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[Marcie Sexton]

Have any of you girls seen the latest on "All my Children"

Well just to show how much research their writers have done about the transgender issue.

Seems Zarf/Zoe has now been arrested for the suspected murder of two women and the assualt of another. Naturally the city's D.A. brought in a special D.A. to pursue the case...All the men in "Pine Valley" [ oh Karren, it suppose to be in PA too ] are naturally threatened by him and the women don't know whether to consider him/her a him or a her...

Zarf/Zoe has also been referred to as a he/she freak who will not be allowed near the children of Pine Valley, or be raised near him and his/her little tea parties....

Oh well, so much for the open minded and honest look at the transgendered community...

My wife has become so incensed at the plot, as she lovingly refers to as a "F" plot...better yet the plot from hell she has written letters to the web site of AMC to voice her displeasure...Rest assured soon as I finish this thread I too will voice my displeasure in the story line...

Perhaps if enough of us voice our displeasure they will either rewrite the plot or completely remove it...

Even my wife was disappointed with the results...her remarks were, "is it any wonder that main stream society has such a negative opinion on the CD/Tg communities, when not even the soaps will give you girls a fair shake"

I would stongly urge all those who dare to write and express their displeasure with the story line and ask for it to either be writen out or give us a fair shake...

[Karren H]

Must be nice to sit around and watch soaps all day! Big box of bon-bons too I'll bet..... Forgot... Moon pies!!

There has been a lot of CD bashing shows lately... Or at least depicting us as less than moral persons... And I agree... We should write and complain!!

So put down that moon pie and get out the wrtiting paper!!



Love Karren

[Kimberley]

On it!!

[Casey Morgan]

I don't know, Marcie. I don't watch the show but from what you've said so far it sounds like the typical public reaction. The question is will AMC begin to show Pine Valley that Zarf/Zoe is not the person they imagine. It seems to me to be a better course to mirror the audience's potential fears and prejudices and allow them to see that things aren't as they believe, than to have everybody be totally cool with Zarf/Zoe's arrival. Hopefully people like your wife will feel a sense of vindication when Pine Valley's attitude changes, and those people who are prejudiced will have their beliefs challenged and changed along with the fictional community's.

[Sweet Cindy]

Does anybody watch Ugly Betty? I won't ruin it for anybody, but someone who was supposedly dead simply changes sexes for the purpose of deception and dastardly deeds.

[JoAnnDallas]

Maybe we should get the ACLU to sue the network. LOL

[Melanie R]

Marcie,

If you and your wife had watched all the episodes where Zarf/Zoe is featured, you would see and hear that AMC has done a remarkable job of following the consultation they are getting from the TG community through GLADD. Yes, the characters, JR and father are bashing transgendered persons but most of the other cast are becoming very accepting and supportive as they become educated about transgendered persons. Look at the many positive messages on soapcentral.com regarding transgendered.persons. Yes, I am retired and do watch AMC daily.

Melanie

[Synchronicity]

I have only seen snippets of this soap -- I tend to avoid daytime television -- but the "public" reaction to this character seems to be right on. A great many people don't know how to address us and I have heard both "miss" and "sir" from people who have dealt with me and I would not be surprised that the word "freak" was tossed my way behind my back either. The little bit I have seen in regards to this character's portrayal of us transsexuals also seemed to be quite sympathetic and realistic, but, as I wrote, I have only seen a few bits and pieces of the program.

It's a shame that this character is being given the added burden of a murder trial, but I suppose that this isn't unusual in a soap.

[Casey Morgan]

It's a shame that this character is being given the added burden of a murder trial

I don't know. If used properly/realistically it's a great way to discover more about this person. You see it all the time in other shows.

[maggie]

I have been taping the show daily because of the Zarf/Zoe character. Overall, I think it is very engaging, well done, and a positive presentation of transsexualism.

I have been very moved by Zoe's portrayal and her ordeal in confronting the hostile reactions of the other characters. There was a scene in which Babe (Zoe's only defender) pursuades her to come out in front of a room full of hostile characters who have jumped to the conclusion that Zarf is a homicidal maniac. Zoe's pain moved me to tears.

The intolerance of the other characters is ultimately shown to stem from their ignorance, and they are gradually coming to be more accepting. I think this could be a good educational experience for the audience.

Maggie

[Christina Nicole]

It's television for crying out loud! It's someone else's fantasy of "life." I wouldn't get to worked up about it. The people who get their "thoughts" and "information" from television aren't worth the attention.

Warm regards,
Christina Nicole

[Kendra Irene]

CSI-NY has a "female impersonator" (dead) in it this week. I guess we'll see how that goes.

[Marcie Sexton]

We are obviously not seeing the same soap...while it is not a main stream must for us, it was the way Zoe was introduced by the writers.

He was thrown in among the wolves and expected to be readily accepted...Whom ever from the Tg community that is providing the information, in my humble opinion needs guidance too...Zoe's introduction and development into the story line is what is all wrong with how main stream society sees us...Perhaps if they had developed Zoe in a slower fashion, perhaps I could accept the story line...a consinding attitude and the inability to see when the story line is for viewership only, not a fair depiction of "my and your" transgendered community...

And so we will continue to fight the fight...

[goofus]

That's sort of my sentiments, Christina. Fight prime time - read a book!!

It's television for crying out loud! It's someone else's fantasy of "life." I wouldn't get to worked up about it. The people who get their "thoughts" and "information" from television aren't worth the attention.

Warm regards,
Christina Nicole

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

It's television for crying out loud! It's someone else's fantasy of "life."

More than that, it's a soap opera.

As Casey said, the key question will be where the plot goes from here.

For what it's worth, back when the Zarf first made the scene, when I checked out an AMC-related forum, the vast majority of the people there seemed far more concerned about whether the writers had the skill to make a good plotline out of it, than Zarf being trans.

[janedoe311]

All my Children is a very long running soap. They are running out of ideas so sick CD'ers is next.

My wife was addicted to it before we got married. Like all soaps has unbelievable characters and plots, but the actors look good.

To bad the do not do a plot about a guy that gets a sex change and has a baby, because inside he was a woman all the time. Oh well probally should copywrite this idea, before they use it, they do need more unbelievable stories.

[RobertaFermina]

AMC is powerful propaganda...
It was Niemoeller who said...

<English Translation from Wikipedia>

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.


We can add <fictional Transgendered persons> to this list.

The process of dealing with this fictional character is radiating (mis?)information into a significant portion of the population, among whom we must live and (hopefully) thrive.

Letting misinformation go unchecked impacts us the same whether the protagonist is real or virtual.

The folks with their eyes glazed over like twin moon-pies are gradually losing the distinction between real and imaginary.

Considoeing being vewy, vewy, afwaid.....

Roberta

[melissaK]

I think CaseyMorgan understands how soaps work . . . they understand the psychology of people and how we accept change.

Remember when you liked the Beatles "I want to hold your hand" and "Hard Days Night" and then they made Sergeant Peppers and you went "WHAAATT!!!????."

And then after you played it a few times you went, well maybe it is pretty good. Then it was soo scatchy from you playing "A Day in the Life" all the time you were thinking of buying a replacement when you bought the White Album instead and you said "WHAAATTT!!???"

Hugs girls,
'lissa

[Bluebird GG]

i have been tuning in for my viewing pleasure and i absolutely luv the storyline because it deplicts real life, and its refreshing to see them address the issues when once upon a time it wuz taboo, now its mainstream everywhere i am very pleased with the storyline and the show, its my fav, storyline on there and Zoe rocks!