You know how Hollywood actresses (or famous women in general) get asked things like “how do you balance being a mother and an actress (or whatever makes them famous)?” on the red carpet, or “who are you wearing”, rather than things about their performance that landed them on the red carpet to begin with? This is a non-discussion when it comes to male actors, Brad Pitt doesn’t get asked how he balances fatherhood and landing roles on big hit movies, even though Pitt has six children! So if it’d be relevant to ask anyone that, it’d be him, no? Oh, it’s not a very relevant question? Well then, maybe apply it to everyone then, yes?
Why do I bring this up?
I read a piece in Variety about Elliot Page, formerly Ellen Page. If you don’t know them, they starred in the film Juno in 2007 (which was when I first came across them) and more recently in the Netflix show Umbrella Academy. In the beginning of this month, Page came out on Twitter as being trans, letting people know that their pronounce are he/they and that their name is Elliot Page. Now, if you’re someone who’s currently reading this and sighing, please, it’s 2020 – educate yourself!
In the Variety piece that I read, I was truly baffled by the fact that there’s even a discussion about whether or not Page should continue to star in Umbrella Academy where they play the character Vanya Hargreeves. Vanya is a cisgender woman, basically a woman whose gender identity matches their assigned sex at birth. The western norm. The piece in Variety states that the bulk of the social media reaction to Page’s announcement was positive, however there were commentators suggesting that the role of Vanya should be recast.
Why, you ask?
Yes, I’m asking myself that same question. Bascially, some people feel that the role of Vanya Hargreeves should be played by a cisgendered woman instead.
A R E. Y O U. K I D D I N G. M E.?!
If you ask me, it’s crazy that this is even a discussion! It should be a non-discussion, much like how famous women, or women in power, shouldn’t get questions about balancing their work and their parental roles, when men in the same situations, aren’t.
Why wouldn’t Page, regardless of her gender identity, be able to continue to portray Vanya? Why wouldn’t they be able to capture the essense of Vanya? They’ve done it so far, nothing’s changed. I also get the feeling that this wouldn’t have been much of a discussion had Page previously been a cisgendered male. Besides, gay men have been playing straight characters forever, like Neil Patrick Harris portraying Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother. If this line of reasoning was valid (which it is not), then why would he be able to play a straight male? Also, way back when, males portrayed all female roles in theaters, so…
Of course trans actors can play both trans and cisgendered characters! Playing people who they’re not in real life is what acting is! Why can’t we just let people be who they are, it’s not like it’s hurting anyone. On the contrary, not letting people express who they are IS what is hurting, a lot of people out there are still, in 2020, afraid of coming out and being who they are. It’s heartbreaking if you ask me. Repressing your identity, whatever it may be, leads to suicides and all kind of mental illnesses, Get over yourselves and let people identify as and love whoever the hell they want.
And guess what, you who feel like this whole trans gender and non-binary thing (or even homosexuality) is some modern invention and unecessarily complicated, this is NOT about you! Again, and I can’t stress this enough, educate yourself!
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