Trans men parody auditions for old Scarlett Johansson movies in hilarious video

There was uproar last week when it was announced that Scarlett Johansson will be playing a trans man in a new film due to be released in 2019, called Rub and Tug.

The film follows the life of Dante 'Tex' Gill, a famous 1970s-era massage parlour owner in Pittsburgh, who was born a woman but lived as a man.

Many responded to the move as offensive because of its erasure of actual trans actors, with commentators calling it 'really stupid on every level', 'damaging', and showing a 'flagrant disregard' for trans rights.

This isn't the first time the actress has caused offence by taking the role of a marginalised group. In 2017, she was criticised for portraying a Japanese character in the critically panned Ghost in the Shell.

In response to the criticism she received, Johansson's 'people' issued a statement to Bustle magazine excusing her actions because other people had played trans roles before.

Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman‘s reps for comment.

Unsurprisingly, the statement was deemed an offensive scape goat, many of whom took to Twitter to express the fact that there are so few roles available for trans characters, this just furthers their marginalisation.

Now, in response, a group of trans men have produced a hilarious video with performers Justin Chow, Scott Turner Schofield, D'Lo and Rocco Kayiatos, where they audition for roles Johansson played in movies such as Ghost World, Her and Avengers.

The video, which has been posted to YouTube by LGBT+ publishers Into, has now had more than 18,000 views.

After the actors have read their parts, the role of Samantha in Her is offered to Schofiled by an impressed director:

Great, we loved your read on this, we're really impressed by your audition, and we'd like to offer you the role of Her.

In response, he seems shocked that it's a female role that he's been auditioning for:

Wow - wait, is this a female role?

The director responds in the affirmative - yes, it's a female role:

Yes, this is for a white female.

Schofiled is obviously shocked, and turns down the part because 'cis women are really marginalised in Hollywood':

Uh, sorry, I’m just having a lot of trouble because cis women are really marginalised in Hollywood, you know?

I know there are people who have lived this experience who bring a lot of authenticity to it and I feel a little weird taking that from them.

Thank you so much for the opportunity, and, no thanks. 

Perhaps Scarlett could learn a thing or two from the awareness that these trans men exhibit.

More: Scarlett Johansson will play a trans man in her latest film - here's why people think she was wrong to accept the role

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