The real reason Scarlett Johansson abandoned her ‘trans role’

[Lostinedinburgh]

Another cracking blog post in the Spectator - from Brendan O'Neill this time.

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/07/the-real-reason-scarlett-johansson-abandoned-her-trans-role/

Final para: Harassing and silencing women is fashionable again, it seems. And just because it is being done in the supposedly progressive name of ‘trans rights’ doesn’t make it any better. It still smacks of misogyny. It still smacks of women being told to know their place, watch their words, and stop assuming they can take any job they want.

Good piece. There are many things Brendan and I wouldn't see eye to eye on, but he's right on the money here.

It was a 21st-century version of a forced public apology for heresy.

Spot on.

Where was the outcry when Eddie Redmayne was cast in The Danish Girl? Or Jeffrey Tambor in Transparent (a load of overindulgent shite)? Hmm, I wonder what the difference could be...

They did whine about Eddie R to be fair, calling it "transface" (irony alert!) but not so aggressively as this.

If they are so upset about a woman taking a transwoman's role then maybe they can now understand why women object to a transwoman taking a woman's place on an all female shortlist.

Fairenuff - couldn't have put it better.

She should just self identify as a trans while she does the role. That should shut them up!

He's right. They're the modern incarnation of Mary Whitehouse.

I think a large part of the reason is that casting Johansson (as a woman) implies audiences see FTMs as women. And that is no doubt a literally violent invalidation of all trans people. But apparently the character wasn't necessarily trans anyway

Fairenuff very well put!

Aww, I can't believe he didn't use my favourite recent film complaint of "there weren't enough BAME or women actors" in... Dunkirk. 🙄

Question is, would chaz bono (literally the only ftt actor I can think of), play the role, or would chaz find it offensive to be asked because there is disagreement over whether the person was ftt or a butch lesbian?

Anyway, how dare they all assume Scarlett's gender. She may identify as a pansexual demiboi for all we know!

1. how do they know what her gender id is
2. thought that the person being played was a lesbian who is being transed along with lots of other lesbians

It seems so,Sardines.

I'm just so confused!

I find this so odd. When I was on Tumblr so many of these young things all over gender identity stuff absolutely loved Lee Pace who’s first film role was in a TV drama of a real life case, playing a TIM (who was murdered, I think, I’ve not actually seen it, much as I love Lee). It’s called Soldier’s Girl and I’ve never seen a single negative comment about him playing that part. It’s a fucking joke when I think about it, given that all the film make up, weight loss and coy looks can’t disguise that he’s 6’5.

If they are so upset about a woman taking a transwoman's role then maybe they can now understand why women object to a transwoman taking a woman's place on an all female shortlist.

No, they can't. Because that thought process would involve logic.
TRAs can't do logic.

Indeed.

There's been lots of criticism of Jeffrey Tambor for doing Transparent and also for the people responsible for casting him in the role.

Well, some TRAs are saying they'd prefer a man to play the role if they couldn't get a trans man.

I don't really understand the logic behind only trans people playing trans roles because taken to it's conclusion it boxes in any trans actors if everyone has to stay in their lane.

Gay male actors in particular have had a really difficult time with being taken seriously for heterosexual, leading man type roles so this seems a step backwards at a time I think we were making some headway against that narrow view (Jonathan Groff in the excellent Mindhunter springs to mind).

I would have thought they would want to be able to take a variety of roles just as any other actor does or is it that they recognise that as too difficult due to issues of passing?

And yet Scarlett Johansson turned down the role and Alison Moyet quit Twitter. The mob who shouts loudest is winning. Women are putting their heads down and being subdued. It's unbelievable that more people aren't standing up and saying this is not acceptable. These are public figures fgs.

Scarlett Johansson was a very odd choice for the role in the first place. Not because of how she may or may not identify but because the role was a biopic and the character she was going to play was either a fat unattractive butch lesbian or a fat unattractive transman depending on your ideological position. I can't imagine Johansson being convincing as either. I understand that she had some sort of production role which presumably is why she was going to take the role, but having looked at the very limited information about the individual the film was going to be based on I thought it was very odd.

Alison Moyet hasn’t quit Twitter

Ihunt

That would make sense if male actors hadn't changed appearance in role. Oh wait ... Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Jared Leto, Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey etc. etc.