3 hours later

OMG I so can’t believe it’s another TV program this month! You have until around the 11th of November to catch this on Channel 4.

So why 3 hours later? When the documentary is called:

Girls to Men

Because of what this documentary seemed to focus on. Allow me to explain.

This post isn’t specifically about the guys who are the subject of this documentary. No, it’s about the documentary and what it means as a reflection of society. And yes it’s good I’m writing yet another post about the Trans issue on UK TV. Trans is definitely on topic. So yeah, good.

I’m so onboard with people being the people they want to be. For all three of the guys in this documentary it was good to see their journey and so very brave of them to be in this program.

And yet the more I watched the more I felt resonance with the article in the Independent here

It is understandable for young trans people to be excited about these milestones, but media interest in surgery on trans people is harmful as it reduces all trans experiences. It suggests you become your gender through surgery or medical intervention which we disagree with.

Jamie Pallas

Rather than me write it all up poorly, do read this other article from the Guardian.

So, 3 Hours Later was the slide which followed an operation...

For me the interview with Alfie’s mum Cathy was so much more poignant of the whole transgender issue today. That being the belief someone is one thing when they feel to be something else and then managing that process of transition to become there true selves. Cathy's difficulty as a mother is exactly what I'm on about. I'm sure Cathy is so proud her son. Alfie is so brave.

I personally don’t believe the program was specifically “transphobic” as some Twitter feedback may have said, but I do believe it could so easily have been done better and ‘played up' rather than down.

As for the title of the program. It's a tabloid headline and succeeded in grabbing attention. It did a job. For me the issue was what the program did once it had that attention.

Overall I’d agree with what Ethan who said, “The journey is never really over…”

Trans Lovers

So in what seems to be a month of UK television reporting for moi...

With a write up in the Guardian this is from Channel 4. The last in the series of 'Sex Diaries' documentaries. Whilst I was put off by the program description, "Meet the heterosexual men declaring their love for transgender women with male genitalia" I can forgive the director Charlie Russell and C4 for wanting to grab attention for this program. I guess they had to appeal to the sensationalist crowd.

Moving on, this is available on C4 until mid' November and in my opinion worth a watch. Overall I'd agree with the Guardian's write up, The focus is largely on the men but the women’s stories are often more interesting. 

Take-outs are on the one extreme, a throw away comment early on “Transgender are like Ferrari” from one 'admirer'. Obviously uses a different emotional garage to me. To on the opposite end of the emotional spectrum being the scene wherein Lorena describes her awful rape and subsequent falling in love with Mark which was so very emotional.

The documentary itself aside, it reminded me why I don't watch too much traditional television... bloody adverts! Arrrgghhh!