Sunday, 13 September 2015

The Danish Girl and Hollywood's Trans Problem

Could this role win Redmayne his second Oscar?

The year is 2015, but Hollywood continues to whitewash, cis-wash and push heteronormativity onto the movie industry at every possible turn. Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton as Hebrew and Egyptian characters in 2014s Exodus: Gods and Kings. Johnny Depp as Tonto, a Native American, in The Lone Ranger, released 2013. Jared Leto’s (a cis male) Oscar winning portrayal as a trans woman in Dallas Buyers Club. It seems that unless you are cis, heterosexual and white, you are pushed away, to the side. This clearly is a major problem, especially in a time where equal representation is so important.

Therefore, it is no surprise that the casting of Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl has received such harsh criticism from the LGBT+ community, with many calling to boycott the film. Redmayne, a cis male, who won an Oscar for his portrayal as Stephen Hawking’s in last years The Theory of Everything, hopes to repeat that success in another touching film. The Danish Girl, directed by Tom Hooper (previous works include The King’s Speech and Les Misérables) follows the story of Lili Elbe (Redmayne), a trans woman and one of the first known recipients of gender reassignment survey. 

The past year has seen a new light and emphasis on transgender rights and issues like never before. 2015 has been the year that Caitlyn Jenner was introduced into the world. 17 million tuned into see the former Olympic athlete open up in an in-depth interview, starting an international debate. Public opinion and support for the trans community seems to be on the rise. However, the portrayal of trans people in TV and cinema is still very limited. Trans women are often used simply as comic relief, with the “joke” being a cheap mockery at their genitalia. The portrayal of trans men is next to invisible. It’s just not fair. Trans people are more than this, they are a bigger part of society. They are doctors. They are teachers. They are politicians. They are mothers. They are fathers. They are human. When will Hollywood stop the transphobia and reflect this?

Stonewall, an upcoming film whitewashing and cis-washing the LGBT+ rights movement.

Some may argue that I am simply being “whiney”, that trans representation is growing, the casting of one cis-male in one film won’t hurt. And they are right, the representation of trans people in media is growing. Laverne Cox’s breakout role as Sophia Burset, the feisty Sophia in Orange is The New Black, made the actress and activist an international star. Transparent, a show focusing on a father who comes out a trans, has received critical acclaim and won numerous awards. But they are wrong in the sense that the casting of Redmayne as Lili Elbe is okay. The Danish Girl really is a beautiful and important story that deserves to be told correctly. If we want society to change, we must show the public that trans people are humans, with a story (The Danish Girl being a perfect example) and, in the case of trans women, not just “men in a dress”. The best way to do this, of course, is by fair and equal representation. 

I must give props to Redmayne where it is due. He has taken on yet another challenging role, and early reviews have said he plays Lili exquisitely. The British actor has also shown strong support for the trans community and I believe his heart is in the right place. But my plea to him, and to Hollywood itself is, please try and cast transgender people in transgender roles. Help tell their touching stories, and please do it correctly. 

You can catch The Danish Girl (or not) in cinemas from November 27th.  

Jeremy Corbyn: Tony Blair But Better

Much, much better. For one, he has a conscience.

I would like to imagine he said, "I got you, boo" at this moment

The Bernie Sanders of Britain. Labour's Karl Marx. Socialist Obama. All these are a few nicknames I came up with just now, but are inspired by the things I've seen people say about Corbyn. I would have to disagree with the Marx comparison- he was merely an economist- but the other two are more accurate in ways. The former being Corbyn became the left-wing's glimmer of hope in a sea thick with coal and oil; the latter that he has become somewhat a celebrity figure whilst promising change, winning the leadership with 59.5% of the vote, "stunning" the party as the Daily Fail puts it.

He was dubbed the favourite and yet, not the most popular. He is a good talker, yes, but not in the smooth, calculated manner that top politicians such as Cameron speak in. Corbyn seemed too radical, practically communist. He was too normal, serving as a backbencher for decades, never attending university, coming from a middle class background, and fashionably disheveled with a beard and no tie. He seemed genuine, real and truly wanted change that was fair and humane. That was the risk.

After Blair's leadership ended and blended into Brown's short but sour term, it was decided that Labour would have to keep its New image- pragmatic, centrist and overall a 'Tory Lite'- the party for voters who liked some Conservative values and watched Sky TV, but didn't appreciate all the people claiming benefits because they'd been laid off. When Labour suffered an atrocious loss in the 2015 elections, it was practically set in stone that straying from the plan of appealing to the right-wing press and not being too left was the plan from now on (sorry Ed). Yet, here we are, despite the pleas and cautions of Blairites and Blair alike. Corbyn leads a new era of Labour. A kind of Ex-New Labour.
 
"And now... back to this bitch that had a lot to say about me in the press the other day. Tony, what's good?"

I believe a combination of the need for hope to grapple onto, and the desire for a celebrity politician after Miliband led to the rise of Corbyn. Originally ignored by the press, by August his name was making headlines. He was a threat. People were scared. The press came for his family, his past and his appearance now. But this didn't deter supporters, inspired by Obama's Yes We Can, "Jez We Can!" was everywhere seen and heard he went. Preaching to the converted, perhaps, but it was enough to secure leadership- by a legendary landslide.

We have lots to look forward to, assuming Corbyn continues as the conscientious socialist he has for the past few decades. Personally, I'm looking forward to the Prime Minister's questions, and see Gove shake in his boots. Next, watch the Blairites resign and either join the Conservatives (perhaps UKIP) or form a new party altogether. And when it comes to 2020, we can sit back and watch Britain burn.

I, and many other disillusioned lefties, have put hope in Corbyn. I sincerely pray he doesn't become Gordon Brown Jr., or Obama UK.
Good luck...

Halsey- The Next Indie Cult Leader?

Ashley Frangipane, better known under the anagram Halsey, recently released her full-length debut album into the world. After much anticipation for this release- and a leak- Badlands charted at number 2 on the Billboard, which if you care about music, is the only chart that matters. This is higher than the debuts of Marina and the Diamonds (who Halsey admitted she was a fan of), Lorde, and the same as the often-compared Lana Del Rey.

the next Lana Del Rey?

What interests me is how, in such a short space of time, she has entered the playing field of indie-pop music and almost monopolized it entirely. A mixture of social media and a calculated image has led to a relatable, attractive and enthralling pop singer who is down to earth enough to want to be friends with, but just out of reach enough to be your idol. This is something that I believe artists like Marina and the Diamonds and Lana Del Rey failed to do with their most iconic albums Electra Heart and Born To Die.

Halsey is a smart woman. She knows what many young people like at this moment in time. This group of teenagers are potentially the most powerful in the music industry. They like American Apparel, coloured hair, smoking, chokers, songs about doing drugs and having your heart broken. Disorders like depression being seen as a beautiful sadness, with side effects such as wild nights driving through cities and crazy boys you fall in love with. All these elements combined with just the right amount of sex appeal and the correct political views come together to form Halsey. 

Now, I really want to like her. I agree with her stance on feminism, racism and the likes. Her image is appealing. Her personality on Twitter and Instagram is friendly and warm. She's pretty and her fashion sense isn't unlike mine. But there's just one issue- her music. I find her music dull and falls flat at every opportunity to go down the route of rich, raw music. Her lyrics are good, yes, but the music is dreary and plain. Nothing excites me the same way her counterparts do. Tracks like Ghost and Hold Me Down have so much potential leading up to the chorus and... They fall like a soggy piece of bread. They ooze commercialism that is predictable and boring. Whether she had much input on the production I don't know, but her team need to fire them A.S.A.P.


She looks exciting here, though

Another issue makes me question how genuine she really is. I believe that 'Halsey' is a well-crafted image that appeals to the mass at this moment in time. Her lyrics aren't too different from the type of soft sadness you find on tumblr and the like- though still beautiful. But her album is mean to piece together into a concept, Badlands. Badlands is an area around L.A., an area of America she feels she has a connection with. But I struggle to wrap my head around what exactly the concept is. I'm going to use Electra Heart as an example, as there was a thoroughly imagined character built there. However, Badlands seems shallow and there isn't much depth to it all. So, it's an area. What happens? Where does it go? It seems to be linked with drugs, too much sex, money, heartbreak and just being the type of wild teen you see in movies. But it's all been done before, a thousand times. The concept Halsey claims Badlands has is superficial and badly thought out. You do a bit of digging and oops! You've hit the bottom already. There is no story. There is no tangible character. It's dull, it's flat, and it's nothing original. It saddens me.

If only I could find out what Badlands was, I'd catch a plane right there.
Oh, Halsey.

Will we being seeing more of her? Absolutely. Will she blow me away with artistic and original music? Perhaps, I am hoping so. But will she be the next indie cult leader? In that respect, we'll have to wait and see whether this is just a window of popularity or if she's unlocked the door to a castle- and she's the queen.

You can buy BADLANDS on iTunes here