Colbert does it again... And gets a consciousness-raising.
I don't know how many of you watched "The Colbert Report" last night, but he did it again. During a segment about how his "adopted daughter," (a leatherback turtle named Stephanie) lost a race from Costa Rica to the Galapagos Islands, he made a LOT of transphobic jokes. Overall, the segment was funny-- as is the show in general. I'm a fan. But that little subsection-- well, I think it played on some pretty vicious stereotypes, and that he could have gotten just as many laughs if he'd approached the subject in another way.
Here's what he said (I transcribed it word for word by repeatedly watching the clip on the Comedy Central website): “Here’s my biggest problem: this race was for female leatherback turtles. What kind of a girl’s name is “Billy”? You know what I think, folks? Billy is a DUDE. A turtle tranny! You can tell by the size of the flippers-and the Adam’s apple. Trust me; I’ve been burned too many times. (audience applause) Evidently I am not alone. They are a menace! Here’s my theory: while Stephanie and all the other real gals were actually laying eggs on the beach in their nests, Billy fooled the judges by popping ping-pong balls out of his behind. And now he wants a trophy! Well, your little ‘Crying Game’ is up, William!”
So I sent him an e-mail. Realistically, it's doubtful that he'll ever read it. But some staffer will. And who knows, maybe it will actually make a difference? In any case, I had to try.
Here's what I wrote:
"Dear Stephen Colbert,
I am a fan and regular viewer of your show. Your ability to poke fun at just about anything-especially right-wing pundits-is extremely entertaining. However, I must say that I am disappointed by the content of some jokes in two of your recent shows. For some reason, you’ve decided that it is absolutely hilarious to perpetuate stereotypes about transgendered people. As someone who has several friends who are trans, I would like to make you aware of the impact this has on Americans’ perceptions of the trans community.
Few people have strong negative opinions of marlin researchers, eagle fanciers, or the inhabitants of Guam. Members of these groups are not fired from their jobs, disowned by their families, denied the right to use public restrooms, brutally beaten or murdered just for being themselves. They are not viewed as freakish or predatory by a large percentage of the American public. Unfortunately, trans people are.
On your April 18th show you referred to a British man named “Hilary” as a “limey she-male.” I take no issue with you joking about this person or making fun of his name (if you’d chosen another way to do that, it could have been very funny), but the use of the odious term “she-male” is reprehensible. This is a term used by the sex industry to objectify and dehumanize pre-operative transgendered women. It is extremely offensive to trans people-roughly on the level of refering to a black person as a '[N-word].'
Someone making the same joke 25 years ago may have called Hilary a “limey faggot.” By 2007 the media have caught on to the fact that using homophobic slurs on national television is no longer socially acceptable. However, there is no moral difference between a homophobic slur and a transphobic slur. The only difference is that the transphobic slur is less likely to have a negative affect on your ratings. As someone who has enough of a conscience to lend his name to a number of charitable campaigns, I would hope that ratings aren’t the only thing you’re concerned about.
Similarly, I found aspects of last night’s segment about Stephanie’s defeat to be hurtful. For example, the word “tranny” isn’t much better than “she-male”-it’s a derogatory term used against transgendered people. Other aspects of the segment were even more problematic. You perpetuated the popular belief that transwomen aren’t “real gals,” and even worse, are actually “dudes.” In fact, they are people who, through no fault of their own, were born with a birth defect in which the neurological sex (brain) does not match the physical sex (body). Neurologically, psychologically, and emotionally, they are fully female-“real women.” By living as women, they are simply being themselves-despite the popular misconception, they are not out to deceive people. Transgendered women are not a “menace” or a threat to anyone.
I sincerely believe that it was not your intent to fuel society’s prejudices against transgendered people-rather, it seems likely to me that you made these jokes without thinking about the impact they might have. Please be more thoughtful in the future. There are plenty of ways to get laughs out of the outcome of a race without ridiculing a marginalized group and playing on negative stereotypes about them. For example, you could have simply said that Billy was a male turtle in disguise (or even in drag!) and joked about him popping ping-pong balls out of his butt while leaving transwomen out of the equation entirely.
Please take these points into consideration.
Sincerely,
[real name]"
Here's what he said (I transcribed it word for word by repeatedly watching the clip on the Comedy Central website): “Here’s my biggest problem: this race was for female leatherback turtles. What kind of a girl’s name is “Billy”? You know what I think, folks? Billy is a DUDE. A turtle tranny! You can tell by the size of the flippers-and the Adam’s apple. Trust me; I’ve been burned too many times. (audience applause) Evidently I am not alone. They are a menace! Here’s my theory: while Stephanie and all the other real gals were actually laying eggs on the beach in their nests, Billy fooled the judges by popping ping-pong balls out of his behind. And now he wants a trophy! Well, your little ‘Crying Game’ is up, William!”
So I sent him an e-mail. Realistically, it's doubtful that he'll ever read it. But some staffer will. And who knows, maybe it will actually make a difference? In any case, I had to try.
Here's what I wrote:
"Dear Stephen Colbert,
I am a fan and regular viewer of your show. Your ability to poke fun at just about anything-especially right-wing pundits-is extremely entertaining. However, I must say that I am disappointed by the content of some jokes in two of your recent shows. For some reason, you’ve decided that it is absolutely hilarious to perpetuate stereotypes about transgendered people. As someone who has several friends who are trans, I would like to make you aware of the impact this has on Americans’ perceptions of the trans community.
Few people have strong negative opinions of marlin researchers, eagle fanciers, or the inhabitants of Guam. Members of these groups are not fired from their jobs, disowned by their families, denied the right to use public restrooms, brutally beaten or murdered just for being themselves. They are not viewed as freakish or predatory by a large percentage of the American public. Unfortunately, trans people are.
On your April 18th show you referred to a British man named “Hilary” as a “limey she-male.” I take no issue with you joking about this person or making fun of his name (if you’d chosen another way to do that, it could have been very funny), but the use of the odious term “she-male” is reprehensible. This is a term used by the sex industry to objectify and dehumanize pre-operative transgendered women. It is extremely offensive to trans people-roughly on the level of refering to a black person as a '[N-word].'
Someone making the same joke 25 years ago may have called Hilary a “limey faggot.” By 2007 the media have caught on to the fact that using homophobic slurs on national television is no longer socially acceptable. However, there is no moral difference between a homophobic slur and a transphobic slur. The only difference is that the transphobic slur is less likely to have a negative affect on your ratings. As someone who has enough of a conscience to lend his name to a number of charitable campaigns, I would hope that ratings aren’t the only thing you’re concerned about.
Similarly, I found aspects of last night’s segment about Stephanie’s defeat to be hurtful. For example, the word “tranny” isn’t much better than “she-male”-it’s a derogatory term used against transgendered people. Other aspects of the segment were even more problematic. You perpetuated the popular belief that transwomen aren’t “real gals,” and even worse, are actually “dudes.” In fact, they are people who, through no fault of their own, were born with a birth defect in which the neurological sex (brain) does not match the physical sex (body). Neurologically, psychologically, and emotionally, they are fully female-“real women.” By living as women, they are simply being themselves-despite the popular misconception, they are not out to deceive people. Transgendered women are not a “menace” or a threat to anyone.
I sincerely believe that it was not your intent to fuel society’s prejudices against transgendered people-rather, it seems likely to me that you made these jokes without thinking about the impact they might have. Please be more thoughtful in the future. There are plenty of ways to get laughs out of the outcome of a race without ridiculing a marginalized group and playing on negative stereotypes about them. For example, you could have simply said that Billy was a male turtle in disguise (or even in drag!) and joked about him popping ping-pong balls out of his butt while leaving transwomen out of the equation entirely.
Please take these points into consideration.
Sincerely,
[real name]"