Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Gender Is Between Your Ears
In today's society, one of the rising topics of debate is that of being transgender. This video is about Chaz Bono. Formerly Chastity Bono, he underwent a gender change and has recently emerged as being a man. When we look at Chaz, we do not see the aspect of cyborg as much, but the aspects of shape shifter, and depending on one's views, superhero come to mind. Upon watching this video, which themes from rhetoric of the body come to your minds? Even if you are personally against the idea of sex-changes, does the possibility of him being a superhero still come to mind since he is trying to promote support for such a controversial issue? Chaz talks about how he always felt like he was a boy. For him, making himself comfortable ended up making many people uncomfortable. Is it really our place to judge people for who they are, or who they wish to be? Will we ever be comfortable enough with diversity that people won't look at transgenders or people of different beliefs any different than they would you and me?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think that Chaz Bono exemplifies shapeshifter, cyborg, and superhero perfectly by changing himself and taking the risks as a celebrity that others are scared to take.
ReplyDeleteThough I have nothing against the transgender community, I have always had trouble understanding transgenders idea of disconnection with their original physical bodies. For better or for worse, when I look at myself in the mirror I see myself as me. I don't even understand what it means to 'feel like a man' or 'feel like a woman'. If gender is between our ears and not our legs, why do we even need surgery to alter ourselves to become what we want? Though I know it's very unlikely peoples minds could be open to this extent, why can't we just mentally erase gender roles and stereotypes? Without those stereotypes, would Chaz still have always 'felt like a man'? Would we still have people signing up to change their manly/lady parts to something else? If so, then what does that say about his point?
Like Claire has said,I also think Chaz Bono represents shape shifter,cyborg and superhero.However, if I can only pick one, I will defiantly say he is a superhero. Like Chaz has said in the interview, life is short and precious.Even thought not everybody wants to change there gender,but we all have something that we really want to do but can't do because of some reason. But how many people can despite of secular vision to do what they want to do?
ReplyDeleteAnd for Claire's question, I think Chaz's decision of changing his gender is not just about gender roles and stereotypes. It is just a physical thing.Let's say there is a woman who like to wear men's clothes, and she really wants people to say she look good in man's clothes even though she is a woman.But women have breast,and our body is not as big as men. Then it will make the woman sad because men's clothes is design for men's body.I know it is not a very good example, but I just want to say some people just look into the mirror and feel that they don't suppose be in their body, they will look more cooler in a different body.
I look at Chaz as a shapeshifter and a cyborg. She has artificial part in her that allows her to give off the persona of being a male. I consider her a shapeshifter because she is a female that has had her body altered to appear as the male form. However, she will never completely be a male, regardless of the number of surgeries or hormones she takes. I could understand considering her a superhero because she is trying to make it easier for other people like herself by showing them that they are not alone. I don't believe that it will ever be possible for society to ever be comfortable enough with diversity to fully accept transgenders. People are justified to their own opinions, and some people will never fully accept anyone different from themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Clare about the misunderstanding of what it means to look in the mirror and see something other than what we are. I also like her statement about the need for sex altering surgery if gender truly is between the ears and not between the legs.
I would have to say that Chaz is a shape shifter, for sure. I also can see how one can say Chaz is a superhero, as Morgan mentions that Chaz makes it easier for others to change as they want.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally, I have nothing against anyone and their personal decisions. I also respect that while Chaz is supporting his beliefs by going through with this interview, among other things, he does not make a huge deal out of it, even if it may be a controversial issue.
What really struck me was the mention of doing the change for himself. With all the pressures in the world today, it is a great thing to see, almost superhero-like if you must, for someone to really stand up for oneself and do what they want to do.
Chaz is a shape shifter and a superhero to me. He has literally changed his body into what he believes represents him more accurately and he's an inspiring person for everyone in the transgender community. I think it's amazing that while wishing to go through his transformation privately, he's accepting the attention and turning it into proof that this is becoming more acceptable. He's showing other people in the LGBT community that they can follow through with their dreams too.
ReplyDeleteI love the questions that Chaz and this video bring up about acceptance. Are things that used to be unheard of becoming acceptable? Why do some people consider it taboo?
I hate the gender stereotypes that are present now. Guys are expected to be strong and tough, a protector to their women, and girls are expected to always wear makeup and smell like flowers, a "girly girl." Why can't a girl get dirty without being judged and why can't a guy be sentimental? I feel like Chaz before the transformation, was a perfect example of someone who wasn't afraid to break what is socially accepted. Chastity Bono was tough and didn't give two shits about what people thought. However, now that she has had surgery and is now Chaz Bono, I feel that she gave in to the stereotypes. I commend him for his decision because it is what he felt was right for him. But, I believe that he could have still been himself when he was a her. You don't have to a guy to be manly.
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked how far transgender treatment has advanced. Chaz is literally the spitting image of an adult male. All female attributes are completely gone.
ReplyDeleteI'll be completely honest - I don't support his decision. As Claire explained, our natural bodies are who we are and shouldn't be the determining factor of what makes us "male" or "female". If it's a matter of having a little more sexual opportunity, I can understand, but beyond that it doesn't really shape a person's character. The outcome of this entire endeavor doesn't really seem to compensate for the time and effort invested in surgical procedures.
I applaud Chaz for pushing towards something he believes in. But although he may have persuaded himself to think he's truly male, his efforts will never be entirely fulfilled. He won't ever achieve that bond with the male community that he wants, just because all will know that he wasn't born natural. I know that's terrible. I know it sounds like conservative nonsense. But in the end, we all know that's how everyone will see him. The male community will never forget or neglect his past, just as he won't himself.
Chaz Bono is a shape shifter. not the good kind, the evil kind. i don't support this in the least bit and here is why. i grew up in a very traditional family and with very traditional views. their are certain gender roles that each gender should keep. of course with the modern lifestyle men sometimes stay at home while women work and i totally support that. i think women can be as powerful and as influential as men if not more. but there are still some guidelines that men and women should have. Chaz is crossing these lines and causing controversy and thats not alright with me. science has made a lot of advancement in the last decade but this is something they should not have dipped their toes in. we are already given so many options as a society. we can choose democrat or republican, we can choose hot dog or hamburger, now we can choose male or female. there is one thing i grew up knowing not to mess with, and that is how God created you. call me a backwards thinker, but this is what i strongly believe in. what Chaz did is wrong. i believe that one should make the best out of his/her situation instead of trying to change it.
ReplyDeleteI would consider Chaz a shapeshifter because he is clearly trying to be something he was not originally. He is trying so hard to be something that he just wasn't born to be. Like a few others that posted here, including Claire, I don't understand his point when he said Gender is between your ears, not between your legs. That statement just contradicts everything Chaz is doing in reality; Chaz has underwent all these surgeries to look and be like a male. If he just felt like he was a male prior to the surgery, then why go through with these unnecessary surgeries. Chaz is trying to eliminate stereotypes yet he just contributes more and more to them. He sets and defines the meaning of being a man versus the meaning of being a woman with all that he is saying. Like Ed said, I will, as other people, will never see him as a true male.
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that Chaz Bono is a shape shifter. Living with tranditional culture for 19 years, I feel really uncomfortable to transgenders. In our country, I never found any people against their genders so strongly. This video shows me a new view of the world. To be honest, I disagree with the idea of transgenders. However, I still have some different opinions with what Hassan Said. First, we should not judge what is right or wrong, we can only say I like or dislike. I dislike transgender, but they may be right. Second, if how transgenders live their lives do not affect ours, we should not affect theirs. Be respective to who resoect yourself. The last but not the least, everyone has choices to be what they want to be.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Chaz should be considered as a shapeshifter because he had his gender changed. Like Ed, I’m shocked too when I realize how transgender technique has achieved.
ReplyDeleteFor me, like most people else, I’m OK with transgender and really respect what Chaz did so far. It’s because he knows clearly what he need and what he is going to deal with in this case and really makes effort on it. He takes all the pressure and still has a really good attitude and feels it’s “the best decision I had ever make”.
However, in my opinion, I don’t agree with such a decision. In my mind, gender is something human are given, not something that can be picking. It’s neither between your legs nor between your ears, it’s in your blood and every cell in your body. What we can do is just accept it and doing our best with it and in it. If anyone wants a transgender, he just cheats himself but not others. After all, it can’t change the DNA and reproductive system totally to another kind.
I totally agree with Ahmad. I born in a very tradition respected country--china. Chinese has very strong sense of our physical body. Our flesh, bone and also gender is lineage of parents, to feel grateful, we should not change our body without their authorization. And each individual's gender is confirmed since they are born. No matter the one believe in god or not, once you are assigned to be the one, your only option is defer to it and would better not deviate from your right track.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Chaz Bono is the typical shape shifter. But, he will never be qualified to categorized into superhero.
All things considered, I agree with Samer and the point that Chaz is a shape-shifter more than anything else. However, I realize that he is also a cyborg, and, to some people, a hero.
ReplyDeleteExplaining the shape shifting aspect is easy: Chaz was born as society's version of a female, and is becoming something other than that version. Explaining the cyborg aspect is more figurative; Chaz's alterations are entirely artificial and based on science, even if they are not technological alterations. But explaining the superhero aspect of Chaz is by far the most debatable. To some people, Chaz's advocating of transgender practices makes him a hero. But to others, he is surely a villain.
Like Claire, I'd like to touch upon Chaz's hypocrisy. Chaz effectively said in the video that he is opposed to gender stereotypes, but he also said that he felt "like a man" growing up. It seems to me that he buys into stereotypes as well.
Yeah Chaz is a shape-shifter there is no arguments about that because his body has changed drastically. And to the lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders he is a superhero. He has done something that people were scared to do for years.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think that even if Chaz's gender does change, he will always be Chasity from before. He was given birth as a female and deep within him he will always be a female even if he "feels" like he belong as a male.
Chaz did not want this to be a public thing but he turns out to be the face of transgender. It is kind of a publicity thing because most people would not want people to know. I respect him completely. He's done something that has been an arguments in society for years. Hopefully things will go well for him.
My opinion of Chaz closely matches Ahmad and Terry that she is a shape-shifter and nothing more. Chaz is the complete opposite of a super hero because super heroes make the best out of any situation, and they care about others more than themselves. Chaz could have done much better things with his money than to waste it to turn him into a man.
ReplyDeleteA point I am interested in is marriage. If he wants to get married would it be illegal or would he be considered "man" enough to marry a women?
I definitely feel like Chaz is a shapeshifter and cyborg, rather than a superhero (considering as he never really thought about campaigning). However, the one thing that this made me do, was just feel really confused and questioning about transgender and sexuality. I mean, Im with Claire and Ed when I say that I dont understand how you feel like a guy. All I know is that Im a guy and thats all there is to it, I dont feel anything deep in my heart that says "your male" or something. And based off of what he said, the only thing (besides his sexuality) that gave him the idea that in his mind he was male, was the fact that he was a "tomboy". This as well as him being a lesbian before the sex change really puts into question a lot of things about transgender and homosexuality. There are lots of homosexuals who (pardon the stereotype) act like the opposite sex, does that mean that they should get sex changes? However the one thing Im wondering is how his family's reacting towards this. Because the one thing I think that he might honestly be afraid of, is what his family thinks.
ReplyDeleteI think Chaz is a shapeshifter and in a way, a cyborg as well. Obviously he(she?) is a shapeshifter because he contests the idea of gender being set at birth and unchangable, but he is also a cyborg because he has with the help of technology altered his body to better fit himself.
ReplyDeleteIt's also somewhat confusing to me as to how one can feel like a male in a female body (or vice versa) but I've heard this before of other people who had gender changes so it seems like a real thing. Just not the type of thing thats easy to conceive of if you've never experienced it.
I believe Chaz Bono represents a shapeshifter above all things, but I can see how he could be classified as a cyborg or superhero to different communities. Personally, I was raised in a very traditional family where you are what you were born and there were no questions about it. However, as I have learned especially since attending The Ohio State University, everbody is different and should be entitled to do whatever makes them happy. As Chaz states in the video, life is short and sweet, and we should all make what we want out of it.
ReplyDeleteI was also very confused by Chaz's comments about gender being between our ears and not our legs. As others have stated earlier, his sex change has completely contradicted his words. I believe Chaz could have been whoever he wanted in a man's body or a woman's body, and the sex change was a bit extreme.
I think that Chaz is definitely a shapeshifter, and in some ways a superhero for standing up for what he believed in and wanted to do. While I do not and probably will never understand the reasoning behind changing sex, if that is really what he wants to do with his life, good for him for standing up for himself. I understand that many people and many of our classmates have had traditional upbringings and that things such as this would upset many people, but if that is really what Chaz wants to do/be, then I think we should let him.
ReplyDeleteLike an overwhelming majority of the above posts, mine also considers Chaz to be a shape shifter. For the sake of redundancy, I won't state my reasons why. Although I am strongly against the idea of being transgender, I feel tha Chaz can be considered a superhero. This is because Chaz has gone out of his way to try to bring understanding towards the idea of being transgender. No matter what one's beliefs are, there is no reason to discriminate against people who are different from you.
ReplyDelete"Getting there! Getting there!"
ReplyDelete"If you are happy, we are happy for you"
I really love these two words. They just represent my view on this video. People are responsible for many things, however, if a person cannot be responsible for him or her self, I will never think that this is a reliable and responsible person!
It is not clear to me which type of rhetoric of the body should this video be in.But I am sure that this is an example about rhetoric of the body as Chaz Bono changed a lot. This process is good for him as he said. Then I just want to support him. If he is doing something that is good for him and is not bad to others, then I say that's good!
The host of Good Morning America asked some good questions by which we get a much more clear impression on him. The host asked what he feels now, what he is scared of, if he believe that he made a right choice. These questions are significant methods for us to understand the comments of Chaz Bono himself.
Here, I also want to answer DrewCleary32's question about "gender between our ears but noly our legs". He means that what really matters about a person's gender is in one's head rather than one's physical gender.This is just why LGBT exist.
I think he is a transgender.
ReplyDeleteI have a male relative who really whats to become a women, he is obviously a gay, although he did not say he is gay, but since he seems like he do not know how to camouflage，I can realize he is gay. So at that point, I think the transgender are all formerly homosexual.
She (or He) was so brave
ReplyDeleteI would like to start off with saying that I agree with Alex in the fact that I think this does embody the cyborg ideal since its using technology to "enhance" a human condition or trait. However I would also like to say that I think that using science to change the way your baby looks is not only wrong in the sense that it could change society forever (in the most drastic circumstances) but that it is an unacceptable way to treat a child. A child shouldn't have its physical traits predetermined for multiple reasons, one of them is that it takes the fun out of having a baby. Where would the surprise and awe come from when you've already determined that your baby will be a boy and will have the mothers eyes but fathers chin. Also it could have some unseen consequences later in life. How would a teenager feel if they found out that their growth and way they mature has been in fact all been planned out by their parents. After all a child is a human being not a doll, they should have a sense of ownership and control of their body no matter what age they are. Not to mention the repercussions it could have on society. Physical trait altering (in the most DRASTIC circumstances, could easily be used to define the "perfect" body in society. And soon before you know it people would constantly strive for the "perfect" human body. Then all kinds of crazy elitist/social darwinism stuff can happen. Of course that is in the most drastic of circumstances and I doubt very much it would happen, but is still kind of scary. I would like to end on the note that I only think that physical alteration would be wrong, genetic or mental disease altering (or in this case, eradication) would be pretty cool.
ReplyDelete