This past week has come and gone with two rather interesting events which will have long term effects for both the majority society and our community.
For one, the largest advertiser in the United States, Procter and Gamble has decided to pull its advertising from the talk show circuit because of what it views as programs that discuss blatantly deviant sexual behavior and language. This firm feels that it can no longer sell its soap and other sundry items through these vehicles because they feel that they would have a tarnished reputation for doing so as they have in the past.
What is interesting to note is that P&G DOES have its own soap operas that have for years been displaying such wonderful family values as multiple bed partners, childbirth without the benefit of marriage or a committed relationship....the said same things that they are saying the talk shows promote. Guess it is a matter what hand is doing what at what time.
Where this effects us is that while they do not want to associate with us at least through such wonderful vehicles as Jerry Springer, Sally Jesse Raphael [more on her latest outrage later in this piece], Rolonda Watts, Geraldo, etc., they do however have our community as a substantial part of their cosmetic market. A quick scan of what they sell indicates that they have a rather strong hold on us.
Max Factor, Cover Girl, Oil of Olay, Camay, Vidal Sassoon, Red...do these names sound or LOOK familiar? Letís look in our purses and see....gee I guess most of us [myself included] are guilty of contributing to the bottom line of a company that goes out of its way to demean our community. And now that they have made their blood money they no longer want us.
To that I say...they can keep their blood money and I will go somewhere else for my products. And I suggest that our community follows suit. If P&G were to engage in advertising constantly on programs that openly attacked Blacks or Orientals, these two aforementioned groups would be up in arms and would want to have these companies atone by setting up employment programs, contributing to local charities that deal these said same groups...you get the idea. But We just sit back and do nothing but buy their products without giving a damn as far as who we are spending our money with.
Maybe it is time to do the right thing here and just no longer buy from them. Go to their compeptitors...of which there is a multitude [this info can be downloaded from http://www.hoovers.com/profiles/1211.html] and letís spend our copious expendable funds with those companies. In short flex our ecnomic might and say to hell with those who want to make fun and money at our expense.
Speaking of which....Sally has done it again, and this time it was picked up in the Senate. Apparently, she was running another program about the sexual proclivities of our community and had featured a tape of a male child in drag stroking his genitals. One senator [whose name escapes me] saw this and has a tape in his possession.
In a Senate subcommittee, this senator said that [paraphrasing] that he wonders why this sort of ëfilthí is on when children are home and can watch and become confused. And these are the same people who want to restrict what is currently now available through the media but in the future [like Senator Exon].
Now at the risk of sounding slightly insensitive, Sally and her people really do not give a rat's ass as far as how our community is viewed, although they claim to be compassionate. What is amazing to me is that if someone like myself were to produce a program making fun of some relatives of Sallyís taking a wonderful little train trip to the middle of Poland during WWII for nice picnic and a shower, I would not only be accused of being anti-semitic, but also there would be petitions to Congress to insure that someone like myself never get on air...let alone have a broadcast license.
Why should we be up in arms about this and what the government can and will probably end up doing to us? Well, those of you who remember the blaxploitation movie craze of the early 70ís can relate to this. With the massive amount of movies that were pushed at the time [Shaft, Superfly and the like] the rest of the country had it reinforced that blacks are a violent, verbally crude and socially irresponsible group.
Many said that there was very little harm would come from this. That was especially true from the Black leadership that said that at least these people were working in [what is still] racist Hollywood. But the collateral damage has shown up in the attitudes of those little boys and girls who are now on the police forces of our country who view blacks as being nothing more than being slightly above the primates in the circle of life.
The same thing has happened with us. There are many of us who have appeared in the media or have worked behind the scenes with the idea that we can say whatever we want and produce whatever we want...be blatant about their sexual proclivities or their lack of respect for others or even honoring so-called celebrity murderers...and feel that it will cause no harm. Too Wong Foo...., Q&A, Dressed to Kill...there are so many others that it would take at least a meg to list all of them and those from our community who have been involved and have not given a dam about whatever collateral damage can and does occur.
Those of us who feel that no harm can come from the above...keep in mind the following: Brandon Teena, Tyra Hunter. In my mind...my sister in Seattle who was beaten up by King County officers and the situation that occured with me and my partner there this past September [see Cindyís column about this incident from about a month ago] .
The sad fact is that since we have helped to contribute to this atmosphere of media exploitation, the government will no longer come to the aid of those of us who are trying to live what can best be called ënormalí lives. Contrary to popular belief, the rungs on the corporate ladder will all of a sudden become cut in two. Getting services will become more of a chore and forget protection from the police....they will not be there.
There are those leaders in our community who will say...no, this will not happen. Then again...we were not supposed to round up the American of Japanese descent during WWII, either.
As far as what can be done is concerned...there are several things. P&G needs to be hit where it will do some good...in the pocketbook. If our community were to use its sizable economic clout...that will put a memorable dent in their bottom line.
Secondly...those of us who are regular trans [like we live this 24/7 without being deviants] need to talk to our representatives in government. Talk to those who are sympathetic, vote the bastards out who arenít.
Thirdly...write or flood the phone lines of the television stations, the production companies...email them as well and let them know that this exploitation has to end. Write to those in Hollywood as well. If you know someone personally who has done something along those line... do not be afraid to chastize them for doing so. There is nothing wrong with shaming someone about doing something that is reprehensible. If necessary, use the example of the Polish train ride to drive the point home to the producers...most are intimately familiar with that example. While it may be uncomfortable for them to deal with....if they have any kind of conscience..they will understand. Maybe their minds will change as well...there is always hope.
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