IS on TV (or other forms of entertainment)

[Andi]

Did anyone happen to catch Drew Carey last night (July 2nd)? There was a scene in which they had to explain to Oswad the difference between 'bisexual' (a person who dates both males and females) and 'hermaphrodite' (a person who has some characteristics of both males and females). So, Oswald makes the observation that "A bisexual and a hermaphrodite would make the perfect couple." A bit insensitive perhaps, but I'm sure from a gendered standpoint it makes sense.

Anyway, I just thought I'd mention it and also open up this string of posts for any other mentions of IS you might come across in TV, Movies, or whatever. (Betsy, if you think this string belongs in anoher area, go ahead and move it as needed).

Andi

[Sunshine1]

Dear Andi:

I like the Drew Carey show and I wish that I had watched it last night. In a way, I find that humor can go along way in fostering understanding of different issues and I feel that the way you explained how the word hermaphrodite was used on the Drew Carey episode was done in a positive broad brush for intersex conditions.

Maybe, it might make some people curious enough to really look up and learn about all the different intersex conditions. For example, the difference between a true hermaphrodite and a pseudo hermaphrodite and people don't know that true hermaphrodites look less ambiguous in regard to external genitals but the true hermaphrodites are the ones that have the testes and ovaries/male & female chromosomes whereas the pseudo hermaphrodites only have female internal organs/female chromosomes and their external organs look like a combination of male/female also their are some pseudo hermaphrodites that external look like females but they only have undesended testes/male chromosomes and no female organs.

All of the above is kinda deep for a comedy show but with having the word out there it might click in some peoples minds that it is OK that their co-workers , family, neighbors, and friends might just not of been born like them and so what about it ? order another round of beer for everyone. We aren't some strange creatures that need to be poked and studied by the medical community and surgically altered without us knowing what's going on.

Surgery later on when and if you want it ? Yes, a good idea but I understand how it isn't realistic for some of us. Parents that have kids with just female chromosomes aren't going to wait if their child externally could pass for a male. I don't have the answer but it would be nice if people didn't flip out over all of this. I wrote once about people with genitals that don't fit the narrow definition of the "norm" what if we could just be left alone with no genitals exams and be respected for who we are. I got an Email from someone that called what I had to say a "dream world" she didn't mean it to be mean and it is her world and in her world someone like me upsets how things "should be"

Whatever "should" is because we are just as normal as anybody else. You would think of me as that really nice manager that gave you your money back on a clothing item that you wore and then wreaked when you washed it. You wouldn't think that oh my gosh her genitals are not like mine. You just would be happy that I politely gave your money back for a pair of pants that I can never sell again ( I'll make the money up somewhere hehehe) or maybe that truck driver in the colorful semi that lets you into traffic when I really don't have to.

As for genitals, I've looked at many different women's genitals in pictures and I'm not a lesbian so it wasn't any fun but one thing that I've noticed is that not one woman looks anything like another woman "down there" anyway.

Got side tracked back to the topic (smile) Andi, I'm glad you brought this topic up ! There was a TV show that was on about five years ago, it was called Freaks and Geeks. The show was about high school kids from Warren, Mi in the late 70's or early 80's. They did a really sweet understanding episode about a guy that was in love with a girl that when she was born it wasn't sure if she was male or female. The girl's name was Aimee too!

Oswald made a good observation that " A bisexual and a hermaphrodite would make the perfect couple " I think that is funny and has a bit of truth to it BUT the first man that I ever told about my pseudo hermaphroditism via the CAH because of the excessive androgens because of the lack of cortisol to supress it and which I take cortisone to make up for the lack of cortisol which now supresses the excessive androgens which doesn't make up for the clitoridectomy that was done (shhhh we'll remove the offensive organ and say nothing and pretend everything is fine ha ha) Guess what ? The first man that I told was bisexual and even he said, "I freaked him out" and he made a point of saying that a lot.

The writers had a nice general joke that was funny for the character of Oswald but the in reality bisexauls in my experience aren't that accepting. Besides the first man that I told, I've also told a group of friends (I thought) about my condition who were also bisexual and homosexual men with my thinking being that it just seemed some how "safer" to tell them and unfortunatly they weren't accepting at all.

Maybe, it was just this group of individuals but they all took it as a chance to look down on me. It certainly wasn't being open and acceptance. It hurt because I've always be open with them and didn't get the same back. It was like they closed in around themselves. With respect but when I read about the "I" being added to GLBT, I think thanks but no thanks. The only real acceptance I've found is from heterosexual men. They like my view of the world, I look feminine but I also due to the excessive androgens or maybe because the way I was raised I am comfortable with some male perspectives. Two gendered doesn't seem to fit and having no gender or gender right in the middle doesn't fit either but maybe female gender w/ sprinkles of male gender on top seems like the best description.

Intersex, hermaphrodite, true-hermaphrodite, and pseudo-hermaphrodite. I like the word pseudo-hermaphrodite even if I'm now only suppose to use the word Intersex because some people tell me I'm supposed to because THEY say it is somehow better, the all inclusive intersex seems more confusing to me anyway ... ...did the doctors really think that cutting off a part of me was going to change who I really was? Shhhh don't say anything ......no wonder all those residents were so quiet during all those genital exams.

I've babbled on off of the the subject of silly jokes on TV which I do find that somehow bring people closer and develop some sort of understanding and it does seem like the joke on the Drew Carey show was done in a positve way vs. some other TV shows that I've seen in the past. Also, way back on the show wasn't Drew's brother a cross-dresser before he married Mimi ?

Best Wishes,

Aimee

[Andi]

I had totally forgotten about that episode of Freaks & Geeks! I watched it when it was on NBC (bummer it went so fast, I kinda liked that show).

Anyway, back to that about the Drew Carey Show. Well, it's currently running on Wednesday evenings (8pm central time, you'll of course, need to check your own local listings).
And I'd like to think that maybe the bit of humor would lead to more understanding, but I don't expect it to. I remember hearing a few comments (I don't remember exacts) shortly after the "Cartman's Mom" episode of South Park came out.

And yes, Drew's Brother Steve used to crossdress, but Mimi insisted he wear men's clothes for the wedding & from then after, he stayed in men's clothes (sort of like Klinger on Mash after Radar left).

Andi