On blanking, and the Clark Kent Effect
I met Jane's friend Charlotte for the first time last night (in "boy mode") which was nice.
It's always strange meeting trannies in person for the first time, especially when you're used to seeing their online girly persona. Charlotte, like many of us wig-dependent trannies, looks strikingly different in boy mode than she does in girl mode. It's the element of disguise that a wig gives that makes us less reticent to put our pictures on the net. For example, I doubt that I'd recognise Charlotte from her pics if I knew her other half, particularly as he wears glasses!
There is a definite "Clark Kent Effect" with glasses-wearing trannies. A few trannies I know only wear glasses when they're in boy mode, presumably because it's expensive to buy girly frames, whereas contact lenses are unisex. So the morning a once the wig and make-up comes off and the glasses go on, the transformation between "girl" and "boy" is even more striking.
Charlotte was hard to spot as a boy, but I suppose I should feel thankful that I didn't have to guess who he was!
I have a big big problem with "blanking", you need to know this.
If I've never met you in person, and some time in the future you come up to me and say "hi", I think it's safe to say I will blank you. Please don't take this personally.
They say the human brain evolved so large to keep up with all the social interactions that we partake in. A large brain helped us recognise a large group of people, and how we stood with them socially (don't worry, I'm not going to start ranting about alpha males again!).
The thing is, my brain has evolved to remember a large group of people who I've met in person and who tend to look the same from one day to the next. It's not evolved to cope with a huge number of people who I mainly know as a cyber-entity (a web presence, or an email address or a chat-room nickname), and it's not evolved to keep track of a bunch of people who change their entire look more often than Madonna!
For example, a couple of years ago I was out in Manchester and this skinny Irish lass comes up to me.
Now, I've already apologised to her for this (on numerous grovelly occasions), but I've kind of worked out why this is.
Of course, what's doubly cruel is that I often get trannies wandering up to me at events and say "hi Becky!", sounding for all the world like we're old friends, and sending me into "who the fuck is this?" mode for a few moments, until they reveal they've recognised me from my website and we've not even exchanged emails before.
The fear and panic I feel before I realise that they're just a "fan of my work" is only just compensated by the feeling of being a a great big tranny celebrity.
Only just!
It's always strange meeting trannies in person for the first time, especially when you're used to seeing their online girly persona. Charlotte, like many of us wig-dependent trannies, looks strikingly different in boy mode than she does in girl mode. It's the element of disguise that a wig gives that makes us less reticent to put our pictures on the net. For example, I doubt that I'd recognise Charlotte from her pics if I knew her other half, particularly as he wears glasses!
There is a definite "Clark Kent Effect" with glasses-wearing trannies. A few trannies I know only wear glasses when they're in boy mode, presumably because it's expensive to buy girly frames, whereas contact lenses are unisex. So the morning a once the wig and make-up comes off and the glasses go on, the transformation between "girl" and "boy" is even more striking.
Charlotte was hard to spot as a boy, but I suppose I should feel thankful that I didn't have to guess who he was!
I have a big big problem with "blanking", you need to know this.
If I've never met you in person, and some time in the future you come up to me and say "hi", I think it's safe to say I will blank you. Please don't take this personally.
They say the human brain evolved so large to keep up with all the social interactions that we partake in. A large brain helped us recognise a large group of people, and how we stood with them socially (don't worry, I'm not going to start ranting about alpha males again!).
The thing is, my brain has evolved to remember a large group of people who I've met in person and who tend to look the same from one day to the next. It's not evolved to cope with a huge number of people who I mainly know as a cyber-entity (a web presence, or an email address or a chat-room nickname), and it's not evolved to keep track of a bunch of people who change their entire look more often than Madonna!
For example, a couple of years ago I was out in Manchester and this skinny Irish lass comes up to me.
"Hello I'm Siobhan."A few days later I get sent the picture (or see it on her blog) and go "SHIT! That Siobhan!!"
"Oh... hi!"(Who the hell is this? Do I know? Should I know? Errrr.... switching to neutral banter mode.) "Good night isn't it? Love your outfit. Blahblahblahblahblah. Yeah sure I'll have a picture taken with you..."
Now, I've already apologised to her for this (on numerous grovelly occasions), but I've kind of worked out why this is.
- Siobhan doesn't look in person like she does in her pictures.
That's not an insult, because neither do I. In fact I'd challenge any tranny to keep up the pristine girly-girl look in a dark hot nightclub. - When I see "Siobhan" I hear "Shi-vawn", but when I hear "Shi-vawn", I don't think "Siobhan".
This is a bit of a mind-bender, I realise. Basically I've got the mental subroutine that turns the written word into the sound, but not vice-versa. So meeting her for the first time I was floundering (Shivawn who?? I've never seen that name online!). - I'm shit and remembering names. And faces.
Sums it up really. My brain hasn't evolved out of the lower primate stage. If I was in a woop of gorillas I'd keep getting beaten up by the silverback for not showing due respect. "Sorry, for dropping that coconut on your head boss... I thought you were Steve!"
Of course, what's doubly cruel is that I often get trannies wandering up to me at events and say "hi Becky!", sounding for all the world like we're old friends, and sending me into "who the fuck is this?" mode for a few moments, until they reveal they've recognised me from my website and we've not even exchanged emails before.
The fear and panic I feel before I realise that they're just a "fan of my work" is only just compensated by the feeling of being a a great big tranny celebrity.
Only just!
Labels: transvestism
Unless I have really had the penny drop as to who they are.
I have such a fantastic mental image in my head right now....
I'm told I'm quite hard to figure out sans wig and (these days at least) with glasses on but can't see what the problem is myself. :)
Anyway, I only have one pair of glasses that I wear as both Dave and Dana. But the next time I get my eyes checked, I think I'm going to go shopping for a pair of nice, girly frames in the local gay neighborhood. I'm hoping that'll help Dana see less of Dave in the mirror. It's worth the extra money for that peace of mind, I think.
Although you did get your revenge when I said hello while in drab at the Expo last year. I could have died when you came back a few minutes later with a crowd of your friends, 'look, its Karol as a boy!' lol
I tried to play the who do I recognise game and failed miserably when I went to PP.
PS Being recognised is one of the trials of being famous...or is that infamous!!
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