I am glad this thread got bumped, because I have an ER rant dying to get out. I have been watching early season reruns and yesterday there was an episode in which an MTF transsexual was wheeled into the ER after a car accident. Benton and Carter are examining her when of course they discover some male anatomy. Asshole Benton immediately addresses her as Mr. instead of the previous Ms. and tells Carter to suture her wounds as he walks out. Carter reacts with a downright scared sounding "by myself?" Like yeah, the lady is going to jump your scrawny bones right there or yeah, it is contagious Carter, when you wake up tomorrow you will experience the undeniable desire to start wearing a dress.
While he is silently suturing her she starts talking to him, clearly aware of his extreme discomfort. She tells him about a lady friend who she got along really well until she told her about herself and then said friend got up and left and never talked to her again. She told Carter how people tell her she is disgusting and how maybe they are right and she is disgusting.
Carter responds by asking her to turn her head, that is all. He does not say anything. Nothing. See, I can understand how he could be startled at first and even uncomfortable, afraid to say the wrong thing, but there was no excuse for his silence, that was adding insult to injury. The lady of course jumps off the roof of the hospital later. Carter tries to stop her because yeah, we've got to be shown how sensitive and caring Carter really is.
I hate Carter, I hate Benton, in fact, except for Dr.Anspaugh there has not been one male doctor on ER that I ever liked. All of them are/were whiny, bratty, self centered assholes. Basically they are like some doctors I know. I continue to watch as I am drawn to medical shows for some odd reason. The cast is great, even when I don't like the characters they portray, I totally believe in them as doctors or nurses. Fortunately I do like the nurses and most of the female doctors, specifically Dr.Lewis & Dr.Elizabeth (forgot her last name). We are a season behind here and I hope the new one will start soon. I also hope that I will be able to like Carrie Weaver again as much as I once did, but I am afraid they have assassinated her character too thoroughly for that to happen.
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She's so anally retentive she wouldn't sit down for fear of sucking up the furniture.
--Patsy Stone
Edited by: DrG at: 9/27/03 8:35 am