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MTV’s Jersey Shore has never been a model for political correctness, starting with the initial backlash
in the Italian American community over the use of the word “guido” on the show. Last week, the hit reality series got in hot water over the use of another derogatory term, “tranny” in what GLAAD called “one of the most blatant examples of transphobia seen on television” on the Jersey Shore reunion on Thursday. MTV has issued an apology. “The segment in question was certainly not meant to be insensitive, but in retrospect we realize that it was offensive to some viewers,” the network said. “We sincerely apologize.” The said segment would be edited out of future reruns of the special that will air after the current repeat cycle ends on November 4. MTV also agreed to meet with GLAAD to discuss how to better portray transgender issues on the network. Here is GLAAD’s description of the segment:
The offending incident began with a montage of clips from a previous episode, in which Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is shown flirting with an unidentified club patron, followed by his castmates repeatedly claiming the person was “a tra**y,” and that “if you have to think about it, it’s a tra**y. Stay away.” However the instance was made much worse by both the show’s host and producers, who intercut with shots of cast member Ronnie Ortiz-Magro wearing a dress and MTV’s own footage of a large man in a bikini and a Halloween mask in an attempt to add more “humorous” context. Host Julissa Bermudez started off the interview segment by making fun of Ronnie for wearing a dress, and asking Mike Sorrentino, “Who was that tra**y?! What was up with that?!”
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Again making something out of nothing. A straight male is PERFECTLY JUSTIFIED for being grossed out at the prospect of hooking up with a transvestite. It’s not okay to discriminate against them or demean the right to exercise their identity, but when you’re talking about a hookup, you’re totally at liberty to decide what’s right and what’s wrong.
Stupid stunts like these are the very reason I stopped donating money to GLAAD.
If “Jersey Shore” were TRULY Transphobic, they wouldn’t have sold so many Snooki wigs to dudes this year for Halloween.
Oh, and if the spell-check on my computer is any indication, “Transphobic” is not actually a word. But in fairness, neither is “Snooki.”
FYI, Snookie means Bitch in Russian.
Agree with your comment. Glaad… your a trash bag. And FYI… tranny is what’s in a car’s engine you complete morons.
Pretty soon you’ll be trashing the entire dictionary saying it’s homophobic… I’d say the majority of the populations sees gays, and transgenders as having feminine qualities… man up Glaad… get some cojones will ya… your pathetic.
1st: it’s not “your”, it is “you’re” (contraction for “you-are” — “your” is the possessive form).
2nd: a “tranny”, initially an abreviation for “transmission”, is not “in” an engine, but coupled in-line with or attached to the engine. How can it be considered, derogatory, no matter what word it contracts? Context and modifiers construct the meaning.
And, no, we shouldn’t trash the entire dictionary, you are too much in need of its contents…please learn to use it and quit worrying whether or not GLAAD are a bunch of over-reactional folks. They haven’t attact your (note possessive form) English usage or lack of mechanical knowledge.
Just to help your word usage: “fag” (now also including “faggot”) was initially a contraction for that very same “faggot”, which is a stick of wood for burning (actually a great metaphor re-application): then there is: “queen”, “drag”, “flamer” etc. If used in proper context without the inflamatory, judgemental modifiers and functionals these words should also be acceptable. The abridgment of meaning (in any context or for any cause) unfortunately has become the rally-cry of of weak and exasperated participants.
Unfortunately, us white, straight (see, there’s a misnomer, “straight”) semi-literate sphincters don’t have a bitchy-ass little girl support group. So we just have to “man-up” (another derogatorory (?) term) and quit weeping into our macho red bandanas. Remember “queer” (pardon me, but usage required) ain’t contageous. So be tough. p.l.
Um, obviously. But for MTV to air it and edit it in such a way, for a cheap, quick laugh.. it’s offensive.
Thank you for being a voice of reason in an ever over sensitive world.
The person in question was never clearly confirmed as a transvestite. This was just a cheap joke that went too far. Both MTV and GLAAD were wrong. MTV shouldn’t have tried to “dress it up” with the stupid imagery and GLAAD needs to just get over themselves and deal with real issues that impact the gay community rather than trying to make themselves relevant.
GLAAD – you are so stupid, instead of making people back your cause, you are making people back the F*** away from your cause. DramaQueens, get over it already!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think there is some spilled milk somewhere that GLAADDDDD should be busy crying over. I’m a straight man, and it’s gross to me to kiss a man. So… what is the problem here?
The “T” portion of “LGBT” has always seemed out of place to me, to be honest.
And as the above poster said, it’s definitely something that is a legit worry for idiots that hook up with other idiots.
This divide and conquer game was played on civil rights activists in the 60s. Sad to see times have not changes. Equality under American rules is equality. Either it exists for all or it exists for none. People of the Jewish faith are not like African Americans are not like women are not like any other category you can name. The point is that we still see them as equal under the law and don’t tolerate discrimination against them. if you are trying to understand the ‘T” in LGBT, that’s the connection. At one point, in the past, it was understood why solidarity exists. Now, its like each time something like this comes up, one has to explain it. Sad.
oh so next maybe we should not acknowledge gays that are to feminine for your taste…where does it end….what a disgusting comment you made against people in your own community…the trans community is fighting for gays rights too….you just might need us someday so stop the hate….
Straight Men and Women fight for Gay rights as well, but there is no S in “LGBT”. Just because you fight for something doesn’t mean that you should be categorized as part of it. Everyone has been discriminated against at least once in their lives for age, sex, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Should we make an organization called “Gays, Lesbians, Bi-Sexual, Transexual, Catholics, Minors, Blacks, Pygmies, Goldfish, and the Dyslexic”?
Yes, I agree. We can tell how much you fight for our rights by the amount of equality we have under the laws of this country right now. Oh, wait, maybe not. It must be nice to paint yourselves as the heros in your own little dramas, but don’t pee on our legs, and tell us its sunshine.
also transgender people can legally marry in this country but we are still fighting for the rights of gay people who can’t……should we take your advice and not vote or care about the prop 8 debate….we have to stick together…there is already enough prejudice in the world without turning on our own community
This is factually wrong. Like with marriage equality, it depends on the state. I think many of you are either conservative or just plain ignorant.
Since I have an IQ over 50 I don;t watch The Jersey Shore so could someone explain the context that Tranny was used. If we can’t make fun of people dressing up as the other sex then who can we make fun of?? GLAAD is just another group policing for political correctness. GLAAD, the Catholic League, the Italian American Society and all those similiar groups should worry about bigger issues than the Jersey Shore and the utterings of a group of Morons!
Is “tranny” a bad word now? Why on earth is that a bad word?? I had no idea. I live in WeHo and say that all the time!
I know it’s difficult for you to understand and process nuance in our black and white, 15 minutes world, but context DOES matter.
The thing MTV should be apologizing for is putting these morons on air in the first place.
But fine, you’re going to put them on the air, why should the network apologize for things the dumb and offensive things these people say? That’s why people watch the show in the first place.
MTV should really be apologizing for The A List on Logo. I can’t imagine why a gay network would want to air a show that perpetuates the worst possible gay stereotypes.
At this rate we’re all going to speak in sign language in about five years.
Wait… “transphobic” is a word now?
Yeah, this is the first I’ve heard that word. And I lived in SF for most of my life. This is one of those little cultural shifts where you find the ability to call yourself a liberal gradually sliding away as you get older. Because the alternative is that you have to believe something, that treating transvestites differently is equivalent to discriminating against gays or minorities, which just seems like nonsense.
If “tranny” is hate speech then the Rocky Horror Picture Show (which celebrates cross dressing) is the most transphobic movie ever.
I can’t believe I have to explain something like this here, but the T in LGBT does not stand for “transvestite.” It stands for “transsexual,” and there is a vast difference between the two. Educate yourself on the difference and you might understand how the word “tranny” could be construed as demeaning. I’m not saying the show should be censored, but I am saying that people need to understand the impact of the words they utter.
You live in SF, and you have never heard of transphobia? Wow, this site must have a really big intake from conservative sites.
I’m a liberal, I’ve lived in SF for more than a decade, and I’ve never heard the term either.
I was also born and raised in SF…. and lived close to west hollywood for a few years…. never heard transphobic…. sorry, just got caught making up a word!
yes, I am ready to call it. In the spirit of the elections to night, I think you are both lying. What sealed it was the one dude claim to be liberal in SF and never hearing the word transphobia. Whatever you are, that lie alone makes it transparent that you are someone to be trusted as far as your claims here. I don’t really know what you get out of lying. Is this like the testimonials where someone claims to be “x” so we are suppose to value their opinion more?
Uh, yes, “transphobic” is a word and judging by the comments on this story, one that people should really learn the meaning of. When you call transfolk “repugnant” or that you are “perfectly justified” being grossed out as commentators here have done you are being transphobic.
Also, to be clear “tranny” IS a judgmental and derogatory term for anyone along the trans-spectrum. GLAAD was completely correct in calling MTV out on it, and I am pleased that MTV responded in a reasonable way.
I for one would be happy to see the T removed from LGBT.
Why?
because the site has conservative sites that pick it up, and thus, those conservatives come here making bigoted statements.
and then who should we remove next…..gay men that are too femimine for your taste….becareful who you start eliminating….you could be next…..the transgender community is voting for the rights of gays….many of those rights they already have ….
Nice to know with joblessness, homelessness, lack of health insurance, hunger etc. that this is a topic of concern. Wow.
Where I come from, “tranny” used to be slang for transistor radio.
can you get herpes from watching tv? i hope not.
Trannies use the word “tranny.” It’s a logical non-judgmental diminution of the word transvestite.
Pathetic that MTV agreed meeting with GLAAD to be bullied, er… reprimanded.
Again I ask, why is that GLAAD never is?
It’s true, we do use this word, but only to illustrate how bigoted people are.
Hey Quint – people watch Jersey Shore because it’s entertaining, that’s it. Not all forms of entertainment need to be “intelligent” to serve their purpose. But you have an IQ over 50, so you must have already known that. Based on your logic, anyone who watches Jersey Shore is an idiot and not only that – but you’re also smarter than them. Wow. That’s a very bold statement my friend, especially considering the fact that millions of people watched every week, and the show constantly broke ratings records for their target demo. I can’t stand political correctness, but GLAAD (along with the other groups you mentioned) worry about the utterings of a group of morons because those morons’ utterings reached millions of people every week. MTV knows this, we know this – it seems you’re the only one in the dark. I’ve gotta say, for someone with an IQ over 50, you didn’t think this one through very much. Thanks though.
You sound like a ranting idiot?? Calm down and go watch a mindless reality show to kill off a few of your remaining brain cells. GLAAD doesn;t give a rats ass about someone being called a tranny. They care about trying to build influence so they can raise money and spend it on glory holes. GLAAD only cares about one thing and that is getting as much man meat as they can!
MTV has done plenty to promote “alternative” lifestyle with their programming over the years so this is pretty ironic if you ask me. If anything GLAAD should be presenting them with an award for conditioning the youth to not only be more accepting of that way of life but for promoting curiosity among them with the incessant bombardment of gay imagery and innuendo.
Darn, I was hoping this would read “MTV apologizes for Jersey Shore”.
Not to mention that just a year or two ago MTV had someone who had undergone a sex change on Real World: Brooklyn which actually featured the transgender community in a very positive light. I can’t believe I’m siding with MTV, but they should not need to apologize for what the Jersey Shore kids says.
“Fag” and “Lesbo” I understand are derogatory. But Tranny? Really? Not all men that dress as women are “women born in a man’s body.” Some of them are just sick and twisted individuals that like the way stockings feel on their legs. All of our free-speech, 1st Amendment rights are going down the toilet. Soon, it will be hate crime to use the work NERD. Where does it end?
“sick and twisted?” Really?
Steve is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. *****READ******
I had a Psychology class in college (a university in california) that had Transvestite, Transexuals, Transgender people come in to speak on a chapter on this subject. They admitted that YES some of the Men dress up not because they want to be Women, but because they like the feel of stockings and womens undergarments on them.
I think “sick & twisted” is not far off….
Why are the comments on here always so latently homophobic / transphobic / whateverphobic. If you can’t understand that some people take offence to their identity being constantly ridiculed in the popular media then you’re incredibly callow and just an idiot. Not everyone is in the cushy position of being a white male.
Because, again, as I explained above I think the site is picked up by several conservative sites, and those people migrate here to comment.
Did GLADD complain when openly Gay “Project Runway” contestant Christian Siriano use “Hot Tranny Mess” consistently as one of his catchphrases?
Also, if a person is Transsexual, they should be open to disclosing to potential partners that they have undergone a sex change surgery.
Not disclosing that to someone is wrong. Especially if they are hanging out at a straight club.
“The Situation” made out with someone who was later revealed to be transsexual afterward. Instead of getting grossed out and disgusted, he just dealt with it. The others of course laughed at him, but he didn’t go back and kill anyone over it.
GLADD needs to stop being hypocrites. They want Ron Howard to remove a slur from his movie, yet I don’t see them calling for the removal of “PAGING DOCTOR FAGGOT!” from DVD’s of “The Hangover”.
There will always be an audience for the dumbest shit on television until something dumber and more vulgar comes along.
Like no gay man has ever checked out a cute masculine looking person and later said “OMG it’s a dyke!” or “OMG it’s an ftm!” or “He’s a she!” GLAAD served its purpose and now needs to go away, or it simply needs to pick better fights.
I am so sick of the apologies in this country. People need to toughen up. How is anyone gonna handle hard times if you are sheltered your whole life.
And one more thing, go watch your MTV a second time, how many times do lesbians say they are grossed out by the possibility of kissing a guy? A lot. And I don’t care at all about that statement, even though it’s insulting heterosexuals.
I agree. The white straight guys where I work whine quite a bit about how they are harmed by this or that minority. I think its time they toughen up like we have to be tough, stop whining each time they lose out on something and have to live as we live.
Dear GLADD -
Living in a free country means people have a right to say things others will disagree with and/or be offended by.
Deal with it or move the fuck out.
And Meh -
So what if their utterings reach millions? If a station should apologize for the speech of people on their shows simply because those moronic views reach millions, Fox News would be strictly in the apology business!
If MTV doesn’t want moronic statements made on their channel, they should stop hiring morons.
@american – Allow me to clarify…
I am in no way saying MTV should apologize for this, I actually think they SHOULDN’T have apologized. My point is just that since Jersey Shore reaches such a large audience, and since GLAAD is clearly offended by this, then you can see why they might be upset. If anyone takes what the cast members of Jersey Shore have to say seriously, then they have bigger problems than being politically correct. Obviously, they’re all complete idiots – even if they are entertaining.
Oh paaaleeez! The whole reason anyone watches this subterranean show is to see them say & do offensive things – DUH! Oh the poor “tranny” community is pissed off cause we have issues with men with penises wearing dresses – and we might find that repugnant? We have to be tolerant of this kind of behavior as HUMAN BEINGS – being respectful of each other is way lacking in today’s world; but why do we have to approve/condone/subscribe/encourage or any other word this kind of behavior. I for one would rather not sleep with a man in full she-gear and hope it’s OK for me to say so! (like right here and right now…)
Seriously, all you trannies, don’t need to get your panties up in a bunch over this.