“Arrested Development” Makes Tranny Joke In New Ad

The hysterically funny Arrested Development, which returns to Netflix in May, is relying on transphobic humor in a new promotional item posted to Facebook. It’s an unfortunate misstep from a usually sharp show that often toes the line of political correctness. Writer Zinnia Jones examines the issue with the promo:

“It’s kind of not funny at all. It’s the sort of lazy humor that every comedy, given enough time, will arrive at eventually – like a Godwin’s Law of transphobia. These low-effort attempts at comedy are made under the assumption that the mere idea of men in dresses, or trans people, is inherently laughable. Treating both as though they were the same is just the icing on the cake.”

She goes on to explain it from the perspective of transgender people who are the subject of this one-liner:

“Here it is, the all-too-frequent reminder that This is not for you. It’s meant for other people, so that they can laugh at you. It tells us that the fact of our humanity wasn’t actually taken into account at any point between someone having an idea, someone cobbling it together, someone approving it, and someone clicking ‘post’. Just being able to go about our lives would be too much to ask – we have to be someone’s punchline.”

The show clearly has recognized the issue with the promo, it’s no longer available on Facebook. However it doesn’t erase the obvious oversight of the ad.