Didn’t we already go through this? Oh, wait, we did. Remember when Scarlett Johansson came under fire for her plan to play a transgender man in the film “Rub & Tug”? Johansson had already been accused of “whitewashing” for her starring role in “Ghost in the Shell,” and when the transgender community learned a straight woman was going to play a transgender man? Let’s just say she learned her lesson: “I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive.” Now the project is back in what they call development hell … who knows if it’ll be made at all now?
Now it’s Halle Berry’s turn to apologize for entertaining the idea of playing a transgender man:
— Halle Berry (@halleberry) July 7, 2020
“As a cisgender woman, I now understand that I should not have considered this role,” she says, vowing to be an “ally” to the trans community.
International film and television star Nick Searcy would also like to apologize for several of his past roles, including Democrats.
As a conservative man, I would like to apologize for the abusive husbands, serial killers, Klansmen, corrupt officials, & other types of Democrats that I have played over the years. I am not a Democrat, & I should have let Democrats have the opportunity to tell their own stories. https://t.co/M0Tjk8Nvw3
— Nick Searcy, INTERNATIONAL FILM & TELEVISION STAR (@yesnicksearcy) July 7, 2020
When do you get to play a bad ass Democrat ass-kicking man?
— Lee D (@FraksMe) July 7, 2020
In Hollywood? Never.
My God. These apologies read like hostage videos look.
— psycac (@yocam6364) July 7, 2020
Cisgender: a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex.
So yes, those of us who love the way we were born now have a label also.
— Melanie Gilbert (@Meliecat) July 7, 2020
Trans women are just “women,” thanks, while biologically female women are now cisgender women.
Fans are telling Berry she has nothing to apologize for. And sorry, but a movie about a transgender character that doesn’t have a big name attached likely isn’t going to be made, and if it is, it’ll open on 200 art-house screens and rake in thousands.
Actors can portray different roles and parts. That’s the whole essence of acting. That goes for transgender acting in different roles too. Why are you apologizing for considering it? Why is what the “PC” police say deemed correct?
— Cap (@johnniefan105) July 7, 2020
Holy crap Halle, stop apologizing! If anything taking a role like this would have expanded your mind on the issues within the trans community. You aren't appropriating anything. Stop the apologies. You had an interest in learning something. Acting is experiencing.
— Jake Bauer (@squabblepopper) July 7, 2020
This apology just made the most beautiful woman in the world completely unattractive. Wow.
— Heidi Pyke (@nikonchick) July 7, 2020
I played a transgender character on television and loved every minute of it. The script was gorgeous and the actors I worked with tremendously supportive. I don't know if it were today I would even have been considered. But it was an acting experience I cherished. #ShareLove
— ErikToddDellums (@ErikToddDellums) July 7, 2020
Once upon a time there was this job, where people pretended to be something they were not, in order to tell a story.
They even organized some awards for those who better played their role. I believe these professionals where called actors or something like that.— Puppet (@Puppetbet) July 7, 2020
Please don’t drop ‘cisgendered’ into the conversation as if we’ve all agreed it’s a thing because we haven’t and it’s not.
— bettytasticss Doesn’t give a Foucault about Butler (@bettytasticss) July 7, 2020
This is starting to get weird …
— Erin (@AgSweety05) July 7, 2020
So then LBGQT actors shouldn’t play straight roles? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of making more roles available for all actors. Sometimes I just don’t get what’s going on anymore…
— Hank Sennott (@hjs423) July 7, 2020
Unfortunately for her, Berry’s apology wasn’t quite enough after she misgendered the role she was going to play.
Thank you but please publicly apologize for the hurtful depiction of a man of trans experience being a “she” and it being a woman’s story. Your ally-ship needs to go further by repairing these comments.
— Michael D. Cohen (@michaeldsee) July 7, 2020
I appreciate your acknowledgement of this, but you should also apologize for referring to a trans man with she/her pronouns and it pronouns, and for calling a story about a trans man a female story. Those are dangerous remarks to make and to not acknowledge that is upsetting.
— J. R. Hart (@jrhartauthor) July 7, 2020
Misgendering a trans man and insisting that was a trans man is a “female story” not only almost put a HUGE dent to your career. It also hurt a lot of fellow trans men’s experiences, as much as it hurt my experiences as a trans woman. I’m glad you listened and I hope you’ll learn.
— Ayse Louise Sozen (@LesserWachowski) July 7, 2020
That’s what their publicists are for — to make sure their clients say they’ve “learned” and will continue to learn and be an ally to the community.
Matt Walsh has also issued an apology to atone for past sins:
Here is my official statement. Please read it. I will not be making any further statements on this issue. pic.twitter.com/tyika8THdP
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 7, 2020
Related:
Trans culture critic explains why Scarlett Johansson deserved outrage for wanting to play a trans person https://t.co/2VUmYvWq85
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 14, 2018
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