THE only way "we" are ever going to be taken seriously...

[kimdl93]

Ok, so how bout this...

The XYZ network that makes and promotes the show never, ever uses the word REALITY in any promos or literature of any kind.

Now, would you watch it? Or does it have a better chance to survive?

If we associate just one single word with any show about anything, does that automatically make it a "bad" or worthless show?

Probably not.

[Rachael Leigh]

I don't need to protest or force change in laws to dress as I wish especially in my own home. I understand to a point those who do but for those who out there that disagree with LGBT lifestyles it's just as unfair to tell them they have no right to do so. It's a free country last time I checked

[kendra_gurl]

The real question is who will sponsor it? Because once a sponsor comes onboard, a cable channel will see $$$ in the concept. But what company wants their brand associated with TGs? .

I'll start an internet store called Victors Secrets with online photos of all the special girls here on this site decked out in their finest lingerie to sponsor the first episode.

[Paula_Femme]

I would guess a portion of the difficulty with such a venture might be in locating willing and enthusiastic
participants. I mean, many girls would, I think, be leery of attention for a variety of reasons. There was already the Ru Paul Drag Race program, and I seriously doubt that did anything toward promoting the image most of us would want. But I fear the participants on that show are exactly the kind that would apply to any show looking for crossdressers. Not the image I would want at all. Meantime, the girls best suited to promoting a positive and stable image are the very ones least likely to want to out themselves, or so I would think, wouldn't you? Are there enough successful, confidant, stable and fully "out" girls, and with some kind of stage presence and charisma to be found willing and brave enough to place themselves in that position? I don't know.
I see the publicity of a positive image program as extremely valuable, make no mistake. I just fear finding an appropriate cast would be tough. I also think more programming like Drag Race would only reinforce stereotypes we (I) do not want to see furthered.
Hmmm. I wonder?

I agree 100% with Samantha's comments above, any so called "reality" show about CD-ers would be pushed to the point it'd be a freak show, just to get the drooling masses to park their butts for 30mins and chomp their way through another bag of Cheetos... yeah, NOT a fan of "reality" shows, can you tell?

Mind you, I did see a number of documentaries on British TV over the years that covered the subjects of Transsexuals and Cross Dressers in a sane and compassionate manner; excellent documentaries, but not exactly ratings busters.

[Violet-13]

I think there are a few shows about Crossdressers on the Out Channel (its a channel maid to cater to L,G,B,T people), I may be wrong

[Rachael Leigh]

One of the best things I've seen about CDs has been the story of those girls who went to the resort in New York in the 50s it seemed to really portray CDing as just a part of their lives nothing more or less.

[Erica Marie]

Im thinking the only way this would go over would be by appealing to the right group of people. People who tune into reality shows watch it for the drama not for the reality. A place that might prove effective would be something like a made for tv movie on the Lifetime network or possibly a series on MTv. Similar to the shows where they follow pregnant teens to see how they face the challenges they have. It has to be real, not reality.

[Wildaboutheels]

Aw c'mon peeps. Why such negativity and poor memories? Many of you actually posted to Jessica Who's thread. I am not the only one who thought VH1 [of all networks!] did a bang up job depicting the "real" Jessica. [I'm married to a ...] Ok, so it was not a series, but if they can do a nice decent job, surely a larger network could also do something tasteful? I believe the show still runs. Might be able to find that episode online still?

Not sure what happened to Jessica though. She sort of disappeared from this site after it aired...?

[Bailey420]

The problem is that the network airing the show would most likely not accurately represent the majority of "crossdressers" in general, but instead, for ratings sakes load the show with the most flamboyant, dramatic and emotional people they could find.

[noeleena]

Hi.

Depends on the person and what they wont or need to portray i dont know for others i can only speak for myself , how many people do you wont to be infront of whats the content of what you have in mind whats the heading about, and would you prefer an interview . and how far reaching is it going to go. and who will it involve, .

is family a part of this, details about your family and about your self as a person, and what it means to you and later how is your life progressing, an update if you like,

i dont just do the talking about it, im the one who did something about it,

Over 3 million people enough through two TV stations papers as well and 287 sites on the net Human Rights Commision and write ups in mags Trans and dresser and have feed back after,

I prefer real life real people who know what its about, not a show that degrades people to little more than a money spinner, and a put down,

Then walk in other Citys and have people come up to you and say hi ...I know you from seeing you on the head line news . nation wide,

does that sound okay to you then,

...noeleena...

[Rogina B]

Things change when people get out and conduct their lives as normal human beings. Blending doesn't diminish the impact we have when we interact with others. Darn few of us pass, as you know. I am not convinced that we can change by standing out in a manner that also reinforces stereotypes, but rather by undermining those stereotypes and presenting ourselves as worthy of respect.

Exactly this! And don't flinch if you get put on the spot,cause it can happen and it may not be intentional at all. Wherever you fall on the T spectrum..If you show them you are comfortable with it,then most likely they will become comfortable with it.

[Sarasometimes]

There was a game show along these lines in 2004 with a wiki link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He's_a_Lady

Premise was these macho guys needed some understanding of what women go through. Wasn't horrible but not great for TG/CD community.

[UNDERDRESSER]

Reality TV is the most mis-named garbage ever foisted off on the TV watching public. In general, I find current TV standards to be pathetic. So much so, that I no longer have TV. The few good programs can be watched online. Paying $60 a month for those rare gems was simply not worth it.

There have been the occasional useful programs done on the subject, but I would not hope to see one these days. It is possible, but not from "Reality TV" and anyway, the whole subject is so wide ranging that you would end up giving people the wrong idea for at least some of us.

[JenniferYager]

To answer the question about getting taken seriously...did some show about gay people suddenly make the gay community get taken seriously? Nope.

You'll have to do it one person at a time. How many of us know someone who is gay and normal? I remember that gays were portrayed as crazy and over the top in the media, and it wasn't until I worked for a gay boss who was a normal dude that it dawned on me that not all gay people were like that. Media, if anything, continuously worked against that.

This inspired me to do another post, but I honestly don't think a television show will do CDing any justice.

[Connie D50]

This is a little off the topic but wasn't there a good made for TV movie that had a famus actor who late in life tansitioned and it went thru how she and the wife handled it from start to end??? I forget the name and the actors. Connie

[samantha rogers]

With all respect and love to everyone here, I think posts that indicate that reality tv or anything else are garbage miss the point of the original post. I think reality TV is garbage, too, but millions of people do watch that crap, or it wouldn't be on TV. Moreover, some of the most ignorant and hateful people, many of them women, are among the most regular viewers, and these are the very people most in need of enlightenment about us.
No, it doesn't solve issues about funding, how to get a program made or what form it will take, but simply rejecting the idea because one dislikes the medium seems counterproductive.
And rejecting an idea as having too little impact in itself completely disregards the fact that the cumulative value of many small seemingly insignificant actions can often affect change more substantially than can be done in one giant action. Big events can, actually, produce, because of the inherent initial shock, a reverse counterproductive backlash. Erosion, though slower, works better than dynamite because it happens slowly.
Advances in acceptance of gays were not made through one big overnight event, but rather through a slow process of change involving many, many small events. So it will need to be with us. Just as change is made every time someone like Isha has a conversation with some young guys at a coffee shop, it can also be made by the production of a television program, whether the form of that program is palatable to us individually or not.
Right?

[kimdl93]

Personally, I think the turning point in gay rights occurred on February 11, 1993 on episode 57 of Seinfeld, when those immortal words, "not that there's anything wrong with that." entered the lexicon of American language.

[Amy Fakley]

I think you're actually more right about this, than people might think. At least among the dude crowd I hung with at that time (right out of high school), there was a problem when it came to gay issues. Lots of reasonable people wanted to support the idea of acceptance and mainstreaming of gay culture at the time, but from inside macho dude culture there was just about no way to express that sentiment without "losing your man card".

Seinfeld gave us a great example of how to say that without saying it ... and it totally worked ... not that there's anything wrong with that :-)

[KittyD]

I've tried myself many times with scripts and ideas for TV shows and have sent much off over the years... Its not hard to create a TV/Film concept for CDs, its just hard to get the people with the cash to hear you
I've tried comedy - serious acting - Avant-garde etc... Its a tricky one.
Kathleen Dawson The Daisy Monologue
Type the above into YouTube for one of my CD monologues if your interested? Its not about views, cause I don't make money from what I do! This is just how I communicate or express myself openly to others...
And I would be interested to hear your thoughts...

[Tracy Hazel Lee]

A reality show would never be the proper way to acceptance... Reality TV is a formula-based concoction, whipped up to attract and hold viewers based on hand-picked entries of whom will guarantee conflict. Without a story (although most reality TV is scripted in some way) I don't believe that viewers can connect with contestants the same way as a well written story with genuine characters and development.

How about a show that revolves around the father of a typical family. He has a decent career, he's married, has two kids, has his guy nights with his friends...does a lot of the stereo-typical guy stuff. The father has all the same qualities as any other stereo-typical dad. However, the father also has a secret life that he takes part in once or twice a week where he has a completely separate group of friends that he interacts with strictly while crossdressed. He does not want to transition, dressing is enough to satisfy his cravings, and he loves doing it. None of his family or co-workers are aware of this separate life. The show should imply how anyone could secretly have a similar lifestyle. The show should never make his dressing the punchline of any joke and always portray it as something as 'routine' as possible (from the fathers POV). Of course there can be jokes, but I think they can be done tastefully and honestly. There are plenty of funny situations that can happen that don't have anything to do with embarrassment or ridicule. On the flip side, the show should also focus on the efforts and planning that is required to keep this lifestyle hidden from friends and loved ones. Show the pain and frustration that can be experienced because of this activity. Show the struggles, the bigotry, the prejudice, make the viewer understand what it's like. Paint the picture of a REAL person living in this way.

Now.....this all sounds great, but if the majority of TV watchers are happy watching reality TV, what would make them watch a show like this?

[Eryn]

The only positive portrayal is one where a character is TG, but it isn't a major plot point. It's just an incidental part of the character.

There are very few examples out there. Tina in The World's Fastest Indian comes to mind. She could have just as easily been a cis female.

[UNDERDRESSER]

Advances in acceptance of gays were not made through one big overnight event, but rather through a slow process of change involving many, many small events.

I quite agree, but Television is a mass market channel, and one that is these days aimed very much at the lowest common denominator. I remember a fairly balanced documentary from the BBC some 20+ years ago, they might be capable of producing something useful again. Can't imagine anybody else doing anything much above the level of Jerry Springer, sorry.

[Rachael Leigh]

Traci your idea is exactly how it should be done now to find the right place, maybe the discovery channel but love the idea

[Sallee]

unfortunately I think the show would be rather boring A bunch of guys sitting around discussing make up applications and beard cover. I might like it but unfortunately we are a very small minority.

[Lorileah]

Pilot script: Concept 5 TGs show what it is like in daily life. A drag queen, A Crossdresser who is single, A Crossdresser who is married but his wife doesn't know, a crossdresser whose wife knows and a transsexual.

We follow the Drag queen through day 1: He comes home, spends 3 hours putting on makeup and padding, goes to a drag show, does two numbers...comes home and takes it all off. Next day he goes to work...at a regular job...where he puts in 8 hours....

Crossdresser who is single. Day 1. We follow her through the mall as she watches women walk by and gazes at dresses in the window. Later she goes home and looks at her OKCupid posts...no responses. Sits around house in pantyhose and a bra. Wonders why women are not flocking to her door

Crossdresser 2: Morning, kisses wife goodbye as she leaves for three day trip to visit relatives. Rushes to hidden stash and pulls out all the collection she has garnered in the last year, raids wife's make up, shaves body hair, gets "dolled" up then sits and watches TV...all day. Hears door bell and hides behind couch. Cooks dinner in cocktail dress and gets marinara sauce on it. Goes to bed with makeup on and babydoll nightie

Crossdresser 3: Comes home on Friday, wife and she have a nice dinner where they share the preparation. They smile and discuss the day without moaning about how bad it is "she" can't go out. Clean up, reapply makeup, go shopping or movie, go home cuddle. Next day they go to dinner and then a club where they dance with each other all night. Monday, back to daily routine (gets the best ratings because there is more action)

TS: Gets up in morning, feeds cats, puts on make up, reads paper, has coffee, goes to work, stops at grocery on the way home, gets something to cook, watches TV, goes to bed. Now we must assume that the TS wants to be known as a TS forever afterward. That she doesn't mind her neighbors or colleagues knowing.
Alternate script for TS: Meeting counselor and talking about what they want in life (redacted because of HIPPA rules), referral to Endocrinologist for hormones, reactions to said hormones (both good and bad as well as frustration they didn't work overnight), telling boss, telling coworkers, telling friends. Losing job, losing co-workers except a few who do get it, and losing many friends who are now afraid of her. Trying to find finances to get surgery, change name and all legal documents, finding new friends who don't know and who don't care what she "was". Slipping into a daily lifestyle of work, housekeeping (in sweats not a maid's outfit), medical issues, learning to live as a woman and seeing that things are different, going out, maybe finding a date, deciding if she can tell her date (or when) what she is doing, losing date because he wants a "real" woman, staying home, watching TV, gets extra cats.

So really which or all of the scenarios would you watch? The DQ for the drama all DQs have? (according to RuPaul's Drag race) The CD who is closeted and scared to go out? (Not much fun there unless you like watching somebody sit around the house). The married CD whose wife doesn't know? (that will go well right after the second show... you can spend the rest of the season watching the drama, the crying, the pain, the threats, the divorce or reconciliation). The CD whose wife does know...now this one may fly, at least they can have adventures together. The TS, very few want links to their past life. Some of us don't really care but how many would watch a suburban woman's life? It may last one season...hopefully happily.

Go ahead choose one