So what have you guys been watching lately?

[Luke]

As I already have stated, TMNT, the original animated series.

I love it, man. This show was my childhood. There's so much goofy irreverence, and so many pop-culture references. What a cool show to re-watch as an adult.

It's so self aware on how goofy the premise is, and they're always breaking the fourth wall.

[J T]

TransParent is free for the day on Amazon, so I am trying to power through and watch the whole thing since I don't have Prime.

Jeffrey Tambor plays a transgender woman who has come out late in life after already being the father to three children. I'm about half-way through the season and I'm really impressed with it so far. It's very smartly written and all of the characters feel like real people rather than characterizations. It's wicked smart and it has a good dose of humor to deal with the serious stuff too.

[dsheinem]

TransParent is free for the day on Amazon, so I am trying to power through and watch the whole thing since I don't have Prime.

Jeffrey Tambor plays a transgender woman who has come out late in life after already being the father to three children. I'm about half-way through the season and I'm really impressed with it so far. It's very smartly written and all of the characters feel like real people rather than characterizations. It's wicked smart and it has a good dose of humor to deal with the serious stuff too.

I am curious about the show. The only treatment of transgender family life that I can recall being "smartly written" where "all of the characters feel like real people rather than characterizations" was the 2003 HBO film Normal. Have you seen that? I've been meaning to ask someone how this show compares to that film, since they address (what I think is) a similar main character.

[J T]

I haven't seen "Normal" so I don't have a basis for comparison.

[dsheinem]

I haven't seen "Normal" so I don't have a basis for comparison.

That's what other people have told me too

Anyone here who's seen both? Perhaps one of our trans members?

[Forlorn Drifter]

So, there's this discovery show called BigGiantSwords... it's the shit. Its making giant ass swords, and some of them are pulled from games/comics/general nerddom.

Like seriously, how do you manage to get something like this as a job? Like hell.

[AppleQueso]

I've sorta avoided a lot of media about trans people since a lot of it is either highly problematic or enormously depressing. Even generally well praised trans portrayals like Orange is the New Black I've kinda not seen.

'Course I'm also not much of a TV watcher.

I've had a couple of trans friends who've seen Transparent, one of whom is in a very similar life situation to the one the show portrays. They seemed to like it a lot and felt that, casting controversies and whatnot aside, it's a good show that handles the subject pretty well.

[isiolia]

So, there's this discovery show called BigGiantSwords... it's the shit. Its making giant ass swords, and some of them are pulled from games/comics/general nerddom.

Like seriously, how do you manage to get something like this as a job? Like hell.

Have you seen Man at Arms on Youtube?

[irixith]

I am curious about the show. The only treatment of transgender family life that I can recall being "smartly written" where "all of the characters feel like real people rather than characterizations" was the 2003 HBO film Normal. Have you seen that? I've been meaning to ask someone how this show compares to that film, since they address (what I think is) a similar main character.

Normal and Transparent differ in some regards. In Transparent, Maura has been cross-dressing for a long period of time in "secret". His wife knows about it and simply fluffs it off as one of those things you put up with to maintain a marriage. The show (via flashbacks) pieces together the moments where he began to realise that it was actually more than just cross-dressing. In the present, the show deals mostly with the family's initial reactions and the beginning of how they adapt this change into their lives. (For example, instead of calling him poppa, one of his daughters starts using "moppa" for momma and poppa together.) Being that it's only 10 episodes and at least one more series is yet to come, the time period is not quite as compressed as Normal. Less happens in the 300 minutes of Transparent than in the 110 minutes of Normal.

In Normal, Roy (Ruth) blindsides everyone with the news after 25 years of marriage with the more traditional narrative of "man trapped in woman's body". His character faces a lot more intolerance than Maura does in Transparent, at least initially -- but then, a church is involved as you know.

There are elements of authenticity to each show...the reactions of people in the real world are probably closer to Normal's interpretation, although Transparent has some moments that are absolutely bang-on. They're difficult to compare because ultimately the transition process varies for each person that undertakes it, and both Normal and Transparent tell two versions of that process. Each is interesting in its own right, and I'd say Transparent is worth a watch, even if some of the supporting characters are on the Weeds level of outrageous. Transparent has the advantage of coming out (arr arr) 11 years later and portraying a somewhat more modern attitude towards being trans.

[dsheinem]

I am curious about the show. The only treatment of transgender family life that I can recall being "smartly written" where "all of the characters feel like real people rather than characterizations" was the 2003 HBO film Normal. Have you seen that? I've been meaning to ask someone how this show compares to that film, since they address (what I think is) a similar main character.

Normal and Transparent differ in some regards. In Transparent, Maura has been cross-dressing for a long period of time in "secret". His wife knows about it and simply fluffs it off as one of those things you put up with to maintain a marriage. The show (via flashbacks) pieces together the moments where he began to realise that it was actually more than just cross-dressing. In the present, the show deals mostly with the family's initial reactions and the beginning of how they adapt this change into their lives. (For example, instead of calling him poppa, one of his daughters starts using "moppa" for momma and poppa together.) Being that it's only 10 episodes and at least one more series is yet to come, the time period is not quite as compressed as Normal. Less happens in the 300 minutes of Transparent than in the 110 minutes of Normal.

In Normal, Roy (Ruth) blindsides everyone with the news after 25 years of marriage with the more traditional narrative of "man trapped in woman's body". His character faces a lot more intolerance than Maura does in Transparent, at least initially -- but then, a church is involved as you know.

There are elements of authenticity to each show...the reactions of people in the real world are probably closer to Normal's interpretation, although Transparent has some moments that are absolutely bang-on. They're difficult to compare because ultimately the transition process varies for each person that undertakes it, and both Normal and Transparent tell two versions of that process. Each is interesting in its own right, and I'd say Transparent is worth a watch, even if some of the supporting characters are on the Weeds level of outrageous. Transparent has the advantage of coming out (arr arr) 11 years later and portraying a somewhat more modern attitude towards being trans.

Wow, I really appreciate the write up. Sounds like there's some stuff that's better and some stuff that's worse, but I think I'm more likely to check it out now thanks to your write up. Much thanks!