Hello, I’m a catastrophe

[Frédérique]

“Somebody will say to me, “Oh, this character that you play on stage...” I suppose they get confused by the makeup, but that’s just me. I’m a transvestite, so there is no character...”(Eddie Izzard)

I’m a BIG Eddie Izzard fan - every now and then I listen to all of his concerts, one after the other, and the other night I was listening to Dress to Circle, a performance he did in French to an audience in Paris (Pigalle). Fortunately, there were subtitles, so I could hear (I meand read) Eddie’s take on the word travesti, which is French for transvestite. If you’re not a fan of Mr. Izzard, or if you detest the term “transvestite,” go no further, but I thought this was interesting, if not enlightening. Let’s hear (read) what Eddie had to say...

“I’m also a transvestite. That’s a bit different – are there many transvestites in France? Yes, of course! Not many. There aren’t many in England. There are transvestites, but they don’t admit to it. It’s a secret. It’s hard to tell everyone, to be honest, “I’m a transvestite.” It’s hard. Everyone says “Transvestite? What’s that?” It’s a good word to both explain and confuse. It’s a word that has a bad reputation everywhere – you don’t write “I’m a transvestite” on your resume!

But, I arrive in France and heard that... I learned that the word “travesti” – transvestite – means a travesty. We have the word travesty as well, in the English language. The word travesty means a catastrophe. So, when I arrived in France I discovered that I was a catastrophe. “Hello, I’m a catastrophe!” Hard or what? But that’s OK, because I enjoy having a quest...”

Je me travesti! Suis-je normal?! Yes, of course, it happens all the time, no big deal, but I take issue with this word “travesty,” used to describe a relatively innocuous thing like MtF crossdressing. By definition, travesti, pp. of travestir means “to disguise,” and travesty comes directly from the French word. You combine trans (over) and vestir (to dress), and you get travestir. If you are a travesti, you are disguised by dress so as to be ridiculous – you are affecting a burlesque treatment, imitation, or translation for the purposes of ridicule, or a crude and ridiculous representation, in this case that of a female. In modern terms, they’re talking about drag queens, but I’m not here to point fingers – I wish to be on speaking terms with our TG “cousins.”

I’ll tell you, when I dress I’m in no way engaged in ludicrous distortion – my “representation” of a female is not crude, and it’s certainly not ridiculous. Of course, from MY perspective I would feel that way, but to others I’m some sort of joke. I may be full of fun, but I’m NOT joking! What the French, and many others, are saying, or assuming, is that a man dressing up as a woman is absurd – I think this is at the heart of all the problems we MtF crossdressers face, and it is extremely difficult to break through this prejudice. Since just about the ONLY representation of crossdressing seen by outsiders is drag (on TV or in movies), this notion of a “travesty” is being perpetuated, and things are getting worse, not better...

I’m a catastrophe? I don’t think so, but since “catastrophe” refers to any event that disturbs or overthrows the existing order of things, I can see why the purveyors of normalcy see me as calamitous. There are men, there are women, and then I come along to upset the societal apple cart. Not to worry, though – I simply dress to please myself and be happy, no more, no less, and upheaval is not my goal in life. I like being ME, and this entails a change of clothing, to feel more like myself and go forth in my gender-incorporated state. I am NOT a travesty, but this endless resistance, intolerance and ignorance we MtF crossdressers endure is a travesty of justice, pure and simple...
:sad:

Thanks for reading. “I hope you enjoyed it,” as Mr. Izzard would say... :battingeyelashes:

[Anna Abwaerts]

I wondered about the word "transvestite" too. I am pretty sure "vest" in latin means vest ;) In my native language it means vest. We could say it is clothing, what you wear, how you are dressed. And trans... is probably "opposite"... so combining these two we get cross-dresser =)

I like Eddie Izzard too. I think his CDing also could be just attention-catcher when he was aspiring, cause now when I saw him with beard acting in Tv shows I could "question his loyalty" ;p

[April_Ligeia]

Also a huge Eddie Izzard fan, this is one of many great bits about being a tv, which means television as well...

[mykhelee]

I am a fan of Mr. Izzard. I enjoy it quite a bit when he makes it onto the Craig Fergeson show.
Considering the amount of time and effort we put into our look I am somewhat taken aback by the crudity we are still viewed as by society in general.
Things are getting better in some parts of the fair old USA, as long as you stay out of the wrong areas....like mine.
Peace

[Barbara Ella]

Your analysis is spot on, and an enjoyable read. Lets not agree that the French have it right to begin with.

Sorry, I enjoyed the read and analysis

Barbara

[docrobbysherry]

Ok, Freddie, I'll buy into being seen as a "travesty". But, "absurd"? No, that's where I draw the line!

[TGMarla]

Like you, I do not dress to mock women or appear ridiculous. However, what we see when we gaze in our mirrors is doubtless not what others would see when they throw us a glance....or a long, hard look. They may well see something ridiculous, calamitous, or ludicrous. This is why so many of us keep this little diversion private, for the most part, engaging in our travesti while home alone as a means to experience what might have been, had the universe managed to create us as we might otherwise have been.

[kimdl93]

I guess that's at least one good reason to introduce oneself as a "croix commode", when in France.

[Marleena]

Travesty of justice pretty much sums it up.:) We are who we are. Time is slowly changing things for the better. Eddie is living proof of that.

[Foxglove]

Freddy, good news! The French word "travesti" doesn't in fact mean "travesty". It's true that the English word "travesty" is derived from the French "travesti", but "travesti" doesn't have the same meaning as our "travesty". Here's where you can find the (many) definitions of the word "travesti" in the CNRTL, a well-known French dictionary:

http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/travesti

In French, the word "travesti" is much broader than our word "tranvestite". To sum up what the word can mean, it basically means "disguised--wearing the clothing of the opposite sex, of another age group or of another social rank; or wearing a costume to a party or dance or in a play."

The dictionary gives an example: a queen who put a nun's garment on over her dress--at which point she was "travestie".

The word (along with its pejorative derivative "travelo") can mean specifically "a transvestite", or, as the dictionary puts it, "an 'inverted homosexual' who dresses and makes himself up as a woman, who presents very marked feminine characteristics, especially after having undergone hormone treatment." This definition comes from 1983, and let's hope that the French have updated it a bit in current usage.

The Reverso dictionary defines "travesti" as "wearing a disguise", and more specifically "a homosexual who wears women's clothing".

This doesn't mean that the French are any more accepting of CDers than anyone else. When you look at their dictionaries, you'd get the distinct impression that they don't actually know very much about crossdressing.

In any case, Freddy, I can assure you that you are neither a travesty nor a catastrophe.

Best wishes, Annabelle

[kimdl93]

Based on Annabelle's findings, I decided to look up the French translation for the English word "travesty" the result was "parodie" with the following listed synonymns:
1. parodie 2. travestissement 3. simulacre 4. pastiche

Obviously, in English a parody need not be a travesty.

[sissystephanie]

I think the major problem that many CD's (or whatever you call yourselves) have is that they are concerned about what they are called! A Transvestite is a person who dresses in the clothing of the opposite sex for Sexual reasons. Usually a man dressing as a female. That may apply to some of the CD's on this forum, but it certainly does not apply to me and probably not to most of us!! BTW, my definition of Transvestite is the official medical definition!!

I guess maybe these things are stuff to talk about, but can't the members find something more interesting? Eddie Izzard is an entertainer, and does whatever is necessary for his show.

And Freddy, the items stated in the final sentence of your OP exist only in the minds of those who let it exist!! It is not Real Life!!

[KellyJameson]

"The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter" Marcus Cicero

I think some men are born with feminine hearts and when you see pictures of them dressed they radiate this, you are one in my opinion.

It would only be a travesty if you stopped because even if no one else is witness to your dressing the Gods are pleased by the physical expression of the poetry in your heart.

[Foxglove]

It would only be a travesty if you stopped because even if no one else is witness to your dressing the Gods are pleased by the physical expression of the poetry in your heart.

Very well put, Kelly. I was trying to think of something like that to say to Freddy, but you did it first and better.

Annabelle

[Frédérique]

The Reverso dictionary defines "travesti" as "wearing a disguise", and more specifically "a homosexual who wears women's clothing". This doesn't mean that the French are any more accepting of CDers than anyone else. When you look at their dictionaries, you'd get the distinct impression that they don't actually know very much about crossdressing.

When I wrote the OP, I was wondering if the word “travesti” has its origins in the works (or the time) of Molière, but this is not the right place for a historical/cultural discussion! As for the French, I got the same impression – they are no more accepting of transvestites (or crossdressers, for all you homophobic Americans) than anyone else, which is disappointing. I would expect a little more tolerance on the continent at this point in time, n’est ce pas?
:sad:


Obviously, in English a parody need not be a travesty.

Very true. I think “travesty” is a rather harsh assessment of crossdressing, because in the hearts and minds of those who dress, the exact opposite is our cherished goal – I seek enlightenment through emulation, but the world thinks I’m making a sick joke, insulting the very people I wish to incorporate. Meanwhile, nobody cares to consider any other course of action, and the travesti is too busy enjoying his dressing to “correct” this calamity. Since parody can mean a “fanciful imitation,” that may be closer to the truth, but I think we are all original works of art, each one using Mother Nature (a female) as a starting point…


I guess maybe these things are stuff to talk about, but can't the members find something more interesting? Eddie Izzard is an entertainer, and does whatever is necessary for his show. And Freddy, the items stated in the final sentence of your OP exist only in the minds of those who let it exist!! It is not Real Life!!

Yes, Eddie Izzard is an entertainer, but I see him, and all other successful comedians (or comediennes), as teachers or philosophers. I honestly feel that Izzard and his ilk are trying to open minds through comedy, but you have to be predisposed to this idea, and not dwell in a state of close-mindedness. I “found” Eddie by accident one fine day – being a MtF crossdresser, I had certainly heard of him, but I assumed he was some sort of “drag” representative, using his platform for self-derision. WRONG!!! I enjoy Izzard’s humor, which blends history, religion, mythology, autobiography, and a general warm, fuzzy feeling about nothingness and absurdity into a homogenous whole. Since he is a transvestite (a word I KNOW you hate, Stephanie), Eddie seizes the opportunity to explain himself – I mean, here’s a guy who is wearing makeup (more than is required in a theatrical sense) and is dressed differently, so he openly talks about it…

I know that Izzard doesn’t use his transvestism as a gimmick, since he “dresses down” for many of his performances. To me, he is just about the only highly visible spokesperson for heterosexual transvestites, even though most people, let’s call them ignorant Americans, can neither see past (nor accept) his declared sexuality, nor hear what he’s saying, since he’s English. To me, it’s heartening that there ARE transvestites out there, in whatever profession, rolling along through life, against the odds that others keep stacking against them. If you don’t think this is “real life,” by your definition, then I wonder what your concept of reality is. You can learn something from Eddie Izzard, for he is a teacher – the #1 thing that YOU can learn from him is a correct, current definition of the word transvestite, right from the horse’s (tranny’s) mouth. In your case, this entails revisionist history, and I’m sure you’ll balk at the idea, but HOPE springs eternal...
:battingeyelashes:

PS -- thank you, Kelly, for the kind words...:)