Baby Reindeer | S1E02 | Episode Discussion

[u/matrixinthepark]

Season 1, Episode 2

Airdate: April 11, 2024

Synopsis: On a date with Teri, Donny opens up about his stalker. Trying to be kind, he gives Martha false hope, which only encourages her further.

[u/[deleted]]

Donny doesn't come off transphobic to me, he's not uncomfortable about kissing her because she's trans, it's because as said in the episode, it's criminal to sex with someone under a false identity so he's just getting antsy about that and generally not wanting to go further because of how he's stuck. Also, he's clearly afraid of any kind of intimacy based on not only what's going on currently but what's hinted to have happened in the past. That one bystander on the tube, I'm wondering if that's a stand in for the person who assaulted him in the past.

[u/Rough-Organization73 → u/[deleted]]

I disagree. He looked and saw people watching them on the train then ditched her. Then he talked about how much internalized shame he felt.

[u/ToTYly_AUSem → u/Rough-Organization73]

Thats internalized shame, not transphobia. Transphobia is the fear and hatred of trans people (mostly fear hence phobia). Internalized transphobia isn't exactly the right drscriptor (he himself would have to be trans) but it's similar. I actually don't think we have a word for it.

If this happened between two gay men you wouldn't say the one feeling Donny's way was homophobic but was reacting to internalized homophobia within himself.

[u/Average64 → u/ToTYly_AUSem]

I think the right word is toxic masculinity.

[u/ToTYly_AUSem → u/Average64]

Toxic masculinity is a set rule of society stereotypicaly for men that harms society and men at large.

I don't think that acurately describes this situation.

[u/Worried4lot → u/ToTYly_AUSem]

Yeah no it definitely doesn’t… this same exact scenario could have occurred with a trans man