The term mentioned was popularized primarily within the adult film industry, where trans bodies were often dehumanized and marketed as a fetish.
There has been a growing demand for trans actors to play trans characters, moving away from the history of cisgender men playing these roles, which many argue reinforces the idea that trans women are just "men in makeup". 3. Modern Storytelling and Self-Representation
The history of transgender women (often referred to by the outdated and fetishized term "she-male" in older media) in entertainment is a long story that has moved from to empowerment . 1. The Era of Exploitation and Fetishization
Around , a shift occurred that Time magazine called the "Transgender Tipping Point".