Monday, November 23, 2015

Why LGBT Wants To Boycott "Zoolander 2"

Zoolander 2
After a 15-year hiatus, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) will soon walk down the runway yet again. "Zoolander 2" has become one of – if not the – most highly anticipated comedies of the coming year, and the release of its first trailer a few days ago only increased that anticipation.

However, not everyone is thrilled with what they saw when the trailer dropped. A very small lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) group have now called for a boycott of the film due to its allegedly offensive portrayal of the transgender community.

THR reports that the controversy in question stems from a particular character in the film named All, portrayed by geek messiah Benedict Cumberbatch. All – as the name would suggest – is an androgynous supermodel that does not fit into the binary perception of gender.

When introduced to Derek and Hansel, the former asks if All is a male or female model, followed by the latter clarifying with the question, "Do you have a hot dog or a bun?" It's a fleeting moment, but one that did not sit well with a very sensitive small group of people which can be easily ignored.

LGBT activist Sarah Rose – whose petition to boycott the film has received a pathetic 6,000 signatures – spoke out against what she perceives to be an offensive portrayal of trans people in the film:

"Cumberbatch’s character is clearly portrayed as an over-the-top, cartoonish mockery of androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals… This is the modern equivalent of using blackface to represent a minority. Like any rational person, I think there's a place for discourse and humor in society, but the last thing the transgender community needs at this moment is another harmful, cartoonish portrayal of our lives."
This group may be in for a surprise when they learn soon enough that everyone makes fun of the LGBT culture. They can do whatever they want, but one thing is certain; "Zoolander 2" will be a big hit because of that transgender joke.

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