Where's the Humor?

Patrick Kwan of the SuperVegan blog wrote a post on Cooking with Trannies, a new YouTube channel, which he tagged under "humor." After watching the channel's debut video I'm left wondering where's the humor?

The video is apparently saying that transgender people are funny just because we are transgender. Apparently, having a gender that the transcends common assumptions means we are a "joke" to some people. This does seem to be the "joke," which is obviously why Alexa Gallo, the cisgender star, keeps referring to Trent Brooks, the transgender guest, as "tranny" rather than by his name. This is confirmed by Robyn's comment to the post that simply says, "Ha! Loved it....tranny." And another commenter who calls "trannies" a favorite "thing."

It seems to be particularly "funny" if you're physically different than the assumed gender norms. Hence the side "joke" was the "not-balls" reference in the recipe title, which is an innuendo directed at Trent being a trans man. The "joke" comes from the general obsession that many cisgender people apparently have with transgender peoples' genitals. However, Jason Das rightly commented that "they're still shaped like balls, just cause they're not meat." Good sense aside, I'm sure those same cisgender people who instantly start trying to imagine what's under a transgender person's underwear will get the similar kick out of "not-meat."

While the title of the recipe is absurd, I think it's also demeaning how Alexa uses the term "tranny." While I believe the term "tranny" can in certain instances be used to empower, I also think it should be acknowledged that cisgender people commonly use that term as a slur to attack our identity as transgender peoples. Given this reality and the power dynamic in the Cooking with Trannies video, I think Alexa's use of the term "tranny" is both gross and disempowering. I found it obnoxious how Alexa, as a cisgender person, gratuitously uses the term "tranny" in place of Trent's name while telling him to do this and that and then praising him in a patronizing way.

I think it's an incompetent attempt at humor to assume a common slur is a simple "joke," especially when expressed through a person of privilege. Would any other video based on this format be tagged as "humor"? Try thinking of your own identity, particularly if you're a woman, person of color, noncitizen, gay or lesbian, disabled, and/or a member of some other socially oppressed group. Next think of the most common slur used to attack and perpetuate the social oppression of your group identity. Now imagine that someone who is a member of the group privileged by your group's oppression is the stars of a series of videos titled "Cooking with [insert relevant slur]," where that star then refers to the guest in the video, who is a member of your socially oppressed group, by that commonly used slur throughout the entire video. Would you honestly think this is the recipe for a funny video?

If this YouTube channel is going to continue -- and at this point I rather it didn't -- then some thoughtful humor will need to replace the patronizing display and use of cisgender privilege. Simply using transgender people as a gag is both dull and offensive.

I suggest the channel move in an entirely different direction, one that challenges cisgender privilege rather than catering to it. Humor can easily be used in the video to underscore the ridiculousness of cisgender privilege. For instance, Alexa's confusion of Trent's gender with his sexuality provided just such an opportunity. Trent could have said something to encouraged us to laugh at Alexa's privilege based ignorance.

I mean, come on! Trent is a man who is attracted to other men. The heterosexism inherent in Alexa's confusion over why Trent would transition if he's attracted to men is startling. Some appropriate humor directed at Alexa's ignorance at that point in the video would have been a good thing. Instead, the opportunity for a good laugh was lost and I was left feeling disgusted.

Of course, this would mean changing the entire power dynamic of the channel. Rather than Alexa patronizingly making it her mission to teach transgender people to cook entirely plant-based meals while treating the transgender person as the "gag," Alexa and others would be encouraged to learn how to be truly sincere allies to transgender peoples by making their privileged assumptions and gross ignorance about gender and sexuality the justified target of humor.