all 42 comments

[–]fuckingsealions 50 insightful - 4 fun50 insightful - 3 fun51 insightful - 4 fun -  (10 children)

If this is transphobic, then we're going to have to remove The Silence of the Lambs too. And Psycho, which I believe was partly inspired by Gein.

[–]VioletRemi 44 insightful - 5 fun44 insightful - 4 fun45 insightful - 5 fun -  (1 child)

They have nothing against when it is done by a man, but when woman is writting about it - boom, it is transphobia!

[–]MarkTwainiac 31 insightful - 2 fun31 insightful - 1 fun32 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

BTW, I rewatched Silence of the Lambs the other night, and was really struck at how informed it was by 1970s and 80s-era feminism and what criminologists back then had learnt about male sex predators like Gein, Speck and Bundy.

So many scenes were framed in a way that really played up the often vast size differences between males and females, the extent to which males predominate in most fields, the sexism and creepiness of so many males in all sorts of professions and positions, the vestiges of sexism displayed by even well-meaning males like Crawford who truly was trying to "do better" and respectfully mentor his young female colleague whom he recognized was brighter and more intuitive than he, the bravery and kindness of the female characters and the way they all had to continually strike a delicate balance between being forthright badasses and protecting the "fragile male egos" around them whilst thinking fast on their feet how to outsmart so many evil men like Buffalo Bill and Lecter.

Director Jonathan Demme, screenwriter Ted Tally, the DP and all the actors did an incredible job.

[–]DivaExMachina 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Will have to give it another watch. It came out when I was a teenager and the scene where her boss/mentor undermines her in front of all of the other men in the room really hit me at the time.

[–]MarkTwainiac 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yes, and there's another scene right before then when they're bringing in the murder victim's body to be examined and one of the cops/coroners shown just briefly is an actor with a naturally creepy face who really plays up his creepiness to the hilt as he quickly gives Starling a glance in an unnerving, leering way, like he wants to eat her for lunch. The camerawork makes it very clear that his unsettling presence and gaze is something Clarice Starling immediately picks up on and sets her internal alarm bells to start clanging inside - yet none of what's going on seems to register in any of the other men's minds at all. They are oblivious to the creepiness of their male colleague, and clueless about what it's like for a female person to get that kind of look from a man. It's a bit part and a just a quick moment, but it shows what girls & women are up against and how we always have to be on the alert. For girls and women no place, not even inside an effing police station, is or feels safe coz law enforcement has tons of creeps and bad guys in it - in fact, it's a magnet for them.

(And then there's the two bug experts at the Smithsonian who seem creepy and appropriate at first, immediately hitting on her. This of course makes Starling wary and irritated, but at the same time you can see her trying to figure out if they really are bad eggs at heart or whether they're perhaps just awkward with poor social skills coz maybe they're just a little odd and don't get out much, or perhaps they're "on the spectrum." When the movie was made, ASD was getting lots of attention, which led to more pressure to be placed on female people to "be kind" and "give the benefit of the doubt" to male people who behaved in ways that struck us as inappropriate, unsettling and "off" coz, we were told, some males "really couldn't help it" due to autism/Asperger's.)

Also, the follow-up to that scene where Crawford undermines Starling in front of all the other male law enforcement officers is good too: in the car afterwards, Crawford mentions what he did and gives a quick apology, clearly thinking that "sorry" is all that needs to be said, end of. But instead, Starling politely points out that Crawford's sexist disrespect implicitly gave all the other men in the room the go ahead to go out into the world and treat all the women they deal with in the exact same way, since they look up to Crawford and see him as a role model. To which he responds by thinking for a sec - but his face and manner show that he clearly has never considered the broader implications before, and really would prefer not to think about them now (or ever) - then he nods, says, "Point taken" and turns away.

Foster's acting in that scene and all the others is so good: her Clarice Starling always seems to have her brain on overdrive trying to figure out whether/when to speak up, and when she does decide to speak it's clear she has to put enormous effort and thought into coming up with just the right words that will get her point across and listened to whilst not coming off in a way that might give the men (and some women too) reason to dismiss her and her statements on account of her supposedly being "too aggressive," "uppity," "bitchy," "angry," "too smart," "full of herself," "abrasive," etc. The writing, directing and acting all show how much extra mental effort women in the workplace constantly had to put in walking tightropes...and how exhausting it is.

[–]coffeedrinker 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Awesome analysis! Going to have to give this movie a rewatch.

[–]MarkTwainiac 42 insightful - 2 fun42 insightful - 1 fun43 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Many male serial killers and other sex criminals have "paraphilias" aka deviant sexual interests that used to be called perversions. And the paraphilia they most commonly have is transvestism/transsexualism.

If this info were so offensive to TRAs, you'd think they would've been out picketing the long-running TV show "Criminal Minds" years ago. And that they also would've gone on the warpath about the recent Netflix series "Mindhunter."

But no, it's only JKRowling's new novel they object to. Now why on earth could that be?

[–]turtleduck23 38 insightful - 1 fun38 insightful - 0 fun39 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

many killers have been cross dressers. The BTK killer, Richard Speck, Ed Gein. Here's one recent article https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8706397/Cross-dressing-serial-killer-walk-three-days-investigated-death-bomb-threats.html

[–]Jksmiddlefinger 37 insightful - 2 fun37 insightful - 1 fun38 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Oh my goodness I saw Reddit are hopping mad over this book. I just couldn’t stop laughing for 5 minutes straight, JK Rowling gives not one f***. I love her even more.

[–]GConly 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yep, I've just been there trolling the shit out of them.

Transwomen don't do this?

Here, have the incarceration rates and sex offender rates.

LOL.

[–]MarkTwainiac 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

What makes me LOL even more is that the trans lobby actually brags about TIMs' high rates of incarceration coz they think it helps make the case that they are the most "oppressed" and "victimized" people on earth ever. From transequality.org:

21% of transgender women) have been incarcerated at some point in their lives—far higher than the rate for the general population. Among Black transgender people, nearly half (47%) have been incarcerated at some point. These high rates of incarceration are driven by disproportionate poverty, homelessness, discrimination, participation in street economies, and in some cases, law enforcement bias.

Funny that the one driver of the high rates of incarceration they pointedly do not mention on that list is "high rates of criminality."

https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/NCTE_Blueprint_for_Equality2012_Prison_Reform.pdf

The authors of this other paper go even further, saying that one of the reasons TIMs have such high rates of incarceration is because there are some spaces like shelters and services that are female-only on account of sex. Excluding men from women's jails, prisons, shelters, rehab programs, support groups, and social services apparently "pushes them to the margins" and makes them commit crimes that they're liable to get arrested for and convicted of:

The disproportionate prevalence of incarceration among transgender women, especially those of color, are ultimately the product of larger issues of social marginalization and the intersectionality of racism, transphobia, sex-ism, and classism. Any system that enforces strict gender segregation will push transgender people to the margins, resulting in exclusion from social programs and support that non-transgender people generally benefit from. Gender segregation policies related to incarceration alternatives, drug treatment programs, homeless shelters, and other social welfare programs should be examined to understand fully how the exclusion of transgender people may contribute to their high rates of incarceration.

Once again, everything boys and men do that is wrong or bad is always the fault of girls and women for not being kind and "inclusive" enough. If we just let all boys and men into ladies loos, women's locker rooms, changing rooms, shelters, refuges, hospital wards, support groups and of course let them take over girls and women's sports, then obviously males would stop committing so much crime. Which, I guess would mean that if we truly want to eliminate the need for police and prisons in our society, then all we have to do is get girls and women to budge up and have no boundaries . Hmm, seems like a great idea. LOL

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5441521/

[–]vitunrotta 27 insightful - 9 fun27 insightful - 8 fun28 insightful - 9 fun -  (0 children)

Ready... Set... BUYING THE BOOK.

[–]BEB 27 insightful - 4 fun27 insightful - 3 fun28 insightful - 4 fun -  (2 children)

I think it's important to remember that there are a few things going on:

There is Trans, Inc., a loose coalition of extremely rich and influential people (mostly gay and TIM) and organizations, as well as medical and pharmaceutical lobbies, that are influencing policy and changing laws worldwide.

Specifically, they are trying to change the legal definition of "sex" to include "gender identity" in effect erasing women and gay men as distinct legal categories and throwing their rights into limbo, as many are on the basis of sex.

Trans, Inc., is what is also working to change societies' attitudes towards "gender" by using its money and power to buy support in the media, in medical associations, in former women and gay organizations, in the entertainment industry, in academia, including teachers' unions.

This, in turn, leads corporations to believe that being pro-gender ideology is being WOKE, inclusive and diverse and to mandate gender ideology seminars for their workers.

Then there are trans activist TIMs, many of whom are autistic, some are incels, a lot are addicted to anime and sissy porn hypnosis, or whatever that shit is, many have severe mental health issues including personality disorders.

Trans activists are undoing the work of Trans, Inc., so let's wish trans activists all the luck in the world because they, by Peak Transing pretty much everyone they encounter, are the only ones who can stop Trans, Inc.

[–]MezozoicGay 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

So stupidity of their supporters helps to reveal sneaky law changes they are making?

[–]BEB 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I don't think trans activists do much activism except make death threats on twitter, Tik Tok videos on transphobic micro-aggressions like women having their periods, and threaten to bomb feminist events.

It's Trans, Inc. that is the true enemy of women and gay rights/women's spaces and sports. And Trans, Inc. has a tremendous amount of power, money and political clout and is using it globally.

[–]BEB 26 insightful - 4 fun26 insightful - 3 fun27 insightful - 4 fun -  (2 children)

Here are some statistics to use to counter the All TIMs Are Angels meme.

Also point people to the crime section of WomenAreHuman.com

List of TIM Crimes (mostly US) https://outofmypantiesnow.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/when-is-90-not-substantially-all/

UK list of TIM crimes: https://transcrimeuk.com/

From a US government website - US TIMs' lifetime incarceration rate is between 19-65% whereas the general population's rate is 3% and women's even less than that.

TRANSLATION: US TIMs go to jail at a staggeringly high rate.

PRISON HEALTH June 2018 Creating, Reinforcing, and Resisting the Gender Binary: A Qualitative Study of Transgender Women’s Healthcare Experiences in Sex-Segregated Jails and Prisons Reisner

Lifetime estimates of incarceration range from 19% to 65% among transgender women (Reisner et al., 2014, Garofalo et al., 2006, Clements et al., 1999, Grant et al., 2011), compared to less than 3% of the U.S. general population (Glaze and Kaeble, 2014).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5992494/

[–]MezozoicGay 14 insightful - 4 fun14 insightful - 3 fun15 insightful - 4 fun -  (1 child)

Statistics can be slightly biased, because some of TiMs are becoming TiMs only after get caught - so they can pretend on women's prisons.

However, their crimes are speaking for themselves, in UK in 2017 it were 48% of TiMs in prisons are imprisoned for sexual offence crimes (http://archive.vn/57WJK), and since then crime rates only increased. That is what Self-ID is making, everyone easily can say they are a woman and go into women safe spaces, so no wonder that majority of those "anyone" are people who wanted to get into women spaces with malicious intent. If this will continue, men's toilets would be much safer for women, than women's toilets.

This site is very good too, with all the links: https://forwomen.scot/did-you-know/

https://outofmypantiesnow.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/when-is-90-not-substantially-all/

And that is year 2013.

[–]BEB 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think that TIMs weren't yet allowed into women's prisons in the US during the years covered that the studies quoted in the article I linked.

So I think those studies might have been reasonably accurate about lifetime incarceration rates for US TIMS being between 19-65% which is staggeringly high.

[–]eddyelric 25 insightful - 1 fun25 insightful - 0 fun26 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Was this the book that got her to do all her research and eventually peak from?

[–]BEB 15 insightful - 1 fun15 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

If you find out the answer to that please post it, because that would make sense.

[–]MezozoicGay 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I thought she peaked from health organizations using "people with uterus" or something like that. At least she started to be most vocal after that event.

[–]33799 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It was even before that. I think the first time she said anything was in defense of Maya Forstater, but apparently there were GC tweets that she liked even before that. I can't remember if she talks about her exact peak in the letter on her site or not.

[–]MarkTwainiac 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yes, this must be the book that got her to do all her research on the topic. What's more, since there's usually quite a long lag of a year or so between the time an author finishes a manuscript and when it finally gets published in physical book form, JKR most likely had already finished writing it before she stuck her head above the parapet and started speaking out on social media.

JKR's first tweet on the topic - the one in response to the ruling in Maya Forstater's employment case - was in mid-December of last year. I bet JKR had already handed in the manuscript for this book by then.

But clearly, she has known all along what a storm her new book would generate. So all her public statements have been carefully made knowing full well what hell was on the far horizon.

Spoiler alert so don't read if you want to be surprised: I have a very strong hunch that one of the victims the transvestite/cross-dressing male killer murders in Rowling's new book will turn out to be a TIM. What's more, he'll be an effeminate gay guy type of TIM who "passes" pretty well and is a decent bloke who just wants to live his life, and was driven to transition coz of childhood dysphoria and a lifetime of homophobic abuse both from the general public and within the modern-day "LGBT" community. I imagine Rowling's depiction and portrayal of this TIM will be very sympathetic - so that readers will love the character much as readers adore the TIM protagonist in "Breakfast on Pluto."

[–]Lesbionia 20 insightful - 1 fun20 insightful - 0 fun21 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

This book wasn’t even on my radar, but I’m definitely going to pick up a copy now.

[–]BEB 19 insightful - 1 fun19 insightful - 0 fun20 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Here are some of the threats JK is receiving via Twitter.

As I keep saying, if we let trans activists keep going they will dig their own (and with any luck the gender movement's) grave

https://twitter.com/WomenReadWomen

This twitter account is great - full of info and has trans crimes too.

[–]Iced_Iced_Vovo 15 insightful - 1 fun15 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

JK just throwing oil into the fire!

[–]vitunrotta 19 insightful - 9 fun19 insightful - 8 fun20 insightful - 9 fun -  (0 children)

Let us all terfily dance around the bonfire! :D

[–]divingrightintowork 15 insightful - 1 fun15 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

There's a ton of cross-dressing serial killers - but for real, what's wrong with a man wearing a dress?

[–]MezozoicGay 11 insightful - 7 fun11 insightful - 6 fun12 insightful - 7 fun -  (0 children)

what's wrong with a man wearing a dress?

Seems it is transphobic now. In few years being transgender will be transphobic.

[–]Sunflowerdevyl 14 insightful - 1 fun14 insightful - 0 fun15 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Free publicity and I got my copy of Cukoo's Calling today

[–]BEB 19 insightful - 3 fun19 insightful - 2 fun20 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

It's called the Streisand Effect - trying to shut something down actually gives it more publicity.

I had no idea that Rowling was releasing a book today, so thanks Twitter haters!

[–]DivaExMachina 11 insightful - 2 fun11 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Was not planning to get it but now I feel I have to.

[–]RealWomenResist 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Not my genre tbh, but planning to buy as a putting my money where my mouth is kind of donation. Not only to her but to the places still carrying her book. And will leave a 5 star rating. Already tons of 1 star ratings calling her a transphobe.

[–]Daraincork 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

On the Independent most of the comments seemed to be in favour of JKR .Many posters mentioned Dressed to Kill , Psycho and Silence of the Lambs too.

[–]zephyranthes 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

The "this never happens" crew is in full force saying that the killer is unrealistic and transphobic but when I read the synopsis, I got an Ed Gein/Buffalo Bill vibe. What are your thoughts?

"They're the same picture."

[–]fuckupaddams 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Funny because they always use that Office meme to say that trans women and women "are the same picture"

[–]33799 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I've only read the first two books in the series, so it might be a while before I get to this one, but I hope it sells well! On Kindle right now, it's listed as "#1 Best Seller literary fiction ebooks".

[–]RealWomenResist 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Do you need to read them in order to get what's going on?

[–]33799 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Probably not? Each book is about a completely different mystery. But there is also a lot of background detail on Strike's past and Robin's relationship that seems to build up.

[–]Britishbulldog 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

She’s got to be on the wind up with this. I honestly love JK