You may really hate this. *THE IT CROWD* 3x04 Reaction - "The Speech"

For EARLY ACCESS and FULL LENGTH REACTIONS, check out my Patreon: / neiltalks
Hope you enjoy my first time watching Episode 4 THE SPEECH of Series 3 of The IT Crowd.
Please watch the original content on Netflix.
Follow Me:
Twitter: / neiltalksnow
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.

[@swanchamp5136]

I don't think it's anti trans as look at the character who is affected by it, he's not a role model he's an over sexual predator and not very bright as well, and despite the fight with her he seems genuinely upset at the end because he can't reconcile how he liked being with her but can't get over his self. There needs to be a point where we can still show sexists being sexist, racists being racists and horrible people being horrible for bigoted reasons and realising that these people are horrible and shouldn't be emulated.

[@o15ika]

I totally agree. It’s a bit sad that nowadays we can lightly “cancel” comedy shows so easily without understanding that comedy is just that. No all shows needs to be smart/absurd humor like Monty Python, we also needs shows like IT Crowd or Little Britain with its overblown cliches and bad taste remarks. We need to tell reality and fiction apart, not censor just because today we have other sensibilities.

[@EmperorSmith]

@@o15ika Nope. I will never defend bringing back The Black & White Minstrel Show. Times change. You should change with them.

[@Evello37]

There's nothing wrong with a character expressing problematic views. I actually didn't mind Douglas in this episode. The biggest issue is that the camera/script also portray things problematically. Gags where the joke boils down to "trans women are actually men" permeate the episode. Things like April digging sports, winning arm wrestling, and punching hard are just low blows at trans women. That's not to say trans characters can't have those traits, but the joke is clearly "she's actually a man". And given the source it's hard to justify a more charitable reading

[@NJH01]

@@Evello37 I agree entirely, I think that you could argue she was portrayed like that so that Douglas has struck gold with her having so much in common with him but the stereotype itself is just not funny tbh and I think for me that’s the only real fault of the episode

[@pringleton]

I certainly agree, I think it would have been a problem if he was a character who keeps 'winning' but with him being sad and lonely at the end it rather represents that sort of mindset losing out which has to be a good thing, surely? Overall that plot wasn't all that funny though, had a few moments but overall a distraction from the brilliant A plotline Sidenote- I think that's Graham Linehan wearing a dodgy 'tache shouting "we're all gonna die" when the 'internet' gets destroyed?

[@neonsmoviereviews7969]

I think it’s fine because her being trans was never the joke, the joke is that Douglas only cared about sex. But the fact it ends with him crying over her really makes it all come together for me.

[@captbunnykiller1.0]

April is a great character, beautifully portrayed, very fair in her approach (letting him know beforehand). I'd date her, from Iran or not. People've got preferences though but the joke's on Douglas for not listening to begin with, he brought this on himself. And I feel satisfaction that when she was gone, she took many of the things he enjoyed away from him. It was the one moment when I felt like Douglas learned something, about himself and others.

[@wozzywick]

I think your view of this episode is clouded by your knowledge of Graham Linehan’s opinions. I watched the episode several times before we knew his views and I always saw Douglas as the butt of the joke. It seemed to be mocking him for having outdated views rather than mocking the trans person.

[@michaelcolbourn6719]

I mostly agree, but also the whole thing about April being interested into the typically male activities and the fight scene part of the joke, not that that trans women can't have those interests, is clearly trying to mock the idea that trans women are men. I also think that part just isn't funny, but that's subjective ofc.

[@xpinkbunnieinwonderlandx8454]

@@michaelcolbourn6719 I do see your point and agree in part. As a trans woman, I also watched this way before we knew his views, and also saw it as Douglas being in the fault as he always is. I've rewatched this episode a few times in the recent past and I don't get offended by it, I laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

[@Britonbear]

The fight scene was mocking her; it showed that, to the transphobe (Linehan), she was still a man.

[@aarontaylor4967]

@@Britonbear I just got it as Douglas being a stereotype, stuck in 1980s city boys culture.

[@aarontaylor4967]

@@Britonbear what I seriously dislike is the hate on Graham Linehan. I couldn't give a flying F®CK about trans or gay rights. Nothing to do with me.

[@JacopoBasanisi]

The Internet box is by far my favourite joke of the series

[@grauph1up]

Glad it made it back to big Ben

[@Paulie1988]

Personally I think the episode is hilarious. I think it kind of redeems itself at the end when hes all alone and sobs that he cant be with her even tho he loves her because of his biases. 1st bit of human emotion u see from douglas lol Also the A plot is awesome.

[@eolsunder]

the bloopers are amazing also. Like when they sit down at the small desk of Jen's the outtakes they cannot keep it together they find it so funny they break out laughing.

[@kateshelton8322]

@@eolsunder This happened a lot, I went to see one of the second series being taped and they ran way over time because they kept making each other laugh. In the end they had to film them all individually with the others out of the room because they kept laughing so much.

[@TayannaStudios]

I noticed how you daren't "react" to this because of the current climate, lol!

[@danieln6700]

Sad. This ep is great lol

[@mrorangepeel659]

The reaction to what is a classic and completely hilarious scene with Matt Berry’s character shows how far America has fallen as a country in the last 15 years. Still bloody hilarious. I can’t think of one American show as funny as this sitcom.

[@stevedotwood]

absolutely, we all went downhill since then. Linehan is a great talent: Father Ted, IT Crowd, Black Books. I don't care about his opinions on transsexuality. Humor = laughing at almost anything. Trans and gays are people too, they even have the right to be stupid like the rest of us.

[@rhonafenwick5643]

Yeah, no. This show is generally hilarious, I agree with that, but "completely hilarious scene", no. There's no valid way to avoid interpreting many of the jokes about April as being straight-up transphobic. There's no denying that the underlying gag is "she likes the things Douglas likes because she's really a man too". Douglas's inner conflict at the end about his own internalised homophobia and transphobia is a different story - that's genuine character development - but it doesn't cancel out the transphobia elsewhere in the episode.

[@MrCzerillo]

It was at no ones expense.

[@stemid85]

He was only labeled a "transphobe" after people online attacked him for that episode. He was just trying to be funny, in a way that was accepted at the time, and years later someone calls him transphobic and he calls them ludicrous and it just snowballs from there.

[@danieln6700]

This episode is great lol. Ppl over think this ep tbh. It really shows Douglas is the bad one really. Ppl get way to serious and offended by anything

[@rhonafenwick5643]

I don't think people would "overthink" the episode nearly as much if they hadn't known the show's writer is an unabashed transphobe.

[@carlwilson6235]

Yeah, I think Linehan's current line clouds our view of this episode a bit, compared to what it actually says -- we're not supposed to think well of the clownish Douglas, and I do think April is presented quite positively most of the way and that we're supposed to kinda like their romance and feel she's been betrayed when he freaks out over his misunderstanding. On the other hand, all her "mannish" traits are the brunt of the joke up until the end, so while not deliberately hateful, it's still full of cheap trans jokes. That said, the jokes in the B-plot here are not a lot worse than the show's kinda basic and childish attitude to sexuality overall, in all the characters. It's part of the humour but also part of what makes it less sophisticated a comedy than fans (and I am a fan of it) often give it credit for.

[@malik2433]

Dude chill out. There was nothing wrong with this episode

[@WTL-f5u]

A politically correct reaction. It’s blasphemy to make fun of trans these days. On the other hand making fun of men is all good. Make it make sense.

[@Salfordian]

This show is so true to life, I had a manager like this woman and she would always send emails out before she had a meeting in order to get some understanding of what to say because she had no background in I.T

[@SharpShadow7]

Would you of found it more funny say if Douglas had a sex change (for example) or is it because making jokes about this kind of stuff in general? I’m just curious, 90% of Britain make jokes about anything and the line is not often stepped over. I think being able to make jokes about anything is a good thing.

[@blackdragoncyrus]

would you have*

[@natmanprime4295]

Cmon now, y'all KNOW damn well how he was gonna react to this episode...😉

[@gregoreuo1]

Yup

[@WTL-f5u]

Politically correct reaction lmao

[@theawesome1rjc]

Come on bud. People don’t seem to understand that a joke is entirely in the structure and delivery. The words are your own making. You hear sounds and you make up the meanings, the meaning is not in the sound. It’s made up by each individual. To take it as something real and form moral guidelines is the result of millennia of severe indoctrination. The reason you have trouble with laughing is because you forcefully stop yourself out of the imaginary guidelines you’ve created for yourself for what’s right/wrong out of an unconscious fear that you may misbehave. It stems from an unconscious guilt because you actually see trans people as lesser. It goes the same for everyone else, until you see it in yourself there’s no chance of understanding what’s happening. From birth, the differences are thrown at us. But that would be fine were the differences not ranked. We are conditioned to view certain people as more valuable and others as less. Some embrace this view and become hateful towards those they perceive as lesser. Some reject this view and become hateful towards those they perceive as better. Both fundamentally have the same exact issue, they view one group as better and one as lesser. Again, until you see this within yourself you’ll keep justifying it with an immature “it’s right” or “it’s wrong”. It’s time to drop the conditioning forced upon you and think for yourself.

[@francisco_cl]

society has mutilated our sense of humor

[@maarianisula463]

Please stop virtue signaling and patronising us, Neil! Political correctness is why comedy has become so boring these days. Let your channel be fun. People can think for themselves. Just for balance: Who says transgendering is a positive phenomenon or to be promoted? Have you not seen the detransitioning videos on KZbin for instance? Young people, even children, forever regretting losing their ability to procreate after being coerced to transition during their delicate and confusing teenage/childhood years. They were encouraged to make decisions they had not been properly informed of and lacked the maturity to take. It's heartbeaking to watch! Who supports them now? Not the woke mob anyway. That is problematic -not this episode! Btw Graham Linehan adresses these issues seriously and gets called transfobic.

[@andrewjones575]

This is one of the best & most popular eps of The IT Crowd - the second most popular on IMDb.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Neil's now writing a review of the episode on IMDb.

[@andrewjones575]

@@cockoffgewgle4993 Has he written reviews for other eps of The IT Crowd?

[@EntityTaken]

I really look forward to these reaction videos every Monday.

[@andrewjones575]

This is the only show on this channel of which I watch reactions to.

[@jogem1038]

FFS, enough with the overly woke, virtue signalling bull💩, It's an absurd comedy, take it for what it is, nobody questioned it at the time, people are so phony these days.

[@thoso1973]

If I remember correctly, the man screaming 'we are all going to die!' at Jen's presentation, is Graham Linehan; the writer of the series. :)

[@johncharlescaley]

Most men would have a breakdown if they accidently slept with another man. Your being too delicate and your looking for offence.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Grab your popcorn, kids.

[@tcrown3333]

It's COMEDY for gawd's sakes!!! Leave your moral hangups at the door- cause it's a joke!!! Thank god for that fecking big ocean!

[@rhonafenwick5643]

"It's a joke" The catchcry of bullies throughout history.

[@Uatu-the-Watcher]

The episode I’ve been waiting for. :-)

[@Starrrrrr251]

The thing is, the comedy really exposes Linehans prejudices. April basically acts like a man, doing and saying all these bloke-ish things, culminating in a fist-fight with Douglas. The comedy is: That's really a man, not a woman. This is something that only exists in the bigoted head of Graham Linehan and others of his ilk. No trans woman is like that.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

"The comedy is: That's really a man, not a woman. This is something that only exists in the bigoted head of Graham Linehan and others of his ilk." And in any biological textbook lol. If no "trans woman" is like that, why are you offended by it?

[@veryvarley6706]

Comedy should always include aspects that people might find taboo. In this very show, there has been episodes involving cannibalism and pretending to be disabled. Neither of those episodes provoked any reaction. I do wonder how much of Lineham's progression to the position he now holds began at the point of this episode being castigated/attacked/removed. No mention of the subject during Father Ted, no mention of it in Black Books, and a single mention in this show.

[@andrewjones575]

No-one thinks Douglas is a great or nice guy. Few viewers are rooting for him. We're laughing at him.

[@patrickevans2041]

I must admit that I'm disappointed in this comment section. Being critical of media that is based on a dated and offensive view of trans people is not 'wokeism' its not 'cancelling' its a subjective response to unfunny jokes based in transphobia.

[@derianjones1730]

NEWS ALERT TO YOU ALSO. YOU ARE NOT THE GATEKEEPER OF WHAT IS FUNNY AND WHAT ISN'T. GLAD TO DISAPPOINT YOU. IMDB rating for this episode 8.9. Now go away and have a good think.

[@jthomann71]

The Elephant Man actually figures prominently, and hilariously, in Matt Berry's Year of the Rabbit.

[@squidcaps4308]

The guy who shouts "we are all gonna die" in the conference room is the series creator.

[@michaeltunnicliffe4935]

This is not controversial. Bad man does bad thing and regrets it as he looses his chance at happiness. That is the moral of the story in one sentence. To slightly elaborate but still simplify it, the moral is that he let his insecurities and his discrimination get in the way of being with the woman he loved. He clearly ends the episode missing her, and he has learnt a lesson from it. Not to mention her article exposes him as a bigoted, transphobic "arsehole" as the cover says. His reputation is damaged, his happiness is lost and he ends the episode in bed, alone, crying because he knows he did a bad thing. And no audience member came out of this thinking he did the right thing. No one came out thinking that's the person I want to be, crying alone. It's a great story about not letting your instincts cloud your judgment. To question what you think you believe before you act. And I think the most problematic thing in this video is your response. You are right. Your instant response to finding out she was trans was to forget this is a comedy and to instantly tie it to real life. Like so many other people today, you took it upon yourself to feel offended for other people. You assumed the worst and missed the whole moral of the story because you were too busy waiting to find the point where they would cross the line, but in missing the moral of the story, that line was crossed from the very beginning. I'm not surprised, after other reactions, I can see that you go into defence mode at the slightest whiff of controversy. But it is ok to laugh at darker humour.

[@o15ika]

Yeah I can agree with this, better explained than me with my poor English.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

What "bad things" did he do? He's a straight man and isn't attracted to men. That isn't "discriminatory", it's his sexuality. He's really the victim in the episode. He's the one who gets punched in the face. He's the one who is sexually violated. None of this silly gender ideology makes the remotest sense. The jokes in this episode aren't even laughing at the "trans" woman. It's not like in the "boseyed" episode where they're literally just laughing at disabilities. Added to which, with a character like Douglas you can get away with doing anything because he's supposed to be insensitive. Just like we laugh at Alan Partridge saying offensive things.

[@michaeltunnicliffe4935]

@@cockoffgewgle4993 all fair points. But honestly, I'm just trying to to approach this from an angle that the trans activists might listen to as opposed to airing my own personal feelings. If they believe he was in the wrong fair enough, just like it's fair enough that you think he is the victim. I'm not judging either way. But even if you are of the mindset that he is the villain and he has done something wrong, you cannot deny the fact that he comes off worse. Both on terms of him being shown to be a bigot and in the show, he is unhappy with how it resulted. The episode shows him to be problematic but deals with it by having his actions have consequences which leaves him worse off for it. The episode itself is not problematic because its moral is don't be transphobic. You see I'm accepting the trans activists argument because I'm that confident that the episode is not problematic that I can still prove my point playing by their rules.

[@robvanriot]

Woof. This comment section.

[@katiegwynn4495]

This is one of my favorite issues. In part because it handles the issue according to surface reactions- popping the pressure balloon. It isn't concerned with the trans issue

[@liamatsutv]

A trans man and a trans woman I know both think this episode is hilarious - and yet, I totally agree with you, my instinct is to be cautious about this. I’m a gay man, and the “Gay” episode (Work Outing) is one of my absolute favourites, even though it plays on some obvious cheap (and outdated) clichés. And you’re spot-on… knowing Linehan is such a transphobe adds to the complexity. Still… I find it interesting that in the final shot Douglas is crying and lonely, and missing the WOMAN he fell in love with. It’s probably the most human we’ve ever seen his character. And he’s in pain because - and ONLY because - of his own bigotry. It doesn’t entirely excuse all the lazy cliché… but it does offer a meaning that’s at least a little deeper.

[@chrisellis4400]

I really think the problem was with Graham Linehan's response to the criticism. Instead of saying "I honestly didn't intend to offend, how can I learn from this?" He instead, for some reason insisted he did mean to be transphobic. I think the episode should be used to discuss things such as gender roles and its arbitrary nature and the difference between gender and sex.

[@iwanttocomplain]

@@chrisellis4400 the whole transgender rights thing is just a media circus and he was probably just sick of it all. He probably doesn’t give a shit.

[@miff227]

@@chrisellis4400 Graham is pro LGB and pro-woman.

[@natmanprime4295]

Changing a man's genitals doesn't make him a woman, regardless of how he feels inside. What literally defines a woman is the existence of a womb, the correct chromosomes, and certain muscle mass and bone structure. Such a man may not feel like other men, for deep immutable totally valid genetic reasons, but that just means that he's a different kind of man, not a woman. Even if you call such a person a woman, EFFECTIVELY that's still a man, in terms of physical prowess. So the fight you're seeing in this episode is like between two men (even tho the actress is female obviously!). The fact that Douglas still cries over her as a woman he lost, is a HUGE olive branch, 💯% ANTI transphobic. There was no FEAR in Lineham's exploration of the subject. If he said he was transphobic it was because of the twisting of definitions of what a man and woman (womb-man) is, and his FEAR of what society will become as a result of words losing meaning. Thank you.

[@miff227]

@@natmanprime4295 And how does this person know they don't feel like a man? Which man's feelings are they comparing their own to? "I know what a man feels like and I don't feel like that" is a square-circle I cannot respect.

[@braineatingcats]

People bend over backwards trying to defend the B plot of this episode because the A plot is iconic and hilarious. but there's really no excusing how mean-spirited the other storyline is, and considering the increasingly militant TERFism of the creator there's no reason to give him the benefit of the doubt here. He's using an unsympathetic character to carry out the plot, sure, but the butt of the majority of the jokes is still the trans woman. I first watched this back when I was not at all educated on trans issues and even then it caught me off guard how mean and tasteless those bits of the episode were. Aside from this ep, there's actually a lot about this show that hasn't aged well and i wish ppl would just admit that to themselves. There's a lot I still like about it, but I won't pretend it's not deeply flawed.

[@deano2506]

The speech storyline of this episode is sooooo good.

[@cemerson]

Also one of the (many) episodes where Linehan cameos too - at least the 3rd time so far in the episodes you've watched

[@SaintDomingo1]

As a woman... I joke. I joke.

[@karenrawling3632]

I loved this episode.

[@richardbetts816]

The man who shouts “We’re all going to die” when the internet is crushed, is Graham Linehan.

[@WolfHreda]

Honestly, considering who wrote it and how he's been acting recently, I thought this episode was surprisingly even handed. There's still the issue of the apocalyptic brawl. But the fact of the matter is, Douglas is the problem and he even feels regret for the way his situation ended.

[@tocraneandcrane]

I honestly don’t have a particularly strong opinion of this episode either way, but I’ll say that this comment section yet again shows how the people quick to complain about ”triggered woke PC people” are equally, if not more, triggered themselves by the most insignificant things. Like, you know, a reactor reacting in a way that you deem unacceptable. I think when anyone makes the decision to watch a reaction video they kinda need to accept that the reaction might not align with their own, and that’s perfectly fine. It just comes with the territory. If you’re not here for honest reactions (be they good or bad in your book), then why are you?

[@gavinjamesmusic5734]

It's a great episode & the people who find it problematic tend to be of a politically correct & sensitive nature, which is fine. If you don't like it, that's cool, but please don't tell the rest of us that it's problematic because you don't like it. Let's be honest, it isn't even particularly risky comedy. I think some of y'all would have a meltdown watching Dave Chappelle, Jim Jeffries or Bill Burr.

[@carolmurphy7572]

You do understand that this channel is Neil's "reactions", don't you?

[@TerryNationB7]

I look at this episode in a similar way to how I look at Blazing Saddles. April is a genuinely nice person, they get along really well until Douglas realises he wasn't paying enough attention at the start and misheard what she said... then his own issues ruin everything. Missing her at the end shows he at least realises how stupid his overreaction was. It's along the same lines as the dumb white people in Blazing Saddles thinking negatively about the non-white people before they even get to know them. The townsfolk end up appreciating and liking them in the end (but the bad guys don't and pay for their racist ways accordingly).

[@Will-nn6ux]

I think the fact that she physically attacked him and started a fight because he rejected her isn't a very positive portrayal of a trans person. The way she described her transgender status was also pretty clumsy and unrealistic. It seemed like no effort was made to give a fair or sensitive portrayal of a transgender person. A big part of the joke was just 'this person is really a man'. "You bastard!"

[@captbunnykiller1.0]

@@Will-nn6ux You seriously expect a sensitive portrayal of anyone in a British sitcom that is peopled with stereotypes. You funny.

[@almostideal1306]

Fun fact, the person that played April was also the model in dinner episode IIRC.

[@dmmoctober]

You recall incorrectly im afraid … so iri

[@bromley001]

I haven't actually had a look at this vid yet... When these IT Crowd reaction vids drop, I always rewatch the episode in question myself first. I got a full series boxset back in the day, but it's been a while, so I head over to All4 to reacquaint myself with the episode. Given the title of this vid, and the fact that the episode isn't actually even up on All4 with the rest of series 3 (I had to watch on Netflix} told me I was in trouble. And given what's been said in previous IT Crowd reactions...this should be interesting. ;D

[@ciantaaffe]

Completely agree with your commentary on this one, and appreciate that you don't just gloss over the problematic parts and actually spend time talking about why they're problematic (many reactors wouldn't bother), the discussion and disection after the reaction itself is the main reason I started watching your channel back in the early days of the LOST reactions

[@userxl41drn301]

Probably because many reactors don't find them problematic. And even if said creators would explain their perceived problem to this episode and which parts we should and shouldn't laugh at and for how long, people would find a way to watch them, which would probably result in the Streisand effect and give episodes like these more popularity. When I was growing up and parents were forbidding schoolchildren from watching South Park, this was a SURE FIRE stamp of approval from the moral authority that that shit was funny af and resulted in entire classes of 12-year olds watching that stuff by the school-load, no matter the "risk".

[@unicyclist97]

Good summary at the end. In Linehan's mind: being trans is the joke. That's a problem.

[@Arbrax]

the B plot of this is horrible but the A plot with Jen is some of the funniest content ever to come out of british comedy

[@daxrico266]

I actually think the reverse. That's the beauty of the show though I suppose. There's something for everyone

[@misstrussteLgbTq]

I say this is as a cis woman but in hindsight there is no way but to see it as having malicious intent. It doesn’t help that Lineham cameos at the end (the “we’re all gonna die” guy). The fact she’s into darts and arm wrestling and she punches him and holds her own, these are all stereotypically masculine things and there is a reason Lineham chose those parts of Aprils character. Trans rep shouldn’t be defined by “well at least he didn’t vomit after”. I’ve seen trans stand up comedians and there is absolutely funny trans jokes to be told. The phrase “I used to be a man” is something that CAN be ignored because that was the go to phrase in media at the time but it’s what follows it that lets it down. I’m a butch lesbian and not a “feminine woman”, I like weight lifting and arm wrestling but in context of April and Lineham as a person, you can’t separate it. It just feels like the intent is “it’s ok for him to hit her because she’s not really a woman” but ultimately it just isn’t funny. Trans relationships in comedy doesn’t have to be about the cis character being “heroic” for dating a trans person either and the trans character doesn’t have to be a flawless human.

[@userxl41drn301]

If it isn't funny, why did people laugh at it then and are still laughing?

[@xx-jm5si]

I take serious issue with the term "transphobia", because it suggests that any kind of criticism is solely rooted in an irrational fear. Same reason I take issue with "homophobia" or "islamophobia". It is an intellectually dishonest rhetorical device and it irks me to see otherwise intelligent people stoop to that level of deception.

[@SaintDomingo1]

Don't open that can of worms pal. I made that mistake earlier.

[@marcaaron1890]

Hilarious, hearing Graham talking about his book brought me here. I’ve never seen this show before. The part with the trans woman doing ‘blokey stuff’ is a comment on Douglas’s narcissism - he is so alienated from the opposite sex that he is really just seeking a version of himself

[@clairewatts330]

The Trans storyline is saved somewhat by the actors being non-transphobic, but the main issue with it is that he presents the trans woman as being just a man who looks like a woman. She likes man things, is as strong as a man, and so on. At the time I excused it as just a joke because those things are so obviously not true, but now that I know it's what Linehan actually believes it's repellent and unwatchable.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

What's offensive about a man-turned-woman liking man things? Very strange.

[@rickardroach9075]

13:05 Jeez, chill out man. People are so afraid to laugh these days. I’m a computer nerd and I’m being lampooned every episode. It’s just a f*ckin’ joke, get over it.

[@Escapee5931]

So you weren't triggered by The Internet being destroyed?

[@rickardroach9075]

@@Escapee5931 If the internet was destroyed then how was I watching this reaction? 🤔

[@doctordunc]

This was kind of the origin of Linehan's odd drift into that area. I think he wrote this as a silly storyline and didn't expect to get any more of a reaction than he got for gay people liking musicals or whatever. I think the extent of the reaction sort of nudged him down a rabbit hole of sorts - kind of like a self-fulfilling prophesy I guess; he was labelled transphobic, and then over time found himself joining a community of people with strong views about transgender issues, etc. and eventually finding himself very isolated and now more-or-less "cancelled". I don't think he had any particular opinion on the subject (other than a broadly liberal/left/tolerant one) prior to the reaction to this episode of the IT Crowd. Which is pretty odd, for all sorts of reasons.

[@andrewjones575]

JK Rowling didn't mention trans issues in the early years of her fame, yet she has become a very well-known anti-trans activist. That's even more surprising, because her books don't deal with trans issues.

[@doctordunc]

@@andrewjones575 Again, in so far as she did say anything it tended to be along the lines of "everyone should be treated with respect and not be discriminated against", etc. In both cases they claim to be speaking on behalf of a certain type of feminism and consider themselves the progressives in the argument - rather than coming directly from a sort of conservative perspective. But it has found them both in a very odd place, professionally and intellectually.

[@andrewjones575]

@@doctordunc Yes, and both are clear that a person cannot have a pen15 & be a woman. An aim of most trans women is to be accepted as women, to prevent any reason for not allowing them to compete in female sports events & to have access to all-female spaces.

[@stras676]

This is the way I remember him explaining it: It was just an old-fashioned stupid joke that he didn't really think about. At the time this was made jokes like this weren't unusual. But where other people who made similar jokes have looked back on their older shows and apologised, it made him pick a side and start campaigning on it. And personally I'd be okay with him just having a different view than mine if he hadn't crossed from debate into trolling on it as he has.

[@andrewjones575]

@@stras676 He believes in the cause of protecting all-female spaces.

[@Capt.Kira_FoeHammer]

As a trans woman I appreciate your view on this episode.

[@artao5]

I've never seen this episode as anti-trans. I see at as pro-trans even. It showed how Douglas had no idea he was dating a trans woman, and thus that it's no different; it's only different in your head, when you know they're trans. Which is how it ended with Douglas not being able to handle the knowledge even tho they had a great time together. You also have to remember that transgender-based comedy is VERY popular in the UK, and not in a phobic way. They're very open about it and there's numerous trans and flaming gay celebrities there. It's really more of a hang-up in the U.S. I had no idea who Graham Linehan is until I looked him up after you mentioned him.

[@MNGermann]

Just wait for the "small person racist" :p

[@makaveliuk86]

Moss's lil celebratory dance tho>>>👏👏😂😂😂💜

[@Xanderj89]

If they had just kept playing it straight it would’t have been that bad, just cliche boring and tasteless, but it was when the punchline was just Douglass being shocked someone…exists. Like, there is no joke, it’s just someone weirdly reacting to basic information as if it were a jump scare. And then the fight scene, come the fuck on, the subtext of “we can get away with this if we say she is trans and frame Douglass as a victim of deception” is hard to miss. I appreciate the way you responded. Thanks for looking out and being decent.

[@squidcaps4308]

.... or Douglas is just fine with the person he met but can't get over the indoctrination of the society he has grown up in? That him sobbing at the end is just that, crying about not being able to get over it, knowing that he met possible the perfect partner and threw it away because if his own problems? You see, when you look at things with uberwoke glasses, then ANY kind of comedy about a touchy subject suddenly becomes a taboo. But when you just look at it and don't judge, the final lesson is totally different. To me, this is transpositive episode. One has to be REALLY up their own ass with wokeism to see it problematic. Anything can be judged like that and the world becomes really, really boring and unfunny. And the reality still is: NOTHING is too sacred to be made fun of.

[@jeremymlad]

@@squidcaps4308 I see where you're coming from, but the culmination of the punchlines was (cartoon) violence perpetrated on a transwoman, which is, at the VERY least, incredibly tiresome for a community who sees that happening over and over and over again to them. Douglas crying over the fact that his societal indoctrination and bias led to the toxic masculinity that prevented him from being with a person he really enjoyed kind of pales in the face of violence on the transwoman, as over the top as it was supposed to be.

[@squidcaps4308]

@@jeremymlad "violence perpetrated on a transwoman," She hit him too, how is that ONE SIDED violence?

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

@@squidcaps4308 "She" hit him FIRST. Lol. These people are genuinely insane. You can't reason with them.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

@@jeremymlad His "toxic masculinity"? You mean his sexuality? lol. Remember when wokies told us that sexuality was intrinsic and should be respected? Back when they were pro-gay? But now they openly coerce straight men into fucking men who pretend they're women. 🤣

[@markism2096]

I'm totally with on this episode. I loved Father Ted and The IT Crowd and was heartbroken when I found out about Graham Linehan's views. I can mostly divorce the art from the artist, but there are times when I can't help cringing.

[@miff227]

Man up

[@jeffrey44]

Heart broken? I think it might be you with the problem. I just can't imagine being heart broken because someone has a different view to me.

[@miff227]

@@jeffrey44 especially when that view is pro-LGB and pro-women. Makes you wonder about them really

[@itsonlysound]

@@miff227 the view isn’t ‘pro women’. It’s an excuse. I’m a cis gendered woman and they are not pro me And Linehan has a history of not being pro-women. Anyone who witnessed his early days on Twitter knows that. Never did like women explaining his sexism to him and reacted quite nastily when it happened. When he was called on it, he’d flounce off Twitter for a while.

[@miff227]

@@itsonlysound all your comment tells me is that you are not pro-woman and have a warped definition of sexism, likely because you are a woman and have the brain structures and connections desperate to placate and get along with the most powerful in your tribe.

[@Cobalt-Jester]

reminds me of the earliest practical joke I ever pulled. There was going to be a school disco and we were told that we could bring in tapes of our favourite songs. I'd been given a Kylie Minogue cassette for a christmas present and I wasn't keen on it. But a school friend was. I told him that if he gave me a blank tape I'd record it for him to bring along to the school disco. He managed to steal one of his mom's love ballad soppy dreary nonsense and put tape over the record protection and told me to record over it. I was going to do it but I had a much better idea. I would just pretend I had done it, put a sticker on it saying "Ste Shepton's favourite songs". Then the "DJ" would read the sticker out over the microphone at the disco and all we'd hear was his moms love songs. It went perfectly and all the rest of us were crying with laughter. I was about 6 or 7 years old. And right there and then I became the class clown. 10 years later I won the prize for the funniest person in the school and also won the prize for the least funniest person in school. That takes some skill. lol

[@2010Maven]

I love the IT crowd, and personally always find this episode hilarious, but completely get where you're coming from on the B plot (Matt Berry has distanced himself from this ep also). You're a great content creator, and we're here for your honest opinions/reactions, so glad you are sharing your honest views and we would expect nothing less! Personally, I think the B plot is a bit of silly fun, playing on the ignorance and narcissism of Douglas but it's not super clever or anything, just a bit silly. I do think the fight scene is pretty hilarious with some good slapstick gags etc. Anyway, on to the next...!

[@userxl41drn301]

I mean, Douglas never even showed disgust toward April physically. He just couldn't deal with the idea of her past life in general. If he can't help his feelings, should he be punished for them? I honestly don't see where the ignorance and narcissism comes into play. Is he obliged to be with April because it's the politically correct thing to do and not because he likes her? There's probably more to a relationship than just the personality.

[@jackdavids2723]

oh my god, listen I'm gay and i have tans friends, and we have always laughed at the April storyline, there is nothing wrong about it, it's not depreciating trans people and it is not making fun of them. There is nothing wrong with making a joke how April physically being a man has a male like strength and could fight Douglas. Yes inclusion and being open minded and accepting of people for who they are is necessary but it shouldn't make us be afraid to laugh about it, we are not robots we are human beings.

[@SilverEye91]

Sure, but can you really not see how it can make others feel uncomfortable with it? Humour is subjective, and sometimes, especially when a subject has aged, it does come across as awkward or problematic to a different crowd.

[@terminatrix92]

Why shouldn’t humour be uncomfortable? I would argue that just by broaching the topic this show makes it easier for phobic people to come to terms with. Douglas is ultimately the idiot

[@jackdavids2723]

@@SilverEye91 how about when Jenn went crazy over the red shoes, a stereotype not without merit, did we say oh no this joke makes women look crazy and bad? How about treating everyone as a person who can be good or bad regardless of their gender or their bodily nature? Saying that trans women are physically equal to female women is illogical and flat out wrong, so when we make fun how trans women are strong we are being insensitive?

[@itsonlysound]

Given Graham Linehan’s harassment of trans people, I wouldn’t be giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[@StMargorach]

@@SilverEye91 stop being offended on other peoples behalf ffs. If the people it's about are offended they will let it be known. You being offended for others who are not offended in the least is ffin offensive....

[@dmmoctober]

Late to this reaction party but knew in advance that this episode would be something of a clincher!

[@InterDimensionalLizard]

There's something to enjoy here. April's maleness makes her a good fit for Douglas, as they can do manly activities together, but it also makes them incompatible, as Douglas is a heterosexual. It's irony. If there's anything cruel to transgenders in this episode, it's that they picked such a pretty woman to play the role. That level of natural feminine beauty is just unattainable for any man, so, a transgender viewer may feel like the writers are rubbing their face in it. This episode was fun. It really should be included in the normal rotation of reruns. People are just terrified of the transgender issue, and they tiptoe around it.

[@danniantagonist]

Ah yeah, agreed. This was a good episode ruined by a horrible B-plot 😔😔 All the laughter whilst a woman is getting kicked, punched and thrown through glass is just too nasty. There's no excusing it, except to say that this episode could have been great. *sigh*

[@zebbedi]

Chill out mate, it's a comedy show. It's supposed to be ridiculous, and it was.

[@nickfilleul3463]

Satirising a stereotypical alpha male sexually aggressive boss is just hilarious. The joke is all on him.

[@Megara1989]

Not aged brill for trans people haha

[@andrewjones575]

I enjoy The IT Crowd more now than when I first watched it.

[@whereayellthereayell4878]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reaction to this episode and seeing the problematic sides to it. Knowing what we know about GL, I agree that this episode just isn't the best. Also, Matt Berry IS really good - but I don't enjoy him in this show (like you, I find Douglas a bit hard to swallow). I really grew to love him in What We Do in the Shadows. He's also apologized for this episode and said that these aren't his views, which I love.

[@richardbetts816]

I second this comment

[@jasonyoung7705]

April came off as really strong in the episode, while Douglas (who cant accept a transgender partner) comes off being really pathetic.

[@danc4102]

It's more difficult to watch someone sensoring and holding back his own laughter because he's afraid that what he appears to find funny might offend people. 11:54 - I don't understand why you'd think it was necessary to cut your own laughter out of a reaction video. It's a parody using extreme and ridiculous scenarios for comedy, if you can't bring yourself to laugh at something like this because you're not sure if you can, you shouldn't really be reacting to comedy shows at all.

[@alnsubuga]

At which points is he cutting out his laughter or holding back? People find different things funny.

[@miff227]

Neil is Canadian to the core. Say no more.

[@nysafairy]

I'm a trans woman. I wasn't aware of Linehan's views somehow, and I haven't seen this episode for many years. Watching it back with you just now, I didn't find the B plot funny at all - not because it was trans related, but because it felt completely out of place in this show. I don't know how best to describe it, but the style of 'comedy' with over the top sound effects in the fight scene just bored me. Having been enlightened by you about the creator's views, I share your opinion that this just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I don't instantly hate it now, and the trans situation does have a lot of potential for comedy, but you can clearly see the bigotry of Linehan coming through when this episode was in the writing process. It makes me a bit sad, because all I remembered about this episode was the A plot and now I like the episode a lot less than I did an hour ago. Anyway, thanks for bringing this to my attention Neil, I respect your honesty and ability to actually see the show you're watching, rather than just laughing at the funny hahas because the audience wants you to.

[@nysafairy]

I forgot to add this part, hopefully it helps those without experience with trans people understand how this can be harmful: The scenes portraying April as overtly masculine (strong/into manly things like darts and arm wrestling) are, in most cases, absolutely the opposite of how trans women act. At least for me, because I'm not as feminine in many ways as a person born female, I feel the need to exaggerate my feminine attributes and hide away any manly traits. Having the fact that April is into manly things be the butt of a joke in that montage with Douglas, reinforces the anxieties in my head that this is the opinion that other people have of me and those like me. While this may not be the case, having it take place in a popular show at least 'teaches' those who do not think like this, to think that trans women aren't "real women" or to think that they are just men in dresses. (hopefully that makes sense) The end result being a decline in my already bad mental health and mood. This is by no means a comprehensive discussion as to why this is harmful, but it's not an easy thing to explain in a short paragraph. Happy to answer any questions

[@andyleighton3616]

@@nysafairy I think the darts reference was also a bit strange in itself. AFAICR darts has always had a mixed following with quite a sizable percentage of women fans (who must be mostly cis women just because of the numbers involved). So even though GL was trying to imply April liked purely manly-man things he didn't even do that well.

[@nysafairy]

@@andyleighton3616 This is true, I'm not aware of the scope of the darts demographic, but when I picture darts it's a rather rotund middle aged man in the corner of a pub. Whether that is a stereotype or not, I think a lot of people share this thought. One of the many reasons this topic is difficult to discuss is the fact that we need to resort to speaking in broad generalisations to get a point across

[@andyleighton3616]

@@nysafairy Yeah for people who play that is a somewhat reasonable stereotype (or was for the time) although there were always younger (and more attractive) players and some of them won major tournaments. But for those that watched on TV (and to a slightly lesser extent live) the demographics differed. At no point in my adult life (and I am about the same age as GL) would I have thought that a woman saying that she likes to watch darts as being overly masculine.

[@sueacord1678]

I agree. I never really warmed to Douglas, It is just a shame that one of the funnist Moss, Roy and Jen plot is weighted down by such a dud subplot.

[@enjoyguitarplaying4052]

It's funny as hell .

[@AlexPBenton]

If this show portrays the authors views, then the authors think transphobia is bad. It’s not problematic, it’s a flawed character.

[@SilverEye91]

The writer is an outspoken transphobe.

[@jspettifer]

@@SilverEye91 Outspoken is a massive understatement. Obsessed to the point where his family disassociated themselves from him and his wife left him.

[@siok4375]

It's only problematic for people who are too easily offended. Calling people "transphobes" for having opinions based on basic facts (hard as they may be for some) is wrong and a tactic of the divisive woke far left

[@SilverEye91]

This is the episode I watch with a finger on the skip forward key. I don't like jokes that punch down, but worse than that, the jokes in the B story aren't even funny. It could have been something if he legit didn't care. Similar to how Matt Berry's character is played in What we do in the shadows. Furthermore I'd say that there's a way to make comedy about subjects like these that are both actually funny and not cruel. Here though? Well, it's the equivalent of a fat joke that goes "haha, he's fat and he eats a bunch of biscuits over there". That's not a joke.

[@andrewjones575]

April isn't disadvantaged, so her plot doesn't punch down.

[@SilverEye91]

@@andrewjones575 Transgenders are. And even within the show she is, she knows she's going to have a hard time finding a date because of people's bigotry. But you know that Andrew. You're just being intentionally thick.

[@andrewjones575]

@@SilverEye91 All of them are, including Caitlyn Jenner? April has had genital surgery & looks female, so she won't have difficulty. She doesn't appear to to be disadvantaged in any other way either.

[@derianjones1730]

News alert for you oh righteous one. YOU DO NOT GET TO DECIDE WHAT IS A JOKE, AND WHAT ISN'T. NO-ONE DOES. END OF. Oh, and again, maybe grow up a little.

[@liddad]

Well you've reached the last episode that hasn't aged well. There might be one more (S04E03), but that's one I think continues to be funny by being silly. I think you're right to feel uncomfortable about some of this show, I struggle especially with this one as Jen and the internet is one of the best jokes they show has done, but it's backed up by that weird B-plot

[@stephenpodeschi6052]

Don't over think it .....

[@thesimpsons17]

It's what he does

[@stephenpodeschi6052]

@@thesimpsons17 ...Yep ....

[@CouncilOfWolves]

It's comedy gold.

[@Dublin.655]

Yeah this episode has always been a weird one for me. Loved the actual Speech part. The other plot I always found a bit needless. I don' care for Douglas's character at all. Wish they could've kept the first guy around.

[@scipioafricanus5871]

Maybe his father Denholm shouldn't have caused irregularities in the employee pension fund.

[@jspettifer]

Completely agree. I know some people love Douglas but I find him largely unfunny and that the show would be much better without him. I think this episode is much worse in retrospect given how anti-trans he is.

[@stevedotwood]

Same here. I always liked Morris much more. He is naturally funny - on the other hand, I have absolutely no issues with the B-plot. Graham Linehan is a great talent. What's the problem with being anti-trans by the way? It's just an opinion.

[@brunojenso261]

Sorry Neil, I'm done with your reactions period. I got this far in your IT Crowd reactions because you seem on the surface a nice guy - but I've now had way more than enough of your over-serious 'that wasn't funny because it isn't PC' nonsense. As soon as you said 'That's a problematic episode' I knew I was done listening to you. I've never seen another person see this show's comedy as sexist/racist/transphobic/clichéd, because it's not - you've grossly over-reacted. I love Mat Berry's character above all, and never once considered him being 'a horrible person' or generally immoral, because as you've said yourself he's a cartoon - he's not a person in reality. If you want safely walled comedy then stop now and move on please. I hate to think of your reactions to other beloved UK comedy.

[@JASHTON14]

Thank you, dude is sad and woke. Shame 😥🤡

[@informedchoice2249]

I struggle with the term Transphobia. It's as if people who disagree with the notion that trans people are definitively the gender they say they are afraid of hateful towards trans people. I don't think it's a fair term. It's not fear, it's the opinion that gender and sex aren't the same thing isn't it? Is considering genetics the definitive driver behind sexual characteristics phobic? I don't think you can argue that case. Anyway, it's a difficult problem without a simple solution but I think people have a right to voice a contrary opinion without being completely castigated and ostracised. It's not pleasant for trans people either though. It's hard enough to go through a transition without further tribulations. Who knows how we will approach it but I hope we find a solution that makes everyone feel more comfortable and accepted.

[@allbrave8781]

It is the pro-trans crowd that think gender and sex aren't the same thing. It is the anti-trans crowd like Linehan who don't believe that.

[@shibaanimagaming4433]

People are so butt hurt over anything nowadays,it’s comedy chill out

[@Timmeh7]

This is a very frustrating episode because, like you say, the Internet plot is top tier, one of my favourites of the whole series. Especially frustrating is that I remember defending this episode when it came out - it's actually fully in line with his previous characterisation for Douglas to be a transphobe, and I think it's important for characters to be flawed (frankly, Douglas is almost nothing but flaws). And OK, in the episode itself, some of the jokes were based on dumb stereotypes or punched down a bit, but honestly as a product of its time, it's not egregious in a vacuum. That was until GLinner was revealed to be a massive transphobe. Suddenly the episode views in a way that's far more insidious. Not a writer creating a flawed character with a few jokes that haven't held up so well. A transphobe writing a transphobic character as a vehicle for their views. Unfortuantely, I can no longer enjoy this episode for what it is as a result. You handled it well, though.

[@CommissionerSleer]

I agree with the first paragraph and understand the second but I'm not sure about this bit: "Not a writer creating a flawed character with a few jokes that haven't held up so well. A transphobe writing a transphobic character as a vehicle for their views." There's no doubt the character was deliberately flawed in many ways and GL would have seen and intended Douglas that way (in every episode apart from this one at least). So, it seems highly unlikely to me that GL would make that flawed character (deliberately portraid as stupid, arrogant, obnoxious, even murderous, etc.) as a vehicle for his own views. Surely, that would have caused a self-realisation in even the mosrt dimwitted individual that his own views were flawed. (And GL may be many things but he's not an idiot.). So, I don't think it was a vehicle for his views. More of a set of misjudged assumptions that the subject matter is [still] funny. And he could be forgiven for that because it has been regarded as funny quite often in the past: there's a scene in Crocodile Dundee that springs to mind, I'm sure it has been referenced for humour in other sitcoms and many standup comediens have joked about it. And I've got to say that I don't think Douglas reacting badly to finding out he's sleeping with a trans woman is particularly a bad character trait for him (compared to the rest). Most men would feel that way and have no choice about it (they'd feel violated). Add to that that April didn't mislead him in anyway (she's not portrayed particularly badly, except having very blokish behaviour). It was just a misunderstanding and that's where the humour's supposed to come from. It's just a tired trope. As you say in your first paragraph "as a product of its time, it's not egregious". So, I don't think GL intended this to be a vehicle for his views at all. I think it's entirely subconcious and he was surprised and pissed off at the reaction and he wouldn't have been if he had been intending to be making any sort of point by this. But, as you say, it's frustrating because it's always at the back of your mind that the writer is bringing his own prejudices to the intended humour. If this had been written by Eddie Izzard then we'd probably feel a lot less uncomfortable about the whole thing. (But then Eddie Izzard probably wouldn't write an episode quite like this that tries to take humour in trans issues without any hint of irony).

[@spencerredden6743]

The real funny part of the Douglas/April storyline is him not listening at dinner, and that misunderstanding. The "manly trans woman" trope is weak and transphobic. The Internet storyline is AMAZING. The fight scene was good. And (what I understood to be) Douglas regretting it at the end, because he really loved April, was a nice touch, because he's always too stupid for his own good. But yeah, since Graham came out as a transphobe, this episode is harder to watch.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Isn't a man not listening to a woman a misandrist trope?

[@SaintDomingo1]

@@cockoffgewgle4993 Apt username

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

@@SaintDomingo1 Surprised I haven't been banned yet for transphobia. 🤣

[@andrewjones575]

@@cockoffgewgle4993 Most trans women don't want their cockoff!

[@andrewjones575]

@PGH Engineer Some of them insist on giving lesbians & straight men a six-inch surprise, as well as using spaces that are all-female, such as toilets & dressing rooms.

[@bertalach]

He wasn’t an outspoken Transphobe when he wrote it. He changed after finding out what was happening at the Tavistock centre. Also British humour is about taking the piss out of everyone. So actually not making jokes about certain groups is exclusionary.

[@SilverEye91]

Whether you're punching up or down matters a lot. But also, he's an outspoken anti-trans activist. And worst of all? They're not even funny jokes. If they were I would be a lot more forgiving of them.

[@miff227]

@@SilverEye91 he's pro-woman and pro-LGB. Why are you anti-woman and anti-LGB?

[@SilverEye91]

@@miff227 I am not either of those things. That's a pathetic claim

[@bertalach]

He’s against kids being transitioned by frankly dubious charities, male rapists identifying as female going into womens prisons and Continuing raping and the frankly insidious way women are being edited out of modern life. All of which I agree on. I have a live and let live attitude up until you give chemical castration drugs to 12 year old and use tools that are prohibited as FGM on teen girls. Then most people have an issue. As for the punching up and down in British society we punch in all directions and don’t give a damn. Or at least we used to before police arrested people for offensive tweets!

[@miff227]

@@SilverEye91 are you pro-T ? Pro-LGBT? If so, you are by default anti-LGB as a fact, and anti-women by various meanings and arguments, definitely anti-most-women, though there is some grey area there. So, the question becomes, are you just a cognitive-dissonant or a liar or just unaware of what a pro-T position actually means?

[@AzimovTube]

Great episode this one, probably didn't need 7 minutes of social commentary afterwards. Also if you are going to call someone a transphobe you should probably back it up. Don't just parrot what some muppets have told you.

[@BD-yl5mh]

It’s interesting that a lot of LGBT people seem to be giving this episode some sort of pass. I think sometimes when you’re ‘the target’ it’s easier for you to decide the spirit in which to take a joke. For those of us with a bit more distance from the subject matter it is just cringy, and we don’t have the magical power to go “but it’s ok, because I am X and I’m ok with it.” It’s like sometimes you might see some friends bantering and as an outsider think that actually some of the jabs are quite full on and hard to hear, but for the people in that relationship they’ve had the time to adjust to each other’s sensitivities and set boundaries that they each understand

[@scipioafricanus5871]

But in this case LGBT people are not the ones with the banter it is the Graham Linehan's of this world.

[@miff227]

It's not a magical power it's called a medium-backbone.

[@Will-nn6ux]

FWIW, I had a trans friend who said there was 'so much wrong' with this episode. She didn't write the show off because of this one episode though, and would still watch The Red Door to cheer herself up.

[@miff227]

@@Will-nn6ux the main problem was with using a female actress to play the part. But it was inevitable as no one would believe Douglas would be attracted to an actual trans

[@userxl41drn301]

It's a fucking funny episode.

[@michaellueneburg2261]

How very woke of you.

[@mash83]

Might have been better if you skipped this episode, you were definitely primed not to like it (even if you were trying to stifle laughter), personally one of the best episodes along with work outing in my opinion 🤷‍♂️ I don't think trying to revise/impose views or intentions of this episode retrospectively is fair when at the time Linehan wasn't expressing anything like his current anti trans bs. People change, their beliefs and opinions change, the Linehan that wrote/directed this is not the same frankly unwell person we know today. I don't believe any of the many actors/crew/writing partners or general industry would have tolerated those views if he showed any sign throughout his long career - just like they aren't today and i don't believe it's true to say what are now his views being in the writing, the trans character came off as the sane likeable normal person while daring to not portray her as perfect and allow some jokes at her expense while showing up Douglas for his childish views demonstrated as he scribbles over her picture and cries into his desk. There are often jokes at the expense of broad stereotype characters in the show, homeless, short people etc but the arc and purpose of those jokes are to reflect on the main characters and to expose their attitudes/ineptitude either just for a laugh or to make a point, which is what the very obvious scene at the end is doing - Douglas crying over his own prejudice ending a great relationship now irretrievable. You said you were giving every episode a fair chance but by reading comments or anything relating to supposed controversy before watching impairs your ability to give unbiased criticism and to be fair there is enough cultural nuance that goes over your head however well versed you are. There is truth in saying there are some parts that haven't dated that well just by being there, regardless the intention - in this and many shows. Society moves on (hopefully) in a progressive direction, a lot of the arguments surrounding issues like this are misinterpreted by all "sides" intention, meaning, nuance get lost in translation. In any case keep doing what you do, try not to take the show or the issues in relation to the show too seriously that you end up dying on the opposite hill to the one graham has done.

[@derianjones1730]

Unwell? Really? I just watched him live on GB News, and he seemed absolutely fine to me, and has spent the last 4 years writing "Father Ted" the musical. He also pointed out that trans women are now going on "Lesbian" dating sites expecting actual lesbian women to date essentially men in dresses, and if the actual lesbians complain, they are banned from the dating site. I don't believe that men can be women and vice versa. Does that mean I'm "unwell"? He is an extremely intelligent and talented man, who expressed an opinion. Remember them?

[@papamurrth1]

I think this episode is a real shame, because the main story of Jen, Roy and Moss is one of the best, but it has the other story, and is therefore banned on All4 in the UK.

[@jeremyodwyer9232]

I agree with your comments about this episode.

[@anomalysakawendy5096]

I don't quite get the seemingly extreme gatekeeping for this series. The comedy is often brilliant, but also sometimes cheap and unbalanced. But those are the pros and cons when the writing is a product of one person's mind. Honestly, it's a rare show that is above any valid criticism. Especially as comedy is subjective. You can love a show, enjoy a show, and still acknowledge its flaws. I do with my favorite shows.

[@SilverEye91]

You contradicted yourself there. You can't in one sentence say the show is above any valid criticism and then say that you can acknowledge a shows flaws even if you love it. That right there is you saying that no show is above criticism.

[@anomalysakawendy5096]

Sorry... You've misinterpreted me. I'm saying that no show is, or should be, above criticism. No matter how much we might love or generally enjoy them. And that this one certainly is not above criticism. Neither is comedy itself, as a form, above criticism. The gatekeeping here is by those fans who seemingly tolerate no other opinions or critiques of The IT Crowd. I find the over defensiveness of the comedy to be unwarranted. It's flawed at times... as are most things.

[@anomalysakawendy5096]

When I said that it's a rare show that's above criticism... I was refering broadly to the breadth of shows and that it's extremely very rare to ever find one to be wholly above criticism. Certainly not this one. Apologies for the confusion.