I got to watch Terriers on the weekend and I wanted to comment about Michaela. I was profoundly uncomfortable watching the ending of the episode, but they were so unclear in the episode if she was meant to be a trans woman or if she was supposed to be seen as a transvestite sex worker, who does not identify as a woman all the time, so I wasn't sure what to think. I'm not sure they know the difference is the thing. The website refers to her as a transvestite. (The actor is an unknown who was on Drag Race for one episode and presents himself as a guy who does drag, not as a trans woman.)
If we see her as a trans woman, which I did, then that ending was saying that her job is to go to extraordinary lengths, even to the extent of dressing in boy drag, to make "normal" people comfortable. I mean they were pretty clear that Crystal Id'ed as a woman, so that was all about allowing her parents to keep their privileged obliviousness about their dead kid. And yet maybe they just don't realize the import of that presentation as Michael. But then the "give up show business" line makes me think again that they do get it, because what she does for money allows her to live as she wants to, so that seemed to be more than just the oh, no, lets save the sex worker shtick.
I think the line in the police station where Britt explains the getting a tan joke was meant to be showing Michaela as having to deal with cluelessness all the time, and also positioning Brit as a guy who gets it, but then they seemed to be saying she's supposed to be nice about it all the time too. We're supposed to be impressed by Britt and by the other cop, who gradually starts realizing she's a human being worthy of respect.
I don't know if I'm reading the show the way they intended, but her portrayal was kind of positive, and she was very likable, but it sure seemed to be all about propping up privilege in the end.
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If we see her as a trans woman, which I did, then that ending was saying that her job is to go to extraordinary lengths, even to the extent of dressing in boy drag, to make "normal" people comfortable. I mean they were pretty clear that Crystal Id'ed as a woman, so that was all about allowing her parents to keep their privileged obliviousness about their dead kid. And yet maybe they just don't realize the import of that presentation as Michael. But then the "give up show business" line makes me think again that they do get it, because what she does for money allows her to live as she wants to, so that seemed to be more than just the oh, no, lets save the sex worker shtick.
I think the line in the police station where Britt explains the getting a tan joke was meant to be showing Michaela as having to deal with cluelessness all the time, and also positioning Brit as a guy who gets it, but then they seemed to be saying she's supposed to be nice about it all the time too. We're supposed to be impressed by Britt and by the other cop, who gradually starts realizing she's a human being worthy of respect.
I don't know if I'm reading the show the way they intended, but her portrayal was kind of positive, and she was very likable, but it sure seemed to be all about propping up privilege in the end.