Is This Sketch Offensive? SNL Transgender Commercial Draws Ire of GLAAD Comedy’s tough these days — just ask Ricky Gervais in the aftermath of the Golden Globes. Someone or some group is offended by everything, whether they have a right to be or not. In these hyper-sensitive times, it’s damn near impossible to do or say anything without pissing a few people off along the way. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is demanding an apology from Saturday Night Live after a sketch called “Estro-Maxxx.” The SNL sketch is a fake commercial for a estrogen supplement called Estro-Maxx, said to get rid of unwanted male genitals with just one pill a day. It featured men with facial hair and fake breasts wearing women’s clothing representing transgender women. This is where the issue gets, well, hairy. Many are saying the segment was transphobic and cannot be defended because there was no real joke behind it. GLAAD on its blog said “The attempted comedy of the skit hinges solely on degrading the lives and experiences of transgender women. Dehumanizing holding people up for ridicule simply on the basis of their identity fuels a dangerous and hurtful climate and puts people in danger, especially given how infrequently the media shines a fair and accurate light on the lives of transgender people.” GLAAD has asked NBC and Comcast (of which NBC is a subsidiary) for an apology. It is also requesting the companies remove the segment from Hulu and all future airings. As fans of both non-PC sketch comedy and mainstreaming homosexuality, we don’t see the problem. But watch the video for yourself and tell us what you think. Is this sketch offensive and transphobic, or does GLAAD have their unisex panties in a bunch for no good reason?
WG 31.01.11 @ 3:35 pm Making fun of stuff can actually contribute to desensitizing the mainstream of their phobia IMO.
Jessica 31.01.11 @ 4:35 pm First off, I’m going to say that I’m transgender. 2nd, GLAAD is getting over the top recently but this skit went a little over the line. Should SNL get slammed? Probably not but they should at least get a slap on the wrist. I’m not saying that trans-people shouldn’t have a sense of humor about ourselves but this is just plain mockery. It’s the same type of comedy of Amos n’ Andy, which is viewed as racism today. Part of the problem is that there are zero positive transgender role models on TV. We are always depicted as hookers, perverts, freaks, murders, insane, nymphomaniacs, been molested as children, porn stars, disease ridden, junkies, ect. NOT ONCE have I seen in any movie or TV show a trans-person depicted as the hero cop or the successful business woman. Most people immediately think of Jerry Springer. Think about this, 50% of trans-people will die an early death either by suicide or murder. Hate crimes against the trans-community are more then crimes against Asians, Muslims, Blacks, Gays and Jewish COMBINED. Do you think that trans-people are so rare and that’s why we have such high numbers? There are 3 times more trans-people then people with Downs Syndrome. So for every 1 person with Downs you’ve seen, you’ve also seen 3 transgender people. Believe it or not, most of us are hard to spot. In Closing, do you really think this is going to help a young depressed transperson’s self image when he may be contemplating suicide? Do you think that if a guy is hitting on a woman that turns out to be transgender, there won’t be rage possibly resulting in murder? Images like this contribute to these stereotypes and hurt us. I’m one to take a joke, but this is not funny at all. I don’t think it would be so bad if there were more positive images to balance things out.