MovieChat Forums > Ally McBeal (1997) Discussion > Transphobia of the show

Transphobia of the show

posted 11 years ago by mirrored_man
19 replies | jump to latest

Surprised no one has mentioned how offensive some episodes were to trans people, when Mark dated Cindy the transsexual woman.

I realise this series is pretty old now and considering how badly trans people are treated by mainstream society in general, it could have been a lot worse.

However, some parts are just plain offensive, like the Cindy character being repeatedly referred to as "it", "he-she" etc, and the hate speech John gave to Mark, when Mark asked for his advice (which seemed out of character for John). I would have thought John would have given an unbiased opinion, but instead he lashes out and says "dump it".

The whole office gets involved bulling Mark, openly mocking both Cindy and Mark, as well as them becoming the butt of everyones joke.

It just fails in terms of representing real transsexual women. The show also doesn't seem to realise the difference between homosexuality and transsexualism, the two are totally separate issues. They keep quoting "homophobia" when it is actually transphobia. Also Cindy trying to get married legally as a man? Transsexual women can legally change their documents and marry as women, there was no need to go to court and marry as a same sex couple, which no transsexual woman would do.

Such a shame this show took the obvious bigoted road to please the mainstream (at the time) instead of educating a few people. It was a missed opportunity.

[–] DannX68 11 years ago

I see where you're coming from, but I always just thought it was to show that even if they're well educated and successfull, they can still be ignorant of some things. I totally agree about John, though. And I still do love the show :)

Don't mistake hate speech for free speech. Remember, hate speech kills!

[–] WhatsABitca 11 years ago

You have to remember the time period it's set in. The transgender community is STILL facing a great deal of misunderstanding and discrimination and it's 2014.

The big moments are gonna come. You can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts.

[–] napierslogs 11 years ago

While I see your point, I don't entirely agree. The fact that the show had a character who was transsexual, and then had a main character date her, I think it shows that the producers weren't nearly as transphobic as other shows of its time.

Will & Grace started in Ally McBeal's second season - and people were just trying to accept gay people as main characters then!

This was also season 4, and the characters had well been established by then. Richard is a homophobic person who couldn't even begin to accept the issues of transgendered people, let alone use any of the correct terms. If they had a transsexual woman on the show, and everybody treated her with respect, it would come across as the show purposely trying to shove its liberal agenda down people's throats - it would not come across as a regular storyline. Which this did.

Also, not everybody bullied Cindy and Mark. Yes, it's unfortunate the show had John mock them even though he should have been more open. But Ally didn't mock them. And this is an important point because Ally is the main character - Ally is the one character they can use to make valid points about society since it's her voice we listen to. And Ally's point was that Richard should not tell Mark, that he should wait until Cindy tells him, and that Mark could very well be open and accepting of dating a transsexual woman. Ally had a very reasonable stance. More so than most people in society would have had at that time.

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[–] mathmaniac 10 years ago

Season 1 had a wonderful episode about a confused young man who dressed as a woman and turned tricks to make money for rent. It was a tragic episode and very sympathetic to his/her problems.

I agree that when a program has a liberal agenda, and it is very obvious, it takes the quality of the show down a notch.

[–] eclipsed-bythe-moon 10 years ago

That episode absolutely broke my heart!

Regarding Cindy, I felt similarly about the scenario. But both Ling and Ally stood up for her.

Nell and John's reactions shocked me very much.

However, once Mark stood up in court and FINALLY made the distinction that Cindy was a woman and not a gay man, I felt a by better about it. And then Richard married them, so I felt like the storyline ultimately taught the right lesson.

[–] hubcap18 9 years ago

Richard didn't marry them. The way I remember it, once Mark found out who she really was/used to be, he took her to a support group meeting for people in unconventional relationships, and that offended her to the point that she broke up with him and left the show. Mark's subsequent departure was not explained, David E. Kelley just likes to shake things up.

_______
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[–] Chalice 9 years ago

Richard married Cindy and her new bloke, not Cindy and Mark.
I agree it would've been silly to have all the characters accept Cindy with open arms; wouldn't have made any sense. It did end with the right message.

[–] pjmcgill142 9 years ago

Mark struck me as a bit soft, but I was disappointed how quickly he succumbed to the firm's attitude. I was especially saddened with Cage's attitude to the relationship.

And all things being equal, I doubt I'd kick her out of bed.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Billybob4412-1 8 years ago

Psylocke Fan 4EVA
I just started season 2 and the first episode seems to justify an adult/minor relationship and its really creeping me out. How the heck did this get past the censors?

[–] tom8 (3119) 4 years ago

it's called comedy...... now 1% of the population have to ruin it for all the other sane people.

the alphabet people killed comedy and humour, so therefore they are hated more than ever.... good job

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Serious question: How has complaining about this improved your life?

[–] Daisy_Mabel (124) 2 years ago

Not everyone states their opinion or brings an issue to light simply to make their own lives better. In fact, many people who have stood up for others have paid a price.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

Good fucking grief. The fucking ego! You're not fucking Jesus fucking Christ. You're not rescuing people in mortal danger. You're not freeing the slaves in Egypt, for Christ's sake (or would that be Moses?). Get the fuck over yourself. This kind of phony fucking posturing is precisely what's killing the left in the eyes of critical thinkers everywhere.

[–] strangluv (58) a year ago

^This and then some!

[–] strangluv (58) a year ago

You're kind of right, in the sense that the virtue-signaling of the woke crowd never actually improves their lives. They only seem to get more bitter and unhinged the more that they actually get what they demand! (Which is quite often, if the now seemingly endless political and corporate pandering to LGBTQ and 'BIPOC'/diversity are any indication.) They just never seem to get happier.

Of course they are paying absolutely no price. Voicing any open opposition to their culturally-ingrained leftist agenda is much, more likely to cause you to pay a price today.