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Well, I've just watched it and must say that I am impressed.

Congratulations are certainly due thefraj and the the other people who took part. Also to Channel 4 for presenting the subject without being judgemental.

I can appreciate dingbat's point in as much as the one man seemed to have a position somewhat different than the others. But that suggests that the three could be categorised in some single group and I don't think that would be sustainable. If anything the diversity of reasons for seeking castration is a very great deal broader than represented by the film.

One aspect which in a way pervaded the film but which was only actually articulated very briefly is the near total absence of assistance available to those who wish to be castrated. Perhaps it would have overly complicated the film but I do feel that this was a lack and failed to say that this is an issue which needs to be addressed. (Although the discerning viewer might come to that conclusion for himself.)

It also didn't - and in this The Guardian's otherwise flippant reviewer is correct - really tackle issues of castration, self-image and societal roles. Either in considering what is limited in the image of masculinity that a male cannot find a place in it or in the lack of any acceptable role for the eunuch.

Carping perhaps to find such fault: on the whole I'm heartened by the presentation and very glad that it went out.

C4 seems to have fumbled the ball a bit; on the program page the invitation to discuss point to the Family talk board but the only discussion seems to be in the Channel4News forum (and that as daft as one might expect) http://community.channel4.com/eve/forum ... 3450002077

And by the bye I installed Chennel4's On Demand software in order to view this. It's a big brute, installs .Net if you haven't got it, plays around considerably with other MS products like Live Messenger and Media Player as a result; requires an new Digital Rights Management plugin supplied by MS and isn't quite as stable as one might like. All together an inordinate amount of trouble if this is the only thing one wanted for.

I know now is a good time to dropp in for a few to hear some words. i thought i would write a few myself. i have not seen the footage so there for have no idea how the documentary has come accross for the masses. i wanted to say that never have i been more happy, in my life. i love my self more than ever. castration was the turning point in my life, for the better. i may have left a small piece of myself on the chopping block, but i have emerged a complete person.

i find myself smileing, and other smileing back. days are filled with thoughts of clear life.

one comment i had come accross, was untrue. never have i thought of getting injected w/T. that is not me. after everything i have come threw to get to the lower levels of T i live w/today. there is no turning back. never would i want to. castration is a choice i made right. the point is i made the choice, as we should all have the right to do.

im not sure if the documentary had included my first thought after surgery. but it was life changing when the right words just flowed out of my mouth. "free at last, free at last. thank god all mighty i am free at last!". those words ring all to true to this day. i hope the film can give others an idea of what some eunuch or castration seekers may be going threw. its awsome to be able to see others thoughts and ideas on the subject. to think that some one else may have been feeling what i felt threw the years leading up to my surgery is awful. help should be available for people of our kind, we all have taken the first step in bringing the subject to light, and banding together as we have. i wish we could demand the understanding which is our god given right. things can only get better, if we let them.

I thought of thanking everyone for the chance to be myself and speek my mind. for those who have takin the time to listen, i am here for you.

z

Have watched the documentary on Ch4. What a waste of time. Nearly an hour of program to find out there are some guys out there who want to remove their testicles. I thought the whole thing was a waste of time and very light weight.

amm_uk (imported) wrote: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:48 pm Have watched the documentary on Ch4. What a waste of time. Nearly an hour of program to find out there are some guys out there who want to remove their testicles. I thought the whole thing was a waste of time and very light weight.

As you can see from reading some of the above posts, those involved with the program - those who have either been through it or desperately want to be - would disagree with you. Before you dismiss the program and the participants out of hand, maybe you can tell us a bit more about why you're here to begin with, and why exposure of the Community in a pretty positive light seems to mean nothing to you?

This is a reply to Z (his post on previous page),

Thanks for clarifying that Z. I'm so glad to hear that you're happy with the outcome and that you feel so whole now. The end of the programme certainly concerned me, it's possible that I misunderstood the comment about T injections but that was the implication. I'm very happy that you have put me right about that, thanks.

Hi Paolo, I appreciate your comments. I have been a member of the Eunuch Archive for a number of years, but do not post that often. I am seeking to be castrated one day soon, but it is not easy in the UK. I just thought the program glossed over some of the issues (I know this was a 1 hour program not a multi part documentary), but I just found the whole thing a bit too light weight. As a hetro sexual male, in a long term relationship, none of the cases fitted my circumstances, also I feel they should have got some input from a medical professional, prob easier said than done, but should have been possible. Any thing that helps the acceptance of castration as a choice is good, I am not convinced this program did that. After all 2 of the subjects were regretting their decision, not exactly a positive image? Oh well, will put on tin hat now, and wait for the flak and flames.

Andy

Thanks for clarifying this, amm_uk.

So far, I have no way to see the program and can't judge whether it's "lightweight" or "balanced" or what.

I had mixed feelings concerning channel four's programme. Although I understand what amm uk is getting at, I can't see how it would have been possible to go much further; especially considering it's the first time a documentary about us has been shown in the UK. I felt the programme gave an overview without getting too personal; it will give people an insight to the varied life's we all lead without condemning. I will be interested to see what reactions the papers and other publications pick up on.

Well-done The Fraj (Rog) I thought you came across very well, you must have balls of steel to go through that!

And yes, I know I don't post much, but I do try and keep up with the current topics and post when I think I have something worth saying.

umm.. so how can I see this?

It's to be hoped that someone has it on a Tivo and can transfer to DVD. Unfortunately C4's online service is only available in the UK and RoI.

I imagine it will be repeated on either More 4 or E4 pretty soon. I'm happy to DVD it if anyone wants it but I have no idea if DVD's recorded in the UK work in the US, can someone please let me know?

(I can record onto a DVD direct from my TV.)

The only way a DVD made in the UK would work in the US is if it was made NTSC, as the UK uses PAL video format. Most computers will allow that choice to be made if you process it that way.

Ken

I think I can change my DVD recorder to NTSC, I'll have to look, I wouldn't be recording it on a computer, I'd be doing it direct from the tv to a DVD recorder and I'm pretty sure it allows the choice of PAL or NTSC. I'll check that though. Thanks Ken.

Or convert to an avi or mpv format to play on a computer (we've all got computers here, haven't we?) and the broadcast format becomes moot.

Calmeilles, sorry, can you possibly clarify that for me (technological imbecile that I am!), does that mean that if I record the programme onto a DVD from my tv, in the normal way, then I could send it to someone in the US who could then convert it on their own computer?

Someone with appropriate software could indeed convert a TV type DVD's contents to files that can be played on a computer and so accessible to all of us.

The recipient might also be lucky and find that their DVD player is capable of showing a UK format recording.

Great, thanks a lot Calmeilles. In that case I shall scour the listings to see when, and if, they're planning to repeat it. I'll post if I find out when it's repeated and if I manage to DVD it ok. Thanks for the help.

if you know how to do it you can make a dvd which has a ntsc and pal recordings on it so it can play on almost any dvd player

I saw the documentary - thought it was very well presented.

Re: DVD's there is no difference between NTSC & PAL DVDS all are recorded the same - it is the players that play in correct format not the case with VHS.

The only problem might be region code, but i don't think it is used on your own recordings. Most computers can over come this.

The difference between PAL and NTSC DVD's are the color spaces, which is irrelevant if you just adjust it. Another difference is in simple software coding: is it PAL or not? Region codes, etc., are nothing more than software, which can be overcome on a PC with a program called DVD Region Free+CSS. It does not touch the firmware of the DVD drive, only tells the drive, "Yeah, go ahead and play it anyway." That's all region codes are, is digital locks. I had to convert Region 3 DVD to "free" NTSC at work the other day, and it wasn't hard to do.

You can even now buy region free players, and PAL/NTSC compatible machines that don't care what you stick in it.

As for Usenet or file sharing of movies, which is quite illegal by the way, that's the joy of the DivX codec. A movie of 4.7 GB in size on a DVD can be crunched down to 700MB, or 1.4 GB if you prefer, with only slight loss of quality and easily uploaded over a few hours to Usenet. Not that I condone this ... but DivX conversion would be the easiest way to "ship" the said program.

Sadly, I can't write up a tutorial, as IE can attest to. It took me a month of study to learn to rip DVD's into DivX.

Well, it's been an exciting couple of weeks; and the huge amount of media attention made me feel like I should ask my communities' advice.

A friend brought around a copy of Wednesdays the UKs Liverpool Echo newspaper from the 4th of April 2007, which also ran an article about me (and us). It is probably the best one yet, and emphasizes the size and caring nature of the community. I think the Independent article has already been posted, and I will hopefully post the Echo one in the news section on EA shortly.

A couple of days ago, I (apparently!) appeared me in an article on our local Southport website (http://www.southportforums.com/forums/s ... post669943). To begin with, many of the user comments by locals were rather nasty, but after a nice little chat with the understanding person who runs the website - has since been pruned of unconstructive slander and stands as a relatively positive piece.

This leads me to the advice I felt I needed. There is talk of a (possible) further appearance on national television. Though I don't want to get into the specifics at this moment. I realize how little right I have to speak on behalf of the community as a whole. We have this window of opportunity to present ourselves to the public, and my words and actions are likely to leave a lasting impression. I want it to be an impression that everyone is happy with and we can be proud of, and raise the issues you would like to be raised.

Any thoughts/opinions or comments about this and the related Channel 4 documentary would be greatly welcomed!

thefraj I must say that you and I feel the same on so many issues involving voluntary castration. Please just be yourself.

fraj, you have it in you to make a good impression on the world. knowing you from your posts, you are an aura of positive energy, i am sure that will resonate threw whatever channel it is presented with. weather you speak on behalf of the community or yourself, keep it real, for thats all its really worth.

there are so many issues to be raised when asked what is most important how is one to decide. i think you have an idea as the rest of use do that not just support and understanding is needed for use eunuchs / seekers of castration. we need medical attention. some research and evaluation, for scientific understanding...

or something like that...

z

All you can do is speak for yourself. You are a thoughtful individual so I have no fears about you expressing your opinions. You have represented our group well thus far, if someone rejects your statements or misinterprets them it wouldn't be because you didn't express yourself clearly. --FLO--

Fraj,

I'll ship the spare light saber right over.

Feel free to slash away at will at those who would provoke you.

Other than that, you go, buddy!

I mean, who could make nasty comments to a face that cute?!