Context Matters

When I'm on Twitter, I get the majority of my entertainment news (not tabloids) from Cy Lauz (@CYofRelief). She tweeted that VH1 has a transgendered women makeover show in development, and I went postal, not because of the women, but because of the show itself. 140 characters isn't enough, nearly enough, to express myself on this, so here's why this is a TERRIBLE idea:

1) It's reality TV. I should be able to stop right there, but I'm going to continue. It's reality TV, which hasn't really evolved much in fifteen years, that's unoriginal short of the fact the cast are transgendered women. They're not doing anything positive (or really negative for that matter) for reality tv.

2) It's on VH1. Now I know the younger kiddies out there have no clue what those letters mean, and they are unlikely to look. the VH stands for Video Hits, as in music videos. So first, show me the music in a makeover beauty show. You want to the track in the background, okay. Sow me the hits. The royalties alone would kill them, so how abuot this, find me any aspect of this show that has to do with music videos, or the music industry at all

3) The Harriet Hayes Problem. I take an example from an episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip to explain. Harriet Hayes, a devout Christian comedienne, made a deal to sing at events sponsored by a Christian group she'd been with since childhood. After saying two words on gay marriage, she's told to stay home, so she decides to do a lingerie shoot in retaliation. Simon Styles and Tom Jeter, friends and castmates, talk her out of it by pointing out that she's being objectified, but not in the way she wanted to be.

Applying this to the matter at hand, transgendered women want to get themselves out there in a positive light. I'm all for that. In order to do so, they're going to have to objectify themselves. I'm still with you, it's part and parcel of being on tv. Why, why, WHY on Earth would your first move to be on reality tv? Look at the gay community. It took them God knows how long to escape first, the stereotype of being 'pretty boys', then to escape the 'Queer Eye' stereotype. Oh hey, there's a PERFECT example of getting the wrong end of the deal.

The historical pop culture, admittedly geek, parallel would be Nichelle Nichols. In 1960s America, it was a major paradigm shift that blacks could have jobs of actual responsibility and authority and NOT fuck up. Being a black bridge officer with legitimate rank, an actual job, and actual skill was a game changer, and helped pave the way for Morgan Freeman to play the President and for Barry to do it in real life.

4) It's just not going to be any good. I mean, really? Socio-temporal differences aside, there was probably a reason why RuPaul never did a beauty reality show when he was still relevant, opting for a standard talk show. Why do a show you know is the same ole same ole, has a shelf life, and in general is not worth doing? Do us all a favor: stop wasting our time