Izzard - womanhood not a 'mode'

[Cookingutensil]

That's it. Womanhood is not a 'mode' It's a biological reality - no on and off switch. Nor is it a feeling in a man's head. The sheer arrogance is astonishing.

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11053273/Eddie-Izzard-sports-fresh-platinum-blonde-pixie-cut-pink-mini-dress.html

I'm very disappointed. I thought, from the title, that EI had said that "womanhood was not a mode". Sadly that was not to be.

Can people opt in and out of other protected characteristics as well?

As a middle aged white woman, can I switch to 'black mode' or grab a wheelchair and be in 'disabled mode'

Or would both of those things be highly fucking offensive!

Exactly.

And I have never heard an explanation as to the difference either.

This shit is so offensive to women!

I used to respect Eddie and think that Eddie was funny, brave and individual. Now that Eddie has bought into this whole crappy narrative, I just want Eddie to fuck off with Eddie’s “famous white male” privilege and stop patronising actual women who have to live in the real world under the real patriarchy with the real consequences that that signifies when we can’t just switch into “boy mode” when we want a fucking massive pay rise or not to be sexually assaulted when walking home at night.

Fuck off, Eddie.

Yuck

I’m another one who loved Eddie when he knew he was a transvestite. ‘They’re not women’s clothes, they’re my clothes’.

‘Girl’ mode is really offensive though. Doubly so because he says ‘girl’ rather than ‘woman’. Eddie can wear what the fuck he likes but he is not any sort of woman or girl.

His hair looks much better like this than in that dreadful ponytail but that’s about the only positive thing I can find to say.

I get serious paid acting roles for being male. These roles would not be open to women.

I get media attention and publicity which raises my profile from saying im a woman. This helps me retain my relevance in modern media. My stand up appeal had waned, forcing me to launch my charitable man act which I've peaked on and now looking for an alternative selling point to maintain my celebrity career and mark me out as different.

Having previously made a career in breaking stereotypes, i have a problem when the cultural fashion has switched to reinforcing them. Throughout my career I have had to take things to the extreme otherwise i dont get the attention and career opportunities I desire.

I am fully aware that there aren't career opportunities available for woman in the reversed manner.

A boring woman can only pose as a boring man after all. A woman who gets her tits out is just another woman who gets her tits out. A woman who has an opinion should have her career ended as a threat. And thats great because it gives me more career opportunities at the expense of women.

I am well aware of the superpowers of girl/boy switch. They are good for my bank balance.

Why are we listening to this man tell us what being a woman is all about? He has no fucking idea. His idea of being a woman is nail varnish and dresses and heels.

I think the daily mail are stirring the pot though, as this really does not flatter Eddie in any way.

He's said he doesn't care what pronouns people use, I wonder if the whole "she" thing is more a product of woke activism, he was christened that, rather than asking for it (admittedly he should have had the courage to say no). He's spoken up for JK Rowling, which I say in his slight defence.

I too miss the Eddie who pushed the boundaries of what it was to be a man.

Is Eddie still aspiring to be a Labour MP? Would Eddie make use of an all-woman shortlist to do so? If Boy Mode and Girl Mode are just costumes or vibes, why the need for fake tits? So many questions!

Good old Daily Mail highlighting the madness while dutifully respecting the girl mode pronouns.

If Eddie wanted to attend a women's rape crisis group would he only do it in girl mode? Or would girl mode not be necessary as he identifies as trans?

Eddie is helping to highlight the madness. I always thought she was clever.

He's said he doesn't care what pronouns people use, I wonder if the whole "she" thing is more a product of woke activism, he was christened that, rather than asking for it (admittedly he should have had the courage to say no).

Why do women relentlessly try to give these men the benefit of the doubt?

This should be an object lesson to all the women who say "wear what you want"

I think I understand what you’re saying, but what’s the alternative here? Telling people what they can and can’t wear?

People really can wear whatever they want. And the rest of us can draw our own conclusions about the character of that person and their motivations for dressing as they do.

Maybe that’s what you meant. I don’t always understand people’s tone on message boards!

They are taking the piss. They know that words like "sporting a fresh platinum blonde pixie cut after previously rocking a ponytail" will be completely undermined by the pictures of Izzard looking ridiculous. But no one can accuse them of being transphobic because they don't actually say he is ridiculous.

Anyone else remember his routine about the Circle of Cool - that looking like an idiot and looking really cool were right next to each other and it was easy to slide from one to the other?

"He's spoken up for JK Rowling"

That's interesting, I will forgive him some stuff if he's put his neck in the JK Rowling guillotine. The trouble is it's the kids who are in this up to their eyeballs, so we need young celebrities to have the scales fall from their eyes and speak out, but they won't, they've too much to lose.

I note that Izzard is careful to be self-deprecating about performing male roles in dramas, calling it 'boring mode'.
Is that because he doesn't want people to think too hard about the implications of if he were to go for female roles – fewer roles, less interesting ones, and less money?

He's a fucking disgrace.

@DessicatedWithering I remember that. ‘Cool, cool, hip and groovy…looking like a dickhead’. Was very funny. And now ironic.

How does he know?

Absolutely.

Along the lines of The Man Who Has It All on FB, when you switch the tropes - to talk about men the way we (society) talk about women - we see it for the infantilising and patronising nonsense it is.

Why do women relentlessly try to give these men the benefit of the doubt?

Why indeed Tinsel, when it can plainly be seen who they are.

They're fucking shameless.

Maybe that’s what you meant. I don’t always understand people’s tone on message boards!

Sorry what I meant is that all the women who wish to display their support for gender non conforming behaviour, by saying "wear what you want men, just don't say you're a woman", often say this as part of an attempt to show that its appropriating womanhood and using our spaces that they object to, whereas GNC clothing / behaviour is something to be encouraged.

The problem with this is that it relies on an extremely naive view of what motivates men to wear women's clothing. AGPs are sly and will tell you "they're not women's clothes they're my clothes etc" whilst all the while really having a sexual motivation for doing so.

This leads to women who are directly involved in this (eg trans widows) having their very real concerns minimised by other women.

I wrote more about this here if anybody is really interested:

www.womenarehuman.com/these-chains-that-have-no-name-interview-with-trans-widows-voices/

Why is wearing a dress the symbol of 'woman mode'? Why not doing the emotional labour?

This. He rocked my world 20 years ago. Bold, funny, intelligent and I loved the phrase 'these aren't women's clothes, they're my clothes'.

Increasing the bandwidth of man now seems to be 'this dress makes me a woman'. He can fuck off. Such a disappointment