My Body Is a Cage
Encyclopedia
"My Body Is a Cage" is a two-part episode from the tenth season of the Canadian television series Degrassi
. The episode follows transgender
character Adam Torres (Jordan Todosey
) as he struggles with himself and his family over his gender identity. Other plots include Anya MacPherson and her family learning that Mrs. MacPherson has cancer and Dave Turner's attempts to improve his grades by being a class clown.
Part one of "My Body Is a Cage" originally aired in Canada on MuchMusic
and the United States on TeenNick
on August 11, 2010 with part two airing the following night.
as transgender to Clare and Eli (Munro Chambers). Later Adam and Bianca flirt until Bianca discovers that Adam is biologically female and begins spreading the story. Her friends Fitz and Owen assault him in the boys' bathroom. Drew (Luke Bilyk) tries to fight them after school but is beaten. Fitz and Owen get suspended and Principal Simpson
(Stefan Brogren) assigns teachers to escort Adam to and from classes.
When Drew and Adam's grandmother, who only knows Adam as "Gracie", comes for a visit Adam decides to go back to being "Gracie" for the sake of family harmony. The stress leads him to burn himself
, something that had been a previous pattern. Clare convinces him that he needs to be true to himself. Adam begs his mother for her understanding and support and later he and his family and friends burn Gracie's clothes in a bonfire, symbolically laying her to rest.
Anya (Samantha Munro) brings some soup home for lunch for her mother, who had complained of a cold. When Anya and her friend, Leia (Judy Jiao), discovers her mother has left home without her wedding ring, they suspect her of having an affair. Anya confronts her mother, who explains that she took off her ring for an MRI
. The scan reveals non-Hodgkin lymphoma
. Anya's fear of her mother's death initially leads her to skip a family medical consultation but a talk with former best friend Holly J.
inspires Anya to go.
Dave (Jahmil French) believes the only way to improve his Media Immersion grade is to make the teacher, Ms. Oh (Cory Lee) laugh. He checks her "FaceRange" page and uses her posted pictures for a class project. Failing the assignment leads him to increase his effort to be the class clown until he discovers that Ms. Oh has recently ended a relationship. He offers her empathy and she explains that hard work and not gimmicks will earn him good grades.
. In announcing the honor on March 31, 2011, the selection committee wrote: "True to its history, the durable high-school serial's two-parter about a transgender teen neither trivializes nor over dramatizes its subject."
Part two was nominated for a 2011 Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program, but lost to A Child's Garden of Poetry. It was also nominated for three Gemini Awards, it won best performance in a children's or youth program or series (Jordan Todosey
), and lost in best direction in a children's or youth program or series (Phil Earnshaw) to the Degrassi summer finale, and best writing in a children's or youth program or series (Michael Grassi) to an episode of the animated series Spliced
.
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
. The episode follows transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
character Adam Torres (Jordan Todosey
Jordan Todosey
Jordan Todosey is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in Life with Derek and Degrassi.Todosey has had many roles, however the female-to-male transgender character, Adam Torres, in the Degrassi franchise has been her most noted...
) as he struggles with himself and his family over his gender identity. Other plots include Anya MacPherson and her family learning that Mrs. MacPherson has cancer and Dave Turner's attempts to improve his grades by being a class clown.
Part one of "My Body Is a Cage" originally aired in Canada on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
and the United States on TeenNick
TeenNick
TeenNick, formerly The N, is an American television network aimed at the teenage market. TeenNick is owned by the MTV Networks subsidiary, Viacom. The channel was originally known as The N from its April 1, 2002 launch until September 28, 2009....
on August 11, 2010 with part two airing the following night.
Plot
In Ballroom Dance class Adam (Jordan Todosey) finds himself developing a crush on dance partner Bianca (Alicia Josipovic). After class he collides with Clare (Aislinn Paul) in the hall, dropping a pack of tampons which, when Fitz and Owen notice them, he forces on Clare as if they were hers. The next day Adam comes outComing out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as transgender to Clare and Eli (Munro Chambers). Later Adam and Bianca flirt until Bianca discovers that Adam is biologically female and begins spreading the story. Her friends Fitz and Owen assault him in the boys' bathroom. Drew (Luke Bilyk) tries to fight them after school but is beaten. Fitz and Owen get suspended and Principal Simpson
Archie Simpson
Archibald Rupert "Snake” Simpson is a fictional character on the Degrassi series portrayed by Stefan Brogren. His first appearance in the series was as an eighth grade student on Degrassi Junior High ...
(Stefan Brogren) assigns teachers to escort Adam to and from classes.
When Drew and Adam's grandmother, who only knows Adam as "Gracie", comes for a visit Adam decides to go back to being "Gracie" for the sake of family harmony. The stress leads him to burn himself
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
, something that had been a previous pattern. Clare convinces him that he needs to be true to himself. Adam begs his mother for her understanding and support and later he and his family and friends burn Gracie's clothes in a bonfire, symbolically laying her to rest.
Anya (Samantha Munro) brings some soup home for lunch for her mother, who had complained of a cold. When Anya and her friend, Leia (Judy Jiao), discovers her mother has left home without her wedding ring, they suspect her of having an affair. Anya confronts her mother, who explains that she took off her ring for an MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
. The scan reveals non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except Hodgkin's lymphomas. Types of NHL vary significantly in their severity, from indolent to very aggressive....
. Anya's fear of her mother's death initially leads her to skip a family medical consultation but a talk with former best friend Holly J.
Holly J. Sinclair
Holly J. Sinclair is a fictional character on the Canadian television drama Degrassi: The Next Generation and is portrayed by Charlotte Arnold. Holly J., the adopted sister of unseen character Heather Sinclair, is the Queen Bee of Degrassi Community School. Holly J...
inspires Anya to go.
Dave (Jahmil French) believes the only way to improve his Media Immersion grade is to make the teacher, Ms. Oh (Cory Lee) laugh. He checks her "FaceRange" page and uses her posted pictures for a class project. Failing the assignment leads him to increase his effort to be the class clown until he discovers that Ms. Oh has recently ended a relationship. He offers her empathy and she explains that hard work and not gimmicks will earn him good grades.
Guest cast
- Katherine Ashby as Pam MacPherson, Anya's mother
- Maggie Butterfield as Drew and Adam's grandmother
- James Edward Campbell as Mark "Fitz" Fitzgerald
- Steve Cumyn as Harold MacPherson, Anya's father
- Jean-Marc GénéreuxJean-Marc Genereux-Biography:Généreux met his partner and wife, France Mousseau, while ballroom dancing in Quebec, Canada. They competed successfully as amateurs starting in 1977, and then professionally in 1986, in the Latin and 10-dance dancesport divisions, and retired in 1998....
as Mr. Menard, the dance teacher - Riley Gilchrist as Dr. Christopoulos, Pam's doctor
- Edward Jaunz as Drew and Adam's father
- Daniel Kelly as Owen Milligan
- Ramona MilanoRamona MilanoRamona Milano is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Francesca Vecchio in Due South and more recently Audra Torres in Degrassi: The Next Generation...
as Audra Torres, Drew and Adam's mother
Awards and nominations
"My Body Is a Cage" won a 2010 Peabody AwardPeabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
. In announcing the honor on March 31, 2011, the selection committee wrote: "True to its history, the durable high-school serial's two-parter about a transgender teen neither trivializes nor over dramatizes its subject."
Part two was nominated for a 2011 Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program, but lost to A Child's Garden of Poetry. It was also nominated for three Gemini Awards, it won best performance in a children's or youth program or series (Jordan Todosey
Jordan Todosey
Jordan Todosey is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in Life with Derek and Degrassi.Todosey has had many roles, however the female-to-male transgender character, Adam Torres, in the Degrassi franchise has been her most noted...
), and lost in best direction in a children's or youth program or series (Phil Earnshaw) to the Degrassi summer finale, and best writing in a children's or youth program or series (Michael Grassi) to an episode of the animated series Spliced
Spliced (TV series)
Spliced is a Canadian animated television series produced by Teletoon and Nelvana. The series made its world premiere on Jetix in Latin America on April 20, 2009. The series currently airs in Canada on Teletoon, in the United States on qubo, in Australia on ABC3, in the United Kingdom on Nicktoons,...
.
External links
- "My Body Is a Cage" part 1 at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- "My Body Is a Cage" part 2 at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...