He's a Lady is an American reality television series broadcast by TBS. The six-episode series premiered on October 19, 2004, and concluded on November 23, 2004. Filmed in Los Angeles, California, the series depicted eleven cisgender men in competition for a $250,000 reward over who could pass themselves off as a more convincing woman. The contestants were required to cross-dress and adopt feminine personas, which were then introduced to their family and friends. The contestants additionally competed in weekly challenges that required them to embrace femininity. The competition culminated in a beauty pageant, which was judged by a celebrity panel. The series was hosted by American television presenter Tony Frassrand.

He's a Lady was a part of TBS's intent to capitalize on a rising interest in LGBT-themed reality television shows. The series was met with unfavorable reviews by critics, who believed that, despite an interesting concept, the series was poorly executed. He's a Lady additionally received fierce criticism from the American Family Association, a Christian fundamentalist organization, who urged the series' sponsors to pull their advertisements and financial support due to concerns of misandry. The series premiered to 1.70 million viewers, although its viewership quickly waned over the course of the season. In 2004, He's a Lady was the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against TBS and production company Evolution Film & Tape.

Format

thumb|right|160px|alt=Refer to caption.|Contestant Michael pictured before (left) and after (right) his transformation into "Scarlet"

Set in Los Angeles, the six-episode series depicted eleven cisgender men in competition for a reward of $250,000. The contestants initially believed that they were competing in a fitness competition titled All American Man; upon arrival, they learned that they would be required to cross-dress in an effort to pass themselves off as women. The contestants, who adopted feminine personas, were required to move into a boisterous, pink-and-purple dwelling referred to as "The Doll House". In an effort to "live as a lady," the contestants were taught about brassieres and jewelry in addition to competing in weekly gender-specific challenges; challenges included modeling, wedding planning, serving as a bridesmaid, and household chores. A contestant was eliminated from the competition each week at the discretion of a celebrity panel, which included Morgan Fairchild, Debbie Matenopoulos, and John Salley. At the culmination of the series, the finalists competed in a beauty pageant, in which they had to explain what they "learned about being a man" over the course of the competition. A TBS spokesperson claimed the show was meant to show how gender roles function in society while executive producer Tom Campbell hoped the hypermasculine contestants would become more sensitive to women's needs.

The series was filmed in Los Angeles, California, over the course of three weeks. The press release described the series' premise as "11 macho men [who are given] the opportunity to walk a mile in women’s shoes". Speaking on his experience, contestant Ryan Katz stated: "[He's a Lady] was terrifying, tumultuous; it took my testosterone away. It was something I've never experienced."

Following the recent controversies and cancellations of other LGBT-themed reality television programs, executive producers Campbell and Douglas Ross were "anxious" to not offend the LGBT community. GLAAD was concerned about the series' portrayal of LGBT people and wanted to ensure that it depicted LGBT representation more tactfully than the cancelled Fox special Seriously, Dude, I'm Gay.

|ShortSummary=The eleven contestants arrive to Los Angeles and undergo transformations into their feminine personas. Four of the men are eliminated from the competition.

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Reception

He's a Lady drew sharp criticism from Christian fundamentalist organizations, including the American Family Association and the Traditional Values Coalition. The American Family Association claimed that the show was humorless and promoted "life as a transvestite" while the Traditional Values Coalition similarly condemned it as a "new homosexual-inspired transvestite show." The organizations called for a boycott of He's a Lady, in which they urged its sponsors to drop the series. S. C. Johnson & Son, who served as the series' principal sponsor, pulled their advertising and financial support due to pressure from the organizations. The plaintiffs sought a reward of $3,000,000, in which they alleged copyright infringement, breach of implied-in-fact contract, and unfair competition. The concept of Sex Change was based on Phillips's experience as an "all-American" athlete who later underwent gender-affirming surgery; he claimed that the production company and network "stole part of my life" with the production of He's a Lady. aired on Russian channel TNT.

See also

  • Cross-dressing in film and television

References

Sources

  • at the Wayback Machine