Baby reindeer anti woman pro trans slant

[NZadultwoman]

Watched the series this weekend and like with so many things happening today I'm struck by what I can't unseen. When you really see the narrative, you see it everywhere! Anyone else notice how the trans woman was painted "innocent" and that the "Martha" character was "guilty". And inferred that the trans woman was more of a woman than the actual woman? In fact, the writer may as well have called her Karen! I tried to confirm whether or not the plot was in line with the "true story". All I could find out was that the writer combined many different experiences to construct the plot. I wouldn't be surprised if the writer capitalized on the popularity of the pro trans anti woman element to help popularize he story. I have to admit I liked the show anyway. And I appreciate it as a reflection of our society. It's a useful looking glass me thinks

I don't think it was at all. The fact she was trans made Gadds character afraid to be publicly with her, lie about his name and unable to have sex with her. Surely this is in fact highlighting that she is different rather than saying she's just the same as any other woman.

Apparently Netflix employed a trans sensitivity reader to make sure that the Teri character was portrayed in the best possible light.

I have no problem with trans characters being portrayed positively.

I do have a problem when so much time and energy was given to ensure that the transwoman is portrayed positively while simultaneously a real live woman is being thrown under the bus in a way that Gadd could have predicted would have led to her getting death threats.

I know what you mean op, many people are using this show to have a pop at women, especially women of the middle aged, overweight variety. Facebook is flooded with comments about how Martha will get away with this because she is a woman and her victim a man, and how women are just as violent and nasty as men etc. Also lots of praise for the actor who played Teri, though I thought their performance was actually the weakest of any of the cast. And yes Teri was absolutely an innocent bystander irl and deserves no ire whatsoever, except those scenes seemingly never happened irl, so in effect she wasn't a bystander at all. Is Martha/Fiona a bit odd, yes it would appear so, is she a violent sex offender, we don't know but its becoming increasingly unlikely, has she been vilified desperately, absolutely yes. I actually enjoyed the show, but I was duped into thinking that
A. Its a true story, and
B. That Gadd and Netflix took pains to disguise Martha's character beyond recognition.

Having watched it, I thought it was odd that the central character is OTOH supposedly timid and unassuming, a gentle sort. Yet OTOH, he can't bring himself to be with a TW unless it's somewhere he won't be known (that's right, isn't it?). Obviously there are other threads in it than that. But I thought that was strange. Especially also as he seems to feel sorry for the Martha character quite a bit. And not in a distant, harsh and pitying "isn't she just a lost cause" kind of way.

I'm not sure what the aim was with Donny at all. I know the focus is on the others but he seemed the strangest one in it.

It's a bit self perpetuating. Trans characters are often a discussion of topic on forums like this and by TRA type spaces. Companies notice the scrutiny so take pains to depict them appropriately. They feed into each other.

I felt it was verging on transphobic tbh. There is a strong implication throughout that he is a closeted gay man and acts up to the "lads" in the pub and humiliates Martha etc to create a smoke screen. I felt this was also apparent during Morgans interview. Gadd has been in trouble for his behaviour towards another trans woman as pp says. That person said Gadd has a 'feitsh'. The whole thing is very grim and there seems stunningly little focus on the fact Gadd has sold his 'rape' story for millions whilst not reporting the rapist and leaving other young men vulnerable to the same abuse.

I actually thought it was interesting that the trans character is portrayed as male and trans - not as 'woman' (unlike Barbie, Queen's Gambit where we're just supposed to take their femaleness at face value).

Agree with a lot of other points about the misogyny. I also thought Gadd gave a poor performance and lacked charisma or character development.

Overall I thought it was quite a cheap and badly made piece of TV redeemed by some good acting (Martha, the TW, the guy who played the predator) and by the writer's honesty about what awful decisions he made. It also could have been half the length. I watched a lot speeded up and it lost nothing.

The show could have done with a mental health reader and a misogyny reader and a libel reader...

Gosh, did you strain a muscle trying to stretch to that conclusion?

I don't see that at all. There's nothing anti-woman about transwomen sometimes being cast in positive innocent roles.

A bit of a big stretch OP.

I found it very interesting in I thought he was using the trans character to explore his sexuality and potential that he was in the closet. The fact he was on a trans specific dating app, but even sadder really was the fact so was she. All the stuff about only meeting her in dark venues so he wouldn't be recognised, then taking drugs to be in public with her then leaving her on the tube (tbh she should have not bothered with him again after that).
And then later that he could only enjoy sex with her by fantasising about a woman.

He's totally fucked up and it did make me think how difficult dating must be if you are trans. But it also had a lot of undertones of what does it mean to be trans and in a trans relationship anyway?

The whole thing is very grim and there seems stunningly little focus on the fact Gadd has sold his 'rape' story for millions whilst not reporting the rapist and leaving other young men vulnerable to the same abuse.

These sorts of criticisms are often levelled at women who refuse to report. Knowing how unlikely it is to get a conviction in a case like this and knowing that there will be many people who will accuse you of making false accusations, it’s pretty understandable when people don’t report isn’t it?

I actually thought his discussion on whether sexuality is influenced by trauma or whether it unlocked it, really interesting.

What would make a man deliberately seek out a trans woman partner, is it trauma, fetishisation? I don't think that was presented in a way that had tw as superior to other women, it was a consequence of his assault that his sexuality was all over the place.

It's incredibly sad for the TW who are essentially effeminate gay men, being completely honest on dating sites, not transgressing female boundaries that they have partners on TV wondering why they are attracted to them. I'm glad she was portrayed well.

I appreciate the new info. Rather satisfying when your interpretation gets some confirmation!!!

Agree!

I feel really conflicted about this because creative people understandably want to include their own experiences in their art. Whether that is straightforward biography or something loosely inspired. They should have the right to do this and in particular tell complicated, often morally grey stories about difficult but real issues. Its always been like that. But then, anyone telling their own story is also telling other people's story. Either you are clear about who the other people actually are (and risk defamation laws) or you aren't (and risk innocent people, anyone in your own orbit being accused). At one end of the scale you have something that is as accurate as possible and has been scoured by lawyers. At the other outright lies/fantasy. And in between what Gadd referred to as something that was "emotionally true to him". But that wasn't a defence for Amber Heard who also didn't outright name her alleged abuser (it was just really obvious who she meant), and might also have considered what she said "emotionally true" (ie not true). So I don't know where the exact line should be.

Its nothing new and I think historically men have gotten away with more than women (e.g. Truman Capote writing about his friends, Scott Fitzgerald using his relationship with his wife for his stories but getting really angry when she wrote about her experiences because she was stepping on his territory, Picasso's really appalling treatment of his "muses"). Leonard Cohen wrote extensively about his relationships which was fine. But Taylor Swift is criticised for "just writing about her exes". But its much worse for everyone now because its so easy to find out information on the internet or spread rumours/speculation based on gossip.

But I think artistically what Gadd did has value and he was clearly trying to convey his own trauma and his own often flawed responses. How do you do that without dragging other real people in?

@anothernamitynamenamechange I absolutely agree that creative people should be able to convey their trauma. But I think you are being far too kind to Gadd if you think that's all he's doing here.

The more evidence that comes out, the more it looks like he wasn't traumatised by meeting the Martha character at all. He's admitted that she was never violent. It's hugely questionable that he completely invented scenes where she sexually abused him and beat up his trans partner, then he pretended it was a true story.

Was he a deeply traumatised man who had huge empathy for a mentally ill woman but expressed it in an 'often flawed way'?

Or is he a sociopath with a history of using women (like his bereaved ex girlfriend and her vulnerable mother) who spotted a mentally ill woman and thought he could exploit her for his desperate desire for fame?

Please do not erase trans people.

Terri is a transwoman.

Dont be so bloody ridiculous.