Best of Both Worlds: The Transsexual Revolution

Director: Nimrod Erez
Release Year: 2000

In 2000, a groundbreaking and controversial documentary titled Best of Both Worlds: The Transsexual Revolution was released, marking a pivotal moment in the discourse surrounding sexuality, pornography, and gender identity. Directed by Nimrod Erez, this documentary explored the rise of "shemale" pornography, a genre that blends elements of femininity and masculinity, particularly featuring transsexual women with male genitalia.

 

The film delves into an unexpected phenomenon in the porn industry, namely, the widespread popularity of transsexual pornography among heterosexual men, challenging long-standing assumptions about sexual desire and identity. Produced as part of the Disinformation TV series, a late-night UK television program on Channel 4, Best of Both Worlds presented a raw and unflinching look at a niche that was previously underexplored in mainstream media. The documentary not only explored the appeal of "chicks with dicks" porn but also delved into deeper questions about sexuality, gender, and the fluidity of identity in modern culture.

 

At the heart of Best of Both Worlds is an exploration of a fascinating cultural and sexual phenomenon: the popularity of transsexual pornography among heterosexual men. Erez’s documentary investigates the explosion of the "shemale" genre, specifically its prominence in adult video stores, particularly in Baltimore. What Erez discovered was both surprising and thought-provoking - an overwhelming amount of space in these porn shops was devoted to shemale DVDs, often accounting for 25 to 40 percent of the floor space, far surpassing even gay pornography, which accounted for only a small fraction (5–6%).

 

This discovery led Erez to a critical question: why were so many working-class, predominantly straight men interested in transsexual porn, especially when the content was not marketed toward them? The answer, Erez argues, lies in a complex blend of attraction to the non-binary, a curiosity about gender fluidity, and the exploration of taboo sexualities that blur the lines between traditionally understood categories of masculinity and femininity. In interviews with key figures like Gia Darling, a prominent director of transsexual pornography, and cultural critics like George Petros, the documentary examines the broader cultural context for this shift. The genre, it turns out, was not designed for gay men, as many would assume, but for straight men, seeking to explore a "kink" that was neither strictly male nor strictly female but instead represented a mix of both.

 

To illustrate his thesis, Erez visits Baltimore’s infamous "The Block," a two-block-long red-light district known for its strip clubs, adult bookstores, and seedy reputation. This gritty area of the city becomes the backdrop for an exploration of the overwhelming demand for transsexual pornography. Erez’s visit to these adult stores in the early hours of the morning reveals that the men shopping for these films were not the stereotypical gay men that one might expect to frequent such establishments. Rather, they were working-class, predominantly straight men, some of whom even carried lunchboxes as they browsed the shelves. This scene painted a compelling picture of an underground sexual interest among straight men in depictions of transsexual women. "Why all the interest in 'chicks with dicks' at 7 AM?" Erez asks. "And yet, the apparent disinterest in the 'regular gay' DVDs?" For Erez, this was a moment of revelation - a moment that would become the cornerstone of the documentary’s thesis. Straight men, he suggests, were engaging with these films not out of any particular desire for gay male sex, but out of a fascination with the blending of traditionally masculine and feminine characteristics, a phenomenon that represented a "best of both worlds."

 

As part of the Disinformation TV series, which aired on Channel 4’s "4Later" late-night programming block, Best of Both Worlds became one of the most subversive episodes of the show. Channel 4, known for its willingness to air controversial content, was nonetheless challenged by the explicit nature of the documentary, which explored subjects not typically discussed on mainstream television. Erez faced significant pushback, both from viewers and from within the industry, for tackling such a taboo subject. One of the most memorable responses to the documentary was a letter from a viewer who accused Erez of attempting to "create mass social deviation" by airing such content. For Erez, this was the ultimate compliment, as the series aimed to push boundaries, challenge societal norms, and spark uncomfortable yet necessary conversations about the complexities of sexual identity. The episode was met with complaints, and it even led to criminal fines being levied on a broadcaster in Thailand for airing the documentary, further underscoring its controversial nature. Despite the backlash, the documentary was groundbreaking in its unflinching portrayal of a marginalized segment of the pornography industry. Erez's exploration of transsexuality in this context pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable for television and established Best of Both Worlds as a key cultural document in the early 2000s.

 

The documentary features interviews with several key figures, including Gia Darling, who is both a director and performer in the transsexual porn industry. In her conversation with Erez, Gia explains that transsexual pornography appeals to straight men for a number of reasons, but one of the most important is the fact that "gay men are not remotely interested in seeing depictions of femininity, especially the sort of hyper-femininity associated with transsexuals" in their pornography. This distinction clarifies why the "shemale" genre became so popular among straight men - it provided a unique form of eroticism that bridged masculine and feminine sexualities. Additionally, Erez interviews George Petros, a writer who penned the provocative essay The New Hermaphrodite, which similarly examines the cultural fascination with "chicks with dicks" and the broader implications of gender fluidity in both the porn industry and society. Petros provides intellectual depth to the documentary, drawing connections between the growing appeal of transsexual porn and larger cultural shifts around gender and sexuality at the turn of the millennium. The documentary also highlights an insightful moment in an interview with Alyssa, Gia Darling's downstairs neighbor, who discusses the social challenges she faces as a transgender woman in the dating world. Her candid reflections underscore the often unseen human side of the trans experience, adding complexity and empathy to the portrayal of the porn industry.

 

Best of Both Worlds emerged at a time when discussions around gender identity and sexuality were beginning to shift. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a growing acknowledgment of gender as a spectrum rather than a binary, and transsexuality was beginning to gain more visibility in mainstream media. However, the documentary’s portrayal of transsexual pornography as a niche that appealed to straight men was groundbreaking in its challenge to the assumptions that sexuality and gender must fit into rigid categories. The film posed essential questions about the nature of attraction: Can one be attracted to both masculinity and femininity simultaneously? What does it mean when sexual desire transcends the boundaries of traditional gender categories? And, perhaps most provocatively, what does the growing popularity of "shemale" pornography tell us about the fluidity of sexual and gender identities? While Best of Both Worlds may have been controversial and even discomforting to some, it became a touchstone for future discussions about sexual identity, gender fluidity, and the complex intersections of both. The documentary not only explored the mechanics of a niche pornography genre but also illuminated broader cultural shifts, making it an important artifact in the ongoing conversation about sex, gender, and identity.

 

Best of Both Worlds: The Transsexual Revolution remains an essential and influential documentary, even decades after its release. Through its examination of transsexual pornography and its unexpected popularity among straight men, the film challenges audiences to reconsider their assumptions about sexuality, attraction, and identity. By breaking down the boundaries between male and female, traditional and taboo, Erez's film offers a compelling look at the complexities of human desire and the fluidity of gender in the modern world. In the context of both the Disinformation TV series and broader media, Best of Both Worlds was a revolutionary piece that dared to question societal norms and reveal the hidden complexities of sexual and gender identity. Its lasting impact is felt not only in the realm of transsexual representation in media but also in the way it pushed viewers to confront the many layers of human sexuality.

via:  youtube and dangerousminds.net

Image credits: YouTube