Serious official criticism of Butterfly

[Charliethefeminist]

link

I have an issue with my login so good luck with the link. You might only get the headline.

This is serious journalism by Andrew Gilligan.

The Mail has 2 pages of stunning and brave.
But Christopher Stevens review goes When I was a boy I wanted to be a lion. He says the dad is a bullying chauvanist and calls the child ruthlessly manipulative etc.

Oddly the self harm incident in the program was actually a reaction to their Mum going on a date with someone new and thus stopping the possibility of the family getting back together = nothing to do with her being trans - I think Andrew and GIDs acted without watching the program. It was a really interesting sequence about how desperate Maxine was to have her family back together something a lot of children in broken families go through.

I suppose I'm being ridiculously optimistic to suggest that there might actually be a more critical narrative running beneath the storyline? That in episode 3 the child is going to suddenly realise that being a girl isn't going to bring his family back together and he doesn't need drugs to wear the clothes he likes?

I'm not sure I'm a younger parent, but in this house, self harm is dealt with very undramatically, with matter of fact cleaning and dressing of wounds, a cup of tea and a biscuit which probably would have been forthcoming anyway, and a reconcerted effort to check security measures on risky items used. I've no idea what the best way to deal with it is, but we don't do big screamy dramas and we don't say it's acceptable. And it never wins any argument.

I suppose I'm being ridiculously optimistic to suggest that there might actually be a more critical narrative running beneath the storyline?

I wish, but I doubt it. The whole thing is a promotion piece for Mermaids.

Thingybob:
Genuine question to younger parents, is that how self harm is dealt with these days? Is there never any anger, disapproval or disappointment shown? Are things like selfishness or stupidity never mentioned? Is the 'victim' rewarded in such a way that they identify with, and enjoy their victim status?

Ummm wow. NO nobody's selfishness or stupidity is mentioned because that is cruel, ignorant and unhelpful.

But the advice is not to ‘celebrate’ or even to pay much attention to it beyond making sure the injuries are minor, and attended to. Children self harm for many reasons, but for many it’s something they do to release the pressure they feel. By the sounds of it, this ridiculous and dangerous programme didn’t deal with the issue responsibly. At all.

I think Andrew and GIDs acted without watching the program

Using the line ‘I want a happy daughter, not a dead son’ explicitly relates being trans to suicide (not just self harm) and the link has been made repeatedly by mermaids.

Genuine question to younger parents, is that how self harm is dealt with these days? Is there never any anger, disapproval or disappointment shown? Are things like selfishness or stupidity never mentioned? Is the 'victim' rewarded in such a way that they identify with, and enjoy their victim status?

Nothing to do with being a younger parent (I am 45), but blaming, disapproving, anger etc is in no way how you deal with self harm unless you want to seriously fuck up your already upset/struggling child.

In my dd's (asd/anxiety/spd) case she self harms because she feels useless, worthless, ugly, scared, anxious, out of control, numb ... if I added any of what you are proposing to that, her self harm would get worse and she would do it in secret with good knows what consequences.

She isn't a victim, and she doesn't enjoy it AT ALL. Most of the times she doesn't even realise she is doing it (meltdowns lead to unpredictable behaviour)

Your post is ignorant beyond belief.

Oddly the self harm incident in the program was actually a reaction to their Mum going on a date with someone new and thus stopping the possibility of the family getting back together = nothing to do with her being trans - I think Andrew and GIDs acted without watching the program. It was a really interesting sequence about how desperate Maxine was to have her family back together something a lot of children in broken families go through.

Because of course, it's responsible broadcasting to tell distressed children that suicide threats and attempts will enable them to control their environment.

JFC.

Why have the Samaritans not complained? Even if they're 100 pro transing children you'd think that they'd point out that airing programs in which a child slashes their wrists to try to stop mum going on a date is incredibly irresponsible.

If anyone's inclined to tweet the samaritans with their views, it would be a productive thing to do.

I think I’ll be writing to the Samaritans today. This is not right.

Why have the Samaritans not complained

I have wondered this too. I suspect there are a fair amount of transwomen working with Sam's eg www.samaritans.org/volunteer-us/who-are-samaritans-volunteers/volunteer-story-bobbi and because Sams are trained to be non-judgemental I suspect that makes them more susceptible to the cult.

How do we know that Samaritans haven't complained to Ofcom? They may have done so already, or they may be waiting for the rest of the series to see if it becomes more balanced.
In any case we should all be making our own reasoned complaints. It's easy to do on the Ofcom website.

The Samaritans should be pointing out how the depiction of attempted suicide goes against all their media guidelines.

The fact this is a program about trans issues is irrelevant, any TV show that features a young child doing this and potentially could be watched by other children should be called out for it.

I increasingly believe that this program poses serious risk to vulnerable children.

ITV are being complicit and negligent to this risk.

The program should be pulled, it is breaking all the rules.

The trouble is it will inevitably still find its way out there so the best case scenario would be a public statement from the relevant bodies and apology with links to GIDS and transgendertrend. This is some form of state sanctioned child abuse. The Times article quoting the NHS should have been solid enough to prompt a clarification at the very least!

www.allabouttrans.org.uk/tips-for-journalists-covering-itvs-butterfly/

The lies being perpetuated here are appalling.

How to describe “blockers” and other info

Puberty blockers are fully reversible medication which puts a pause on puberty, and is only prescribed following assessment and after early puberty has begun.
They have been used since the 1970s to treat precocious puberty and prescribed to transgender children since the 1990s.

Lisa Muggeridge (Social Worker)

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=BzNkajNaal4

Anyone with ideas or have contacts at GIDS, Ofcom, Social Work. The Times and Spectator are trying, what else do they need to make more noise?

Old style BBC would have jumped on that and made ITV pay but new style BBC doesn't give a damn about anything.

And why is every single news outlet raving about this, how is that possible? Why the borg approach?

Would channel 4 news do an investigation?

How fast do ofcom act?

Was it discussed in AIBU?

Rowan I think there was a thread in Telly Addicts

I have written to Samaritans, will see if I get any response

I wrote to Samaritans also. Its a kind of personal matter for me as a child in my family attempted suicide after watching that 13 reasons why, where they (again) glamorized suicide and made out it was a great way to get 'revenge' on people. This time they are making out that its a great way to get your own way. Irresponsible as fuck.

This was the reply

--

Hello and thank you for your email.

You clearly feel very strongly about the issues raised in the show 'Butterfly' and have already lodged a complaint with Ofcom about it. Unfortunately I am unaware of any other organisations that would be able to help you with further complaints.

However Samaritans are here to offer emotional support if you would like to share your feelings with us in the future.

--

Basically, fuck off its nowt to do with us.

I have complained about a couple of shows now that do this. This is nothing at all to do with the trans thing but because of the way they have put across suicide attampts as an acceptable solution to problems, a solution that will get you your own way. Not surprising from Mermaids mind, but its fucking disgusting. I hope there are no kids/teens watching this nonsense.

That's bloody disgraceful.