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Are FTMs overrepresented in the media?
Are female-to-males overrepresented in the media?
I’d love to do a formal quantitative study on this topic, as going by my own viewing/reading experiences I think it’s true.
Transgenderism is very zeitgeisty at the moment, which is a positive thing, I guess. However, the media’s current love affair with TG lifestyles comes with conditions, including the trans person being attractive/glamorous (involved in a drag show or beauty pageant) and preferably, as already noted, female-to-male.
Even some of the supposedly more progressive docos and television stations – like Gendernauts and the recent string of tele-docos on ABC/SBS – linger on the FtMs, or feature MtFs in a glamorous light.
It’s very disappointing for me to see predominantly FtM trans people featured in docos, as I’m quite shy and reserved, which keeps my exposure to transgenderism limited to my psychiatrist’s room and these forums. Moreover, if my assumption is correct, then the population at large is not getting an accurate picture of the trans phenomenon (or is some media exposure better than none?).
I think there are a number of reasons for the lack of coverage, which also suggest, additionally, that MtFs are being misrepresented.
First, a FtM transition is typically 10x more convincing than a MtF transition (well, come on, it’s true, isn’t it?), so they’re great talent for television.
Second, the underlying assumption of patriarchal societies is the assumption that everyone wants to be male, as being male has advantages that women don’t have (because masculinity is considered synonymous with power. Just look at all those ball-busting female CEOs trying to out tough their male counterparts). Therefore it’s good to want to be male and just plain weird to want to be female (especially if you were male to begin with!).
Third, it’s much easier to accept women as men; a trend that goes right back to the schoolyard. That is, it’s always easier for girls to be tomboyish than it is for boys to be feminine at school (again, the better to be male than female mentality creeps in).
Fourth, males are threatened by MtF trans people, because they think it somehow undermines their own masculinity (maybe they believe that it’s infectious).
I guess there may be reasons for “the media” to overrepresent FtMs, such as the possibility that MtFs are less likely to want to have their story documented. But if this is true, then it is a trend consistent with some of my points above. Namely, the idea that it’s more acceptable to be FtM than it is MtF.
It’s not like this is anything new. Fear surrounding MtFs is not unlike the whole male gay phenomenon all over again, where lesbians are ‘hot’ and gay men are an abomination or something to be ridiculed. I’m not suggesting that lesbian biological females (who are, oddly, both objectified and ostracised as both females and FtMs) have it any easier, but rather highlighting the “in” and “out” groups as determined by the MSM.
Anyway, enough of my griping. What do you think – are FtMs overrepresented in the media?
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9 Replies
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My observations are obviously different to yours, I’m not suggesting either of us is right or wrong though.
I’ve thought to myself that the representation was interestingly even considering how few FTM people I am personally aware of, (not that my personal experience is any measure overall though.)
Quote:Transgenderism is very zeitgeisty at the moment, which is a positive thing, I guess. However, the media’s current love affair with TG lifestyles comes with conditions, including the trans person being attractive/glamorous (involved in a drag show or beauty pageant) and preferably, as already noted, female-to-male.Not that long ago I wrote to the program director at ABC2 to ask if there was any particular motivation for them to air the suite of gender related programs at that time. Part of his response was as follows;
ABC2 takes its public service remit seriously and thus endeavours in all of our programs to be intelligent, exploratory and somehow an enriching experience for the viewers. (perhaps some of our comedies pass this test with a little more difficulty!) What this means for factual programming is that we look to take our audience on entertaining, educative journeys that, when possible, in some small way break down prejudice and ignorance. This is the informing principal whether the subject matter is concerning people in particular ethnic or religious groups, sexual orientation or indeed transgender.
I would love to claim some grand strategy about why these programs now but the truth is that it is really opportunism – as a small underfunded public broadcaster we acquire much of our content from overseas and thus cherry pick what others have commissioned that aligns with what we are trying to do. As luck would have it both BBC3 and Channel 4 from the UK commission a range of programs that sit very comfortably within our remit – this last year this has included the programs you refer to.
Just last night I watched a doco on ABC2, I believe it was episode 4 of ‘Head First’ & the episode was dedicated to the topic of transgender. Without wishing to be unkind, I didn’t feel that the MTF people interviewed were glamorous at all.
Even the series ‘My Transsexual Summer’ gave (almost) equal representation to FTM & MTF & I personally didn’t view the MTF representatives as glamorous.
Maybe the way a reasonable proportion of MTF people present themselves has a bearing on how they are portrayed – again no criticism is implied.
I think it is reasonable to suggest that on the whole the mainstream male population ‘dress down’ & females tend to (or are expected to) ‘dress up’. If MTF people wish to emulate the general way natal females are encouraged to present then the MTF person is more likely to stand out as (possibly) glamorous or at least trying to be.When I first told my mum I was Tg, ‘My TS Summer’ was airing & mum watched it, she also attended some sizable ‘gatherings’ with MTF people I know. Her observations prompted her email comments that follow; (please don’t unfairly judge her, it was all new to her & she was just being honest [& supportive]).
I was thinking about,how they dress , the guys were more normal in the way they dressed. (about the doco)
I prefer the way you dress & think it would help TG’ s & their cause a lot if they didn’t over do it. Better to blend in than stand out.
Also I think it would be a lot safer than looking like a pickup or hooker. This is in no way denegrating TG just my opinion. (about the doco & some of my Tg acquaintances).Servalen wrote;
Quote:I guess there may be reasons for “the media” to overrepresent FtMs, such as the possibility that MtFs are less likely to want to have their story documented. But if this is true, then it is a trend consistent with some of my points above. Namely, the idea that it’s more acceptable to be FtM than it is MtF.If your thoughts are correct then more MTF people need to be seen, I know it seems harsh but – no risk, no reward. Waiting for society to invite us ‘out’ may be a very long wait.
The people that I do think are under-represented are those who do not identify as at one end or the other of the gender spectrum. I think the difficulty in us being represented is that often we present as opposite to our birth sex but don’t necessarily ‘feel’ as one or the other or maybe both etc.
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Quote:Are FTMs overrepresented in the media?I had to re-read the question just to check – because it was so far from what I thought the situation was.
As Chloe says:Quote:My observations are obviously different to yoursThen I wondered – is this a box question? Are we just talking about people born female who are trying to live in society as binary males, and people born male living as binary females? Are we asking if F2Ms living as males are more likely to be visible than M2Fs living as women? Are trans males less sensitive about revealing their past? I’m not sure the answer will reflect anything other than the availability and success of sex reassignment in the two groups.
I use the term FtM to embrace everyone who is gender diverse and born female. To do otherwise is to draw pointless (and sometimes offensive) lines in the gender spectrum. Do I see more gender diverse people represented in the media who were born female than born male? Certainly not… in fact, I rarely see articles about the significant issues facing the F2M spectrum. Even in the series My Transexual Summer (which I felt was grossly over-simplifying the gender diverse spectrum down to a journey to physical sex reassignment) the M2Fs outnumbered F2M.
Quote:First, a FtM transition is typically 10x more convincing than a MtF transition (well, come on, it’s true, isn’t it?), so they’re great talent for television.I can’t think of anything less personally convincing for someone born female who needs to live their life in the male box than not having a penis. The MTF group makes a big deal of trips to Thailand to get the right physical accessories – so I’m sure without the disguise of clothes the MtF are far more “convincing”.
Quote:I think there are a number of reasons for the lack of coverageI would like to suggest another reason for this feeling of not getting the deserved coverage.
I frequently detect in TgR and in TransFormal a feeling that the gender diverse who are born female are not in “our class”; they have it easy; they aren’t making such a serious decision; society accepts them better; they don’t understand that being male is a bad thing…..I could go on… but I detect a lot of this in the original posting. Maybe I’m just being hyper-sensitive and everyone here actually embraces their born-female counterparts. But the fact is it doesn’t show in their language.
My response to this ignorance has been to actively encourage FtM participation in TgR and TransFormal. Learning to relate to and understand the FtM group is something that will enrichen all our lives.
So let’s hear more about the full spectrum of the FtM experience. Even if they end up with more media time that won’t be such a bad thing I think.
Can I finish by giving my strong support to Chloe’s assertion thatQuote:The people that I do think are under-represented are those who do not identify as at one end or the other of the gender spectrum. -
This thread, as its title suggests, is about MSM representations of trans people. So I find it a little odd that I now find myself addressing responses that deviate from that theme. I also note that many responses assume that I am expressing my own personal views on gender, when I am in fact expressing views typically peddled by many mainstream media (MSM) organisations. Nonetheless, I will try my best to respond without going off on too much of a tangent myself.
Quote:“Are FTMs overrepresented in the media?”I had to re-read it just to check – because it was so far from what I thought the situation was.
Fair enough and on point.
Quote:Then I wondered – is this a box question? Are we just talking about people born female who are trying to live in society as binary males, and people born male living as binary females?Yes, though in an incidental sense. I don’t refer to it specifically, but my questions are based on the assumption that the MSM typically eschews gender ambiguity in favour of binary representations. In other words, it is a “box question” as framed by the MSM, not by me.
Quote:Are we asking if F2Ms living as males are more likely to be visible than M2Fs living as women?No, this is not about actual comparative visibility or “passability” of FtMs/MtFs in real world situations. It is specifically about the frequency and way in which the MSM represents these groups, which is primarily concerned with presenting “palatable” and attractive television talent. Anything outside these gender binaries is, generally speaking, too difficult a concept for most executive producers to handle. The fact that the MSM is searching for this kind of talent predicts that they will rarely (if ever) consider anything but the polar extremes of the gender spectrum. You will find exceptions, of course, but I assume that you know we’re talking trends here, not absolutes.
Quote:Are trans males less sensitive about revealing their past? I’m not sure the answer will reflect anything other than the availability and success of sex reassignment in the two groups.Really? I can think of many reasons why trans males might find it easier to reveal their story. One of these reasons ties in with one of the themes in my post, which is that in patriarchal societies, masculinity is deemed to have more positive connotations than does femininity.
Quote:I use the term FtM to embrace everyone who is gender diverse and born female. To do otherwise is to draw pointless (and sometimes offensive) lines in the gender spectrum.I agree. I think the MSM’s unhealthy preoccupation with gender binaries is reprehensible.
Quote:Do I see more gender diverse people represented in the media who were born female than born male? Certainly not… in fact, I rarely see articles about the significant issues facing the F2M spectrum.As I said, a quantitative study would be interesting. Otherwise it’s your experience against mine.
I absorb a wide and varied array of media (out of interest and professional necessity), which has led me, clearly, to the perception that FtMs are increasingly overrepresented by the MSM. But as I said previously, it’s not just the frequency, but the way in which these binary groups are represented.
Quote:Even in the series My Transexual Summer (which I felt was grossly over-simplifying the gender diverse spectrum down to a journey to physical sex reassignment) the M2Fs outnumbered F2M.Outnumbered by one, if I recall, but that’s not the point in this case.
My Transsexual Summer was one of the better programs on gender, but, as you seem to agree, it was hardly very subversive with regard to exploding prevailing gender myths. The MtFs that they used in the program didn’t really challenge viewer expectations, because all but one (who had just begun the journey), appeared attractive and generally at ease with their lives a females – yes, even glamorous. This is all par for the course for television, but that’s my point.
Quote:First, a FtM transition is typically 10x more convincing than a MtF transition (well, come on, it’s true, isn’t it?), so they’re great talent for televisionI can’t think of anything less personally convincing for someone born female who needs to live their life in the male box than not having a penis. The MTF group makes a big deal of trips to Thailand to get the right physical accessories – so I’m sure without the disguise of clothes the MtF are far more “convincing”.
I don’t know what kind of television you watch, but as far as I can see, MSM programs never have to factor in whether the presence of genitalia makes trans people any more convincing.
Quote:I would like to suggest another reason for this feeling of [M2Fs] not getting the deserved coverage.I frequently detect in TgR and in TransFormal a feeling that the gender diverse who are born female are not in “our class”; they have it easy; they aren’t making such a serious decision; society accepts them better; they don’t understand that being male is a bad thing…..I could go on… but I detect a lot of this in the original posting. Maybe I’m just being hyper-sensitive and everyone here actually embraces their born-female counterparts. But the fact is it doesn’t show in their language. My response to this ignorance has been to actively encourage FtM participation in TgR and TransFormal. Learning to relate to and understand the FtM group is something that will enrichen all our lives.
OK, this is too much of a departure from the thread theme, in my opinion. Plus I don’t harbour the views you touch on with regard to FtMs at all.
I also sense a little hostility in your response, which I suspect you realise on some level, as your reference to hyper-sensitivity likely shows. I can only remind you again that this thread presents questions about MSM representations of people who identify as TG, which are views and representations that I don’t hold personally.
Quote:Can I finish by giving my strong support to Chloe’s assertion that: “The people that I do think are under-represented are those who do not identify as at one end or the other of the gender spectrum”Yes, gender binaries are overrepresented, because MSM organisations find such narratives easier to package. For reasons that I’ve already mentioned, I perceive this to be especially true of FtMs. It is this latter point – FtMs as represented by the MSM – that this thread seeks to address. But I also touch on how MtFs are represented, which involves, generally speaking, glamour, “passability” and other attributes that will make such programs attractive to viewers.
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Hi it’s not so much media but a tv show I watch with my friends its a show called “L Word” anyway in the show there’s a female to male called Max and well it depicts his story and the way he lives and the way he wants to be accepted as normal and he doesn’t want to tell people he is transitioning.
Think we gotta accept that female to males are there too facing same things we do but yes it’s sometimes easier for them to blend in but I know many females that wernt born female that totally blend in.
Personally I don’t watch trans shows as it doesn’t interest me but as I’m a lesbian the L word does its fictional but good and it touches on this stuff too.
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I think I’ve said everything I want to on this topic, as in the end it will come down to subjective opinions that depend on what media you actually look at.
Quote:This thread, as its title suggests, is about MSM representations of trans people.I saw no reference to MSM (I presume that is main Stream media?) either in the title or in the body of the initial post. To me media includes any form of mass communication – and I’m not sure what makes it mainstream or not. I guess this is semantics. For instance I assumed that the internet and social networking is media – and counting trans instances there would be a challenge!
Quote:Quote:I would like to suggest another reason for this feeling of [M2Fs] not getting the deserved coverage.I frequently detect in TgR and in TransFormal a feeling that the gender diverse who are born female are not in “our class”; ….
OK, this is too much of a departure from the thread theme, in my opinion. Plus I don’t harbour the views you touch on with regard to FtMs at all.
Far from it. If we are discussing a subjective view of the situation then we must include observer bias. As the subjective opinions we have seem to differ it is worthwhile to explore if they derive in part from a difference in sensitivity to that being observed.
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Amanda wrote;
Quote:in the end it will come down to subjective opinions that depend on what media you actually look at.Servalen, so I & apparently others can better understand your views here, could you please specify what you consider mainstream media to encompass.
Servalen wrote;
Quote:As I said, a quantitative study would be interesting. Otherwise it’s your experience against mine.Quote:I absorb a wide and varied array of media (out of interest and professional necessity)Sounds like you’re in a great position to undertake this study, I can’t imagine it would be too difficult, just colate what you’ve already observed.
Please remember, you did ask; What do you think– are FtMs overrepresented in the media? (emphasis Chloe).
Quote:I think the MSM’s unhealthy preoccupation with gender binaries is reprehensible.Being angry about a situation can sometimes lead one to be pro-active. It also can lead one to be unhappy. Proactive seems like a better choice to me.
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Quote:I think I’ve said everything I want to on this topic…
Which topic would that be?
Quote:I saw no reference to MSM (I presume that is main Stream media?) either in the title or in the body of the initial post.Then you need to look harder.
I even wrote it long form followed by its acronym in my last post (which I’m sure you read thoroughly before responding).
Quote:I’m not sure what makes it mainstream or not. I guess this is semantics.Your disingenuous attitude is not one that I’d expect from someone in your position. Clearly my presence here is not welcome.
Quote:I would like to suggest another reason for this feeling of [M2Fs] not getting the deserved coverage.I frequently detect in TgR and in TransFormal a feeling that the gender diverse who are born female are not in “our class”; ….
If we are discussing a subjective view of the situation then we must include observer bias. As the subjective opinions we have seem to differ it is worthwhile to explore if they derive in part from a difference in sensitivity to that being observed.
It appears you don’t actually know what “observer bias” is.
I would like to suggest another reason for your talk of “observer bias”.
I think you had to fabricate an ad hoc rationale for your baseless accusations levelled at me (and others here) regarding your perceived attitudes towards FtMs.
Of course, you could always prove me wrong by providing evidence that demonstrates my supposed belief that FtMs (a) are not in “our” class (whatever that means), (b) have it “easier” than MtFs, (c) “aren’t making a serious decision”.
All of my questions revolve around MSM representations of people who identify as transgendered, not my own views of FtMs. Even a cursory reading of my post will reveal that important distinction.
It’s great to have passion for your cause, Amanda. However, pushing your agenda while blinkered only results in telling your members how to suck eggs.
Thanks, but I don’t think this site is for me.
I hope you spent my $10 wisely
Moderator
Quote:I find this post personally offensive and have taken the rare step (for me) of marking it so. As the author indicated that TgR is not for them I have expedited the process by disabling their profile. Amanda -
Well I must say that I have not really noticed this apparent slant ! I wouldn’t have been exposed to every thing out there but whatever I have seen didn’t support that assertion. I personally don’t think it is really important what gender diversity is the subject of a program , if that is what we reference as main stream media , the important thing is that there is interest in the subject of the gender minorities and that those stories are being included in the narrative of our society.
And this is what I think so it’s not about a veiw on anyone else’s personal perspective. I do believe it must difficult to find the subjects for these programs and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s not playing a part in limiting the options program makers have.
I do also believe when one sees bias is all to often a perception and not a reality. -
I have to say that I agreed with Kristyana when she said
Quote:Well I must say that I have not really noticed this apparent slant !I must have been watching TV with my eye’s closed because I don’t think I have ever seen a show including FtM Transgendered persons at all. Perhaps in the print media but I have to admit I don’t read the papers much at all.
