Me too. No knowledge. I was born in 1950, and in 1956 or thereabouts I was going to sleep wishing I would be changed while sleeping. For decades I hid because I had nothing to go on. I didn't fit. It wasn't until the internet was born that I realized I was one of millions. In 1996 I jumped to my truth. I will be 75 in May. I'm proud of what I have done in life and for my community. I will always be proud of us Disney or not.
Well done for resisting the toxic mainstream and having the courage to live your truth to the fullest! Stories like this are so important because people such as yourself do exist, and they deserve rights and dignity like everyone else. Stay hard and never let anyone make you feel less than you are.❤
Having watched Squid Game 2, I think she is one of the best representations I've ever seen in media. She was written extremely well, portrayed extremely well and became my favorite character.
@@versia2565the casting was due to the prejudice and ‘blacklisting’ an actual trans actor would get in the korean industry if they played a trans role openly :(
I shouldn't have even clicked this video bc seeing her in the thumbnail pissed me off so badly. She is the BEST trans representation ive seen in a long time. Seriously so, so important how front-and-center she is. Squid Game 2 is the most explicitly anticapitalist, extreme leftist media ive seen be so popular worldwide since Parasite. And it's a lot more blunt and unignorable than Parasite. And a powerful, surpemely well written trans woman has a strong role at the front of the cast. The backlash I've seen from some ppl in the trans communtiy against squid game has reeked of opinions ignorant of Korea's situation. Particularly how easy it is for the Korean audience to ignore any trans character if they arent korean, look entirely cis, or are written badly. All of which squid game avoided. I'm glad that trans people are getting representation even when they don't pass. I think its MORE important, *especially* for Korea where trans healthcare is lackluster. I am a trans woman, i dont pass. I have very rarely seen passing trans characters that make me feel representes. And squid game is so absurdly, overtly political, it truly would be a slap in the face to the trans community to cast a ciswoman in the role. Particularly the Korean trans community.
It's too late. Disney may have removed the scenes that point to her trans identity, but now that everyone knows, it'll forever be head-canon. I think it could be fun to make a huge online fan art movement to fix this or even change the wiki for the character? They can't control everything.
This might be one of the best ways we can fight these huge ass companies. I know I will never give any money to disney through any channel, but that won't matter at all and wouldn't matter even if I could convince thousands of other people do the same since others will happily pay for Walt's Magic Bullshit. But subversion can be very powerful and disney's massive cultural presence can only boost subversive takes.
4:28 Also, I heard rumors of inside discussions in Disney, where the executives in their “infinite” wisdom wrote off their recent failures as because of “inclusive” characters. So Disney being Disney the executives reportedly wish to just backpedal. It’s honestly sad cause this sounds like a great opportunity, but unfortunately Disney finds it easy to relate that to their problems, instead the possibility they had previously made bad stories. We truly need not just more trans representation, but good trans representation.
Disney lost millions because of how woke they got. That's actually a fact. They had to change their methods or Disney would have gone out of business. Because the majority of their customers aren't interested in gender politics and other woke ideology.
Because the way they added those "inclusive" characters rarely added anything to the material, they were there just to pander to a tiny % of people. Most people wouldn't mind a diverse cast, if the characters and story and dialogue were all high quality. But "DEI" was just seen as a bandaid to slap on sub-par products hoping to get people on board, rather than fixing those products.
@@Nick-hi9gx , it infuriates me how people never suggest or conclude that a show or movie failed because its cishet white normie character was too generic and was only created to pander to cishet white normies, but the fate of minority representation as we know it inevitably rests in the hands of every new piece of media that includes even a single minority character or "woke" theme, and said media has to be Citizen Kane in order to escape scrutiny.
I do feel disappointed that she was portrayed by a cis man, but i will say that i appreciate that she isnt the "ugly manly trans woman" stereotype that is so common everywhere, she is so pretty and so normal looking, its really nice
there are no openly trans female actors in the korean acting industry. they're all afraid to come out because korean society is so....like that. the fact that they even had this role in the first place is a very brave move from a korean producer in a korean series.
They looked for a trans actress however, due to massive prejudice in Korea towards trans people, they could not find an actress for the role. A cis man was the next best thing
As a trans person, i actually dont really care that they were portrayed by a cis person, i dont even see the problem with it because it was done so in good faith, obviously so too, and yeah, if they made this character ugly on purpose it would have been in bad faith
With the girl in squid games I feel the issue with hiring a trans actor is the backlash the actor would have received, T.O.P the guy who played Thanos used to be in a kpop group bigbang and was kicked out ages ago for smoking weed and even now after squid games came out the korean public hate him, they’re bluring his face and bullying him, so I doubt if they found an actual korean trans actor it would have gone much better then that, I think casting the guy who played her was the best option for the safety of the potential trans korean actor that they wanted to cast (thats worded weirdly ykwim idk how to word that better)
20:00 I think it's worded that way because technically it probably would have been possible to find a trans actress, but probably either not at the level, or not one from Korea. Like you definitely could find a Korean trans actress somewhere on this world, but it probably wouldn't have worked out. Because maybe she then doesn't speak Korean well enough or isn't a good enough actress or something like that. I think they went for this solution, not necessarily because they gave up but also to make sure that there isn't a compromise in the series just for casting a trans woman. It would have been great if she was acted by a trans woman, but I think it worked out well enough that I think it was the correct choice.
Totally! I also read it more like a "hard to find a talented trans korean actress", more than a trans actress in general, and you have to take into account time constraints and release dates as you're taking the time to cast someone for the role. I think the actor they ended up casting did a perfect job, and it really seems like the director was very much intent on casting a genuine trans woman, which I hope can be made possible as the show casts light on transgender identities to Korea and the rest of the world. So while the casting could be better, there's definitely a lot of respect towards writing player 120, and I think her implementation into the show could do a lot of good towards trans acceptance being the norm within media instead of transphobic jokes.
It also speaks to how it may be harder for transwomen to get into the acting field or for them to exist and be out as trans in the first place. There are barriers that still exist that make the acting field inaccessible because of the wider culture
As a trans person, watching the 2nd season of Squid Game and seeing a trans character honestly gave me indescribable relief. When I first saw her, I had some doubts that it was just a popular show trying to capitalize on a minority, but knowing the creator went out of his way in a country where trans people are highly looked down upon to not only look for a trans actor but to include a trans character gives me the feeling that we’re making real progress :3
I LOVED player 120 so bad, she was such a good representation and a very good character, and had a rly heartwarming relationship with the older woman, the transphobia she faced was such a good showing of realistic day to day transphobia and social isolation that can come with being trans in a non accepting society (minor spoilers after this!!) Seeing the older woman warm up to her and begin to accept her transness despite being transphobic and uneducated in the beginning was so adorable and sweet 😭😭 it made me so happy
Dude, seeing transphobia being this casual "why is a guy dressing like a girl" instead of what seems to be the usual over the top "SHE HAS A PUNIS" thing... It felt refreshing to see such an amazing portrayal of ACTUAL discrimination
As a semi-out nonbinary person myself, I think it's also important to remember there is room for some nuance in regards to casting choices as they relate to LGBT+ issues. Just because an actor seems (or even claims) to be cis/straight doesn't mean they're not closeted, or even working through some questioning feelings or deep empathy. I only realized I was queer because I started exploring the idea of it in my writing. (I think about actors like Kit Connor, who was forced to come out before he was ready to because of all the flack he was getting for portraying a bi character as a "straight" actor.) So, yeah. I'm willing to give a bit more grace to casting choices like this, especially when it's possible some of the actors in question COULD be closeted in some way.
This view doesn't really make any sense. You shouldn't pressure people to out themselves but that is a separate issue entirely from portraying something that you are not. When it comes to trans people, it isn't just a problem that cis people are playing them, it's that no trans people are playing them at all. If the only portrayals people can see of trans women are cis men, it promotes a minstrel-like perception of them. If there's an abundance of trans actors in trans roles, then having some femboy playing a trans woman in the occasional role would be no big deal.
The director just couldn't find anyone who was openly trans. Korea is SUPER transphobic and so finding someone who was willing to act and NOT get hate crimed is pretty hard
As a queer person, obviously it's nice to connect to the actor behind a character sometimes but I do feel like sometimes online queer people forget that actors are, in fact, acting and not _every_ role needs to be played by someone with a 1:1 identity.
I wouldn't be surprised if the director of squid games really couldn't find anyone. Especially since he was very much looking for someone who was less "stealth" to properly portray the character like it's done in the show. To my mind I know only 1 openly gay Big Korean celebrity. The social conservatism is on a level that most Westerners would not be able to grasp. Unfortunately cis-straight celebrities take their lives there all the time and for the smallest slights that here would barely make the news. So for a trans person to step up? I just don't see that happening As for getting an American...uhh not going to lie you can usually tell when someone isn't 'native'. Of course for non-korean people no one would notice but i'm sure it would've taken korean audiences out of the story. ie selena gomez' recent role in a Emilia Perez where her every word feels like nails on chalkboard to a native speaker. Then to do find someone, do all the language training...it probably wasn't feasible. of course that's just my speculation
Yes. You are spot-on. See my comment after you. TOP who plays Thanos actually tried to commit suicide in 2016 due to the public scrutiny he experienced simply for getting caught with marijuana and a vape - both illegal in Korea.
Someone on the team said the casting companies over there just dont want to work with trans actors/actresses. I think its cool that despite all the challenges, they stuck to their guns and told her story.
Excellent discussion. Disney is a good one to start with. Disney lost tons of money with their show Acolyte. There was a trans actress in one scene. There were two witches which were in a lesbian relationship and one of the characters seemed to be LGBT questioning. They even had a pronoun controversy from one scene. As you can imagine the lonely bros that inhabit the Star Wars fandom tore the show to shreds in their videos, they review bombed the show to hell, and reminded some of the more levelheaded but easily influenced people that watched the show that they’re also deep down inside uncomfortable with space lesbians, etc. They also heard their deep dark thoughts replicated in the comments section of videos over and over. There’s so much hate and fear out there. Disney used to try to half assedly sprinkle new ideas into star wars but they have been getting backlash for it since the second sequel movie. They never handled the situation appropriately or with a solid plan and did not fend off attacks well. You bet the right wingers took advantage of that. Disney was pretty clueless. I’m just saying what I’ve seen in the Star Wars realm and I’m sure other fandoms have experienced this too. On to a very difficult topic for me. One of the reasons I questioned my gender early on was sports. My father made me join baseball and basketball teams since elementary school. I never wanted to play the reindeer games and prove myself to mean boys that were really cruel to me and boys with even less athletic skills. I never wanted to follow anyone that was cruel and knew very little about things that were not stereotypically boyish. If anything, sports made me see the dark side of competitiveness and the nature of this country’s arrogant ethos. The need to compete to be the perfect “boy” which was socially imposed on me made me realize I was not where nature intended me to be. I have very mixed feelings about the sports narrative. Competitive sports aren’t a good thing in my opinion. I realize however that people have different perspectives. Mine is rare and unique. They have my sympathy for their courage and determination but I’m really not interested in the sports narrative. Sports tends to recruit people with the worst characteristics anyway. You will end up trying to change the most conservative and Darwinist people around. It doesn’t make sense to me. Sports has ties to extreme nationalism and tribalism too. Just my opinion that’s all.
Acolyte was a mess entirely apart from right wing backlash. For £17.5m per episode (!) they managed neither a captivating story nor good setups. When the barely written villain is the best and most memorable character, you have a problem. Inclusion was quite possibly the only part of Acolyte they did right.
Acolyte had problems yes but I disagree with you. Qmir was an excellent character and the story had potential. Heck I was also a great character and so was Sol. The lightsaber battles were exceptional. Two of the episodes were directed by a very talented and scant grade director. I don’t know why you think I had a problem with inclusion. I definitely do not think they are doing things right in the sense that they did not defend characters that were attacked very well as if they didn’t expect backlash but star wars is the right wing of sci fi and it’s full of hate content lonely bros. It’s important that they added LGBT characters and added different ethnic groups and it’s good they did in spite of backlash. If you do not think the smear campaign influenced many fans you’re gravely mistaken. Before this show only one movie from the sequels had an LGBT scene which is very hard to miss. Then one day you have a main character that flirts with another of the same gender, two lesbian women and the use of pronouns in one scene that raised eyebrows. It was a daring show in many ways and I respect it with all its serious flaws over Mandalorian which took two popular characters out the toolkit and repurposed them to ensure a successful show. I’m referring you to tapping into the yoda and Boba fett cults. They took no risks but Acolyte did. Did they make a perfect product? No. But they pushed against the current “cultural tipping point” and you have to give them that.
I really enjoyed the trans character in squid game 2 and felt it was definitely an adequate portrayal but of course would have preferred to see a trans actress. Still, it didn't ruin the season for me at all - that character was just done well enough that I still enjoyed watching her and rooting for her.
English being a secind language for the creator i have no issues with how he described the outcome of the search. The use of thar one word does change the intent ofvthe statement BUT as I note having English as a second language a slip like that could be quite natural.
@@LeahPassaniti Definitely unfortunate. But so glad that he did include the character. I was going to watch anyway, but now really keen to watch. Re Disney, they disappoint. I grew up watching disney productions that were about acceptance and kindness and differences. All I can do is cancel my subscription and I am a massive Doctor Who and Orville fan! I wish that I had had the exposure to trans people in my youth. I would have understood more about who I really was back then, not the mask that had to wear.
From the outside it look like Hwang Dong-hyuk want to sink his own ship by casting a controversial rapper as one of the show's villain to introduced a trans character to a local audience that might not be open to it but it work Without spoiling Hyun-Ju's a very interesting and complex character that has very interesting, complex and often endearing relationships with the other character especially her teammates. I honestly think they might not have been able to do as much with the character if they would have flown-in some trans actress from let's say Thailand that wouldn't have been as fluent in Korean than a native from the place so casting a cis male (cuz the character was in early transition) was truly the next best thing to give the character the depth that we got. Plus there's that other character I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up as trans (if they survive) but at the very least kinda subvert gender norms to an extend and also have an interesting arc. Disney should take note if they want to be less weak and pathetic.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I am so excited and happy that they did the representation well C: it's really awesome that the director took such a risk
Wait??? What (other) character do you think from Squid Game is trans??? I have a guess too, but I've never heard anyone say this, so I'm intrigued by this theory.
@@egg_bun_ Dae-Ho (the marine with PTSD), he's got soft feature that whisper skin care, long enough hair to make a bun and is better at playing a girl's game than staging a coup. As i say, maybe not a trans woman but surely gender non-conforming.
This channel has helped me immensely..staying up to date with what’s actually happening with things that can help me and my community and helping me feel comfortable as a person..thank you
I feel like “near-impossible” means that if they had infinite time and money it would be possible, but the fact that the season was full written/cast/produced in just ~2 years, and the fact that the trans character wasn’t the complete central focus of the show meant that diverting more resources to the task of casting that one character would have done far more harm to the rest of the production
20:14 I think that the part a little bit before and during this timestamp is being a bit hard on them. Something you always have to keep in mind when viewing statements from people who don't speak English or do but have never lived in an English speaking country is that: When you are speaking a foreign language (or translating to one) you don't always have the cultural context to know what you're implying or how to imply something. That is a HUGE factor in interpreting people who speak English as a second language and listening to them should always have that in mind But yes, it would have been nice if they, instead, casted a trans woman for the role, and I hope that, even if it didn't end up that way, they at least tried their best to find someone like that
THE PIXAR THING MAKES ME SO SAD im in... almost the same position as that character, that being that im a trans (well, nonbinary) teenager and that wouldve been really cool to see :( even without the fact it wouldve shown people what being trans is (which is ABSOLUTELY something we need more of) we just barely get any trans representation in media let alone any of people around my age and itd be nice to get. acknowledged as existing yknow
spoilers for squid game s2 i’m really happy about the trans representation in squid game because unlike a lot of other media representation for queer characters, it’s not just thrown in and she immediately dies, but she played a super important role in the show and survived the whole season, while highlighting a lot of trans issues such as dysphoria and cost of surgery as well as what can happen if you come out. her major role was one of the reasons that i really enjoyed the season as well as it just being really good and a great second part to the story.
Thank you for this spoiler. I would have otherwised skipped the second season entirely because what you described is exactly how representation goes in these kinda shows, and that trope ruins stories for me these days. It's dated and speaks strongly to unconscious, unspoken biases that I already have to confront day to day. Not exactly entertaining.
@@Mzzkc What's great about this character is that she's not just great representation but also the best character in season 2. *MORE SPOILERS* for season 2: her introduction is literally risking her life to save a wounded contestant alongside the main character, instantly became my favorite even before speaking a single word.
All of this genuinely hurts. I live in a Christian right leaning family and I’m genuinely terrified of coming out. Trump is making me feel like I’m never going to be able to transition. I don’t need this put on me at all and its pushing me over the edge. My parents would disown me if i came out, and now its hard to be accepted by anyone- My dysphoria is getting worse and worse and worse and this just… sucks.
Its horrible that you are made to feel this way. Yes, Trump being elected sure is not going to help any social issues in this country. But I want you to know that you have millions of people that stand with you and want you to live your true life. I am a 67 year old cis male and I will fight anyway I can to make sure you are able to be who you truly are. It make take a little longer because of Trump but it will happen in the near future. Please Stay positive
I don’t know, I honestly feel like the pressures more likely coming from their relationship with the coming US government, which again makes sense with the timing. It’s in Disney’s interest financially to be on good terms with the government of the country where they’re based and pay taxes (or lack thereof💀). Sadly the capitalists will always happily side with facism when it benefits them, they’ll always drop us the second it’s profitable 😞 unless by international interest you mean us over in the UK in which case maybe lol (guess we can thank Just Kidding Rowling for that and her continued bigoted influence on UK politics😡)
I know I’m not trans, like at all, but here’s something I hope everyone knows here, you’re not bad, and you won’t ever be forgotten, you’re too cool to be forgotten anyway. And also keep fighting, your stories deserve to exist and you deserve to be seen and safe. I wish everyone the best
Hiiii! This is my first time commenting, but I've followed you for a bit now! I live in the US right now (unfortunately), but I'm hoping to dip.. Which you also made a video on lol I just wanted to say thank you for doing all you do, you're iconic and amazing and a light in the darkness we seem to find ourselves in right now~ ♥
@@kuurakuutamo this means so much, thank you for taking the time to type it out ;-; seriously, it means a lot. We will get thru this, we will find a way forward ❤️
I wasn't able to watch Euphoria. It felt like being in a nightmare. I'm glad I experienced no pressure to have sex or use drugs when I was in high school
I got to see the leaked Gatekeeper episode of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur posted online and it made me cry for two reasons, the second one being that it was shelved. I'm glad that my son (afab) lives in California, where he was born. I had to move back to Texas because I can't afford to live in California anymore. It was disappointing that Ted Cruz's opponent felt it 'necessary' to throw trans people under the bus at the last minute in his ads. That was just horrible. I can't trust any politicians in this state.
26:51 - I just completely disagree on the idea that video game remakes are at all comparable to movie remakes and that saying "they aren't art" is lowkey disrespectful. Maybe there are some remakes that do nothing new, but from the multiple remakes I've played, they do a LOT. Add a bunch of things, go into depth with characters/story, entirely new gameplay often, and some are even hiding behind the idea of just being a remake while in actuality being a sequel. Not to mention, a lot of these remakes are going in where critics and fans have very high expectations. If you were talking about remasters (like TLOU series getting a ridiculous amount of remasters), I'd maybe agree, though remasters have their value in maintaining old video game titles through making them available on newer systems and as an artist, preserving art is extremely cool. A mark on an good video unfortunately.
I get what you're saying. I'm not saying that remakes "aren't art at all" and I certainly didn't say they were useless or pointless. I was remarking on the fact that we get an overwhelming amount of rehashed stuff compared to the amount of new ips or games we are getting. I feel like you read a bit too much between the lines with what I was saying. Besides that, it's ok to disagree with me. I don't think that reduces the quality of my content. Have a good one!
I will say, if they were unable to find a korean trans woman to play the role, but did have the option of reaching out to other countries to find a non-korean trans person, I'd count that as "near impossible". Given the show is entirely korean cast with korean language, I can understand prioritising the ability to fit that slightly above accurate representation. That said, She was portrayed wonderfully nonetheless and the actor did a great job!
Leah glad to hear your take on these stories,I think Disney will continue to censor in this way sadly,but Squid games season 2 is progress, with limits,but is progress.Our community has made so much progress,more than people realise and I hope out progress continues (Matt) P s.if you have time Samantha Lux has made a video about Squid games and a video about Disney
I watched Samantha's video before making mine lol it was great. It's where I saw some of the scenes w 120 in it. Thanks for commenting C: appreciate you!
@LeahPassaniti Leah I think the director actually made a choice that enabled him to keep this important character in the season and I personally feel Park Dung-hoon plays the role of Hyun-Ju in a very human and sensitive way and shows a trans woman in a really positive way and in the current climate this is a welcome ray of light (Matt)
I love hearing your vids. And no when I was in my teens in the 70s I only heard about drag queens. I think I was 18 before I heard someone use "trannie" when talking about a drag queen. My little brother is gay and a drag queen. He is Sirena of Richmond. I sometimes wonder if he would have liked to be Sirena all the time.
Thank you for commenting, glad you enjoy the videos ❤️ it's good that things are becoming more normalized. If only we didn't have to deal with this backlash from people resistant to change. Stay safe and stay well ! ☺️
Why the hell are we being CANCELLED by people who are told they gotten a role they Love then shut it down. That’s destroying our freedom, this needs to stop
21:19 i would imagine that if you cast a foreigner it would be hard to not make it obvious that they are a foreigner. And it would muddle the message to combine two marginalized groups (a foreign trans person).
it's really disheartening for me to hear as a trans teenager that disney is removing the entire identity of a character solely because they believe that parents should be the only ones informing children on different identities. i can kind of understand where they're coming from but i definitely believe that they shouldn't have removed those aspects of the character because it really wouldn't have done anything detrimental to the company and would have probably been a good representation given the context of the show. really disappointing that we aren't represented because companies fear backlash.
It is really disheartening. We will notice this trend for at least the next 4 years. We are going to have to do a lot to make sure we keep being represented well in media.
@ 19:49 - I kind of feel like "near impossible" means that yes they could have found someone but they might not have been a good fit but also that it would be dangerous for the actress and the production. i think it's important that they take into account the rammifications on the talents life and career. I don't know South Korean laws, but if they hired a trans woman, could they have had the whole production shut down, and not gotten ANY representation at all?
I would be flat out surprised if they could find an openly trans actor in Korea. I know of one Korean actor who came out as trans. Just one, and she hasn’t worked since. And considering how some people in Korea’s entertainment industry have been blacklisted and bullied into suicide for stuff that wouldn’t even count as scandals in the US, I don’t think it would be safe. I’m just glad we’re seeing representation, frankly, and that it was GOOD representation.
I agree the wording on the squidgame actors could have been clearer - perhaps there were a couple of authentic options that were poor actors? They definitely could have worded it clearer though, your point absolutely stands.
Thanks! I have received some comments about how it could be because it's translated into English from Korean by a translator, or that it could have been a restriction in time or money. All those make sense to me, tbh. I still agree with what I said, but I was being a bit nitpicky.
"youre not pushing any boundary, youre not doing anything worthwhile" i know it isnt the focus of this video but i find this to be an ironically closed off view of art. you can do art thats deeply personal and pushes no boundaries. expression isnt always going to be something transgressive. you can make art you find pleasing that isnt "new" and you can still take pride and value from the process and what you made. the process is just as if not more valuble than the final product. but i do agree its a shame and absolutely a stance against creativity that all these shows and stories get cut just for the sake of not pissing bigots off.
@@kingofbirds interesting critique! I think I just explained my position poorly bc I didn't go into great detail about it. I value the creative process even if it isn't ground breaking. That's how artists learn and grow, by doing things others have done to hone skills and talents, so that they may one day create something completely their own. I'm frustrated by the imbalance. Everything is old. Everything is a callback. Capitalism has it's grasp on it, and the result is a bias against new ideas. They prefer the "safety" of pre-existing demographics rather than creating their own. Look at the indie market, as an example. There aren't any remakes or remasters in that space because those creators are looking to make something entirely their own. Business executives convince shareholders to dump 500 million dollars or however much into like, remakes and remasters. So I wasn't trying to say that the only art that matters is art that pushes boundaries. You have to excuse me, it's really hard to fit this much nuance into a video without it exploding in size, therefore becoming almost completely unwatchable. Have a good one!
Problem is -- the haters of trans representation are, as you say, super-vocal - while the supporters of trans representation are too willing to give creators the “benefit of the doubt”. The conclusion? It isn’t enough to demand that studios stop censoring trans content out. Rather, it is time to put pressure on studios to make _sure_ that they _include_ trans representation AND that it is _positive_ trans representation. As in - get them to reject any script that doesn’t have positive trans representation and can’t have it seamlessly added on.
That is the eventual end game, to pretend we never existed but where only deluded and just needed the law to force people to live their lives by roles forced on them according to assumed reproductive organs, ignore the evidence backed by medical science.
@LeahPassaniti i mean it 💜 Please stay this authentic and raw lol like even if you polish up the production?? Your chill, down to earth vibes are what make this channel so special and stand out, I feel.
I'm just happy to see realistic and inclusive representation in an increasingly hostile world, I'm not going to nitpick over casting in projects that actually are trying, and seemingly succeeding, in doing something mindful and positive for the community
I got really nervous seeing squid games in the thumb nail. Just started watching season 2 and i was worried they killed her off or did something horrible towards the character. At this point im going to be boycotting Disney. Like they already have been doing some messed up things with their disability passes and yeah the queer erasure is infuriating.
in Squid game 2, flying in a trans woman could have been dangerous, since they would be in south korea, she might face loads of discrimination and its not worth risking someones life to shoot a show, i think they made a good decision on that part. This is my opinion and i hope it helps :)
Was this video missing for a while? I saw it, didn't click on it and I forgot to add to my watch later list. But when I searched for trans erasure I couldn't find it which felt ironic 🤭. Filtering on videos uploaded in the last week or 24 hours didn't work. But eventually the algorithm brought it back from the depth.
You're coverage is great but I have to say I just... I honestly think I need to tune out. Not sure I've made a comment in the past but I've watched your vids for awhile as well as many other trans creators, and being in Texas I'm honestly so scared but at the same time I feel like I just... I can't take any of this news any longer because it makes me feel angry and powerless. So I'm going to focus on myself for awhile and tune out. I commend you for your journalism. As for Texas, whatever you want from me, Come and Take It. I hope things don't come down to that but I know I for one am not going down without a fight. Godspeed to all my trans sisters and brothers and siblings out there.
Do what you have to do! Tune out but make sure you follow at least local news (state news) to ensure you're up to speed w any new laws that might affect you
Thanks for your video. As much as i understand people who support Trump because of false claims in relation to the economy, ic can't understand why someone prioritizes economic wealth over the wealth of others in such a way. As many Bitcoiners, who stand for liberty, cheered for Trump on this conference in the US. I asked them if they are willing to give up liberty of everything else for a weak promise. But never the less. I try to keep on top. So lets say that they will never gonna get rid of us. We will stay visible through channels like yours and mine. Everybody in the community should do the same. Go out there, no matter if digital or in the real world and fight for your liberty. They ain't gonna go away easy. So we have to fight for our rights. Since i'm a german, i'll have to fight over here. Facing an alt right party like the AFD, which is a new name for the former Nazi Patry here in Germany, we have to fight even more. So stand up and don't let someone suppres you because of your existence or the rights like everybody else we deserve to have. That's what we want. Live in peace and have the rights everybody else has. Nothing more and nothing less. So who is gonne join?
Representation only sorta matters. Making sure the represented characters are actually realistic in some way, not caricatures, matters. THAT is what study after study has shown, not how much representation is important. But if the characters are shallow, and just "trans person is GOOD!" (or Woman is STRONG, or black people are GOOD, or whatever the case may be) it doesn't normalize and humanize the demographic. Sung-hoon had no depth, no believability. She is the bravest character, but can't handle people watching her. She stands up to question the Masks first thing, but takes a backseat to other characters anytime the main plot needs to move along. She is the most intelligent, the most moral, the most kind, and Special Forces...so what is she doing in there? She shows no signs of desperation that the other characters have. She tries desperately to help the awkward girl she befriends and the elderly lady, but doesn't do anything to help anyone else there that doesn't immediately catch the audience's empathy. What matters with representation is making those characters REAL, so people watching empathize with them and view them as just any other person. It is taking away villification and mystique and "other"ness. And Squid Game 2 did the exact opposite by simply making her a carcboard cutout of a trans person turned into a Mary Sue. She is positive representation, but she is terrible representation overall. She is Netflix-style representation, just like they've been doing for years now
I have not watched season 2, so I would have to do that to make an official opinion on this. I think that it's obvious that good representation is good and bad representation is bad. You seem to be the only person I've seen say the character was poorly written. Curious that you think that and no one else does.
@@LeahPassaniti Except it was all over twitter...from everyone who isn't just "OMG TRANS PERSON I LOVE HER!!!" She has no faults. She is better than everyone in the game, with no explanation of why she would be in the game if she is so great. Every other character is there because they are enormous fuck-ups, except 001 and 456, or because of dire financial straits due to someone else in their life. Most are selfish, most are immoral, most are cowardly. All but her (that we see any character development for) have faults. Not her. She stands up immediately to call out the Masks...but then also can't stand to have people watch her as she does one of the games. She immediately attaches to other characters the audience is meant to empathize with and desperately tries to protect them, but is also able to put that aside perfectly when needed to act as a soldier and leader. These are not the qualities of real people. These are the qualities of a character that is meant to be beloved and nothing else. Gee-hyun is a great character, but we see his faults repeatedly. We see this with 001 from first game, and this one. We see this with the cop, and Gee-hyun's best buddy, and Stolen Valor boy, and cryptobro and everyone else. Almost all of the characters in S2 are one-dimensional. We get a fraction of what we did in S1, because Netflix forced the director to make it into 2 seasons. So we get incredibly poor pacing, and laughably bad dialogue (some of this could be translation issues of course) and shock value. And it is the exact same thing as has happened with The Last Kingdom and Vikings when Netflix took those over. It is the same thing we see with "diverse" characters in media constantly; pandering. Sung-hoon was a character everyone loved, because that is all she was meant to be.. I did too. But she was FAKE. And that isn't good representation; trans people are just people, with all their strengths and weaknesses, kindness and selfishness, faults and all. I knew she wasn't just going to get randomly shot for failing, or bashed during the "special game", or anything like that, because she was built up from the first scene she was in to be better than the rest
@@LeahPassaniti Except it was all over twitter...from everyone who isn't just "OMG TRANS PERSON I LOVE HER!!!" She has no faults. She is better than everyone in the game, with no explanation of why she would be in the game if she is so great. Every other character is there because they are enormous screw-ups, except 001 and 456, or because of dire financial straits due to someone else in their life. Most are selfish, most are immoral, most are cowardly. All but her (that we see any character development for) have faults. Not her. She stands up immediately to call out the Masks...but then also can't stand to have people watch her as she does one of the games. She immediately attaches to other characters the audience is meant to empathize with and desperately tries to protect them, but is also able to put that aside perfectly when needed to act as a soldier and leader. These are not the qualities of real people. These are the qualities of a character that is meant to be beloved and nothing else. Gee-hyun is a great character, but we see his faults repeatedly. We see this with 001 from first game, and this one. We see this with the cop, and Gee-hyun's best buddy, and Stolen Valor boy, and cryptobro and everyone else. Almost all of the characters in S2 are one-dimensional. We get a fraction of what we did in S1, because Netflix forced the director to make it into 2 seasons. So we get incredibly poor pacing, and laughably bad dialogue (some of this could be translation issues of course) and shock value. And it is the exact same thing as has happened with The Last Kingdom and Vikings when Netflix took those over. It is the same thing we see with "diverse" characters in media constantly; pandering. Sung-hoon was a character everyone loved, because that is all she was meant to be.. I did too. But she was FAKE. And that isn't good representation; trans people are just people, with all their strengths and weaknesses, kindness and selfishness, faults and all. I knew she wasn't just going to get randomly offed for failing, or bashed during the "special game", or anything like that, because she was built up from the first scene she was in to be better than the rest.
"I have not watched season 2, so I would have to do that to make an official opinion on this. I think that it's obvious that good representation is good and bad representation is bad. You seem to be the only person I've seen say the character was poorly written. Curious that you think that and no one else does." Her response she deleted.
@@LeahPassaniti media literacy is near nonexistent. why would you assume they are the only person with that opinion? you know what they say about making assumptions.
i watched season 2 and i think it would have been better if she was played by a trans woman, but that doesn't mean it was bad, i actually think she was as good as she could be without being played by a trans woman, the director and the actor did an amazing job.
Here to tack on to the love for the Squid Game S2 trans character. I am so glad she exists. Every time she was on the screen I liked her more. Best representation I've ever seen (as a cis dude who honestly hasn't been looking for it but was worried it would be bad).
The Cis guy who played the trans character did AMAZING. In Korea you can still get blacklisted from acting for being openly gay it’s not like it’s like here there are no trans actors and if there was they’d be risking they’re career by coming out to say they are trans. I think what was done was a huge big step forward in representation in Korea. It takes time and baby steps to make progress and the fact that actor tried so hard to do a good job and listened to trans individuals proves to me there’s good intentions. I wouldn’t defend it if I didn’t think it was good representation but the scene where she’s looking in the mirror clearly not recognizing herself because of dysphoria hit me straight through the chest.
No, people have now seen what the cultural shift to the left and specifically progressivism looks like for the country and even Bob Eigar sees that the left has gotten it incredibly wrong. It's not cow towing, it's an actual cultural shift to a set of beliefs that makes sense and is healthier for people and our country.
It's so funny to me that you think Bob eiger is some grand metric. A rich elite guy who makes all his decisions based on money? Who gives a shit what he thinks? And his actions are only representative of what he thinks will make more money. The right are true snowflakes and have melt downs ANYTIME a little representation is sprinkled in. So they're avoiding the hate mob, that's it. Has nothing to do with the left.
@@LeahPassaniti the passive aggressive first statement here wasn't helpful. As to Bob Eigar I think you have a valid point. I may have been presumptive in assuming his previous behavior was him signing on to an ideology. I would argue though that some of it points that direction. For instance, when called out for woke ideology, it started choosing him money. I believe that had it been about the money, he would have turned it around much faster. This is purely anecdotal though so it doesn't rule out the possibility that he has no skin in the game and was just holding out the opinion that the woke mob was more of a threat to his bottom line then the people speaking out against the woke. I absolutely can see where the election made it crystal clear that the anti woke right is far more predominant now then the woke mob. It didn't seem we would ever get to that point again 4 years ago. I see your valid point and would just point out that insulting people by saying they are "kissing the ring" isn't really productive. If you believe your position maybe just argue it on the merits? Why is it better to support the trans movement as it is today then to fight for what we believe to be the safety of the children? If you can prove puberty blockers and cross sex hormones to be safe for children, you would have a much better argument. I don't believe you can. I believe that's why you use insults and gaslight and not science based facts.
@@LeahPassaniti😂 yeah because ragebaiting the algorithm to cause more transphobia really helps. It’s always hilarious when content creators think they’re smarter than technology.
We are talking about 0.6% of the population, then you talk about a cartoon meant for kids 4-8 years old. Why do children at this age need to be tackling this topic, when they haven't even started to understand their own self. If it's about representation, you just gave an example of having just that. Also being in a show geared towards adults gives it a better chance of reaching those that would understand it.
0.6% is the low estimate. but even if it was the exact percentage, it's still a *lot* of people in the world. children should know about trans identity because trans people are real whether or not they learn about it. some of those kids will also be trans themselves, and it only hurts them to keep trans people a secret.
I was 8 or 9 when I first heard about trans people. This was 50 years ago, so there were no "age appropriate" materials. What I read was an article that among other things dealt with gender affirming surgeries. I was fascinated. Knowing that trans people exist helped me understand myself and helped me go on through much of my life. If we can just let young people know that that's a thing and nothing to be ashamed of, that's all they need at this age. And that's not hard for kids to understand. More so for adults
In good faith that you're here to have a discussion, as a transwoman, around 8 is when I started understanding I was trans, or at the very least didn't "feel like a boy". I did not grow up in a very accepting household or community and felt pressured to keep it a secret (for 25 years lmao). Media that tackled transgenderism or even gender norms was important solace for me growing up; the episode of Llyod in Space ft Zoit being a lowkey pivotal moment in my childhood I really don't think you can protect kids by not acknowledging transgenderism, only estrange actual trans kids (who have just as many questions as the other kids 🤷♀)
0.6% is probably a very conservative estimate considering that in places where there is less stigma and more support for transgender people a lot more people are openly trans but even at 0.6% that means there are 48,000,000 trans people and all of them start out as children. Trans children deserve to see themselves reflected in the cartoons they watch. Some children already know that they are trans at that age and a lot know that they’re different than the other kids and don’t know why. I know that it would have been helpful for me as a kid seeing transgender characters in kids media.
because trans kids deserve to understand their experience before the age of 18. They deserve to know they exist and they deserve to understand their own persona lived experience as something other people experience. It's basic empathy.
I don't understand that casting thing. I would really like to see more trans characters played by actors/actresses of any gender and also more trans actors playing characters of any gender, not limited to trans ones. 🤍🧡
Fair enough! I think mostly the sentiment is because representation was so sparse and so limited for so long, many movies that have portrayed trans people have used cis ppl.. it's more about making sure the representation is actually happening
I get your point, but I'm not sure I agree completely. If I read a book with a female character that I'm hot for, I don't want said female character played by a transwoman, because I want a nice sexy feminine voice and all that good stuff. But yeah, why aren't more trans characters played by actual trans people?
Also finding and casting a real trans woman in S.K. could be extremely dangerous for her. I just want characters that are written and acted well. Whether cis play trans or trans plays cis or gay plays straight or straight plays gay. Any well done representation would be great! Cast more trans folks as cis characters, its acting! Lets not limit anyone to their irl identity to get a role.
They used to cast white people as Black people in shows 100 years ago. It was called a "minstrel show" or "Blackface". The problem with it was that it was often used as a mockery of Black people, and it was in an industry that heavily discriminated against and refused to give roles to Black people. You can draw parallels to how the entertainment industry has treated transgender people and why some may wish that more roles go to trans people until there's some level of balance achieved. Why do you think there were literally no trans actresses available in all of South Korea for the role? Is it because trans koreans don't exist, or because the Korean culture and entertainment industry heavily discriminates against them? If the latter is true, do you think it's good that a discriminatory system and society is in charge of portraying trans women in media and that they are using cis men to play them? Stuff to think about.
Me too. No knowledge. I was born in 1950, and in 1956 or thereabouts I was going to sleep wishing I would be changed while sleeping. For decades I hid because I had nothing to go on. I didn't fit. It wasn't until the internet was born that I realized I was one of millions. In 1996 I jumped to my truth. I will be 75 in May. I'm proud of what I have done in life and for my community. I will always be proud of us Disney or not.
you are an inspiration for me and many others to keep going. thank you. 💜
@@RobisonRacing68 I'm so proud of you too, you're amazing and I'm so thankful you're living your truth and loving it 💓
It is wonderful to hear the stories of fellow trans individuals, I'm glad you've found your truth!
Born in 1984 and my story is practically the same. We're not going anywhere, sister.
Well done for resisting the toxic mainstream and having the courage to live your truth to the fullest! Stories like this are so important because people such as yourself do exist, and they deserve rights and dignity like everyone else. Stay hard and never let anyone make you feel less than you are.❤
Having watched Squid Game 2, I think she is one of the best representations I've ever seen in media. She was written extremely well, portrayed extremely well and became my favorite character.
I needa watch all of it still, but that's great to hear. C:
I'm salty that a cis man in playing the character but it's good to know it's well written
Honestly same, I was doubtful considering they cast a cis-man, but instantly fell in love with her after watching the show
@@versia2565the casting was due to the prejudice and ‘blacklisting’ an actual trans actor would get in the korean industry if they played a trans role openly :(
I shouldn't have even clicked this video bc seeing her in the thumbnail pissed me off so badly. She is the BEST trans representation ive seen in a long time. Seriously so, so important how front-and-center she is. Squid Game 2 is the most explicitly anticapitalist, extreme leftist media ive seen be so popular worldwide since Parasite. And it's a lot more blunt and unignorable than Parasite.
And a powerful, surpemely well written trans woman has a strong role at the front of the cast.
The backlash I've seen from some ppl in the trans communtiy against squid game has reeked of opinions ignorant of Korea's situation. Particularly how easy it is for the Korean audience to ignore any trans character if they arent korean, look entirely cis, or are written badly. All of which squid game avoided. I'm glad that trans people are getting representation even when they don't pass. I think its MORE important, *especially* for Korea where trans healthcare is lackluster. I am a trans woman, i dont pass. I have very rarely seen passing trans characters that make me feel representes. And squid game is so absurdly, overtly political, it truly would be a slap in the face to the trans community to cast a ciswoman in the role. Particularly the Korean trans community.
It's too late. Disney may have removed the scenes that point to her trans identity, but now that everyone knows, it'll forever be head-canon. I think it could be fun to make a huge online fan art movement to fix this or even change the wiki for the character? They can't control everything.
Oh yeah! That’s super cool!
its not headcanon, its just canon
Yeah I mean, people made their own trailers. Some people create animations from 3d to 2d. Either way, somebodies gonna have fun re creating this
Tru!! They can't influence public perception. I already saw the deleted scene, therefore it is now canon. I cannot be convinced otherwise lol
This might be one of the best ways we can fight these huge ass companies. I know I will never give any money to disney through any channel, but that won't matter at all and wouldn't matter even if I could convince thousands of other people do the same since others will happily pay for Walt's Magic Bullshit. But subversion can be very powerful and disney's massive cultural presence can only boost subversive takes.
4:28 Also, I heard rumors of inside discussions in Disney, where the executives in their “infinite” wisdom wrote off their recent failures as because of “inclusive” characters. So Disney being Disney the executives reportedly wish to just backpedal. It’s honestly sad cause this sounds like a great opportunity, but unfortunately Disney finds it easy to relate that to their problems, instead the possibility they had previously made bad stories. We truly need not just more trans representation, but good trans representation.
oh wow, that is really discouraging to hear. I hate how dumb executives are. Seriously, some of the most out of touch people ever.
Yet Moana is doing numbers... Amh
Disney lost millions because of how woke they got. That's actually a fact. They had to change their methods or Disney would have gone out of business. Because the majority of their customers aren't interested in gender politics and other woke ideology.
Because the way they added those "inclusive" characters rarely added anything to the material, they were there just to pander to a tiny % of people. Most people wouldn't mind a diverse cast, if the characters and story and dialogue were all high quality. But "DEI" was just seen as a bandaid to slap on sub-par products hoping to get people on board, rather than fixing those products.
@@Nick-hi9gx , it infuriates me how people never suggest or conclude that a show or movie failed because its cishet white normie character was too generic and was only created to pander to cishet white normies, but the fate of minority representation as we know it inevitably rests in the hands of every new piece of media that includes even a single minority character or "woke" theme, and said media has to be Citizen Kane in order to escape scrutiny.
I do feel disappointed that she was portrayed by a cis man, but i will say that i appreciate that she isnt the "ugly manly trans woman" stereotype that is so common everywhere, she is so pretty and so normal looking, its really nice
The only thing I could think of is that isn’t a lot of trans actors in South Korea.
there are no openly trans female actors in the korean acting industry. they're all afraid to come out because korean society is so....like that. the fact that they even had this role in the first place is a very brave move from a korean producer in a korean series.
They looked for a trans actress however, due to massive prejudice in Korea towards trans people, they could not find an actress for the role. A cis man was the next best thing
@@GreenBoxStudio1I would have preferred a cis woman, but I do understand why they cast a cis man.
As a trans person, i actually dont really care that they were portrayed by a cis person, i dont even see the problem with it because it was done so in good faith, obviously so too, and yeah, if they made this character ugly on purpose it would have been in bad faith
Holding a piece of media hostage because Trump won is just terrible.
Agreed
Catering to haters needs to stop. He’s a domestic terrorist and shouldn’t even be president
With the girl in squid games I feel the issue with hiring a trans actor is the backlash the actor would have received, T.O.P the guy who played Thanos used to be in a kpop group bigbang and was kicked out ages ago for smoking weed and even now after squid games came out the korean public hate him, they’re bluring his face and bullying him, so I doubt if they found an actual korean trans actor it would have gone much better then that, I think casting the guy who played her was the best option for the safety of the potential trans korean actor that they wanted to cast (thats worded weirdly ykwim idk how to word that better)
Are you trans?
hate him for smoking weed lmao how is this country real
Well said! I was surprised to see how much controversy surrounds some of the show's casting choices in general.
20:00 I think it's worded that way because technically it probably would have been possible to find a trans actress, but probably either not at the level, or not one from Korea. Like you definitely could find a Korean trans actress somewhere on this world, but it probably wouldn't have worked out. Because maybe she then doesn't speak Korean well enough or isn't a good enough actress or something like that. I think they went for this solution, not necessarily because they gave up but also to make sure that there isn't a compromise in the series just for casting a trans woman. It would have been great if she was acted by a trans woman, but I think it worked out well enough that I think it was the correct choice.
Big agree, and you explained this all very well! Thank you
@@LeahPassaniti Thanks. And thank you for the great video 🩷
Totally! I also read it more like a "hard to find a talented trans korean actress", more than a trans actress in general, and you have to take into account time constraints and release dates as you're taking the time to cast someone for the role. I think the actor they ended up casting did a perfect job, and it really seems like the director was very much intent on casting a genuine trans woman, which I hope can be made possible as the show casts light on transgender identities to Korea and the rest of the world.
So while the casting could be better, there's definitely a lot of respect towards writing player 120, and I think her implementation into the show could do a lot of good towards trans acceptance being the norm within media instead of transphobic jokes.
It also speaks to how it may be harder for transwomen to get into the acting field or for them to exist and be out as trans in the first place. There are barriers that still exist that make the acting field inaccessible because of the wider culture
As a trans person, watching the 2nd season of Squid Game and seeing a trans character honestly gave me indescribable relief. When I first saw her, I had some doubts that it was just a popular show trying to capitalize on a minority, but knowing the creator went out of his way in a country where trans people are highly looked down upon to not only look for a trans actor but to include a trans character gives me the feeling that we’re making real progress :3
Please get therapy.
I LOVED player 120 so bad, she was such a good representation and a very good character, and had a rly heartwarming relationship with the older woman, the transphobia she faced was such a good showing of realistic day to day transphobia and social isolation that can come with being trans in a non accepting society (minor spoilers after this!!) Seeing the older woman warm up to her and begin to accept her transness despite being transphobic and uneducated in the beginning was so adorable and sweet 😭😭 it made me so happy
Dude, seeing transphobia being this casual "why is a guy dressing like a girl" instead of what seems to be the usual over the top "SHE HAS A PUNIS" thing... It felt refreshing to see such an amazing portrayal of ACTUAL discrimination
As a semi-out nonbinary person myself, I think it's also important to remember there is room for some nuance in regards to casting choices as they relate to LGBT+ issues. Just because an actor seems (or even claims) to be cis/straight doesn't mean they're not closeted, or even working through some questioning feelings or deep empathy. I only realized I was queer because I started exploring the idea of it in my writing. (I think about actors like Kit Connor, who was forced to come out before he was ready to because of all the flack he was getting for portraying a bi character as a "straight" actor.)
So, yeah. I'm willing to give a bit more grace to casting choices like this, especially when it's possible some of the actors in question COULD be closeted in some way.
This view doesn't really make any sense. You shouldn't pressure people to out themselves but that is a separate issue entirely from portraying something that you are not. When it comes to trans people, it isn't just a problem that cis people are playing them, it's that no trans people are playing them at all. If the only portrayals people can see of trans women are cis men, it promotes a minstrel-like perception of them. If there's an abundance of trans actors in trans roles, then having some femboy playing a trans woman in the occasional role would be no big deal.
The director just couldn't find anyone who was openly trans. Korea is SUPER transphobic and so finding someone who was willing to act and NOT get hate crimed is pretty hard
As a queer person, obviously it's nice to connect to the actor behind a character sometimes but I do feel like sometimes online queer people forget that actors are, in fact, acting and not _every_ role needs to be played by someone with a 1:1 identity.
"semi-out" bro, that's too relatable, me too dude, me too
I wouldn't be surprised if the director of squid games really couldn't find anyone. Especially since he was very much looking for someone who was less "stealth" to properly portray the character like it's done in the show. To my mind I know only 1 openly gay Big Korean celebrity. The social conservatism is on a level that most Westerners would not be able to grasp. Unfortunately cis-straight celebrities take their lives there all the time and for the smallest slights that here would barely make the news. So for a trans person to step up? I just don't see that happening
As for getting an American...uhh not going to lie you can usually tell when someone isn't 'native'. Of course for non-korean people no one would notice but i'm sure it would've taken korean audiences out of the story. ie selena gomez' recent role in a Emilia Perez where her every word feels like nails on chalkboard to a native speaker. Then to do find someone, do all the language training...it probably wasn't feasible. of course that's just my speculation
Yes. You are spot-on. See my comment after you. TOP who plays Thanos actually tried to commit suicide in 2016 due to the public scrutiny he experienced simply for getting caught with marijuana and a vape - both illegal in Korea.
Someone on the team said the casting companies over there just dont want to work with trans actors/actresses. I think its cool that despite all the challenges, they stuck to their guns and told her story.
Excellent discussion. Disney is a good one to start with. Disney lost tons of money with their show Acolyte. There was a trans actress in one scene. There were two witches which were in a lesbian relationship and one of the characters seemed to be LGBT questioning. They even had a pronoun controversy from one scene. As you can imagine the lonely bros that inhabit the Star Wars fandom tore the show to shreds in their videos, they review bombed the show to hell, and reminded some of the more levelheaded but easily influenced people that watched the show that they’re also deep down inside uncomfortable with space lesbians, etc. They also heard their deep dark thoughts replicated in the comments section of videos over and over. There’s so much hate and fear out there. Disney used to try to half assedly sprinkle new ideas into star wars but they have been getting backlash for it since the second sequel movie. They never handled the situation appropriately or with a solid plan and did not fend off attacks well. You bet the right wingers took advantage of that. Disney was pretty clueless. I’m just saying what I’ve seen in the Star Wars realm and I’m sure other fandoms have experienced this too.
On to a very difficult topic for me. One of the reasons I questioned my gender early on was sports. My father made me join baseball and basketball teams since elementary school. I never wanted to play the reindeer games and prove myself to mean boys that were really cruel to me and boys with even less athletic skills. I never wanted to follow anyone that was cruel and knew very little about things that were not stereotypically boyish. If anything, sports made me see the dark side of competitiveness and the nature of this country’s arrogant ethos. The need to compete to be the perfect “boy” which was socially imposed on me made me realize I was not where nature intended me to be. I have very mixed feelings about the sports narrative. Competitive sports aren’t a good thing in my opinion. I realize however that people have different perspectives. Mine is rare and unique. They have my sympathy for their courage and determination but I’m really not interested in the sports narrative. Sports tends to recruit people with the worst characteristics anyway. You will end up trying to change the most conservative and Darwinist people around. It doesn’t make sense to me. Sports has ties to extreme nationalism and tribalism too. Just my opinion that’s all.
Thanks for commenting! It is sad that there's so much backlash from the star wars fandom. Sadgee
Ive heard the show was also just not good.
Acolyte was a mess entirely apart from right wing backlash. For £17.5m per episode (!) they managed neither a captivating story nor good setups. When the barely written villain is the best and most memorable character, you have a problem. Inclusion was quite possibly the only part of Acolyte they did right.
@@Neskaausart Nobody liked the Acolyte
Acolyte had problems yes but I disagree with you. Qmir was an excellent character and the story had potential. Heck I was also a great character and so was Sol. The lightsaber battles were exceptional. Two of the episodes were directed by a very talented and scant grade director. I don’t know why you think I had a problem with inclusion. I definitely do not think they are doing things right in the sense that they did not defend characters that were attacked very well as if they didn’t expect backlash but star wars is the right wing of sci fi and it’s full of hate content lonely bros. It’s important that they added LGBT characters and added different ethnic groups and it’s good they did in spite of backlash.
If you do not think the smear campaign influenced many fans you’re gravely mistaken. Before this show only one movie from the sequels had an LGBT scene which is very hard to miss. Then one day you have a main character that flirts with another of the same gender, two lesbian women and the use of pronouns in one scene that raised eyebrows. It was a daring show in many ways and I respect it with all its serious flaws over Mandalorian which took two popular characters out the toolkit and repurposed them to ensure a successful show. I’m referring you to tapping into the yoda and Boba fett cults. They took no risks but Acolyte did. Did they make a perfect product? No. But they pushed against the current “cultural tipping point” and you have to give them that.
I really enjoyed the trans character in squid game 2 and felt it was definitely an adequate portrayal but of course would have preferred to see a trans actress. Still, it didn't ruin the season for me at all - that character was just done well enough that I still enjoyed watching her and rooting for her.
I'm looking forward to watching season 2 tbh. Can't wait to see how it was done. Thanks for commenting!
English being a secind language for the creator i have no issues with how he described the outcome of the search. The use of thar one word does change the intent ofvthe statement BUT as I note having English as a second language a slip like that could be quite natural.
Yeah it could just be a translation thing, I just felt that the wording was unfortunate. Not really casting blame for it. Thanks for commenting
@@LeahPassaniti Definitely unfortunate. But so glad that he did include the character. I was going to watch anyway, but now really keen to watch.
Re Disney, they disappoint. I grew up watching disney productions that were about acceptance and kindness and differences. All I can do is cancel my subscription and I am a massive Doctor Who and Orville fan!
I wish that I had had the exposure to trans people in my youth. I would have understood more about who I really was back then, not the mask that had to wear.
From the outside it look like Hwang Dong-hyuk want to sink his own ship by casting a controversial rapper as one of the show's villain to introduced a trans character to a local audience that might not be open to it but it work
Without spoiling Hyun-Ju's a very interesting and complex character that has very interesting, complex and often endearing relationships with the other character especially her teammates.
I honestly think they might not have been able to do as much with the character if they would have flown-in some trans actress from let's say Thailand that wouldn't have been as fluent in Korean than a native from the place so casting a cis male (cuz the character was in early transition) was truly the next best thing to give the character the depth that we got.
Plus there's that other character I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up as trans (if they survive) but at the very least kinda subvert gender norms to an extend and also have an interesting arc.
Disney should take note if they want to be less weak and pathetic.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I am so excited and happy that they did the representation well C: it's really awesome that the director took such a risk
Wait??? What (other) character do you think from Squid Game is trans??? I have a guess too, but I've never heard anyone say this, so I'm intrigued by this theory.
@@egg_bun_ Dae-Ho (the marine with PTSD), he's got soft feature that whisper skin care, long enough hair to make a bun and is better at playing a girl's game than staging a coup. As i say, maybe not a trans woman but surely gender non-conforming.
The creator of Squid Game didn't even want to do a season 2...
Hyun-Ju was not early in her transition. She says shes had multiple surgeries and that shes saving up for her final surgery, bottom surgery.
This channel has helped me immensely..staying up to date with what’s actually happening with things that can help me and my community and helping me feel comfortable as a person..thank you
@@MMBassGirl this means so much, thank you. I'm doing everything I can to help 💜
I feel like “near-impossible” means that if they had infinite time and money it would be possible, but the fact that the season was full written/cast/produced in just ~2 years, and the fact that the trans character wasn’t the complete central focus of the show meant that diverting more resources to the task of casting that one character would have done far more harm to the rest of the production
That makes sense! Thanks for sharing
20:14
I think that the part a little bit before and during this timestamp is being a bit hard on them. Something you always have to keep in mind when viewing statements from people who don't speak English or do but have never lived in an English speaking country is that: When you are speaking a foreign language (or translating to one) you don't always have the cultural context to know what you're implying or how to imply something. That is a HUGE factor in interpreting people who speak English as a second language and listening to them should always have that in mind
But yes, it would have been nice if they, instead, casted a trans woman for the role, and I hope that, even if it didn't end up that way, they at least tried their best to find someone like that
THE PIXAR THING MAKES ME SO SAD
im in... almost the same position as that character, that being that im a trans (well, nonbinary) teenager and that wouldve been really cool to see :(
even without the fact it wouldve shown people what being trans is (which is ABSOLUTELY something we need more of) we just barely get any trans representation in media let alone any of people around my age and itd be nice to get. acknowledged as existing yknow
Many terfs and on the right saying there is no such thing as trans and pushing the narrative, adopting the hype ignoring the medical science.
spoilers for squid game s2
i’m really happy about the trans representation in squid game because unlike a lot of other media representation for queer characters, it’s not just thrown in and she immediately dies, but she played a super important role in the show and survived the whole season, while highlighting a lot of trans issues such as dysphoria and cost of surgery as well as what can happen if you come out. her major role was one of the reasons that i really enjoyed the season as well as it just being really good and a great second part to the story.
Thank you for this spoiler. I would have otherwised skipped the second season entirely because what you described is exactly how representation goes in these kinda shows, and that trope ruins stories for me these days. It's dated and speaks strongly to unconscious, unspoken biases that I already have to confront day to day. Not exactly entertaining.
@@Mzzkc What's great about this character is that she's not just great representation but also the best character in season 2. *MORE SPOILERS* for season 2: her introduction is literally risking her life to save a wounded contestant alongside the main character, instantly became my favorite even before speaking a single word.
All of this genuinely hurts. I live in a Christian right leaning family and I’m genuinely terrified of coming out. Trump is making me feel like I’m never going to be able to transition. I don’t need this put on me at all and its pushing me over the edge. My parents would disown me if i came out, and now its hard to be accepted by anyone- My dysphoria is getting worse and worse and worse and this just… sucks.
please stay alive for us. this too shall pass, i promise.
Its horrible that you are made to feel this way. Yes, Trump being elected sure is not going to help any social issues in this country. But I want you to know that you have millions of people that stand with you and want you to live your true life. I am a 67 year old cis male and I will fight anyway I can to make sure you are able to be who you truly are. It make take a little longer because of Trump but it will happen in the near future. Please Stay positive
@ im in tears. It is so lovely to know that people love me. I thank you. I thank you so much for
Maybe just don't transition then until the fad is over. You'll thank yourself.
I'm getting a feeling that this happened because of the international audience Disney wants to cater to sadly.
@@seedofkorn maybe! Not sure about international pressures
I don’t know, I honestly feel like the pressures more likely coming from their relationship with the coming US government, which again makes sense with the timing. It’s in Disney’s interest financially to be on good terms with the government of the country where they’re based and pay taxes (or lack thereof💀). Sadly the capitalists will always happily side with facism when it benefits them, they’ll always drop us the second it’s profitable 😞 unless by international interest you mean us over in the UK in which case maybe lol (guess we can thank Just Kidding Rowling for that and her continued bigoted influence on UK politics😡)
I think it has a lot more to do with them cozying up to the incoming far right US government.
America is now an openly fascistic country. they're catering to their home audience.
i.e., several countries whose names we regularly curse when we're not taking their money.
I know I’m not trans, like at all, but here’s something I hope everyone knows here, you’re not bad, and you won’t ever be forgotten, you’re too cool to be forgotten anyway. And also keep fighting, your stories deserve to exist and you deserve to be seen and safe. I wish everyone the best
Hiiii! This is my first time commenting, but I've followed you for a bit now! I live in the US right now (unfortunately), but I'm hoping to dip.. Which you also made a video on lol I just wanted to say thank you for doing all you do, you're iconic and amazing and a light in the darkness we seem to find ourselves in right now~ ♥
@@kuurakuutamo this means so much, thank you for taking the time to type it out ;-; seriously, it means a lot.
We will get thru this, we will find a way forward ❤️
At least we have Jules from Euphoria
I've never seen it! I'll look into it
@ Oh that’s awesome! She’s definitely one of the best trans rep characters I’ve seen imo
I love Euphoria so much. I want the next season. The last thing we saw kind of leaves you hanging.
I wasn't able to watch Euphoria. It felt like being in a nightmare. I'm glad I experienced no pressure to have sex or use drugs when I was in high school
tfw the only good trans fem character we've gotten in decades literally transitioned before male puberty and has loving parents
I got to see the leaked Gatekeeper episode of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur posted online and it made me cry for two reasons, the second one being that it was shelved. I'm glad that my son (afab) lives in California, where he was born. I had to move back to Texas because I can't afford to live in California anymore. It was disappointing that Ted Cruz's opponent felt it 'necessary' to throw trans people under the bus at the last minute in his ads. That was just horrible. I can't trust any politicians in this state.
26:51 - I just completely disagree on the idea that video game remakes are at all comparable to movie remakes and that saying "they aren't art" is lowkey disrespectful. Maybe there are some remakes that do nothing new, but from the multiple remakes I've played, they do a LOT. Add a bunch of things, go into depth with characters/story, entirely new gameplay often, and some are even hiding behind the idea of just being a remake while in actuality being a sequel. Not to mention, a lot of these remakes are going in where critics and fans have very high expectations. If you were talking about remasters (like TLOU series getting a ridiculous amount of remasters), I'd maybe agree, though remasters have their value in maintaining old video game titles through making them available on newer systems and as an artist, preserving art is extremely cool. A mark on an good video unfortunately.
I get what you're saying. I'm not saying that remakes "aren't art at all" and I certainly didn't say they were useless or pointless. I was remarking on the fact that we get an overwhelming amount of rehashed stuff compared to the amount of new ips or games we are getting. I feel like you read a bit too much between the lines with what I was saying.
Besides that, it's ok to disagree with me. I don't think that reduces the quality of my content. Have a good one!
I will say, if they were unable to find a korean trans woman to play the role, but did have the option of reaching out to other countries to find a non-korean trans person, I'd count that as "near impossible". Given the show is entirely korean cast with korean language, I can understand prioritising the ability to fit that slightly above accurate representation. That said, She was portrayed wonderfully nonetheless and the actor did a great job!
That makes a lot of sense, thank you for sharing! I am looking forward to watching season 2
Leah glad to hear your take on these stories,I think Disney will continue to censor in this way sadly,but Squid games season 2 is progress, with limits,but is progress.Our community has made so much progress,more than people realise and I hope out progress continues (Matt) P s.if you have time Samantha Lux has made a video about Squid games and a video about Disney
I watched Samantha's video before making mine lol it was great. It's where I saw some of the scenes w 120 in it.
Thanks for commenting C: appreciate you!
@LeahPassaniti Leah I think the director actually made a choice that enabled him to keep this important character in the season and I personally feel Park Dung-hoon plays the role of Hyun-Ju in a very human and sensitive way and shows a trans woman in a really positive way and in the current climate this is a welcome ray of light (Matt)
I love hearing your vids. And no when I was in my teens in the 70s I only heard about drag queens. I think I was 18 before I heard someone use "trannie" when talking about a drag queen. My little brother is gay and a drag queen. He is Sirena of Richmond. I sometimes wonder if he would have liked to be Sirena all the time.
Thank you for commenting, glad you enjoy the videos ❤️ it's good that things are becoming more normalized. If only we didn't have to deal with this backlash from people resistant to change.
Stay safe and stay well ! ☺️
Why the hell are we being CANCELLED by people who are told they gotten a role they
Love then shut it down. That’s destroying our freedom, this needs to stop
21:19 i would imagine that if you cast a foreigner it would be hard to not make it obvious that they are a foreigner. And it would muddle the message to combine two marginalized groups (a foreign trans person).
it's really disheartening for me to hear as a trans teenager that disney is removing the entire identity of a character solely because they believe that parents should be the only ones informing children on different identities. i can kind of understand where they're coming from but i definitely believe that they shouldn't have removed those aspects of the character because it really wouldn't have done anything detrimental to the company and would have probably been a good representation given the context of the show. really disappointing that we aren't represented because companies fear backlash.
It is really disheartening. We will notice this trend for at least the next 4 years. We are going to have to do a lot to make sure we keep being represented well in media.
@ 19:49 - I kind of feel like "near impossible" means that yes they could have found someone but they might not have been a good fit but also that it would be dangerous for the actress and the production. i think it's important that they take into account the rammifications on the talents life and career. I don't know South Korean laws, but if they hired a trans woman, could they have had the whole production shut down, and not gotten ANY representation at all?
I really enjoyed this video, lady. Great content. Much love.
@@msravenmystique thank you 💓
I would be flat out surprised if they could find an openly trans actor in Korea. I know of one Korean actor who came out as trans. Just one, and she hasn’t worked since. And considering how some people in Korea’s entertainment industry have been blacklisted and bullied into suicide for stuff that wouldn’t even count as scandals in the US, I don’t think it would be safe. I’m just glad we’re seeing representation, frankly, and that it was GOOD representation.
Considering there’s no such thing as a “trans actor,” yes, it would be surprising
I agree the wording on the squidgame actors could have been clearer - perhaps there were a couple of authentic options that were poor actors? They definitely could have worded it clearer though, your point absolutely stands.
Thanks! I have received some comments about how it could be because it's translated into English from Korean by a translator, or that it could have been a restriction in time or money. All those make sense to me, tbh. I still agree with what I said, but I was being a bit nitpicky.
"youre not pushing any boundary, youre not doing anything worthwhile" i know it isnt the focus of this video but i find this to be an ironically closed off view of art. you can do art thats deeply personal and pushes no boundaries. expression isnt always going to be something transgressive. you can make art you find pleasing that isnt "new" and you can still take pride and value from the process and what you made.
the process is just as if not more valuble than the final product.
but i do agree its a shame and absolutely a stance against creativity that all these shows and stories get cut just for the sake of not pissing bigots off.
@@kingofbirds interesting critique!
I think I just explained my position poorly bc I didn't go into great detail about it. I value the creative process even if it isn't ground breaking. That's how artists learn and grow, by doing things others have done to hone skills and talents, so that they may one day create something completely their own.
I'm frustrated by the imbalance. Everything is old. Everything is a callback. Capitalism has it's grasp on it, and the result is a bias against new ideas. They prefer the "safety" of pre-existing demographics rather than creating their own. Look at the indie market, as an example. There aren't any remakes or remasters in that space because those creators are looking to make something entirely their own. Business executives convince shareholders to dump 500 million dollars or however much into like, remakes and remasters.
So I wasn't trying to say that the only art that matters is art that pushes boundaries. You have to excuse me, it's really hard to fit this much nuance into a video without it exploding in size, therefore becoming almost completely unwatchable.
Have a good one!
Problem is -- the haters of trans representation are, as you say, super-vocal - while the supporters of trans representation are too willing to give creators the “benefit of the doubt”.
The conclusion? It isn’t enough to demand that studios stop censoring trans content out. Rather, it is time to put pressure on studios to make _sure_ that they _include_ trans representation AND that it is _positive_ trans representation. As in - get them to reject any script that doesn’t have positive trans representation and can’t have it seamlessly added on.
This is disgusting as a trans person myself. I believe we need more representation not less and not erasure from society
.
That is the eventual end game, to pretend we never existed but where only deluded and just needed the law to force people to live their lives by roles forced on them according to assumed reproductive organs, ignore the evidence backed by medical science.
Love your videos, girlieee. Long form. Short form. Ima watch them all haha 💜
Personally i do favor the long form 😊
@@jmc1186 awh thank you C: that means a lot!
@LeahPassaniti i mean it 💜
Please stay this authentic and raw lol like even if you polish up the production?? Your chill, down to earth vibes are what make this channel so special and stand out, I feel.
I'm just happy to see realistic and inclusive representation in an increasingly hostile world, I'm not going to nitpick over casting in projects that actually are trying, and seemingly succeeding, in doing something mindful and positive for the community
I got really nervous seeing squid games in the thumb nail. Just started watching season 2 and i was worried they killed her off or did something horrible towards the character.
At this point im going to be boycotting Disney. Like they already have been doing some messed up things with their disability passes and yeah the queer erasure is infuriating.
in Squid game 2, flying in a trans woman could have been dangerous, since they would be in south korea, she might face loads of discrimination and its not worth risking someones life to shoot a show, i think they made a good decision on that part. This is my opinion and i hope it helps :)
Was this video missing for a while? I saw it, didn't click on it and I forgot to add to my watch later list. But when I searched for trans erasure I couldn't find it which felt ironic 🤭. Filtering on videos uploaded in the last week or 24 hours didn't work. But eventually the algorithm brought it back from the depth.
You're coverage is great but I have to say I just... I honestly think I need to tune out. Not sure I've made a comment in the past but I've watched your vids for awhile as well as many other trans creators, and being in Texas I'm honestly so scared but at the same time I feel like I just... I can't take any of this news any longer because it makes me feel angry and powerless. So I'm going to focus on myself for awhile and tune out.
I commend you for your journalism.
As for Texas, whatever you want from me, Come and Take It. I hope things don't come down to that but I know I for one am not going down without a fight.
Godspeed to all my trans sisters and brothers and siblings out there.
Do what you have to do! Tune out but make sure you follow at least local news (state news) to ensure you're up to speed w any new laws that might affect you
No one wants to fight you, they don't want to be anywhere near you.
Thanks for your video. As much as i understand people who support Trump because of false claims in relation to the economy, ic can't understand why someone prioritizes economic wealth over the wealth of others in such a way. As many Bitcoiners, who stand for liberty, cheered for Trump on this conference in the US. I asked them if they are willing to give up liberty of everything else for a weak promise.
But never the less. I try to keep on top. So lets say that they will never gonna get rid of us. We will stay visible through channels like yours and mine. Everybody in the community should do the same. Go out there, no matter if digital or in the real world and fight for your liberty. They ain't gonna go away easy. So we have to fight for our rights. Since i'm a german, i'll have to fight over here. Facing an alt right party like the AFD, which is a new name for the former Nazi Patry here in Germany, we have to fight even more.
So stand up and don't let someone suppres you because of your existence or the rights like everybody else we deserve to have. That's what we want. Live in peace and have the rights everybody else has. Nothing more and nothing less. So who is gonne join?
Representation only sorta matters. Making sure the represented characters are actually realistic in some way, not caricatures, matters. THAT is what study after study has shown, not how much representation is important. But if the characters are shallow, and just "trans person is GOOD!" (or Woman is STRONG, or black people are GOOD, or whatever the case may be) it doesn't normalize and humanize the demographic.
Sung-hoon had no depth, no believability. She is the bravest character, but can't handle people watching her. She stands up to question the Masks first thing, but takes a backseat to other characters anytime the main plot needs to move along. She is the most intelligent, the most moral, the most kind, and Special Forces...so what is she doing in there? She shows no signs of desperation that the other characters have. She tries desperately to help the awkward girl she befriends and the elderly lady, but doesn't do anything to help anyone else there that doesn't immediately catch the audience's empathy.
What matters with representation is making those characters REAL, so people watching empathize with them and view them as just any other person. It is taking away villification and mystique and "other"ness. And Squid Game 2 did the exact opposite by simply making her a carcboard cutout of a trans person turned into a Mary Sue. She is positive representation, but she is terrible representation overall. She is Netflix-style representation, just like they've been doing for years now
I have not watched season 2, so I would have to do that to make an official opinion on this.
I think that it's obvious that good representation is good and bad representation is bad. You seem to be the only person I've seen say the character was poorly written. Curious that you think that and no one else does.
@@LeahPassaniti Except it was all over twitter...from everyone who isn't just "OMG TRANS PERSON I LOVE HER!!!"
She has no faults. She is better than everyone in the game, with no explanation of why she would be in the game if she is so great. Every other character is there because they are enormous fuck-ups, except 001 and 456, or because of dire financial straits due to someone else in their life. Most are selfish, most are immoral, most are cowardly. All but her (that we see any character development for) have faults. Not her.
She stands up immediately to call out the Masks...but then also can't stand to have people watch her as she does one of the games. She immediately attaches to other characters the audience is meant to empathize with and desperately tries to protect them, but is also able to put that aside perfectly when needed to act as a soldier and leader. These are not the qualities of real people. These are the qualities of a character that is meant to be beloved and nothing else. Gee-hyun is a great character, but we see his faults repeatedly. We see this with 001 from first game, and this one. We see this with the cop, and Gee-hyun's best buddy, and Stolen Valor boy, and cryptobro and everyone else.
Almost all of the characters in S2 are one-dimensional. We get a fraction of what we did in S1, because Netflix forced the director to make it into 2 seasons. So we get incredibly poor pacing, and laughably bad dialogue (some of this could be translation issues of course) and shock value.
And it is the exact same thing as has happened with The Last Kingdom and Vikings when Netflix took those over. It is the same thing we see with "diverse" characters in media constantly; pandering.
Sung-hoon was a character everyone loved, because that is all she was meant to be.. I did too. But she was FAKE. And that isn't good representation; trans people are just people, with all their strengths and weaknesses, kindness and selfishness, faults and all. I knew she wasn't just going to get randomly shot for failing, or bashed during the "special game", or anything like that, because she was built up from the first scene she was in to be better than the rest
@@LeahPassaniti Except it was all over twitter...from everyone who isn't just "OMG TRANS PERSON I LOVE HER!!!"
She has no faults. She is better than everyone in the game, with no explanation of why she would be in the game if she is so great. Every other character is there because they are enormous screw-ups, except 001 and 456, or because of dire financial straits due to someone else in their life. Most are selfish, most are immoral, most are cowardly. All but her (that we see any character development for) have faults. Not her.
She stands up immediately to call out the Masks...but then also can't stand to have people watch her as she does one of the games. She immediately attaches to other characters the audience is meant to empathize with and desperately tries to protect them, but is also able to put that aside perfectly when needed to act as a soldier and leader. These are not the qualities of real people. These are the qualities of a character that is meant to be beloved and nothing else. Gee-hyun is a great character, but we see his faults repeatedly. We see this with 001 from first game, and this one. We see this with the cop, and Gee-hyun's best buddy, and Stolen Valor boy, and cryptobro and everyone else.
Almost all of the characters in S2 are one-dimensional. We get a fraction of what we did in S1, because Netflix forced the director to make it into 2 seasons. So we get incredibly poor pacing, and laughably bad dialogue (some of this could be translation issues of course) and shock value.
And it is the exact same thing as has happened with The Last Kingdom and Vikings when Netflix took those over. It is the same thing we see with "diverse" characters in media constantly; pandering.
Sung-hoon was a character everyone loved, because that is all she was meant to be.. I did too. But she was FAKE. And that isn't good representation; trans people are just people, with all their strengths and weaknesses, kindness and selfishness, faults and all. I knew she wasn't just going to get randomly offed for failing, or bashed during the "special game", or anything like that, because she was built up from the first scene she was in to be better than the rest.
"I have not watched season 2, so I would have to do that to make an official opinion on this.
I think that it's obvious that good representation is good and bad representation is bad. You seem to be the only person I've seen say the character was poorly written. Curious that you think that and no one else does."
Her response she deleted.
@@LeahPassaniti media literacy is near nonexistent. why would you assume they are the only person with that opinion? you know what they say about making assumptions.
i watched season 2 and i think it would have been better if she was played by a trans woman, but that doesn't mean it was bad, i actually think she was as good as she could be without being played by a trans woman, the director and the actor did an amazing job.
What difference would it have made to the story and overall product besides pandering to less than 1%of people? Genuine question.
@@General_Maximus Normalising the existence of a minority group who are famously discriminated against isn’t “pandering”, it’s just representation
Here to tack on to the love for the Squid Game S2 trans character. I am so glad she exists. Every time she was on the screen I liked her more. Best representation I've ever seen (as a cis dude who honestly hasn't been looking for it but was worried it would be bad).
The Cis guy who played the trans character did AMAZING. In Korea you can still get blacklisted from acting for being openly gay it’s not like it’s like here there are no trans actors and if there was they’d be risking they’re career by coming out to say they are trans. I think what was done was a huge big step forward in representation in Korea. It takes time and baby steps to make progress and the fact that actor tried so hard to do a good job and listened to trans individuals proves to me there’s good intentions. I wouldn’t defend it if I didn’t think it was good representation but the scene where she’s looking in the mirror clearly not recognizing herself because of dysphoria hit me straight through the chest.
No, people have now seen what the cultural shift to the left and specifically progressivism looks like for the country and even Bob Eigar sees that the left has gotten it incredibly wrong. It's not cow towing, it's an actual cultural shift to a set of beliefs that makes sense and is healthier for people and our country.
Lol thanks for the comment and helping my channel grow! Your engagement is super helpful for me reaching more ppl, thanks!
It's so funny to me that you think Bob eiger is some grand metric. A rich elite guy who makes all his decisions based on money? Who gives a shit what he thinks? And his actions are only representative of what he thinks will make more money. The right are true snowflakes and have melt downs ANYTIME a little representation is sprinkled in. So they're avoiding the hate mob, that's it. Has nothing to do with the left.
@@LeahPassaniti the passive aggressive first statement here wasn't helpful. As to Bob Eigar I think you have a valid point. I may have been presumptive in assuming his previous behavior was him signing on to an ideology. I would argue though that some of it points that direction. For instance, when called out for woke ideology, it started choosing him money. I believe that had it been about the money, he would have turned it around much faster. This is purely anecdotal though so it doesn't rule out the possibility that he has no skin in the game and was just holding out the opinion that the woke mob was more of a threat to his bottom line then the people speaking out against the woke. I absolutely can see where the election made it crystal clear that the anti woke right is far more predominant now then the woke mob. It didn't seem we would ever get to that point again 4 years ago. I see your valid point and would just point out that insulting people by saying they are "kissing the ring" isn't really productive. If you believe your position maybe just argue it on the merits? Why is it better to support the trans movement as it is today then to fight for what we believe to be the safety of the children? If you can prove puberty blockers and cross sex hormones to be safe for children, you would have a much better argument. I don't believe you can. I believe that's why you use insults and gaslight and not science based facts.
So like, how does this reduce the price of eggs?
@@LeahPassaniti😂 yeah because ragebaiting the algorithm to cause more transphobia really helps. It’s always hilarious when content creators think they’re smarter than technology.
We are talking about 0.6% of the population, then you talk about a cartoon meant for kids 4-8 years old. Why do children at this age need to be tackling this topic, when they haven't even started to understand their own self. If it's about representation, you just gave an example of having just that. Also being in a show geared towards adults gives it a better chance of reaching those that would understand it.
0.6% is the low estimate. but even if it was the exact percentage, it's still a *lot* of people in the world. children should know about trans identity because trans people are real whether or not they learn about it. some of those kids will also be trans themselves, and it only hurts them to keep trans people a secret.
I was 8 or 9 when I first heard about trans people. This was 50 years ago, so there were no "age appropriate" materials. What I read was an article that among other things dealt with gender affirming surgeries. I was fascinated. Knowing that trans people exist helped me understand myself and helped me go on through much of my life. If we can just let young people know that that's a thing and nothing to be ashamed of, that's all they need at this age. And that's not hard for kids to understand. More so for adults
In good faith that you're here to have a discussion, as a transwoman, around 8 is when I started understanding I was trans, or at the very least didn't "feel like a boy". I did not grow up in a very accepting household or community and felt pressured to keep it a secret (for 25 years lmao). Media that tackled transgenderism or even gender norms was important solace for me growing up; the episode of Llyod in Space ft Zoit being a lowkey pivotal moment in my childhood
I really don't think you can protect kids by not acknowledging transgenderism, only estrange actual trans kids (who have just as many questions as the other kids 🤷♀)
0.6% is probably a very conservative estimate considering that in places where there is less stigma and more support for transgender people a lot more people are openly trans but even at 0.6% that means there are 48,000,000 trans people and all of them start out as children. Trans children deserve to see themselves reflected in the cartoons they watch. Some children already know that they are trans at that age and a lot know that they’re different than the other kids and don’t know why. I know that it would have been helpful for me as a kid seeing transgender characters in kids media.
because trans kids deserve to understand their experience before the age of 18. They deserve to know they exist and they deserve to understand their own persona lived experience as something other people experience. It's basic empathy.
the casting is frustrating, but i was shocked by the well-written trans character
Agreed! Done surprisingly well!
I don't understand that casting thing. I would really like to see more trans characters played by actors/actresses of any gender and also more trans actors playing characters of any gender, not limited to trans ones.
🤍🧡
Fair enough! I think mostly the sentiment is because representation was so sparse and so limited for so long, many movies that have portrayed trans people have used cis ppl.. it's more about making sure the representation is actually happening
I get your point, but I'm not sure I agree completely. If I read a book with a female character that I'm hot for, I don't want said female character played by a transwoman, because I want a nice sexy feminine voice and all that good stuff. But yeah, why aren't more trans characters played by actual trans people?
Also finding and casting a real trans woman in S.K. could be extremely dangerous for her.
I just want characters that are written and acted well. Whether cis play trans or trans plays cis or gay plays straight or straight plays gay. Any well done representation would be great!
Cast more trans folks as cis characters, its acting! Lets not limit anyone to their irl identity to get a role.
They used to cast white people as Black people in shows 100 years ago. It was called a "minstrel show" or "Blackface". The problem with it was that it was often used as a mockery of Black people, and it was in an industry that heavily discriminated against and refused to give roles to Black people.
You can draw parallels to how the entertainment industry has treated transgender people and why some may wish that more roles go to trans people until there's some level of balance achieved.
Why do you think there were literally no trans actresses available in all of South Korea for the role? Is it because trans koreans don't exist, or because the Korean culture and entertainment industry heavily discriminates against them? If the latter is true, do you think it's good that a discriminatory system and society is in charge of portraying trans women in media and that they are using cis men to play them?
Stuff to think about.