TDS 3.0: Season One Talk

[angora]

I was disappointed in the interview with DWS. He allowed her to spew her talking points completely unopposed.

I kept thinking, "Yes, the Republican race is a mess.  But that doesn't actually mean there's nothing to critique about the Democratic race, so stop deflecting!"

 

I thought the Cruz-Cosby comparison was mildly amusing - I did not begin to think of it until you laid it it.  And now I feel icky.  In my own defense, it was past my bedtime.

Same here. :shudder:

 

I thought the Panama papers leak was a far better story to lead off than the latest from the primaries.

ITA - most of my favorite jokes were from the Jacob Zuma story or the Panama Papers story.  I enjoyed going out on a high note, but it would've made a stronger opening.

[zxy556575]

I wonder how many jokes about Trump wanting to bang his (infant) daughter were floated in the writers' room.

 

Trevor's pieces on Trump and the women's soccer team made me think about his perspective on America -- sometimes he says "we" when I don't think he really has any skin in the game as far as outrage goes. His life under apartheid and familiarity with the regimes of actual dictators must make some of our political buffoonery seem mild in comparison.

 

But I did feel he was truly engaged and cared about the pay inequities in women's soccer and his revulsion towards Trump's habit of reducing females of all ages to their body parts. (Which, has Trump ever described or referred to Melania by anything other than her looks?)

[angora]

I really liked both stories last night. I agree that you could definitely feel Trevor's investment in both topics.

I couldn't tell if the women's soccer story was a bit light on laughs or if it just felt that way because the audience seemed so subdued. (There were some good jokes, though - I liked the line about no one expecting garbage collectors to be in it for "the love of the game," and while sex jokes can be hit-or-miss for me, I thought the orgasm analogy was a good one.) Regardless, I thought the commentary on it was excellent. $.25 on the dollar is an absolutely disgusting disparity. I like that Trevor supported wage equality from several angles, anticipating each successive counterargument. The strength of the women's performance, the smart logic of investing in a sport even if it doesn't pay off immediately (the "fixer-upper boyfriend" comparison didn't really work for me, but I did get a kick out of the huge bouquet of spoons,) and finally, the fact that we'd still need to be doing if it WASN'T the economically logical thing to do (I liked the comparisons to free-trade coffee and abolition.)

I loved the line about misogyny being Trump's most consistent belief. That clip, though - yeesh. WTH is wrong with that man? It was a good story, and I thought Trevor did a fine job with it, but I don't even know what I can say about it. I might need a minute to think about puppies and flowers and ducklings...

Edited April 6, 2016 by angora

[KerleyQ]

I loved the line about misogyny being Trump's most consistent belief. That clip, though - yeesh. WTH is wrong with that man? It was a good story, and I thought Trevor did a fine job with it, but I don't even know what I can say about it. I might need a minute to think about puppies and flowers and ducklings...

 

 

Trevor's kind of stunned silent response to that clip was perfect.  As completely absurd as it was, it's not something you can just laugh at right out of the gate, especially when taken in tandem with the shit he's said about Ivanka that's been well documented on TDS in the past.  It's just disturbing that this is how this man talks about his daughters off the cuff.  Even his one year old daughter was, in his mind, reduced to "looks, legs, rack."  Who does that?  And the women in his life disturb me on a different level in that they just sit there, smiling and laughing, when he does this shit.  I don't expect them to flip a table or something (although that would be its own level of awesome), but is an uncomfortable silence too much to ask?  A wide-eyed "what the hell just came out of your mouth???" look his way?  

[ChelseaNH]

Saying women are clamoring to say they did NOT have sex with Cruz, and comparing it to women who were RAPED by Cosby, is trying to show symmetry between two very different things.

 

You can say they both have long lines of women accusing/denying them without equating what the accusations/denials are about.  Analogies tend to be limited in scope because getting things to line up exactly on either side is pretty rare.

[zxy556575]

I don't follow soccer* but looked up the U.S. women's team since Trevor mentioned that they hadn't brought in as much money in previous years. I do remember them winning the World Cup before (hello Brandi Chastain).

 

The team has been one of the most successful in international women's soccer, winning three Women's World Cup titles (including the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991), four Olympic women's gold medals, seven CONCACAF Gold Cup wins, and ten Algarve Cups. After being ranked No. 2 on average from 2003 to 2008 in the FIFA Women's World Rankings, the team was ranked No. 1 continuously from March 2008 to December 2014.

 

I mean, really. If they haven't brought in as much money in previous years, it's not because of performance.

 

Here's the men's team in comparison:

After 1950, the U.S. did not qualify for the World Cup again until 1990. Following the 1990 World Cup, U.S. lost to Brazil in the round of sixteen. The team has qualified for all five World Cups since, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where it lost to Germany 1–0. In 2009 it finished runner-up at the Confederations Cup, eliminating top-ranked Spain 2–0 in the semi-finals before losing to Brazil 3–2 in the final.

 

 

 

*Which I always feel I should call futbol in deference to Trevor.

[ganesh]

The women should be paid as much as the men. There's no argument there.

 

But, there isn't really as much competition on the international women's side as the men. You kind of need to normalize it better than just make a direct comparison. For example, there's only like 5 other nations who have made the World Cup (men's) Final consecutively since 1990 iirc. The women have enjoyed much more success, but the men aren't doing as bad as it's being painted.

 

If you look at the q-final teams since 1990, it's basically been the same 5,6 nations with a couple others swapped in and out over the years. For example, Mexico hasn't advanced past the round of 16 since 1986. The USA did get there in 2002 and was literally one play away in 2014. The advanced out of a group last time that consisted of the team that knocked them out of the last two WCs, the eventual 2014 champion (2nd at the time) and Portugal (5th). 

 

I'd like to see the men take some kind of stand. The fact that women aren't paid for friendlies if they lose is terrible. 

[possibilities]

I wonder when we'll get to see trans men speaking as much as we see trans women. Other than Chaz Bono, everyone I ever see being interviewed or asked to speak about trans issues is always female. I know there is a discrepancy in how many trans people are female vs male, but still, the ratio is not as skewed as the representation.

 

Even in discussion of the bathroom bills-- it's so incredibly ridiculous already, but it's also leaving out the flip side of the same exact thing, in that it only focuses on what happens in the women's bathroom-- I have yet to hear a single conversation about the men's room when these bills are under discussion.

 

And the fact is, I've known a lot of cis female women who have been chased out of women's bathrooms because they were perceived as too butch. None of them wanted to use the men's room, nor did they ever look like they were passing as men, to me. But it doesn't take much to be considered a threat, apparently. Some say they always carry a pink scarf or an article of femmy jewelry to put on before entering a public bathroom, to try to deflect the hostility. This is a topic of conversation among lesbians and has been for as long as I can remember-- how to be safe peeing in a public women's bathroom because people will mistake you for a man and flip out or threaten you. So I have given this a lot of thought and I don't even see how the birth certificate idea would work even if it wasn't offensive and stupid. Birth certificates don't have photos on them, and if they did, it would just be an infant.

 

I loved Jessica's field piece, and the "scary movie" scenarios they filmed. I did notice there were a mix of genders in her panel discussion and the "trailers" they filmed, so that was cool.

 

I don't know how to deal with the guy who was saying that although he hasn't had any bad experiences, he wants the legislation because, just by existing, "they" make him think about things. I realize that's not exactly what he said, but that seemed to be the gist. And the selective Bible references, even if you forget the whole separation of church and state principle-- how do you share the world with people who are not even trying to make sense?

 

I do think the show is much better when they stick to topics they feel strongly about, even if that means skipping some of the bigger headlines. I think the more you care, the more clever or interesting you can be, so I'm glad they seemed to care sincerely about the topics they covered tonight.

[angora]

I liked focusing the whole show on one topic. I wouldn't want to do it every episode, but I thought it was really well-done last night (which made me very happy, since the show hasn't been covering LGBTQ stuff very often and I haven't been super impressed with what they have done.) Great show!

I thought the bigotry/Ebola comparison was perfect, and I enjoyed Trevor's plan for cis and trans kids in Kansas to work together and scam the system (the Kansas bill has been the most outrageous to me so far, so I was glad the show specifically called it out.) All that shrill fearmongering about "men" infiltrating women's bathrooms to molest you and your daughters makes me see so much red. Kudos to the show for highlighting how stupid, small, and ugly these attitudes are (not that the people spouting the hate weren't doing a good job of it on their own - that chaplain in Jessica's piece, ugh.)

Speaking of which, I like that I she talked about one specific, insane story (oh man, that 9-11 call) but then had the panel to hammer home that it's not about isolated incidents, it's about discrimination against the whole community. The part when they all bombarded her with ignorant/obscene/hugely personal questions was wonderfully well done.

The guest was great - I thought her company sounded fantastic, and I like the way it seems to have expanded in focus.

ETA - I totally forgot about the Wisconsin primary story. I liked Trevor's depressed reaction to a Ted Cruz win being good news and the crack about Bernie trying to share his wins with Hilary. And the Winconsin jokes may have been obvious and easy, but Trevor making it rain with cheese made me laugh so hard.

Edited April 7, 2016 by angora

[peeayebee]

 

the crack about Bernie trying to share his wins with Hilary

Loved the joke and the Trevor delivered it. "That's why it's so hard for Socialists to win. Stop sharing!"

 

It's hard to know how to respond to that "chaplain" -- Was he a real chaplain? You can always point out that people pick and choose quotes from the Bible to suit their purposes. But the near hysteria of children being molested by trans people just makes me shake my head. I know that one day people will look back at this time and wonder how others could be so prejudiced, but of course we need to work thru it now.

[mbutterfly]

Seems? I think Lindsay Graham flat out said it on the show when he said, "you have a better chance with poison because you might be able to find an antidote." I was shocked at how unabashed he was of it. Honestly, I thought he was drunk. 

All the "get behind Cruz" movement politicians, even Romney, which they showed his clip on the show, so relevance, are playing a huge con on the voters. There's not much difference between the two and they're trying to hoodwink everyone into not seeing that. 

My daughter got to know Graham a bit socially several years ago. She thought he was very down-to-earth funny and nice, actually. She has often, since, disagreed with his politics but liked the man. So it's rubbed off on me. 

[stillshimpy]

Yeah, I'm currently living in a red state (for the next three weeks, tick tock, countdown clock) so I understand that as  mindset, not liking someone's politics, but finding that person to be personally likable.  I got into the habit of telling people, almost as an introduction, that I was a liberal.  Not to start a political discussion, but as a way of making sure no one tried to talk politics with me.  Worked really well, almost across the board.  

 

 

 

I loved the line about misogyny being Trump's most consistent belief. That clip, though - yeesh. WTH is wrong with that man? It was a good story, and I thought Trevor did a fine job with it, but I don't even know what I can say about it. I might need a minute to think about puppies and flowers and ducklings...

 

That is an almost dizzying level of commitment to objectifying women, when he starts roping in infants.  I want to say "Particularly his own daughter...." which while true, might imply that it's made worse because he's talking about his infant daughter as a sum total of body parts.   It's bad enough that it would be anyone's infant daughter, ever.  

 

Years ago there was TV Show called Stargate:SG1 and there was a character, Daniel Jackson who was killed and brought back, a lot.  A lot, a lot and still some more.  Eventually someone put together a clip of his expressions and by the 8th season, the actor had an incredibly blank look on his face while being killed.  SG1: where you could actually run out of expressions for death throes.  

 

I feel that way about the shock and horror that about 85% if what Donald Trump says (just in general) and 100% of the things he says about women.  What astounds me, what leads to the blank faced "You have stunned me, one of the most reactive people in the world, a person who should never play poker lest I lose the house, into a complete inability to move my face appropriately."  He's worked my outrage muscles to the point of fatigue, into exhaustion and now he has achieved paralysis.  

 

I assume some night, in the dead of night, when nothing is stirring, except for spider creeping around in the garage, I will sit bolt upright and scream appropriately that this man is a presidential candidate of some standing.   

 

It's not that any of the shit he is saying is new, because it's not.  Hell, when I was a kid, Pat Robertson and a couple of other "Oh holy shit, who gave them a permit to march?!?"  types would regularly run for president and it would be a blip.  The joke we all just rolled our eyes at.  Sure, it was sheer lunacy and they said things that seemed the back of beyond, but it didn't get them anywhere with anything but a core group of crazypants wackadoos.  

 

Just about everything Trump has openly said is worse than what Robertson said, what David fucking Duke said, for the love of mercy. It's not scary that men still say these outrageous and grotesque things, it's that we're now sending a message that "Hey, it's okay if you do" and it isn't just about Trump.  

 

So I was entirely with Trevor.  I need to gaze at very soothing things, possibly while clutching a soon to be swallowed Xanax.  It's not that I fear the Great and Terrifying Troll Doll will win, it's the implication that so many people -- including women -- seem to think "Ah, that's okay.  I'm sure he doesn't mean it, or you know, he's just saying what people really think."   I need to go stare at a rainbow, reflected in a unicorn's horn, while ingesting solidified bliss or something before I projectile vomit. 

 

By the way, thank you for pointing out that the interviews are airing at the mid-point in some instances.  I tuned out the other night, not really wanting to sit through two full segments of political evasion (no matter the side) and I guess I missed a piece because of it.  

Edited April 7, 2016 by stillshimpy

[zxy556575]

And the Winconsin jokes may have been obvious and easy, but Trevor making it rain with cheese made me laugh so hard.

 

That was great but sent me down a mental rabbit hole -- cheese slices are sticky, especially under studio lights. Did the prop guys sprinkle flour between the slices? A bit of oil? Waxed paper? Or does Trevor just have heretofore unknown cheese handling skillz?

 

I got into the habit of telling people, almost as an introduction, that I was a liberal.

 

I live in Central Florida and have stopped even trying. Like, I was going through an open house this weekend and the realtor made an impromptu remark about how great Trump is. There's this basic assumption that everyone here is a conservative. (And a church-going Christian, but another story.)

 

I lived in Austin before moving here and guess I now know how the conservatives there felt.

[ganesh]

The cheese was individually wrapped slices, like Kraft brand. 

 

"They can go shit in their fucking hat" is probably the most erudite response to this whole bathroom issue. Why is this suddenly a trend? 

 

I enjoyed the commentary by Jessica about the guy having to "transition," and the irony being completely lost on him. I also liked her line of questioning. These people are disgusting, and she doesn't have any obligation to be nice or hold back.

 

People who quote the old testament as how modern society should be clearly know nothing about religion and should be dismissed out of hand. Unfortunately, there's far too many of them. 

 

Good show. The Nightly Show did a panel a while ago with a trans woman and man that was basically a primer for the rest of us. Other than that, I'm not seeing many other outlets devoting much time to these issues. 

 

I actually prefer with the "comedy news" shows take on these issues. Honestly, everyone is making Trump jokes and covering the primaries. 

[fastiller]

I wonder when we'll get to see trans men speaking as much as we see trans women. Other than Chaz Bono, everyone I ever see being interviewed or asked to speak about trans issues is always female. I know there is a discrepancy in how many trans people are female vs male, but still, the ratio is not as skewed as the representation.

I tried to find this on-line, but my Google-fu & Facebook-fu are poor today.  A friend posted on FB recently a photo/link of a trans man who's also a body builder - very muscular, and a black man at that.  The question was whether women would feel comfortable for him to use the womens' restroom, which these laws will require.

[tenativelyyours]

I liked focusing the whole show on one topic. I wouldn't want to do it every episode, but I thought it was really well-done last night (which made me very happy, since the show hasn't been covering LGBTQ stuff very often and I haven't been super impressed with what they have done.) Great show!

I thought the bigotry/Ebola comparison was perfect, and I enjoyed Trevor's plan for cis and trans kids in Kansas to work together and scam the system (the Kansas bill has been the most outrageous to me so far, so I was glad the show specifically called it out.) All that shrill fearmongering about "men" infiltrating women's bathrooms to molest you and your daughters makes me see so much red. Kudos to the show for highlighting how stupid, small, and ugly these attitudes are (not that the people spouting the hate weren't doing a good job of it on their own - that chaplain in Jessica's piece, ugh.)

Speaking of which, I like that I she talked about one specific, insane story (oh man, that 9-11 call) but then had the panel to hammer home that it's not about isolated incidents, it's about discrimination against the whole community. The part when they all bombarded her with ignorant/obscene/hugely personal questions was wonderfully well done.

The guest was great - I thought her company sounded fantastic, and I like the way it seems to have expanded in focus.

ETA - I totally forgot about the Wisconsin primary story. I liked Trevor's depressed reaction to a Ted Cruz win being good news and the crack about Bernie trying to share his wins with Hilary. And the Winconsin jokes may have been obvious and easy, but Trevor making it rain with cheese made me laugh so hard.

 

And with all the recent focuses on abortion rights by this, John Oliver and Sam Bee I took it a bit horrifically farther.  All afraid for their daughters on the matter.  Yet also making sure said same daughter could be raped in the restroom by a manly he-man wearing his carharts and dickies like a real man does, left pregnant and be forced to bear that child.  Funny how that "protection" seems to work doesn't?

[KerleyQ]

I tried to find this on-line, but my Google-fu & Facebook-fu are poor today.  A friend posted on FB recently a photo/link of a trans man who's also a body builder - very muscular, and a black man at that.  The question was whether women would feel comfortable for him to use the womens' restroom, which these laws will require.

 

You know, I've tried to bring that point up to people, and what I eventually conclude from their responses is that they would prefer that trans people just not use the restroom in public, because they're not comfortable with trans men in the women's room or trans women in the women's room.  Of course, none of them will actually admit that they think trans people just shouldn't use public restrooms, but they steadfastly refuse to be comfortable with either option.  

[Victor the Crab]

It's all about wanting to hate a group of people because, Jesus! These right wing religious whackjobs can't go after same-sex couples because they've flat out lost in the courts, so now they've turned their attention to trans people in order to feel superior. They will lose that one as well, as they're starting to find out now. And Jessica made a good point. That turd of a chaplain should be accused of being a pedophile if he feels it is necessary to go after trans people for being washroom predators. What's good for the goose...

[ganesh]

That's probably as good a reason as any. 

 

What's going to happen when one of the trans guys on the Jessica's panel is required to go into the women's room?

[Miss Dee]

I do think open-gender bathrooms should at least be an option in public places...and not called "family bathrooms" so you look weird if you walk in alone. Not that I don't think this law is a turd, because I do, but if businesses provided open-gender bathrooms in their facilities then hopefully trans men and women would feel more comfortable using that one.

[ganesh]

Oh, I don't GAF. I go in the family bathrooms if I'm at the airport and *really* have to go. I usually travel with my dog too, so I can take her out of the travel bag and let her stretch out and get a drink. Then I go get a drink for myself. 

 

To be fair, the comparison with Bill Clinton isn't quite apt. No one else has an actual former President, largely successful, as their spouse. 

Edited April 8, 2016 by ganesh

[trow125]

I do think open-gender bathrooms should at least be an option in public places...and not called "family bathrooms" so you look weird if you walk in alone. Not that I don't think this law is a turd, because I do, but if businesses provided open-gender bathrooms in their facilities then hopefully trans men and women would feel more comfortable using that one.

I've been in restaurants where there have been one-toilet bathrooms (i.e. not several stalls, just a bathroom with one sink and one toilet) marked by gender. My question is, WHY? It's not like you're going to run into somebody if the bathroom is just for one person, for Pete's sake. Also, women take longer in the bathroom, so often the men's room is empty while people are waiting to get in the ladies' room. So open gender bathrooms could benefit many more people.

I was thinking that somebody should ask one of these transphobic wackos like the "chaplain," "So you want Caitlyn Jenner, dressed in a skirt and heels, to have to use the men's room?" But I think the commenter above who said ultimately these folks believe trans people simply shouldn't use public bathrooms AT ALL is spot on. Just hold it, trans folks!

[ganesh]

If the men's room is occupied for the one-toilet bathrooms I just go in the women's. 

The only counter argument I pose is that men might not put the seat down or miss and piss all over the place. Which isn't a rare occurrence. But you could still construct 'single' bathrooms with a toilet and urinal for all of them. Guys would rather use the urinals anyway. 

[gesundheit]

The only counter argument I pose is that men might not put the seat down or miss and piss all over the place. Which isn't a rare occurrence.

It's true, but women's bathrooms can be easily just as revolting. We have to wipe someone's pee or blood off the seat all the damn time.

 

The most ridiculous thing about all of this is that when you look at actual facts and data, the only people consistently at risk of violence in bathrooms are trans women. Specifically in the men's room. Which now in some states is where they're required to go. They're not only literally protecting no one, they are putting an already vulnerable population in considerably more danger.

 

The Angelica Ross interview was tremendous. I can't remember if she plugged it because I was doing housework while watching, but she's also an actress in this great trans-focused web series: http://herstoryshow.com/ 

[Slj]

Having cleaned toilets men are much worse. Seriously, what do men do in there?

The anti-trans bathroom bills are gross. What these people actually want is for trans people to stay closeted as the sex they were born, not what they are. They want trans people silent and afraid of being themselves which is the utterly rage-inducing part.

[zxy556575]

I mean ... who are all these restroom patrons with such an acute 8th sense about hidden genitalia? If I saw someone dressed as either sex using the designated restroom, it would never occur to me to mentally undress them and wonder. Even if it was someone as mannish as, say, Julia Child.

 

But then, I tend to avoid gazing at other women when I'm in a public john. Certainly I'm not alone in this.

 

The ridiculous and unenforceable nature of these laws reminds me of a piece Sam Bee did on her show about police departments starting to destroy backlogged rape kits that had never been processed -- one female politician waved it away saying there was no need to enact a new law for what is basically a made-up problem. Somehow I'm convinced she would vote differently on this particular non-issue.

[KerleyQ]

I mean ... who are all these restroom patrons with such an acute 8th sense about hidden genitalia? If I saw someone dressed as either sex using the designated restroom, it would never occur to me to mentally undress them and wonder. Even if it was someone as mannish as, say, Julia Child.

 

 

I have said so many times the past few months, in response to people on Twitter and Facebook, "you've already been in a public bathroom at the same time as a transgender person, probably more than once, and you had no idea, so what's the problem?"  

[shok]

I have said so many times the past few months, in response to people on Twitter and Facebook, "you've already been in a public bathroom at the same time as a transgender person, probably more than once, and you had no idea, so what's the problem?"  

 

No kidding! And they've been in washrooms (and schools and restaurants and everywhere else) with gay people too and haven't been turned into pillars of stone or caught 'teh gay' from them.

[angora]

I agree that more gender-neutral bathrooms would be great.  Not all trans people identify as male or female, and others just feel safer there.  As long as it goes along with having the right to use a bathroom that matches their gender identity.  I know at least some of the current bathroom bills have provisions that trans people can choose between the "show us your birth certificate" bathroom OR a private single stall (I think these are mostly in bills that apply to schools?)  While that at least doesn't FORCE people into vulnerable situations, it smacks of segregation.

 

I enjoyed last night's show.  Trevor's various ways to accidentally shoot yourself with a smartphone gun cracked me up, and I liked his reassurance to Ted Cruz about the F U train.  I thought Michelle did a nice job in her piece; the caveman-logic bit was fantastic.  (Although as soon as Trevor said that 73% of women oppose Trump, I was shuddering over the 27% that don't.)

 

Glad to see the end of Third Month Mania.  I did like Hasan and Roy dragging poor Jordan out to accept the award, though; when the show needs someone to play a privileged white male douchebag, he's their only option that doesn't involve racebent or genderblind casting.

[tenativelyyours]

I mean ... who are all these restroom patrons with such an acute 8th sense about hidden genitalia? If I saw someone dressed as either sex using the designated restroom, it would never occur to me to mentally undress them and wonder. Even if it was someone as mannish as, say, Julia Child.

 

But then, I tend to avoid gazing at other women when I'm in a public john. Certainly I'm not alone in this.

 

The ridiculous and unenforceable nature of these laws reminds me of a piece Sam Bee did on her show about police departments starting to destroy backlogged rape kits that had never been processed -- one female politician waved it away saying there was no need to enact a new law for what is basically a made-up problem. Somehow I'm convinced she would vote differently on this particular non-issue.

 

 

That's just it.  Its always been a place of "eyes to yourself".  So the transgender is the one to fear and pass laws over?  But not the perv with the wandering eye?   And with these new laws I wonder and hope that the push back will be anyone caught breaking these laws will have the ACLU at their back counter suing over invasion of privacy and push to charge any witness with public indecent behavior and sexual misconduct. 

[needschocolate]

They said that one of the basis of the bathroom gender law was that they didn't want men dressed as women to go into the ladies room and attack women and girls in there.  Of course, they were using the stereotype that the transgendered are sexual predators, but they also implied that straight men who wanted to attack women could easily do this (before the law) by dressing as a woman and calling themselves transgendered, and this law would stop that.  But this law just makes it easier for straight males who are sexual predators -  Now they can just walk into the ladies room in their regular male clothing and say they were born female.

 

I really liked Trevor's joke about how Ted Cruz was like a plunger - Nobody really likes them but sometimes you have to use them to get the turd out of the way.  

[KerleyQ]

They said that one of the basis of the bathroom gender law was that they didn't want men dressed as women to go into the ladies room and attack women and girls in there.  Of course, they were using the stereotype that the transgendered are sexual predators, but they also implied that straight men who wanted to attack women could easily do this (before the law) by dressing as a woman and calling themselves transgendered, and this law would stop that.  But this law just makes it easier for straight males who are sexual predators -  Now they can just walk into the ladies room in their regular male clothing and say they were born female.

 

I really liked Trevor's joke about how Ted Cruz was like a plunger - Nobody really likes them but sometimes you have to use them to get the turd out of the way.

I made that exact same point to a guy who kept insisting that men were going to pretend to be trans women to get in there and rape his daughters. I pointed out that the way he wants things, a guy has to go to zero effort to walk into the women's room if he wants to, he just has to say he's a trans man if anyone even questions him. I think a lot of these people forget that trans men even exist. It's all just "men in dresses" to them.

[zxy556575]

But this law just makes it easier for straight males who are sexual predators -  Now they can just walk into the ladies room in their regular male clothing and say they were born female. 

 

The cis male predator would have to go to the (very slight) trouble of carrying a birth certificate with a female-seeming name on it. Wouldn't even have to match his driver's license name because, "changed it."

 

The law is a gift for peepers, pedophiles, and urine fetishists!

[KerleyQ]

I can't imagine that anyone is going to be expected to carry their birth certificate to use the bathroom. I joke about needing papers to pee, but I can't envision it actually becoming a thing.

Edited April 9, 2016 by KerleyQ

[needschocolate]

I can't imagine that anyone is going to be expected to carry their birth certificate to use the bathroom. I joke about needing papers to pee, but I can't envision it actually becoming a thing.

 

Eventually, they will figure out that there is no way to connect a birth certificate to a person unless there is some other form of identification involved.  So they will switch to drivers licenses to confirm birth gender.  And then they will realize that a person who is planning on breaking the law by sexually assaulting women and children in a public restroom probably wouldn't think twice about getting a fake ID.  And then the next step becomes tattooing the birth gender on infants so that gender is always easily identified.  A few years ago, I would have said I was joking, but with the way things are heading, this might actually happen.  

[attica]

Well, it does seem like a way to get to Full Employment pretty quickly! Think of all the public restrooms in a given state, that now all need a full complement of staff to check papers (you couldn't just hire one person per bathroom -- what happens when he or she needed to, um, pee?!), and new computer systems to verify papers presented, and maybe the issuance of bathroom boarding passes, and the trash collection that will require, and the police work that will be needed to flush out bathroom boarding pass scalping, and gee!  All manners of ways to fleece taxpayers!

[ganesh]

And the bathroom attendants will of course be armed.

 

Yet republicans always complain that there's too much red tape. 

[attica]

And one can imagine the kind of pervert that would apply for that job.

[trow125]

I'm sure Jon Stewart would cheer Bruce Springsteen canceling his concert in North Carolina in protest of the new laws. (Though I am VERY bummed on behalf of my progressive friend who had tickets to see him there -- luckily, he was very understanding of Bruce's decision.) I really hope TDS stays on this story!

[KerleyQ]

State issued bathroom photo IDs for everyone!  With pink or blue backgrounds for quick and easy bathroom assignment!  

[mbutterfly]

I mean ... who are all these restroom patrons with such an acute 8th sense about hidden genitalia? If I saw someone dressed as either sex using the designated restroom, it would never occur to me to mentally undress them and wonder. Even if it was someone as mannish as, say, Julia Child.

 

But then, I tend to avoid gazing at other women when I'm in a public john. Certainly I'm not alone in this.

 

The ridiculous and unenforceable nature of these laws reminds me of a piece Sam Bee did on her show about police departments starting to destroy backlogged rape kits that had never been processed -- one female politician waved it away saying there was no need to enact a new law for what is basically a made-up problem. Somehow I'm convinced she would vote differently on this particular non-issue.

That's what I've been thinking through this. trans folks have, like the rest of us, been using public bathrooms as long as the rest of us. Why this sudden concern about something you were fine with 5 years ago? 

[stillshimpy]

But then, I tend to avoid gazing at other women when I'm in a public john. Certainly I'm not alone in this.

 

Pretty much aside for the occasional "Pardon me" "after you" "I think that one is full"  being exchanged in crowded bathrooms, at the paper towel dispenser or when the soap dispenser has seemingly packed it in for the Valhalla reserved for the stalwart dispenser souls that took on the rest stop on I70 at the Kansas/Colorado border as its life calling.   

 

The entire issue just baffles the hell out of me, in part because in the freaking 80s in NYC there were lots of unisex bathrooms.  A lot of places couldn't afford to dedicate a lot of space to big ol' bathrooms so there would be two unisex bathrooms, side-by-side.     

 

I completely see the need for bathrooms that will help members of the trans community feel accepted and safe, it's just the answer is pretty darned obvious.  No need for "family" bathrooms so that you feel like one of natures oddities walking in there by yourself "come on, family, it's time for our familial gang toidy trip!"  being the norm there, I guess.   Unisex seems a completely acceptable term, unless I'm missing something?  

 

I wish politicians wouldn't choose to grandstand and fear monger at the price of an entire community's freaking dignity, humanity and civil rights.  I can't even imagine how I'd feel if politicians suddenly decided that brunettes with pale skin and small of stature were this great peril to the population in general, but I'm guessing that hurt and insulted would factor in there pretty heavily.   On top of every other "what do you propose? X-ray machines like the ones at the airport to suss out what someone is packing in the private parts department before allowing entry to a stall?  What, precisely is wrong with the lot of you that you can ignore every giant problem in our society in favor of catering to this, a made up fear?"  issue , how freaking narrow-minded must one be to conflate predatory behaviors with the trans community?  

 

Yes, that's a rhetorical question, but I feel like there's no way in the world this can actually be a fear that a rational, sane, or thinking person has.   There's just something about this one that gets under my skin in a way that I'm having difficulty articulating, but here's the gist:  It's so cowardly and slimy to try and demonize an entire community in this manner.  I'm sure I've been in bathrooms with transgendered people, not because I've ever noticed one way or the other, but just because of my age and the number of times I've used a public bathroom.  The math supports: Yup, bound to have happened.   What a weird area to encourage the public to turn into a bunch of fluttery Victorians in need of a fainting couch over.  

 

 

I've really been enjoying a lot of the work that Trevor has done.  He has a way of underlining just how absurd so much of this stuff truly is, but this is one area where you don't even need to create a bit to draw attention to the absurdity of it all.   That and cell phone guns, because ....what the actual hell?  Yikes.  

Edited April 11, 2016 by stillshimpy

[KerleyQ]

That's what I've been thinking through this. trans folks have, like the rest of us, been using public bathrooms as long as the rest of us. Why this sudden concern about something you were fine with 5 years ago? 

 

I think, over the past handful or so of years, there's been some build up of the idea that other groups having rights is somehow an infringement on your rights.  Add in that there's also been a real push on the idea that Christianity is under attack, and it's the Muslims, atheists, and LGBT community who are are attempting to overthrow their self-perceived spot atop the food chain, and the result is this kind of crap, along with things like Kim Davis, and people having an aneurysm if you dare say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."  

 

The really disgusting thing is that both ideas have their roots in political posturing.  In order to rile people up enough to go out and vote for them, some politicians (and their backers) started planting the idea that there's some kind of "us vs. them" thing going on.  In order to further that agenda, there needs to be some imagined slight towards "us" by giving "them" some right "us" already has, so they're creating them out of thin air, despite all logical thought to the contrary.  Like marriage - "they're going to throw priests in jail for refusing to marry the gays!!!!"  And, now, "if we let them use the bathroom, some man is going to sneak into the women's room to rape our wives and daughters!"  

[peeayebee]

Add in that there's also been a real push on the idea that Christianity is under attack, and it's the Muslims, atheists, and LGBT community who are are attempting to overthrow their self-perceived spot atop the food chain, and the result is this kind of crap, along with things like Kim Davis, and people having an aneurysm if you dare say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."  

And then there are people who say "Speak English!" to others who aren't even talking to them. It's like Your otherness offends me.

[Brandi Maxxxx]

And then there are people who say "Speak English!" to others who aren't even talking to them. It's like Your otherness offends me.

How dare they be different!? What, my way of life ain't good enough for 'em!?

[fastiller]

I think, over the past handful or so of years, there's been some build up of the idea that other groups having rights is somehow an infringement on your rights.  

It's what I've described as the "zero-sum game of rights" (I'm sure I'm not the first person to come up with the concept).  It's like there's a finite amount of 'rights' out there. If I give them to you I can't give them to him, or to her.  I might run out, don'tchaknow?!

[ganesh]

I think, over the past handful or so of years, there's been some build up of the idea that other groups having rights is somehow an infringement on your rights.  Add in that there's also been a real push on the idea that Christianity is under attack, and it's the Muslims, atheists, and LGBT community who are are attempting to overthrow their self-perceived spot atop the food chain, and the result is this kind of crap, along with things like Kim Davis, and people having an aneurysm if you dare say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."

 

It's not under attack, but I think the non religious segment of society is growing and basically over all the religiousness "deep seeded deeply held belief" garbage. You don't want to make a cake for a couple of gay people even though your business license legally prevents you? Then don't go into the cake business. "Religious freedom" doesn't supersede civil law and never has. You know what? You literally cannot go to jail and you are legally protected to attend any church you want whenever you want anywhere in the USA. That's your freedom.

 

And then there are people who say "Speak English!" to others who aren't even talking to them. It's like Your otherness offends me.

 

My former local butcher shop was owned and operated by a Mexican American family. Much of the staff was latin american, so there was a lot of spanish speaking. Even the white people knew some spanish. Some crotchety old lady in line ahead of me muttered "speak the language" and rolled her eyes. I was like, "you do know they literally own the place, right? You can shop elsewhere."

 

It's what I've described as the "zero-sum game of rights" (I'm sure I'm not the first person to come up with the concept).  It's like there's a finite amount of 'rights' out there. If I give them to you I can't give them to him, or to her.  I might run out, don'tchaknow?!

 

Or the other canard where people think a "right" means you can do whatever you want despite the numerous legal limits that we've accepted since the country was founded. 

Edited April 11, 2016 by ganesh

[formerlyfreedom]

Let's get back to the show, please.

[Paws]

How awesome was Jennifer Hudson? Circle of Life is my favorite song too. I agree with Trevor that she should just sing to communicate since talking is just silly when you can sing like that.

[angora]

That was too much fun.  Trevor's fanboy tendencies can bug me sometimes, but with the right person, it totally works.  I really liked the whole interview.

 

I loved Trevor demanding to know why he has to take his shoes off when TSA screening seems to be so ineffective (that statistic boggled my mind.)  I also enjoyed TSA Tinder and Trevor's comments about just using the honor system.

 

I laughed so hard at Bernie's whole campaign being a secret plan to get Hamilton tickets, and Trevor was great calling out Kasich for being more interested in his food than in what a voter was saying to him.  The bit about his president & mascot plan was fantastic.  It was an excellent articulation of how people get so caught up in the one-liners and silly gaffes and awkward dancing when none of that should have any bearing on whether or not they'd be a good president; I loved the ridiculous crack about Hilary having to nuke somebody because she couldn't get her Metro Card to work.