Julia Sweeney’s ‘SNL’ Character Pat Was Called ‘Anti-Trans Propaganda.’ She Understands the Criticism but Says: ‘Pat Isn’t Trans or Non-Binary’

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Julia Sweeney openly discussed her experiences during a talk show appearance on “The View,” prior to the 50th anniversary special of “SNL.” She confided that she gave deep thought and felt deeply affected when her character Pat, initially popular on “SNL” in the early ’90s and later starring in the film “It’s Pat,” faced criticism from the LGBTQ community due to its portrayal of an androgynous misfit, whose humor stemmed from others struggling to determine the character’s gender.

2017 saw “Transparent” creator Joey Soloway causing a stir by criticizing Pat as a derogatory portrayal of transgender individuals, labeling it as “a terrible piece of anti-trans propaganda.” Soloway stated that the sketch was hurtful and offensive to non-binary people, as it presented a character that the world found humorous at their expense.

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Joey Soloway, creator of “Transparent,” caused headlines in 2017 by condemning Pat as a malicious piece of anti-trans propaganda. According to Soloway, the sketch was harmful and hateful towards non-binary individuals, creating a character that elicited laughter from the world at their expense.

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Back in 2017, Joey Soloway, the creator of “Transparent,” drew attention for criticizing Pat as an offensive piece of anti-trans propaganda. In his words, the sketch was a hateful and hurtful thing to do to non-binary people, as it depicted a character that made the world laugh at their expense.

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In 2017, Joey Soloway, the creator of “Transparent,” made waves by calling Pat an anti-trans propaganda, claiming it was a hateful and awful thing to do to non-binary people, as it created a character that the world found amusing at their expense.

Or:

In 2017, Joey Soloway, creator of “Transparent,” criticized Pat as an offensive piece of anti-trans propaganda, stating that it was hurtful and hateful towards non-binary people, as it presented a character that the world found amusing at their expense.

On “The View,” Sweeney admitted that there had been some negative comments towards Pat. However, she clarified that Pat is neither trans nor non-binary; instead, their gender identity remains unknown, which is the humor in the joke. She acknowledged the criticism, took it seriously, and gave it a lot of thought.

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On “The View,” Sweeney admitted that Pat faced some criticism. Yet, she pointed out that Pat doesn’t identify as transgender or non-binary; rather, their gender is unclear to us, forming the basis of the joke. She conceded the validity of the criticism and gave it careful consideration.

In crafting our comedic scenes, it was less about us and more about satirizing those characters who struggled with the unspoken truth. The humor stemmed from their inability to grasp the obvious. However, once we found ourselves explaining the joke, we had unwittingly forfeited its charm, as one inevitably does when attempting to defend a jest.

As per Sweeney’s statement, a documentary featuring Pat has been produced, and he expresses a very optimistic outlook about it. The release is planned for the upcoming year. Moreover, there are numerous comedy writers in Los Angeles who draw inspiration from Pat and adore him. For three years, I have been interviewed for this documentary, which felt therapeutic to me. I found myself saying, “Yes, Pat, that was good…I appreciate Pat now.

Sweeney revived Pat for an episode of Showtime’s “Work in Progress” in 2021.

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2025-02-13 01:46