear blackface in order to get a job, and learn to talk like black people and appreciate gangsta rap and get penis implants in order to find girlfriends because in our political-correctness-gone-mad society a regular white man just can't get ahead by honest means. This show is exactly like that except for the part where we as a society, at least on a superficial level, have begun to understand that racism is bad, but not every other kind of discrimination.

[Magus]

I see this being about as funny and watchable as White Chicks (www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTqsy63Wf9Y).

Which is to say not at all.

[Drownball-Champ]

You haven't heard the complaints. There's a difference.

Obviously they're not as vocal as they should be if people aren't hearing the complains.

I completely support the LGBT community and still see absolutely nothing wrong with this show. It's 2 straight guys dressing as women to get jobs and the hijinks that result from it. It's not about 2 guys that want to be gals struggling in a world that doesn't yet except them played up for jokes.

[Marc v4.0]

Obviously they're not as vocal as they should be if people aren't hearing the complains.

I completely support the LGBT community and still see absolutely nothing wrong with this show. It's 2 straight guys dressing as women to get jobs and the hijinks that result from it. It's not about 2 guys that want to be gals struggling in a world that doesn't yet except them played up for jokes.

It's still making fun of blokes in dresses, and supporting that people laugh at blokes in dresses cause it's SO WACKY HIJINKS but there are Trans individuals that don't find it very funny at all to be laughed at cause they are a 'guy' in a dress

[Osterbaum]

Sounds like a retarded show.

P.S. This:
It's still making fun of blokes in dresses, and supporting that people laugh at blokes in dresses cause it's SO WACKY HIJINKS but there are Trans individuals that don't find it very funny at all to be laughed at cause they are a 'guy' in a dress

[Ryong]

Okay, the only things I can imagine this show will be like:

To play on the inherent hilarity of dudes in dresses ( that actually is inexistent, but, hey, that's what they're going with, isn't it? ), either:

1) the dudes are traps and the whole point is making someone uncomfortable about the girl being a guy.

2) the dudes are burly and/or hairy big dudes who are wearing dresses and it's JUST SO WACKY like, y'know, anytime a scot is portrayed wearing a kilt.

The first seems like a prank show, which will be offensive only in that it'll show what happens when a transex deals with transphobic people and the second is just, again, SO WACKY.

So either it's portraying something that actually happens - but played up for hilarity terribly - or WACKY. If it's the first, yeah, it can be really bad in that it's, y'know, baiting people for reactions and therefore you can get some crazy reactions which, gee, I dunno, probably won't be funny at all.

[Aerozord]

personally I figured it would be women that would be most offended, especially at the premise that being female makes you more employable when to my knowledge the only time thats true is for very wrong reasons. In any case I wouldn't call it transphobic, insulting ok, but judging by the premise they mean for it to be more about awkwardness then anything.

That aside.

Guys in dresses, really? Thats what you are basing your humor on? Why do they think people would find this amusing? This isn't England after all.

[Drownball-Champ]

Okay, the only things I can imagine this show will be like:

To play on the inherent hilarity of dudes in dresses ( that actually is inexistent, but, hey, that's what they're going with, isn't it? ), either:

1) the dudes are traps and the whole point is making someone uncomfortable about the girl being a guy.

2) the dudes are burly and/or hairy big dudes who are wearing dresses and it's JUST SO WACKY like, y'know, anytime a scot is portrayed wearing a kilt.

The first seems like a prank show, which will be offensive only in that it'll show what happens when a transex deals with transphobic people and the second is just, again, SO WACKY.

So either it's portraying something that actually happens - but played up for hilarity terribly - or WACKY. If it's the first, yeah, it can be really bad in that it's, y'know, baiting people for reactions and therefore you can get some crazy reactions which, gee, I dunno, probably won't be funny at all.

Trailer for the show in question. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJejMhA_8Q4)

It doesn't look funny at all. But it also doesn't strike me as offensive at all.

[Magus]

Yeah, I don't understand the term "mancession" used in the , which implies that it's easier for women to get employed in the current economic climate. Which if true is only because they are already getting paid less for the same work as men do, or because the recession hit particular parts of the economy more than others (such as construction, which again, was not doing all that hot before the recession, so it doesn't make a lot of sense when applied to this). I'm pretty sure whatever job it is that they apparently just have to dress as women to get is just going to come across as pretty damn sexist/stereotypical. I can't think of one off the top of my head that won't come across that way when they inevitably pick it.

EDIT: Oh, and yeah, to answer Ryong's question, they look nothing like women when dressed in women's clothing. It's a straight-up White Chicks style "humor".

ANOTHER EDIT: Oh, well, just watch the trailer Drownball Champ ninja'd in there.

[Ryong]

Trailer for the show in question. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJejMhA_8Q4)

It doesn't look funny at all. But it also doesn't strike me as offensive at all.

SO WAAAAAAAAC- okay yeah, number 2 it is then. It's seriously a lot more offensive to women than to transsex people.

Edit: Shit, no, seriously, upon reading the phrase "These women are taking over our jobs, we should fake being women to get back at them!" which group of people do you think should be offended? Men in general? Women in general? Gay men? Lesbians? Transsex?

Did you answer anything other than women? No?

...WHY!?

[Magus]

Basically it is an offense to [I]humor/I] let alone the offense to the various groups involved. I see it having about as much traction as "How to Be a Gentleman". It will be gone by episode 3 if it even gets that far.

[Amake]

Essentially the final word on the trailer is the final word in the trailer. Yeah, that's not going to work for me.

[Aerozord]

I think we should have more faith in people, that this show is usual network garbage that will be forgotten in a year and frankly isn't worth the effort.

[Ramary]

Shit, no, seriously, upon reading the phrase "These women are taking over our jobs, we should fake being women to get back at them!" which group of people do you think should be offended? Men in general? Women in general? Gay men? Lesbians? Transsex?

EVERYONE

(as in everyone with at least one brain cell)

[Ryong]

Yeah okay shit, I forgot to add "besides the fact that it's an insult to intelligence and humor" there, my bad.

[Betty Elms]

The basic premise plot-scenario type thing is more just offensive to women, but the actual content of the show is offensive to trans people. Like, yeah the whole "we can't get a job, shit let's be women" thing is sexist, but I doubt every episode is going to be twenty-two minutes of people decrying the ways in which men are disadvantaged by the american job market. That's just the launching pad from which they get to dive into the great big world of cissexist humor.

To have a show revolve around the idea that HAHA THIS SOURCE OF EMOTIONAL TORMENT FOR AN OPPRESSED MINORITY IS FUCKING HILARIOUS is very problematic. Even if the characters don't identify as female, it's still the case that the elements being played for humor only actually occur amongst trans people. If there was a whole epidemic of men needing to dress up as women due to inane farcical circumstances, then yeah it wouldn't be so bad, but that's not a thing that happens, that's a nonsensical narrative contrivance.

The bulk of the show is also going to be misogynistic on top of that, but that's pretty much a given. Like if they actually do this without being horrendously sexist I'll eat a fucking mountain of hats.

[Magus]

The only good thing to come out of this is when I first saw the commercial I thought they were bringing back The Drew Carey Show and it reminded me of what a great show that was and I was thinking "Man I bet I could watch like, reruns of that show on DVD or Crackle or Hulu or something" and indeed, I CAN.

[Satan's Onion]

...
Edit: Shit, no, seriously, upon reading the phrase "These women are taking over our jobs, we should fake being women to get back at them!" which group of people do you think should be offended? Men in general? Women in general? Gay men? Lesbians? Transsex?

Did you answer anything other than women? No?

...WHY!?

People, please. Let's not fight over the primary victim of this nonsense. Why can't it be both? I know I for one have found that prejudices aren't generally isolated phenomena--most people who harbor one variety of bigotry have others that go along with them.

Anyway, as far as I know, one of the nastier stereotypes about transfolks is that "they're not really the gender they're presenting as and trying really hard to be all the time"--that they're just pretending for some unfathomable yet nefarious reason. That's why one of the nastier slurs against transpeople is "trap". [cue "The More You Know" banner.] Which is probably why the whole "two dudes who actually are pretending to be ladies, with the intent to deceive people, cause amusing hijinks" comes off as horribly offensive as it does. It's reinforcing people's most corrosive and offensive notions by essentially saying "yeah that totally happens all the time, man it's just ridiculous amirite?"

Yes, when you've got a show based on the supposed understanding that dudes in dressing in wummin's clothes is a joke, cue laugh tracks, then you have problems. To put in perspective, imagine the show's premise was that our two white guys had to wear blackface in order to get a job, and learn to talk like black people and appreciate gangsta rap and get penis implants in order to find girlfriends because in our political-correctness-gone-mad society a regular white man just can't get ahead by honest means. This show is exactly like that except for the part where we as a society, at least on a superficial level, have begun to understand that racism is bad, but not every other kind of discrimination.

This is actually a pretty good way to explain it, only I'd add something about how, I dunno, the Gays or the Latinos or the Japanese or whoever have taken over all the clubs and dating services, so those poor beleaguered straight white men are forced to resort to dishonesty to get ahead in this reverse-racist topsy-turvy society. Gotta hit that offensiveness two-fer!

On the bright side, insofar as there is one in this mess, it's a safe bet that it'll get shitcanned within a half-dozen episodes, tops.

[Osterbaum]

That trailer was horrible, this show is horrible. I didn't even realize it was this offensive towards fucking everyone. Gesus.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Insomnia fueled ramble incoming!

The adage there's no such thing as bad publicity comes to mind. See, shows like this thrive on shock value veiled by good ol fashioned cornball hammed up network humor.

People will be, and are already, up in arms about this show. That is practically the intent. The vocal opposition are going to watch the show to pick it apart in reviews/diatribes/causes/etc. The ones that enjoy the show with little regard to the underlying premise are going to watch it anyway. That's a win-win, if I've ever seen one.

Either way, by the sole fact that it will be aired and there's a controversy stirring in certain circles it can be considered a success of sorts right off the get go. Controversy brings attention, attention brings viewers, viewers means higher ratings.

So yeah, no publicity like bad publicity. Mirite?

To call it 'wildly problematic and transphobic' seems a bit..dramatic. Callous and poorly executed, definitely. But, such is the society we live in. Can't sneeze without someone getting butthurt over it. In any case, the concept of 'dude dressing up as lady to get a job or whatever' or 'lady dressing up as dude to get a job or whatever' isn't a new concept and'it certainly isn't going to go away any time soon 'cause some folk got a bee in their bonnet.

Hell, look at the movie Tootsie made roughly 30 years ago. Pretty much the same concept of this show down to a T. But the thing is it was done right. 'Cause damn that movie is hilarious. Whereas this show just comes across as trite and uninspired to the highest degree.

Either way, I just don't personally give two somethings. since I don't watch TV these days anyhow. I'm inclined to say that the best method to get rid of it is to just change the channel.

I'd say the great words of Lord Humungus fits best, "Just walk away."
(I'm tired and just finished watching Road Warrior for the thousandth time, had to fit that line somewhere. Sue me.)

[Kim]

So yeah, no publicity like bad publicity. Mirite?

I hate this line of argument. "You're only making things worse by getting upset over stuff you have good reason to get upset over!"

Guess what? Sometimes calling shit out *DOES* work. In fact, it works a lot, because there are a lot of actions that can be taken other than simply complaining about it, but these actions aren't going to happen unless people know that the problematic shit is going on.

Can't sneeze without someone getting butthurt over it.

This show promotes negative attitudes about trans people. It is therefore transphobic, and transphobia is wildly problematic. Acting like those offended are just being ~unreasonable~ is the biggest bullshit and I'm sick of seeing people who aren't affected by shit like this trotting that sort of stuff out every time members of underprivileged groups get upset over shit they have every reason to get upset over.

In any case, the concept of 'dude dressing up as lady to get a job or whatever' or 'lady dressing up as dude to get a job or whatever' isn't a new concept

This doesn't change a goddamn thing, and I don't see why anyone thinks they're being so clever by pointing out that people several decades ago were fucking assholes.

I'd say the great words of Lord Humungus fits best, "Just walk away."


That's not your decision and you have nothing invested in it, so telling people affected to it to just walk away is bullshit. The fact that you don't give a damn about shit that doesn't hurt you does not change the fact that it does affect some people, they have every right to be upset over it, and there is shit that can be done to change it and that shit is not Just Walk Away.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Hey now, you said to discuss. So I discussed instead of parroting 'yeah, show sucks' ad nauseum. I can understand the subject is touchy, but hey y'know what? Tone the attitude down a few notches, there's going to be differing opinions going on. Even if it's solely for devil's advocacy. We're discussing, not soapboxing. I merely played the voice of indifference for discussion purposes.

Not once did I say I was for the show or approve of its message. The rub is: it's going to be on TV and by virtue of that it will be watched. So what's the best way to counter that immediately on the average joe's level? Change the channel. Pretty much the equivelent of dealing with someone trolling in a game. Ignore the troll(show) and it won't get attention(ratings). Low ratngs = dead show. So in mine eyes the best way to deal with Work It is just that. Frees up more time and energy to tackle the discrimination in more productive ways than hating on a show that is doomed to fail and be forgotten from the getgo. Ranting at me on a forum certainly ain't gonna do any good.

The bit from Lord Humungus is aimed at dealing with the show, not the discrimination as a whole. It's a stupid show, hardly worth the time of day to get upset about when compared to legitimate reasons to get foam level outrage such as career loss or even mob mentality flogging.

But really Liz, thanks for putting words in my mouth. It's cool. Not that some of my best friends and people i consider family have directly suffered the discrimination. 'Cause I'm an indifference mongering douchebag, right?

[Aerozord]

I think his point is that its a piece of crap TV show and if people weren't going on about it then they wouldn't even know it exists. I certainly wouldn't have, its ABC. These are TV shows, one of the few times "ignore it and it will go away" actually works. Networks would rather have a show be hated then ignored.

Of course writing in and voicing a complaint is effective as well and a good way to discourage more shows like it. This concept though is so weak, its not worth the energy. Even if you do nothing I cannot see this show lasting.

ninja'd: and by something more coherent

[Kim]

Hey, Skweeb, if you don't want me getting ~SO UPSET~, how about you don't treat me like I'm just overreacting for being offended at an offensive piece of media. How about you knock it off with, "Everyone's so easily offended nowadays," nonsense? How about you stop saying, "You're only making it worse by getting upset."

Every one of these is nonsense that gets spewed by privileged folks every time someone is upset over something they don't give a fuck about, so FORGIVE ME for being a little sensitive to hearing the same stuff espoused by the same groups of people over and over and over and over and again.

Not that some of my best friends and people i consider family have directly suffered the discrimination."I have black friends!"

[Kim]

Blugh, I am losing my temper too easily. Stressful environment leads to stressful Liz. That said, the whole, "Just walk away" thing doesn't really solve anything in the long-run, because it just shows that that particular show didn't do well. Making a big fuss out of it, encouraging people to make a big fuss out of it, calling ABC out on their bullshit, threatening to not watch ABC at all, etc, these prove the point that it wasn't just a show that didn't do well, but a show that people were actively opposed to being on TV. If racists can get Lowe's to stop supporting a show about Muslims being normal, I think it's worth the effort to do the same for this, which is actually offensive.

I still stand by my points in response to your post, but I should have worded them better. That said, your bit about how easily everyone is offended nowadays is insulting, because you're bringing it up in a discussion about something genuinely offensive. Doing that makes you come off as dismissive of the people who this affects. Whether you're playing devil's advocate or not, I think getting mad at being treated as overreacting by simply calling something out on its bullshit is pretty fair.

[Nikose Tyris]

Transsex?

Just wanted to point this out, since I know it was entirely harmless; the term is "Transgender", although technically "Transsex" is accurate; it just comes across as sounding like a shortened "Trans sexual" which isn't the right term and is considered offensive.

Not really a 'call you out' thing, more of a "The more you know!" kind of moment, in the hopes of continuing to spread awareness on the proper terminology and to avoid offending people.

[Everyone can go back to arguing now]

[Aerozord]

threatening to not watch ABC at all

Is there really any reason to watch ABC now? Network television kind of subsists on bland mediocrity as is. I guess thats why I dont really care. Not that I dont care about the issue, its just I have written off the entire channel as unwatchable years ago

[akaSM]

Anyway, as far as I know, one of the nastier stereotypes about transfolks is that "they're not really the gender they're presenting as and trying really hard to be all the time"--that they're just pretending for some unfathomable yet nefarious reason. That's why one of the nastier slurs against transpeople is "trap". [cue "The More You Know" banner.] Which is probably why the whole "two dudes who actually are pretending to be ladies, with the intent to deceive people, cause amusing hijinks" comes off as horribly offensive as it does. It's reinforcing people's most corrosive and offensive notions by essentially saying "yeah that totally happens all the time, man it's just ridiculous amirite?"

Oh, at first I thought it was my intelligence that took the biggest hit after watching the trailer, after that, I saw the (offensive against women) stereotypes and now, I see why was Liz so upset.

Now, I understand stereotypes, I can see racism but, it seems I'm kinda oblivious to them. It's not that I don't care, fuck those things, but sometimes, I'm just like "huh, was there something racist/offensive there?" :sweatdrop)

[Nique]

The real problem with the show seems, to me, to be the fact that incorporating such a handful of sensitive social topics into the very premise of an ongoing series probably means reinforcing bunches of stereotypes in an effort to appeal to the reckonings of white males 18-35.

Like, I don't think any 'fish out of water' premise is inherently offensive becuase, I mean, we DO have things like 'blackface' in modern comedy still and it's often used in a meaningful way. If the joke of this show was 'look at how much these guys don't understand simple social issues and look how offensive what they're doing is that's crazy man' then it could be ok?

That's not what it's going to be of course.

[walkertexasdruid]

This show is probably horrible. It is a shame that they canceled a cute show like Free Agents after four episodes and are now bringing in garbage.