ABC drops cross-dressing sitcom
US television network ABC has announced the cancellation of cross-dressing comedy Work It after only two episodes.
The plot of the series centred on two unemployed men who dress up as women in order to land jobs as sales representatives for a pharmaceutical company.
Before its even aired, the show drew harsh criticism from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the US’ largest gay rights group, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), who feared the show would reinforce mistaken stereotypes about transgender people.
GLAAD's acting president Mike Thompson said at the time, “[Work It] will reinforce the mistaken belief that transgender women are simply ‘men pretending to be women,’ and that their efforts to live their lives authentically as women are a form of lying or deception.”
The groups protested the show in a full page ad which appeared in show business magazine Variety under the headline “Work It will harm transgender people.”
On hearing of the show's cancellation, Herndon Graddick, senior director of programs and communications at GLAAD said in a statement:
"While many of ABC's positive and groundbreaking portrayals of LGBT people have been critical and popular successes, the public had little interest in this outdated show. As a result of this campaign, an important dialogue has been started in Hollywood and mainstream media about the real discrimination faced by transgender people today."
Work It, however, was pulled due to a combination of low ratings and bad reviews.
ABC entertainment president Paul Lee said he "didn't get," the objections to the show, comparing it to Tootsie.
"I thought there was room personally for a very, very, very, very silly show," he said.
The show was cancelled after it debuted to poor ratings and viewer numbers dipped by 20 per cent on its second airing.
- Tags: ABC, Blaze, Comedy, cross-dressing, GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, MCV, Queensland Pride, sitcom, SX, Transgender, Work It
About the Author
Ron Hughes
Ron started working for the Adelaide's former LGBTI newspaper Adelaide GT back in the late 90s. He was first engaged as a temp to work for a single hour and has remained through changes of company and publication for 12 years or so. He became editor of blaze in December 2010.
Ron loves collaborating with people and he also loves the arts, and editing blaze often brings both loves together. He is proud that blaze has played a seminal role over the years promoting not only Adelaide's LGBTI cultural festival Feast, but also the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the OzAsia festival.
Ron is also proud that blaze has devoted itself to championing the rights of all LGBTI South Australians over many years. A bit of a dreamer, he nurtures a secret, furtive hope that SA may one day return to the socially-progressive state it used to be.
Comments (1)
As a Transgender Male who worked hard threwout the years as a female to finaly rize to the pinicle of my profession as a Las Vegas executive at Aria Resort & Casino, this show was not funny and was in no way a fair portrayal of Transgender and transexual people such as myself.