GenderLife Forum: The Information Exchange

Tyra Banks will get a great ratings boost out of this, but I think it's positive if the contestant is treated the same as everyone else. It also shows that trans people can be normal and yes . . . pretty. Opinions?


Top Model’ to feature transgender contestant

. . . "Tyra Banks is known for breaking down walls in the world of modeling, and the supermodel-turned-television mogul is at it again — this time doing something she’s never done in the previous 10 cycles of “America’s Next Top Model,” adding a transgender contestant." . . .

Full article here -> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26183073/

nothing about models is normal

As with modeling in general, I think too much adoration is given to a certain "look" while everyone else get's marginalized. Plus, I can already hear people voicing support for the "model-beautiful" TS woman, but no support or worse for the rest of us who struggle just to appear remotely female. I hope I'm wrong, but that is already society's opinion toward genetic women (look beautiful or go hide), so it's the same old story.

What an awesome post! That thought hadn't even occurred to me, but it rings so very true.

I have heard this comment in the past about a transitioned woman:

"Well of course he was supposed to be a woman, look how beautiful he is."

I know the pronouns are wrong, that was how the comment was made.

There was one in The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency show, Claudia, and she was treated quite badly.

Here some clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGmyAXLdkL0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-YUfBq0FO4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqqnDreKCYM

She was used, and shown very little respect.

It's a fact that good-looking people, trans or not, are treated differently than others. I don't think that those who transition young and have the advantage of not being poisoned by testosterone should be looked at with disdain. Beautiful is beautiful. Trans or not.

I also don't think that because some people are better looking than others that anyone should have to 'go and hide.'

Many people are beautiful on the inside or have other traits that stand out as outstanding.

I hope that the press is good for this show. I don't think there's anything wrong with putting a 'pretty face' on our community. Much better than a guy with a beard gender-bending in a dress demanding bathroom rights.

Like someone once said "don't hate the player, hate the game"

Major cudos to Tyra for even taking this step in the first place and I totally 1000000000% agree with Jillian, there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with putting a pretty face on our community.

I for one will be rooting for Isis lock stock and barrel!!!
Get'm girl!!!

Shows like this are a soap opera. They're scripted ahead of time. People go into them, and take them seriously. They look at them as a chance. I personally loved the way that singer from Federal Way made a mockery out of American Idol -- he couldn't sing a lick, but his outlandish outfits kept him in the game.

Tyra seems to be one of the better ones. Janice Dickenson was an asshole. Of course that was her role on her show. Claudia took it as an opportunity. Being treated like she was at the end she has to consider the source. As soon as Janice opened her mouth I hated her, in the first screen, before she even mentioned the word "trans..." She's the kind of person I cannot stand.

Personally, I know beauty works. I'm one of the lucky ones. Being attractive does get one treated differently. Put attractive with a brain and it's scary for others. I see nothing wrong with putting a pretty face forward. People make a living with a pretty face. So what? It's business.

So will she make it on Tyra's show? Who knows?

Ah yes, Sanjaya went a level above them and outplayed them at their own game. Too bad he believed his own hype and left crying.

It's great to have pretty faces representing us out there. My only concern is that those a-hole producers don't care about people's feelings, and less when it's someone they use only for ratings, as was the case with Claudia.

Plus they earn more.
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/08/news/funny/beautiful_money/

just a thought do you think they are putting this girl on there to get ratings and to laugh and ridicule at the trans community as usual ?

Coz something stinks here in my opinion

That's my fear too. At least it seems Tyra would never step down to Janice's level.

Am I the only one who finds Janice Dickinson hideous? Too many surgeries, gosh.

She looked like an asshole to me.

Wow. Either you had your eyes crossed or it really was one too many surgeries!

My God Marcella you are right and in my opinion Claudia was treated horribly. I wish she would have walked out of there before she allowed them to disguise her as a man and how condescending to shorten her name.

I've seen this Janice Dickinson before on TV and she is someone I don't want to meet.

kat


PS: Tyra is cool and has a lot more class. This is a good thing.

PSS: A good percentage of the human brain is devoted to processing visual information and recognizing beauty is in our nature. To deny this, or throw in the penalty flag seems somewhat like an over-simplification to me. Who said life was fair?

I sure didn't.

I don't care too much for the modeling industry, but my girlfriend likes watching Top Model, so I'll get stuck watching it.

Well I'm happy to see Isis doing her thing. I'm friends with Allanah Starr and she is friends with producers of the ANTM Show. She saw the first two episodes and said Isis makes it through both elimninations. Her coming out doesn't happen unti lthey pick the top 12 girls for the house and one of the mean spirited girls leaves the house first. But the other girls are a mix of decent people and not so decent.
I've read boards and other forums on this occurance and it was so crazy to see what alot of people had to say. They called her a man and said it wasn't fair for a man to compete against women. They said they should make a transgendered show and keep it fair. Some said they don't want their kids watching.... It was the type of stuff to make you question her being on the show. It's a landmark all the same but there are so many crude things being said.
Janice Dickenson to me isn't that bad. I watch her show religiously because it's good entertainment. I was upset about how Claudia was portrayed but that's business. I do not think that Janice is transphobiac or a bitch to the trans community because she took a chance on Claudia. At the same time the reason why Claudia arrived at her agency was due to Tyra banks transsxual top model compeition so.... I don't know. Claudia is modelling and I'm happy for her. I just wish Janice's modeling agency could have done more for her.
Be sure to check out Nina Poon, she's in the new Elle (sept) and she's the new face for Kenneth Cole. She's a gorgeous Trans woman and I'm glad they featured her. She's also on the Kenneth Cole website.

Binx

Welcome back. Its been awhile since you posted. You hit the big 21 soon don't you? What has been happening with you lately? Still in Florida?

Hey Deena! I know it has been a while since I posted! Miss you gals! Sadly though no.... I don't turn 21 until next year lol! I only wish I was that old... As for myself I have been living life! My family is getting better. My parents are coming for a visit this holiday season. I've been going to school and pursuing my dreams. Hopefully I get on tv like Isis in the upcoming years lol who knows.... But yes I'm still in Florida working things out. I might be moving out to Miami to get my modelling career started. But thank you so much for say hey!

Binx

Good luck. Stay in touch.

Yeah, and poor Isis got insulted already. In the swimming pool playing truth or dare, one of the girls refused to touch her and pushed her away...saying "I'm not touching a transgender". The girl that did it was the one from the sticks, the country. Nobody really bothered, but that changed when the same girl made slight racist remark to ethnic girls.

ugh. Some GG's can be such "sticks in the mud!"

Here in my building when the Japanese/Korean folks arrive en masse to the pool, all the whites leave on cue. And vice versa. It's funny.

Anyway, that's the way life is. Stupid monkeys.

Isis has handled herself well so far. Talk about walking into a nest of vipers, sheesh.