SNL and my lack of surprise
GLAAD has begun making noise about Saturday Night Live’s deeply transphobic “Estro-Maxx” sketch broadcast on January 29th. The sketch, if you haven’t seen it, is below (though I honestly can’t think of any reason to watch it if you haven’t already – it’s the typical transmisogynist “men in dresses” trope):
Since its airing I’ve seen many people state their shock and surprise that SNL would show something so offensive. I can’t help but think that is missing the point, however, and I wasn’t surprised at all. This kind of “humour” is directed at trans women all the time (men in dresses and cis people vomiting after having sex with a trans woman are two of the more popular punchlines). It is always clearly rooted in cultural hatred of trans identity, and its intent is always meant to ridicule, dehumanize, and assert cis narratives of transness over the lived experience of trans people. There’s nothing to be surprised about here, because this is the dominant portrayal of trans women in the media.
I suppose the GLAAD petition might make a few people think a bit more deeply about why the sketch was transphobic, but the cultural conversation that needs to happen is about themes and hatred that run much deeper than what the staff writers at SNL think is funny.
I am surprised that GLAAD bothered to weigh in at all. SNL has a long history of transmisogyny. The hateful rhetoric directed towards trans Women continues to be an area where “progressives” within and outside the queer community can’t seem to reconcile.
Wow. I should have taken your advice and not watched that. Fucking shocking.
The world amazes me, one Sarah Palin at a time….
I hardly ever watch SNL, but tuned in for Nicki Minaj, and was watching this in horror, assuming that bad as it was, there was going to at least be some punchline beyond “hurr, mens in dresses!” but they didn’t even. The actual punchline was the existence of trans women.