Althouse: "About her pronouns, when I asked, she said: 'Prefer she/her, don’t mind he/him, so no one can get it wrong.'"

December 15, 2022

"About her pronouns, when I asked, she said: 'Prefer she/her, don’t mind he/him, so no one can get it wrong.'"

"It was such a breezy, practiced statement that I thought she was done until she added: 'And I didn’t change them. The world changed them.' What’s this? 'I was on a program. They said, "Do you want she/her or he/him?" I went, "Ahh, oh, she." I’d been thinking of changing them. And then the program went out, and the whole world changed them. Two days.' She made a sound effect like a series of detonations. 'All news outlets... "She/her now." And I went, "Oh, OK.".... I thought it was a great honor.... I’ve been promoted — promoted to she. That’s how it was. But I didn’t actively have a campaign about it. It just happened. You know, I came out 37 years ago."

From "Eddie Izzard Plays Which Part in ‘Great Expectations’? All of Them. The British comedian and actor is now performing her solo take on Dickens’s coming-of-age drama Off Broadway. It’s 'pure storytelling,' she said" (NYT).

40 comments:

John henry said...: Why is sexing people so important?

And if it is important, why not be open about it instead of weasling around with this pronouns kabuki?

John Henry
(you/ye/thee/thou/Ud./tu)

Male with penis since that is really what you are asking; 12/15/22, 7:05 AM
Leo said...: When I am talking to someone, I don't use their pronouns.

So it appears this nonsense is about people trying to control how they are referred to by people when they aren't there.; 12/15/22, 7:09 AM
Dave Begley said...: I had never heard of Eddie Izzard until today. I clicked through and read the story and listened to some of the audiobook.

What a talent! She gets a part in “Frankenstein, Part II.”; 12/15/22, 7:12 AM
Temujin said...: Well... I've been a huge fan of Eddie Izzard for years. He is as smart and funny as any comedian out there today. Or at least he used to be. But he's long been very all over the board on his identity. Yes, I do refer to him as him because to me, well...he's still got a dick and a manly way about him. Even when he's in a dress and make up with nails done.

And this might be interesting, but I wouldn't go see it. I saw Eddie live a year or two ago. He was older (as happens to some of us). But he seemed tired, unfunny. He just wanted to tell us about his life. And that was interesting for a bit. But only for a bit. Not for the entire concert. I guess I misunderstood what I was getting that night. But he's a very fine actor. And a better comedian. I think the comedy has left him, so it might be better for him to act, using someone else's words now.

If you never saw him in his prime doing comedy, you should check him out. He was brilliant.; 12/15/22, 7:12 AM
Dave Begley said...: More on Eddie.

“ In 2009, Izzard completed 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief, despite having no history of long-distance running. In 2016, she ran 27 marathons in 27 days in South Africa in honour of Nelson Mandela, raising £1.35 million. In addition to her native English, she regularly performs stand-up in Arabic, French, German, Russian, and Spanish….”; 12/15/22, 7:14 AM
Howard said...: Izzard maybe a her, but she is a straight up stud. She ran 32 marathons in 31 days last year to raise money for charity. #makehumanitygreatagain!; 12/15/22, 7:15 AM
rhhardin said...: If it settles on "she" then it's a male, if you're keeping track.; 12/15/22, 7:18 AM
John henry said...: Was izzard in a series 10-15 years ago where they played a family of gypsies who took over another family's life?

Izzard played a male but they had a transvestite son who was so tedious he ruined the show for me.

Or am I thinking of someone else?

John Henry; 12/15/22, 7:21 AM
John henry said...: Did they run as a man with other men?

Or as a crossdresser with women?; 12/15/22, 7:23 AM
Sebastian said...: Leo: "So it appears this nonsense is about people trying to control how they are referred to by people when they aren't there."

It's a power play, a maneuver in the culture war.

Question: at what point does someone trying to compel me to speak a certain way, with either corporate or government support, violate my civil rights?; 12/15/22, 7:34 AM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: She/he hasn’t gone for the Caitlyn Jenner treatment. So it’s amiable on his/her part.

I had a difficult time of it with a coworker, back in the 90s. In the back of my mind Jeanne was still Jim despite her attempts to change that. Jim/Jeanne stopped pitching for the company softball team.; 12/15/22, 7:46 AM
Jeff Weimer said...: Leo has it *exactly*. It's a pure power move designed to make people dance when you aren't even around.; 12/15/22, 7:51 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: Temujin - I agree.
Howard - yes a stud!

Some samples of Eddie that kill me.
Armageddon is Australian for ... Arm - a - geddin-- outahere.
Computers. That's it's I'm calling Amsterdam.

this one has a small Trump joke - if you can catch it. Man was ahead of his time.; 12/15/22, 7:51 AM
J2 said...: John Henry

That series was called "The Riches". Minnie Driver played the wife.

2 Seasons are available on Hulu.; 12/15/22, 7:54 AM
J2 said...: John Henry

That series was called "The Riches". Minnie Driver played the wife.

2 Seasons are available on Hulu.; 12/15/22, 7:55 AM
who-knew said...: This "my pronouns" is BS. You don't get your own pronouns. Pronouns are a feature of the language, not of a speaker. You can use English pronouns properly or you can sound like a narcissistic fool. Unfortunately, in our society people are rewarded for being narcissistic fools. Indeed, they are stunning and brave.; 12/15/22, 7:59 AM
Howard (not that Howard) said...: John henry said...
Was izzard in a series 10-15 years ago where they played a family of gypsies who took over another family's life?

The Riches. Minnie Driver as well. Hilarious show, Hugh referring to his lawyer as his "liar" is still an in-joke with my wife.; 12/15/22, 8:08 AM
Howard (not that Howard) said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/15/22, 8:09 AM
Dave Begley said...: There is an Izard Street in Omaha; one z. As a kid, my favorite street was Dorcas.

Omaha's best street name is John Galt Boulevard.

In Bellevue, there is a Fort Crook Road. TD Ameritrade had a big office on that street and they changed it.

Another Omaha street is Mason. A Catholic parish had the name changed to Shamrock Road because - at the time - Masons hated Catholics.; 12/15/22, 8:27 AM
Old and slow said...: Much is made of Izzard's "marathons", and I'm all in favor of raising money for charity, but he doesn't actually run them. Finishing times average over 7 hours. It's a tiring long walk, not a run by any means.; 12/15/22, 8:29 AM
wendybar said...: who-knew said...
This "my pronouns" is BS. You don't get your own pronouns. Pronouns are a feature of the language, not of a speaker. You can use English pronouns properly or you can sound like a narcissistic fool. Unfortunately, in our society people are rewarded for being narcissistic fools. Indeed, they are stunning and brave.

12/15/22, 7:59 AM

It's like the term "my truth". Your truth may be true to YOU, but it isn't to everyone else. These people need to grow up.; 12/15/22, 8:35 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: My 25 year old nephew has a girlfriend who has discovered the woke-BS and wants to be non-binary. He kept referring to her as "They" -> I asked "They?"

I wish I hadn't asked.

I will not be compelled to the use this insane language. It's akin to the forced Nazi salute.; 12/15/22, 8:37 AM
ConradBibby said...: The term "preferred pronouns" is itself a misnomer, because most people who have them seem not merely to PREFER them, but to REQUIRE that other people use them (under threat of job loss, etc.). Maybe they should be called "demanded pronouns" to be more accurate.; 12/15/22, 8:41 AM
GRW3 said...: You'd think as an Executive Transvestite, they would have figured this out well before hand.; 12/15/22, 8:44 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Feminism, i.e., Women’s and Gender Studies, is a religion. It’s a sick, destructive, apostate religion, but a religion nonetheless. Indoctrination in this religion should be banned from the schools, just as Christian and Jewish indoctrination are banned.

A Christian or Jewish legal foundation should be enforcing this ban through lawsuits.; 12/15/22, 9:02 AM
Krumhorn said...: John Henry, I may be wrong, but I believe you intended to say “Male with OEM penis since that is really what you are asking”

- Krumhorn; 12/15/22, 9:09 AM
Marcus Bressler said...: I was introduced to Eddie's shtick about a dozen years ago by a woman I was dating. Some of his stuff was downright hilarious. Other portions, meh.

He was ahead of his time in regards to the current craziness.

Marcus B. THEOLDMAN; 12/15/22, 9:18 AM
The Vault Dweller said...: Eddie Izzard had a comedy special, Dress to Kill, that came out in late 90's. In that special Eddie appears in women's clothing. In that special Eddie also distinguishes between transvestites and transgender people. Eddie claims membership in the transvestite club in that special.; 12/15/22, 9:19 AM
Lurker21 said...: I liked him when he was just a regular guy who liked to wear dresses.

That could be seen as "liberating."

Eddie now looks like a prisoner of fashionable gender ideologies.

He does not seem to be happy now (if he ever really was).

I do admire anybody who can do stand-up in three different languages and still make people laugh, though.; 12/15/22, 9:26 AM
s'opihjerdt said...: He was an actor in two movies that I can recall. She was an actress in a bunch of movies that I have never and probably will never even hear about.; 12/15/22, 9:47 AM
veni vidi vici said...: I saw Eddie Izzard do a stand-up set at a club in LA about a decade ago. What I noticed was he was okay; largely a mediocrity with nothing particularly memorable about his routine.

The memorable part was that, sitting near the (high) stage, I couldn't help but notice his jeans pants-legs were one longer than the other, and his heels were likewise one higher than the other on his shoes. Is it a known thing that one of his legs is longer than the other, or was his tailor merely taking prodigious amounts of LSD while working on his Levi's?; 12/15/22, 10:04 AM
stlcdr said...: Blogger Leo said...
When I am talking to someone, I don't use their pronouns.

So it appears this nonsense is about people trying to control how they are referred to by people when they aren't there.

12/15/22, 7:09 AM

Bears repeating.; 12/15/22, 11:17 AM
EAB said...: Eddie’s older comedy shows like Dress to Kill had some very good comedy…sharp and intelligent. He managed to come off masculine, while wearing makeup and sequins. I liked the old Eddie, when he was simply a cross-dresser. It worked. Now he’s become tedious. It’s less natural and relaxed, oddly enough.; 12/15/22, 11:28 AM
Readering said...: On the side, Izzard has a nice acting career playing male roles in films and on television.; 12/15/22, 11:50 AM
PM said...: As mentioned by others, saw Eddie at a hole-in-the-wall back in the 80s. Very very funny. Sedaris-funny. Only clue to his preferences - high heels.; 12/15/22, 12:11 PM
Jeff Vader said...: He used to be hilarious, when he became a she a fews years back he was no longer funny. Imagine that; 12/15/22, 1:32 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: “So no one can get it wrong”.

You got to love that.; 12/15/22, 1:40 PM
n.n said...: Transgender trends in divergence is an ethical choice.; 12/15/22, 1:47 PM
n.n said...: Why is sexing people so important?

Fitness. Otherwise, it's about narcissistic indulgence (e.g. feminism, masculinism, transgenderism) and political congruence (e.g. exclusion as in "protect marriage act").; 12/15/22, 1:50 PM
KellyM said...: The first time I saw Eddie Izzard was the "Dress To Kill" video and I thought it was just part of his schtick. This is a little beyond that and is frankly, unfunny. He's the one person who I thought would have had the nerve to call it what it was and ridicule it. Guess not.

I didn't watch "The Riches"; I may have to go look for it. He had a small part in the last Oceans movie (the expert in high-tech security) and held his own. I'd wished the role had been larger but maybe he would have chewed the scenery too much.; 12/15/22, 2:14 PM