What Is Funny About Men in a Dress?: Bigg Boss Tamil Draws Flak for Transphobia

Bigg Boss Tamil 5 became the first season to have a openly transgender contestant, Namitha Marimuthu.

A screengrab from the episode of Bigg Boss Tamil 5.

(Photo Courtesy: Hotstar)

Actor-model Namitha Marimuthu became the first transgender contestant on Bigg Boss Tamil 5. During a task, she talked about her life and the plight of the trans community in India and beyond. She said in Tamil, “All of you see us only as some sort of spectacle?”

A few days after her exit on 9 October due to “unavoidable circumstances”, the show is being criticised for mocking the transgender community in an episode.

After Namitha’s testimony, she received a positive response from the other housemates. However, during the episode that aired on Monday, a segment reflected the same transphobic mindset that Namitha addressed.

Four male contestants were expected to not react while others tried to get a reaction from them by whatever means necessary. Contestants Abhishek Raja and Niroop decided to step out in feminine clothes and make-up.

According to a report in The News Minute, they adopted mannerisms that are used in Tamil cinema (and cinema in general) to mock the trans community including an exaggerated falsetto. The trans community across the world has been vocal about the need to stop using aspects of their identity for comedic relief, something prevalent in cinema across the country.

One of the contestants also said later that he could barely control his laughter because the two men were ‘dressed as women’. The co-founder of Queer Chennai Chronicles, Moulee, criticised the same on Twitter.

Moulee wrote, “Few housemates mentioned that Namitha’s story touched them the most. And yesterday, cis- men in the house - including those who mentioned Namitha’s story, went on to wear tops and skirt to distract the captaincy task contestants. This my friends is transphobic.”

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Moulee added, “One can be empathetic and transphobic at the same time. I hope this is addressed to send a message that this isn’t acceptable.”

Speaking to The News Minute, Moulee said, “What would have happened if Namitha had been present? Then was Bigg Boss truly a safe space for her? There is a lot that happens on the sets that doesn’t make it past edits. Someone is making a choice of what would be funny according to them to show on screen. Transphobia and queer phobia are rampant in Tamil media.”

Expanding upon the impact of such content, Moulee said, “Further, comedy is used to reinforce the kind of bigotry seen widely in cinema, such as, for example, the popular Vadivelu homophobic dialogue ‘avanaa nee?’. The makers of Bigg Boss need to have a better understanding of representation. I don’t know if they have queer or trans people on the staff, but they at least need to have a queer eye.”

Author Kavipriya Moorthy posted screengrabs from the episode and addressed the ‘transmisogyny’. “When jokes are made at the expense of women, trans people with stereotypical feminine characteristics and gender nonconforming people - it's transmisogyny," she wrote.

Kavipriya added, “If you think men and women are equal and if women can wear shirts that are stereotyped as clothes for men, and feel comfortable and also be considered normal and respected in this society, why can't men wear dresses? Why is it frowned upon? Why is it a joke?”

Trans actor Negha said. “It’s ridiculous that this still happens in 2021. Trans people suffer for how they choose to dress. It’s not easy to come out. I wear these clothes with pride in front of my family. Who we are is not a joke. But cinema and TV shows keep up their mockery. If my trans, queer community and I say such representations are offensive, then it just means it is.”

Actor Kamal Haasan returned as a host for the fifth season of Bigg Boss Tamil which airs on Vijay TV and can be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.