instant, all sense of pressure has vanished, responsib- ility is gone... The other "self" retires into a limbo of suspended animation where even his memories are put to sleep... The new "she" reigns supreme, unchallenged avidly drinking all the forbidden nectars... In a way, the operation could be also regarded as a cleansing act. It is definitely a dramatic form of escape, total escape...escape from pressure.

This very same picture however, can have more than one motivation...It could be a mixture of pres- sure plus a feeling of inadequacy... The TV (though not wishing to admit it to anybody else) may be conscious that he is not doing as well as society expects of him. He is trying, but he just does not come up to the stand- ards set for him. There is a hidden bitterness, a sense of frustration involved which is eased and soothed in his new role. Failure or fear of failure leads him to avoid reality... and there's nothing better than to be- come somebody else.. a somebody upon whom society is more willing to bestow forgiveness...femininity, even if guilty, usually gets a lesser sentence. A traf- fic cop will go much easier on a lady driver than on the man. A pretty smile...even a few tears...turn out to be powerful weapons. thus the TV finds his new self in a better situation to succeed where "he" would fail. He is armed now with a new set of weapons that give him a sense of new, fascinating power.

This

But, is it all an escape from pressure, or from a sense of inadequacy, or from fear? Of course not... We may find the above ingredients all mixed, or just one, or none of them. Let us take the TV who has em- barked on cross-dressing simply because it's something different, difficult, unusual and challenging. TV is successful, clever, resourceful--adequate-plus. In TVism he finds an additional field to prove to him- self and to others how richly endowed in talents he is. Not very many men are able to successfully impersonate a woman. It takes considerable acting ability..and thus TVism becomes in this particular case somewhat of a hobby which is satisfying and relaxing. It's "for the man who's got everything" and is a rich antidote against boredom. TVism here is no compulsion..it can be practiced at will, whenever one feels like it, and

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