Elliot Page undergoes “lifesaving” “top surgery”

[OnWednesdaysWeWearMink]

BBC R1 news beat has just reported that Elliot page has undergone “life saving” “top surgery”.

Here is the related web article: www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57239448

This reporting perpetuates the narrative that people will commit suicide if they don’t get the right sort of treatment. I find it deeply irresponsible. Does anyone know if Samaritans are tackling this sort of coverage in their media guidelines? I’d hope work is going on behind the scenes as they are a fantastic charity. (I assume they are not captured?)

A double mastectomy is usually lifesaving when it comes to breast cancer... so I find calling an elective cosmetic procedure lifesaving pretty insulting. But that’s just me being petty and not the main point.

For people joining this thread, the BBC online article (originally) had the headline that the surgery was "lifesaving". They've changed it now.

The Newsbeat radio report also said similar, which is where the OP heard it.

Another poster has explained that the reporting should have more accurately portrayed the "lifesaving" were EP's words.

Lots of posters have explained why the original headline was problematic.

The BBC website have changed the headline now, so they were in agreement that it was irresponsible/inappropriate reporting.

I'm not familiar with Elliott Page but it appears he's Canadian so he wouldn't have been having the breast surgery on our NHS. He robably went privI think this is done more than we realise. Men can have breast cancer, Richard Rowntree did and had the male version of double mastectomy - and recovered!

Ellliott looks very young, younger than 34, and rather feminine. His scars are neat and healing nicely and he is obviously more confident without man boobs.

What is the problem here? We can't measure somebody else's unhappiness by our own experiences, each is unique. His op hasn't cost us anything, good luck to him.

Oh to answer your question OP no the Samaritans aren’t helping people as they are badly underfunded. There’s more and more cases of people and suicide thanks different reasons not being able to get surgery is definitely one. body dysmorphia and gender dysmorphia are real and badly effect and change people.

@Leafstamp

For people joining this thread, the BBC online article (originally) had the headline that the surgery was "lifesaving". They've changed it now.

The Newsbeat radio report also said similar, which is where the OP heard it.

Another poster has explained that the reporting should have more accurately portrayed the "lifesaving" were EP's words.

Lots of posters have explained why the original headline was problematic.

The BBC website have changed the headline now, so they were in agreement that it was irresponsible/inappropriate reporting.

You can see 'life-saving' on my screen shot

@Maggiesfarm If you read the full thread, you will see what the problem is.

The term top surgery shouldn’t be used. This is highly euphemistic. We need to call it a double mastectomy so that we always keep in mind that people are surgically mutilating healthy bodies.

Agree. There's a surgeon that calls it ''teetus deletus'' and ''yeet the teet''. Trying to make serious surgery all twee and cute, it turns my stomach.

Who is that kind of language aimed at? Not mature adults, because any adult would likely run a thousand miles in the opposite fucking direction if they heard their surgeon talking like a tumblr teenager

What is the problem here? We can't measure somebody else's unhappiness by our own experiences, each is unique. His op hasn't cost us anything, good luck to him

The financial cost isn't what the problem here. It's the irresponsible reporting and in turn, the cost to young women /girls by normalising extreme surgery as 'life saving' that's the problem.

This all, once again, feeds into the narrative that being suicidal is part of being transgender. That the two are inextricably linked. This is a horrifically dangerous message to send to young people.

People like Jameela Fucking Jamil, who spend their lives talking about how young women shouldn't get surgery to make themselves feel better, crowing about how great this is, that a young woman has had a double mastectomy of their perfectly healthy breasts.

And yes, if Elliott was still Ellen then those same nipples would be banned from Instagram and those same hairy armpits would be a source of ridicule.

@ArabellaScott

the attitudes displayed by many of the posters here make it clear why trans/gender diverse individuals might experience anxiety/depression/etc- all mental health conditions which DO have an increased suicide risk.

You are accusing posters here of displaying attitudes that risk increasing suicidality? That's an utterly appalling thing to say.

It is entirely accurate. It is obviously true.

There's a surgeon that calls it ''teetus deletus'' and ''yeet the teet''.

Yeet the teet? My 9 year old uses the word Yeet!

It is entirely accurate. It is obviously true.

Could you expand on this please?

It's so weird that women who come out as trans need 'life saving" extreme surgery almost immediately while men who come out as trans don't seem to feel the need to do that. Why is that I wonder?

Good for him, and I am glad he is happy, and he looks great.

However @OnWednesdaysWeWearMink I agree with you. Calling it 'lifesaving' is a bit much!

I hope Elliot has really good professional and genuine personal support for the days that it’s not all insta perfect while being in the public eye. A lot of pressure to live up to.

@yourhairiswinterfire

The term top surgery shouldn’t be used. This is highly euphemistic. We need to call it a double mastectomy so that we always keep in mind that people are surgically mutilating healthy bodies.

Agree. There's a surgeon that calls it ''teetus deletus'' and ''yeet the teet''. Trying to make serious surgery all twee and cute, it turns my stomach.

Who is that kind of language aimed at? Not mature adults, because any adult would likely run a thousand miles in the opposite fucking direction if they heard their surgeon talking like a tumblr teenager

Yes, and that whole 'top surgery', 'bottom surgery' language: this is practically 'front bottom' level infantilising of a course of action that will make them medical patients for life, cutesy euphemisms that seem designed to appeal specifically to those too young to fully appreciate what it is they're embarking on.

@Letsgetreadytocrumble

There's a surgeon that calls it ''teetus deletus'' and ''yeet the teet''.

Yeet the teet? My 9 year old uses the word Yeet!

Yup. She's on TikTok

The surgeon posted a selfie of her sad face with the text ''Just realized I only get to yeet 4 teets next week''.

twitter.com/HormoneHangover/status/1360596992427249667

It is entirely accurate. It is obviously true.

No it isn't. Don't be ridiculous.

And 'yeet the teets' - breasts being described in dehumanising, farm animal language, like women are sows in a farrowing crate.

Thank you rubber and leaf. Oooh, that sounds weird! Anyway, I get it now. He is a transman.

I agree about it being fashionable right now to undergo gender reassignment and I disagree strongly with children & teenagers being allowed to make such life changing decisions when they may change their minds later. Funnily enough I do know someone in Canada who has talked to me about this trend, and it is definitely more prominent out there. I'll be very glad when it is no longer fashionable.

The whole thing makes me feel sad, and for some reason a bit anxious, but that's my problem.

However, Elliott is in his thirties. He is old enough to make choices. I'm sorry he was unhappy as a woman, which of course he still is biologically, but it's done and all we onlookers can do is hope he continues to be as pleased as he is at the moment.

It's not really anyone else's business and it isn't as if he somehow jumped a waiting list queue. Is there a queue over here for cancer patients needing mastectomy? I know services have been disrupted but there have still been admissions and operations. Not really relevant because Elliot isn't here, and he has had his surgery.

Rubberplants

"Because it's a trend. A dangerous trend where young people are believing that their bodies are 'wrong' and are cutting bits off to help their heads. Never ever going to work."

And if one person does it in a very public way, intimating that they may have committed suicide without it, then that could cause a chain reaction of more like minded young people, using the same macabre bargaining tools to achieve what they want.
Where does it all end?

@Maggiesfarm

Thank you rubber and leaf. Oooh, that sounds weird! Anyway, I get it now. He is a transman.

I agree about it being fashionable right now to undergo gender reassignment and I disagree strongly with children & teenagers being allowed to make such life changing decisions when they may change their minds later. Funnily enough I do know someone in Canada who has talked to me about this trend, and it is definitely more prominent out there. I'll be very glad when it is no longer fashionable.

The whole thing makes me feel sad, and for some reason a bit anxious, but that's my problem.

However, Elliott is in his thirties. He is old enough to make choices. I'm sorry he was unhappy as a woman, which of course he still is biologically, but it's done and all we onlookers can do is hope he continues to be as pleased as he is at the moment.

It's not really anyone else's business and it isn't as if he somehow jumped a waiting list queue. Is there a queue over here for cancer patients needing mastectomy? I know services have been disrupted but there have still been admissions and operations. Not really relevant because Elliot isn't here, and he has had his surgery.

This thread is about the responsible reporting of suicidal ideation. If a surgery is described as life saving, the implication is that trans people who do not undergo it will kill themselves. This is what I have a problem with.

EP can do what they like, EP can say what they like... but journalists have training, Samaritans issue lots of great guidelines around suicide reporting, and I think Samaritans should ensure they are giving training around reporting this issue.

I really don’t care about any other issue except making sure no one commits suicide as a result of believing that because they can’t get surgery they are doomed to a life of misery.

He clearly felt like it was. Maybe he used the wrong words in the interview but to him it was what he wanted and needed

Yes, he wanted a double mastectomy. But it was in no sense lifesaving as his life was not in danger at any time.