Will Ferrells trans road trip movie misses the point, and perspective, of women

Will Ferrell is hilarious.He is charming and self deprecating.

He is clearly a loyal and caring friend.And he is also living in a bubble that allows him to willfully misunderstand why there is any tension around the transgender issue.In his new Netflix documentary, “Will & Harper” the actor learns his longtime pal, former Saturday Night Live writer Andrew Steele, will be transitioning to live as a woman called Harper.The pair embark on a buddy road trip through America to see how Steele, a beer swigging, sports loving father of two, fairs in this new identity.

And how small town America responds in kind.For the most part, the film avoids the political to focus on the personal.It’s a journey in a wood paneled Wagoneer through their decades long friendship and Steele’s realization that he wanted to be a lady.Though there are exceptions.

In one scene, Ferrell takes a picture with Indiana governor, Eric Holcomb, and he laments his regret over not confronting him about the state’s ban on so-called “gender affirming care.”In other words, Holcomb is against medicalizing and potentially sterilizing confused kids in the name of gender identity.Common sense stuff.And in a new interview with The Independent, Ferrell shows his further delusion.“But I don’t know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis male,” Ferrell told The Indepdent.

“I don’t know why Harper is threatening to me.”No one in their right mind sees Steele, or any transgender person, as a threat to a six foot 3 dude.Ferrell is not a woman and hasn’t had his space — locker rooms, prisons, rape centers and sports — invaded by biological men who are able to gain entry with only a few magic words: “I identify as a woman.”He hasn’t been told to shut up or be cancelled or suspended when he’s spoken up about having to compete against biological males in every level of sport from youth to collegiate to the Paralympics.

He hasn’t, like Riley Gaines, bee...