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GLAAD slaps Glee over Rocky Horror

GLAAD has criticised the Rocky Horror episode of Glee for using the word "tranny" in reference to a transsexual.

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The Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination in the US has criticised Rocky Horror episode of Glee for using the word “tranny” in reference to a transsexual.

The slap follows an earlier chastising of MTV’s Jersey Shore for the same misdemeanour.

In the episode which aired in Australia last night, Mike Chang (Harry Shum Jr) pulled out of the role of Frank-N-Furter because his parents didn’t want him to look like a “tranny”.

In a post on GLAAD’s website, the lobby group said: “The casual manner in which the word was used is jarring, even if he may have been repeating what his parents said.

“The show’s inclusion of the word ‘tranny’ was made all the more confusing by the decision to change the word ‘transsexual’ to ‘sensational’ in the song ‘Sweet Transvestite’. As many commentators have pointed out, it seems strange that FOX would want the word ‘transsexual’ cut from a well-known song, but find ‘tranny’ acceptable.”

The organisation continued: “This inclusion of this slur is particularly alarming given last season’s powerful episode in which Kurt’s father chastised Finn for using the word ‘f*g’. That episode sent a powerful message to the show’s young fanbase that words have power and they can hurt.

“Unfortunately the larger problem here is that the word ‘tranny’ has become an easy punchline in popular culture, and many still don’t realise that using the term is hurtful, dehumanising and associated with violence, hatred and derision against transgender people – a community that is nearly invisible in media today.”

As enjoyable as the Rocky Horror songs were, there were certainly some odd choices made to accommodate it within a show so popular with middle America.

During a discussion about the musical’s adult themes teacher Will Scheuster (Matthew Morrison) told his students:

“Isn’t that the whole point of the arts? Pushing boundaries? Doing things you can’t do for the sake of self-expression? I got it all figured out. I cut out some of the more risque sections. And I’m sending Permission Slips to all your parents to make sure they’re ok with it.”

Say what?

Shouldn’t it have really been something along the lines of:

“Isn’t that the whole point of the arts? Pushing boundaries? Doing things you can’t do for the sake of self-expression? I got it all figured out. We’re going to perform every single word and sing every note as written to uphold the integrity of the work and ourselves.”

Mr. Scheuster was flip-flopping on performing the show through the whole episode until he confusingly decided dammit, we’re going to perform this come hell or high water. And we’re going to perform it without an audience!

He was the only person sitting in the audience for the closing scene of the Time Warp.

Yeah, musicals were really written to be seen as a dress rehearsal by their teacher and never by the public.

If they didn’t want to step up to the work, why go there in the first place? Weird.

Meanwhile MTV apologised for an episode of Jersey Shore after GLAAD ruled what they deemed to be “one of the most blatantly transphobic scenes aired anywhere on television in the last few years.” During this season of the show, Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, was out at a club, chatting up a person he presumed to be a woman but turned out to be transgendered. Afterward, he and other members of the crew threw around the word “tranny.”

MTV vowed to remove the footage from future broadcasts of the show. “The segment in question was certainly not meant to be insensitive, but in retrospect we realise that it was offensive to some viewers,” the network wrote in a statement. “We sincerely apologise.”

Source: Digital Spy

31 Responses

  5. Complete overeaction. The crap GLAAD comes up with to complain about just seems to do more bad than good. Here’s a show that has an openly gay character, a father who supports his gay son, high school jocks singing in the same group as the kid. Brittany and Santana kissing without it being a big deal. And they want to go and complain about Glee because they said the word “tranny”.

  8. OMG, for F**ks Sake. Get over it. I am gay and so sick of people sooking and making such a big deal about little things like this. Move on and get over it.

  9. great article … maybe GLAAD can also send them a please explain letter as to the train wreck that was sweet transvestite… (who knew that that song could be belted out as an aretha franklin type of song ugh !!)… I love glee and rocky horror but last night’s episode was poorly done… the only thing i liked about it was the homage to the opening credits of science fiction double feature as done in the original movie.

  12. Well said David. I work with same sex attracted youth and go to schools education about the language we use and how it can be harmful, hurtful and discriminatory.

    I have koori colleagues and friends who regularly use a word amongst themselves but i would not dare to presume it was ok for me to.

    Its time we stop others from using hate words regarding sexuality. As a society we have made racist and sexist jibes unacceptable but why do we still allow homophobic language?

  13. @RoD is correct regarding the use of language in the episode. Was anyone actually listening to the dialogue? GLAAD need to pick their fights carefully. In my mind this was insignificant and next time I hear GLAAD complaining I may be less likely to listen because of their tendency to complain about trivia in their chase for publicity.

  14. A friend who’s a transsexual refers to herself as a tranny, so that’s where I take the lead with the language I use … and it wouldn’t surprise me if the word “transsexual” was cut because it contains “sex”, and “tranny” doesn’t. Nothing conservative Americans do surprises me anymore.

  15. How annoying. As a gay man myself I have often used the word ‘tranny’ when referring to transexual colleagues or friends, even in their company and often after they themselves have used the term. It is in no way a derogatory term, simply a shortened, colloquial version of the term transexual. Sheesh, Glee was forced to change the lyrics of “Sweet Transvestite” to say “Sensational, Transylvania” or some such notice and still GLAAD want to ride their moral high-horse. I wish to state that GLAAD’s opinion in no way reflects my own as a young, gay Australian male. Which is quite sad really seeing as they are supposed to!

    1. Context is everything. Words / language is often seized by minorities as a way to negate their impact or as a term of endearment. What is ok for one person to use is not necessarily ok for another. I presume GLAAD is seeking to avoid the word being thrown about by Glee’s younger audience. The way Americans use language also differs (thankfully) from ours. We had “y” onto the end of most things without it necessarily becoming an insult….

  16. Get over it GLAAD – Tranny is a natural contraction. Good luck eradicating this from the English language. Why not centre your efforts on more serious issues ??

  17. With GLAAD being so over-dramatic, it will be more detrimental and further perpetuate negative stereotypes of the LGTB community, as “tranny” most likely wasn’t even used in a derogatory manner.

  18. Glee use to be a drama with some music. Now its a music show with some drama. Olivia, Britney, Rocky Horror – they come up with the artist/theme then write some ordinary story around it. I give it one more year.

  19. I’d hate to have a camera crew following me around on a Friday night. If tranny is the worst I slipped out with, it’s been a good night.

    As a gay man, I had no idea the word tranny was even offensive until about a year ago, here on TV Tonight, I had the word ‘tranny’ in one of my comments changed to ‘transexual’. Thanks for the education, David.

  20. GLAAD does seem to be a litlte OTT in regard to complaining about tranny, but having said that, it does seem odd that the word transexual was cut out of the show, but tranny was not (although transvestite was left in…)

    The episode as a whole seemed particularly odd, not only for the decision to edit the musical, but to perform it in a high school full stop. And then to cast two adults in it…with Schuester deciding to play Rocky? All so Schuester could impress Emma? Probably one of the least thought out episodes of the series…

    Glee should probably go back to doing what it does best – 80’s pop and show tunes, with powerful and moving storylines about a group of outcasts finding a home.

  22. Huh?! A complaint based on a character repeating what his parents said… that is really scrapping the bottom of the outrage barrel.
    The lyrics were sanitised for the proposed musical because (as was clearly stated in the ep) they’d never be allowed to get away with the original lyrics as a high school production.
    As for Schuster removing lyrics and getting permission slips whilst talking about ‘pushing boundaries’ that was the whole point of the episode. He was not putting on the show for the sake of art, or taking a stand – he was putting it on in order to brown nose to Emma who was a Rocky fan. His intentions were poor and he compromised everything and everyone – leading to poor behaviour by most of the male leads.
    It was a negative morality play. ‘How not to lead and inspire people’

  23. I did not care for last night’s episode at all. Unlike the Britney Spears episode, I watched this one right through, but I’ve got to be honest, it was pretty dreadful and not one of their better efforts. As usual, very good production values for the musical sequences, but the acting, dialogue, etc in the main part of the show remains woeful.

  24. Since when is “tranny” a derogatory term? It is just a shortened version of “transexual”. As a bisexual man, am I supposed to be offended by the term “bi”? I’m beginning to think that GLAAD are a little too extremist. They’re starting to remind me of PETA. Glee is one of the most LGBT-friendly shows on television. GLAAD really should spend its time going after the bad guys, not antagonising the producers of shows that are actually promoting understanding.

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