Muffyn

Some people very much want to have children. It is true that Jazz cannot bear a child; neither can Hope. Unlike on so many TV shows where grown adults marry but somehow never discuss whether or not they want and/or can bear children prior to getting married, in real life most people do have some kind of discussion about it. So I agree there are men who would not be interested in a serious relationship based on their inability to have children. They also might not be interested in a cisgender woman who cannot have children. I am personally uncomfortable with so much emphasis on whether the vagina was there when a girl was born or created later. Certainly there are heterosexual men who would not consider having sex or having a long term relationship with a transgender woman. There are also many men who fetishize them. And there are heterosexual men for whom whether a woman is cisgender or transgender is irrelevant. I'm not sure I would categorize any of these groups as more normal than another. There are also more people not categorizing their sexuality so strictly, with an increase of folks identifying as pansexual, demisexual, queer, etc. However, it is much harder for trans folks to date. Everyone on the show seems to be acknowledging that. And, as we know, Sander is the straightest straight man ever. Sander is so straight he has trouble getting into a chair because his straightness doesn't bend. He's so straight his vision automatically blurs when he's in the locker room so that he cannot see other men naked. He's so straight he has GOOP vagina candles so he can enjoy the aroma of Gwyneth Paltrow's vagina all night long.

Jazz shows no signs of a receding hairline. The wigs seem to be her having a bit of fun and trying a new look. She is neither the first nor the last woman to do so. She looked cute in some of the wigs. As far as Sander's interest in transgender women, Sander is desperate to be on TV, so this is a storyline he has chosen. The show is supposed to be about a transgender woman (although Jazz seems to be more of a supporting character this season). Whether Sander is actually attracted to Hope or any other transgender woman, to me, it in no way whatsoever answers whether or not any other cisgender heterosexual man is or is not attracted to any specific woman or to transgender women in general. People are people, not categories. Even on the various reality shows and documentaries that include transgender folks, I have seen all kinds of combinations of couples: trans/cis, heterosexual/homosexual/pansexual . . . . I know happy, long term couples with heterosexual men and transgender women. I also know several cis/trans lesbian couples. If this were reality and not reality TV, Sander would figure out if he really has a connection with Hope off camera. Then they could determine whether or not things will be workable for them sexually. Regardless of any concerns related to the genitalia that either partner has, people have been meeting, getting to know each other, and figuring out if they are interested in something further for a very long time. They do not typically do it on camera with obnoxious people there to grill them on whether or not they plan to have another date.

All reality shows are scripted to a large extent now. For example Luann decides to talk about her past behavior and alcohol use with her daughter while the film crew is there. Also, the editors choose what to show to create what they believe will be a compelling storyline. This season, partly due to Covid and partly due to the storylines they have chosen, has not been great viewing. We get much more candid interactions with others around and when the women can almost forget they are on camera. Eboni could have made the assignment of persons to each housewife more interesting if she let them read the cards themselves and then talk about the people or, if they wanted to, ask her questions. Then it would have been a conversation rather than a lecture. Housewives shows have had one housewife gift unique items to the others and explain why they chose the particular gift, however that usually leads to more fun or unwarranted outrage which is fun for the viewers. Having them think about why did I get this person would have been more interesting.

The Harlem trip was really affected by Covid. Being in a speakeasy with just your castmates and a few friends doesn't exactly give any insight into the experience. It's like going to a concert at a stadium with only a few people. Not exactly the sense of the crowd that would be there. With that said, I'm not sure how going to the only remaining speakeasy in Harlem was meant to educate the women about that area. Harlem has been through many changes over the years. I cannot say that I know it at all well, but I do know it's not all speakeasys and bootleggers. Was anyone carrying a machine gun in a violin case? I didn't mind Eboni doing some history by assigning the historical figures to each of the women, but Leah as James Baldwin? Give me a minute. I'm going to have to catch my breath after laughing so hard I almost vomited. Although vomiting could also be an appropriate reaction. Just no. Luann talking to her daughter about drinking - someone wake me up. Soooooooooo boring. Both Eboni and Ramona were rude at Ramona's house. Eboni because she would not let the topic go. The host said she did not want to discuss it. Unless it's a matter of life or death (hey Ramona, your kitchen is on fire!), you let it drop even if you feel it's important. Ramona needs a better answer than simply I don't want to talk politics since she will call anything politics. There are many gracious ways out of the conversation. Of course gracious and Ramona rarely go hand in hand.

The studies that supposedly show kids growing out of body dysmorphia that has them wanting to be another gender have been shown to be conflating two different conditions: 1) transgender kids who state they ARE a gender different than what they were assigned at birth, and 2) kids who state I WANT to be. Many children try out the other gender at different times in childhood. This can be expressed in asking to be called a different name, hanging out more with kids of that gender, dressing differently, etc. It is very common. It is also much more common for girls to state they want to be a boy than for boys to state they want to be a girl. These kids are not transgender nor do they have body dysmorphia related to gender. These are the kids that "grow out of it." Jazz has consistently stated she is a girl/female. I think the difficulty for folks who are not transgender is we have likely never had think about why we are the gender we are. Our genders have been confirmed for us from birth through subtle messages and some rather strong ones. If anything many of us at different times may have struggled against stereotypes of how we are supposed to be, but we have not questioned whether we are what we are. For transgender kids and adults, it is more than how you are telling me girls/boys act doesn't match who I am or I want to wear different clothes. It is a sense that this gender is not who I am. Where this gets most difficult is that TV focuses on the outer things, clothes and bodies. There is no good way to show the inner issues. Also, we typically only see transgender folks who are physically transitioning. The vast majority of transgender people do not physically transition to the level that we are shown on TV. And the vast majority trans women who undergo surgeries, etc. do not dress to feminine extremes. Much like cisgender women, transgender women present themselves in all different kinds of ways.

The unfortunate thing with this show is that in trying to maintain some privacy for Jazz, we do not see her outside of things related to her being transgender and her physical transition. TV is a visual medium. It is going to focus on what we can see. I can understand the frustration of having fought for gender equality only to feel like someone is focusing their idea of gender on appearance. At the same time, I see that as more of a problem of the show, not the person. Jazz is young and discovering who she is. Yes, she can come off giggly and silly. She is in some ways quite immature. In others she has been through a lot. She is intelligent. She has not said she wants to spend her life being taken care of. While we had the storyline of her struggling with school and switching to homeschooling, it was not based on lack of intelligence or low grades. The kid is smart and has through most of the time we've seen her been presented as a good student. She is kind of damned if she does/damned if she doesn't. If she wants to embrace the gender norms that many people assign to being female, then she is moving us back in terms of feminism and/or focusing only on appearance. If she doesn't then others will challenge whether or not she's acting enough like a girl. Yes, she needs to mature and improve in her ability to debate with others. Heck, I am too far past 17 to remember how well I could structure an argument around an issue that struck to the core of who I am and my validity as a human, but I am guessing I was not ready to have a well-reasoned, even-handed detailed debate addressing the finer nuances of history, gender, women's rights and the role of women in society.

@TwirlyGirly we are in agreement. I was trying to explain where the idea of gender as a social construct comes from without conflating it with discussions of people being transgender. Two separate items. I think that is also where many laypersons struggle because it is so hard to explain how you know you are the gender that you are so we tend to focus on what are perceived as gendered looks or behaviors. As you say, unfortunately some studies conflate this also. It also makes us need really specific language that can be very hard to maintain. I do like your equating discussions of gender as a social construct with gender non-conforming since that is often based on ideas of how people in given genders should look and/or behave.

Adding to the above, the argument of gender as a social construct was posited prior to much of the research on gender's impact on the brain. I would now pose it as many supposed gender-based behaviors are a social construct. Within our society, there are behaviors we expect of men and women. These are societal norms that are not carried across all societies. Many people have argued against these societal norms, especially given how many of them have been used to hold women back. The ideas that all women should want children; women are only sexual when in love and/or women only want sex if there is a material benefit offered (money, status, security); women are more emotional/cannot control their emotions; women are the homemakers; women love to shop; women care about their appearance; women are competitive with each other to compete for men; etc. Similarly boys don't cry; all men want sex all the time; men are into sports/athletic; men do not want to take on childrearing, nurturing or caring tasks; men are slobs who need to be taken care of; etc. There are societies in which these beliefs do not track against gender. They are not hard-coded. There are gender differences shown in the brain. These differences do not necessarily generate the behaviors our society expects. And are all people are not the same. As new views see gender as more of a bimodal distribution, so too are people challenging the idea that specific behaviors, likes and dislikes should be associated solely with a person's gender. If we allow for variation within behaviors and accept them as part of the norm rather than outside of the norm, fewer people will feel ostracized or as if they are somehow wrong in who they are. Note, this is not to say that correcting societal expectations of gender-based behaviors will end having transgender persons. Absolutely not. Transgender is rooted in the brain and body. Transgender people have always existed and will continue to exist as will people with other variations. We're all part of one big complex world in which we try to put everyone into distinct boxes only to have many people sitting outside those boxes looking in.

A few times now Jazz has changed from saying pretty vagina to saying she wants one that looks normal. To a large extent, I think the whole pretty vagina thing was used for shock value. She clearly enjoyed making her father and brothers uncomfortable. Personally I do not find vulvae unattractive. We are told that they are in a girls are icky kind of way; one more body part to feel is not up to par. Most of us never really see ours up close. I have seen quite a few in my day. Never found them particularly unattractive. In fact, some are quite lovely. Clearly YMMV. The focus on depth is from the doctors' concern that they would not have enough material to create a vagina of a normal depth. Otherwise I don't know that she would think of it that much. Given that her vagina will not react with the same expansion ability that non-surgical ones do, depth does matter. Should she choose too have penetrative sex at some point in time, she needs sufficient depth to not be hurt.

To me the huge focus on Jeanette last night was because that's where the drama was. She was clearly upset at the situation. While Greg is more controlled in his outward reactions, that't not who Jeanette is. While I would rather be around Greg (and I have often been told I am cold because I do not react like Jeanette), I can understand her reactions and feel sorry for her. She was the adult* caring for a child in a city away from home. Most people would prefer to have their partner with them during a time of great stress. And, as she stated, this was much harder than she expected. Other moms told her, but often we don't understand until we're in the middle of things. When overwhelmed it is hard to find the way out. Given that Jazz had complications, things were much worse than any of them were prepared for. She was due for a breakdown. The cameras were there when it happened and the producers ate it up. *yes, Ari is an adult. As Jeanette's child, she is not someone Jeanette is likely to lean on. She would see herself as needing to be strong for Ari. Hence her decision not to tell the girls about grandpa's situation until he was stable. I always look at this show with a bit of a side eye. The focus of the show is Jazz. They only have this show because Jazz is transgender. So whenever that can be the focus, it is. while Jeanette is more wrapped up in Jazz's life than she is for her other children, I don't get the sense that the others have been neglected. It is the issue of having special needs child. There will be a differing amount of attention, not necessarily neglect. I also suspect that outside the show they talk about more than Jazz and her vagina. The twins and Ari seem to be doing well. Somebody did something right in raising them. I saw Greg as simply very tired. He is also dealing with his father-in-law's emergency surgery and his daughter's emergency surgery. He was trying to help Jackie while Jack was in the hospital and is clearly concerned for his daughter. His being more quiet and looking exhausted is not a sign of impending divorce to me. It's a sign that he is worn out between the emotional toll and the travel. They all need a really long nap.

There was a moment in this episode or the last where Jazz moved away from saying "pretty" vagina. Ultimately she seems to be looking for genitals that fit within norms; that is, nothing that looks seriously odd. Too some extent I think she kept saying "pretty vagina" (or just vagina) to get a rise out of her parents. Greg does show his embarrassment. And yes, Americans need education on the difference between a vagina and a vulva. (Thinks to Laverne Cox's character explaining genitalia to the other prisoners on Orange is the New Black.) To some extent I blame Oprah with her infamous, "My vajayjay is hurtin'!" I will say that I do not find vulvas unattractive. I have seen more than my share throughout the years. I don't see anything ugly there. There has definitely been a shift in expectations based on the porn-perfect vulva that has women going in for labia surgery, typically to reduce the labia. I find this interesting given that there are other cultures where large or long labia are considered ideal. It seems that no matter the body part, we are always told there is something wrong with it. I assume the extended doctor shopping was plot driven. I also assume being told she might need a second surgery was for drama. Dr. Bowers has an excellent reputation; she and the team worked hard to find the best possible solution. I don't see her pulling a last minute bait and switch.

Ted was, by the typical standards of the time (although, as always, taste varies greatly) a good looking guy. He thought he was more important and deserving of more praise than he ever was. He was generally awkward around people, so he would have been awkward with women, as shown by his somewhat minimal dating history. He seems to have kept up appearances for reasonable periods of time so that there were a good number of people who could not imagine that this affable young man could have committed such heinous crimes. He is a monster who was able to hide it to the people in the Republican organizations he worked with and the members of his Mormon church. He knew how to pretend to fit the mold, at least for awhile. Those who knew him more closely (ex-partners, etc.) did not come to his defense. His girlfriend, being on the inside and seeing more and more of the real Ted, called the police. It was interesting that they said many women called about the possibility that their boyfriend was the Ted that the Seattle police were searching for. How horrifying would it be to be in a relationship with someone you could imagine kidnapping and killing women? And how horrifying is it that women who felt that way likely did not feel they could safely leave those relationships? I found the show interesting if a bit clunky. I am old enough to remember when this was happening, but have not followed the case closely; i.e., did not study up on it beyond my memories. I did work with someone who, earlier in his career, had carpooled with Bundy for a few months. He said Ted was always pleasant and didn't stand out in any particular way. He wasn't one to share much personal info, but none of them were; another case of Bundy holding it together in small interactions.

I don't see the transgender women as necessarily expecting their wives to stay with them. Per the show, Lawren was severely depressed (and most likely still depressed given her muted affect) prior to coming out to Jennifer. Part of the fear she expressed was that her wife would leave. Troy/Lucy wants Cindy to stay, but has acknowledged that they may not be able to make it work. Leslie had more of an expectation that Stacy might stay if, as has been stated on social media, Stacy is bisexual. The show never said that Bev chose to leave. I suspect Karen decided that transitioning was a good time to drop Bev too. They have such a horribly toxic relationship. They are also at the point where their kids are out of the house. Many have said how people should wait so they don't hurt their kids. I know it's tough to think I might say something neutral to good about Karen. but she played her role as husband and father until her kids were grown. Of course, she played that role horribly, so . . . not the most positive review. I know many transgender persons, some who were able to keep their relationships when they transitioned and many who were not. I think the show did show this transition as being hard on everyone in the family. If anyone was dealing with major depression, that is also hard on the family. However, people don't choose depression. It happens and it is very difficult to deal with. When someone is stuck in a depressed mindset, I don't expect them to snap out of it or not let it affect the way they are coping with life. It can be a long way from depressed to okay.

Amidst the reality TV shenanigans, we saw some real insight into the great dysfunction that is Bev and Karen's family. Karen is a controlling ass. Bev prefers to be a victim. It was telling that Karen said Bev refused to be involved in any of the household decisions during their marriage. Bev was able to avoid all responsibility and blame any issues on Karen. Karen has no respect for Bev and treats her like garbage. I didn't see Cas as treating Bev poorly here. She called her "Mom". She offered to help her get a new birth certificate. It seemed to me that Cas was acting the role she had been forced into over the years - trying to mediate between her parents. She does use this slow, measured speech when talking to Bev. I think she means for that to be calming. To some extent she was mimicking Bev's own speech pattern. Bev and Karen do not communicate at all. That had to be 22 years of absolute misery for everyone involved. It was interesting that we heard that Cas and Karen had been estranged prior to them bonding over being transgender. So from what we've been told, both children at some point were all "F this; I'm out!" They both re-engaged with their parents during the divorce, with each taking a side on whether they support Karen's transition. Karen will now present as female. Unless she makes some major changes in the way she interacts, she will always be a controlling jerk. If she does enter another relationship, it had best be with someone who is very forceful and confident. If she finds another Bev, she'll steamroll over them, hating them and herself in the process. Bev needs to find a social life outside the bar. When she complimented the man dancing with her, I was laughing. They looked like kids at a school dance pretending they knew how to dance. The arm swinging was really funny. Seeing Bev at the bar had me thinking of an old Saturday Night Live skit with Jon Lovitz as the devil being sued in the People's Court. When the plaintiff is asked her occupation she announces, "I am a barfly, your honor." Bev, don't be a barfly. You'll end up in court with the devil. Then again, if the divorce goes to trial, she's pretty much there.

I am giving Leslie the benefit of the doubt on some of this. Yes, it absolutely sucks that Stacy went back to work so quickly after giving birth. early on we were told that she works part time in her family's business, so they can probably be more accommodating to her. Also, given that it is her family's business, that is where the idea of her being able to pick up more hours (aka the family will help you out some; that is, unless they had already been hoping she could work more) would make some sense. It would be so much better if they were financially secure enough for Stacy to take time to be home with the baby. Unfortunately that is not happening. Leslie lost her job. I would expect that she has applied for unemployment and is most likely looking for a new job. Unless Leslie had to go into the unemployment office to apply and there was a chance that someone there would balk at her gender, the show wouldn't focus on that. So we're not going to hear about it. For them to film any job interviews, the hiring company would have to agree to filming and Leslie would have to explain why she was being filmed - not a good way to start things off. With the medical stuff, we are definitely missing some components in the story. If the endocrinologist leaped from bleeding nipples to remove tissue, that would be very odd. It may be that among this group of doctors the surgeon would be the one to order a mammogram, ultrasound, etc., then determine whether to do a biopsy. The endo referred her to a surgeon. When they say she has abnormal cells she either had a biopsy (I would expect to have heard that word if one was done) or she had the mammogram, etc. that showed an abnormality. She is now going in for the biopsy; they may have decided to remove all of the abnormal appearing tissue as part of the biopsy. Years ago this would have meant knocking her out and doing this in an operating room. Now this and many lumpectomies are done in surgeon's offices; while it is less scary than going under, it is still scary. To my mind, she and Stacy have every right to be concerned. I haven't heard her say she has cancer (She's no Betty Jo on My 600 Lb Life). I have heard both Leslie and Stacy express concern that they don't know if this is a setback or a major issue. Her saying she wishes Stacy could be there with her seems reasonable to me. I would rather have a partner with me than go alone. She followed her comment by saying it was important that Stacy be home to take care of the kids. Sounds reasonable to me. The show is playing up the drama - it's life-threatening! This is reality TV gold! Depending on the nature of the cells, even if they are not cancerous, it could mean she cannot tolerate hormone therapy. Not physically life threatening but certainly emotionally difficult. Stacy and Leslie are stuck in a way. They are getting paid to be on reality TV. They are not being paid enough to take care of all financial issues, but it's not money they can afford to throw away. Got to film when asked. At the same time, they need to work on a plan to get out of their financial hole. And I do mean they. While too much is falling on Stacy in their current situation, they decided to have a second child. They have been in a financially precarious situation for some time. They were already hunting and fishing to supplement their food budget. They represent the working class - living, working and trying to make ends meet - a situation in which one person losing their job quickly becomes critical. They are among the many who do not have a large rainy day fund to fall back on and are now being met with additional expenses. If things go well, Leslie's procedure and tests will go okay. She'll find a new job and they'll be able to stabilize again. But that might take more than a minute, especially if she has to get through filming before she can really commit to a new job. It's hard to start then say, "I'm gonna need these days off, then this afternoon, then . . . . " It is also hard to look for a new job when you have a medical concern. Again, I just started but I need time off for . . . doesn't play well.

I'm of two minds on Beverly. In an earlier episode she mentioned that she only recently started forming a better relationship with the daughter that wasn't shown in this episode. It seemed like neither of Beverly's children respected her as a parent. She and her daughter are now aligned in how uncomfortable they are with Karen's transition. Her other child, Cas, has aligned with Karen and still has issues with Beverly. This family has an incredibly unhealthy dynamic. Beverly has never referred to Karen as Karen or she. I absolutely understand her saying she had a life with her husband and her memories are related to a husband and wife relationship with what she had every reason to believe was a man. She has 22 years that are now called into question. She cannot be expected to change overnight. However, she is also not willing to try, as I suspect she was not very willing to try to understand Cas. At the same time, Karen is an ass. Again, regardless of gender, a jerk is a jerk. Karen is a jerk. We saw it with the realtor. We see it every episode. Karen seems like she was a controlling husband who left little room for anyone else's opinion. She still wants to control other people's thoughts and feelings. She never should have been doing that in the first place. She certainly loses any expectation of that during a divorce. Beverly seems to have been a victim throughout this relationship. She also seems to have, to some extent, used her victimhood as a means of martyrdom for which she expects some level of affirmation. With the dissolution of her marriage, she is now realizing she was just a victim. She was treated terribly by her husband. She did not have a good relationship with her children. As often happens, they may have blamed her for not standing up to him more. Bev's friend seems glad she will be getting out of the marriage. If Karen was a decent person and a caring spouse, she would have expressed concern for Bev's late nights, especially if she feels Bev is potentially using alcohol to deal with her issues. Instead she went with "I don't like you staying out late". Why? Is Karen embarrassed? Is it affecting her sleep? It certainly didn't sound like concern for Bev's well-being. I feel sorry for Bev but I also find her annoying. She is in a terrible situation. She also needs to take some control of her own life. She needs to figure out her finances. She needs to stand up for herself. It has to be hard having been AJ/Karen's doormat for all these years. If she can't get it together herself, I hope her friends and daughter can help her through this. Otherwise she is easy prey for another jackass who will treat her terribly.

@SunnyBeBe Karen is bald so she had a wig sown in/glued down. She was really excited when it was done. It does look much better than being a very bald woman. If you ever watch SouthPark, she had Mrs. Garrison's hairline. Many of us commented that longer hair would be more flattering. Prior to that she had a wig in a similar cut and length, but the hairline on it wasn't as realistic. Since it's a semi-permanent piece, she may have gone shorter to make it easier to care for. Leslie got fired for reselling a gun she had purchased at the store she worked at. Seems like she bought a new shotgun, then decided she didn't like it. A friend liked it so she sold it to them at her cost. I can see her buying a gun even with money tight. They hunt for food. The gun is a tool to help put meat on the table. To me it's one of those grey areas. The store she was working at can fire her for that. It was a clear violation of policy. She can only use the discount for herself. At the same time that doesn't mean they haven't potentially looked the same way on similar things before and/or were looking for a reason to let her go. It is very hard to prove discrimination because a person can be fired for many reasons. There are only a few for which you cannot be fired. As an attorney friend likes to say, a boss can fire you because they like corn flakes and you like wheaties. This episode was a mess. I sense they had such good footage of Cindy and Troy/Lucy that they cut some of the info on Leslie and Stacy that would have helped tie together their story better. It seemed like we were missing some medical discussion. It was a quick jump to see the surgeon/this could be cancer. Was there a lump? Did she have a mammogram? An ultrasound? I wouldn't be surprised if Stacy ended up in the corner shaking and crying. Pregnant, spouse out of work and possibly very ill - that could break the strongest person.

I have an almost visceral dislike of Beverly. She seems to play the victim always. I feel for her having married a transgender woman who did not reveal their gender until this many years later. Beyond that, she infuriates me. She airs her dirty laundry in the bar but does it in a poor me sort of way. I sense her spouse is a jerk and has always been one; has nothing to do with being transgender - sometimes a jerk is just a jerk. But Beverly doesn't seem like she was abused (in which case I would be more understanding). She seems more like the type be a doormat then be really passive aggressive about how they were treated. Stand up, speak up or keep your eye rolling and heavy sighs to yourself! (Okay, I am more cranky about this than I like to admit). Leslie's reveal at the bar was so TLC. I would expect her to tell her friend prior to showing up in (tastefully done) makeup and women's clothing. But TLC likes the big reveal. Leslie is lucky TLC didn't get access to the clothes in the Botched closet and force her into a bikini or a super tight, really short dress for the reveal. Guess she's lucky that's on a different channel.

So much of what we are shown seems to be altered by them being on the show. I can't say if Leslie is being selfish for pushing to transition now or if she is stuck because they have a contract with TLC. TLC won't be particularly interested in the storyline of we've decided to wait until a few months after the baby is born. Then I'll start the physical transition. That won't leave them much to show. I also feel thats why we see so much focus on hair, makeup and clothing. It's a visual medium and this is what we can see. I don't take that to mean that the transgender women featured don't have deeper things that have prompted their desire to transition. If the primary focus in wanting a more feminine style is to feel like they look the way they feel inside, then they are addressing body dysmorphia. Also it is one of the steps in physical transition. As for Troy/Lucy's transformation, that was atrocious. That stylist (using the word very loosely. What do you call a stylist with no style? Just an ist?). The makeup is so extreme. I wear less when I am on stage and I am really pale. The hair was overdone and out of fashion. The dress made Troy/Lucy look broad-shouldered and boxy. Unlike the other folks who seemed so happy to see their new hair or put on tasteful makeup and more commonly seen women's clothing styles, I expect poor Troy/Lucy to be horrified. I do wonder if Troy/Lucy will be held up as the person who changes their mind about transitioning.

While they don't tend to film any reality show for a really long time, the filming did most likely go longer than that. We had episodes in which Jazz's weight went up and down by significant amounts during what they were trying to claim was the same few days. I think they did a lot to piece the footage they had into the chosen storyline and had many reshoots or new scenes added. This show becomes more scripted every year. The other thing that really throws it off is what they are allowed to focus on. Early on the Jennings and Jazz's school decided that they would not allow filming there. So large portions of her life are off limits. If she is involved in any group activities, the parents of the other kids would have to agree to them being shown. (A screen full of blurred people and events not willing to stop at all for production would be a mess). If those events take place at the school or are sponsored through the school, the event cannot be shown. In her early years, Jazz was said to be very active in school activities. Per the storyline, she isn't anymore. I don't know if she was still active in some things or not, if she lost all of her friends or not. They are trooping out Mikaela like she is a friend rather than someone desperate to extend her 15 minutes. The show has simply become a weird mess focusing on genitals and forced interactions. It would be so much more interesting to see the rest of her life and how she really interacts in social interactions that aren't 100% show generated.

Question: Doesn't it foam from the ice? In Maw 1's case, I don't think she was enjoying the ice. I suspect it was a passive-aggressive jab on LB not putting the beer in the fridge. Then again, Maw 1 seems to be parked at the corner of passive and aggressive and she's not planning to move. LB seems to really understand that the surgery is a tool. He is doing everything he needs to lose weight and get fit. He is also the first person in 6 seasons to say "I've had a few slip ups" and actually mean a few. Usually "a few slip ups" equals a spare 50 pounds!

Michaela's supposed Be You campaign was made up for the show. The whole "oh Jazz, your voice is so beautiful. Let's write a song together!" was like something from the Little Rascals - "Let's put on a show!" And yes, they were performing at a dance academy, not a public school. I am part of a LGBTQ speakers bureau that goes to Jr high, high school and college classes as well as any group that will invite us. We are often included in the health class. We provide resources, talk about our personal experiences and allow students to ask any questions they like. This program has been in place for a long time. We have two big goals - reduce bullying and ostracizing of kids who don't fit in and harm reduction. During the two years I have done this, I have helped a girl report her sexual assault and get out of a dangerous foster care situation and helped multiple kids get access to support groups that have helped them abate suicidal thoughts. Michaela's fake program is a couple of twits singing a mediocre song to children who don't care. I mention this because I hate to see all support type programs being lumped into the same category. Some are useful. Some are useless. The kids hate the useless ones too.

LB ultimately seems like a decent guy who has had some major difficulties to deal with and has also made some bad choices. Maw 1 is a piece of work. When she was clearly drunk and talking about how she was drinking “watered-down beer”, it occurred to me she was having beer on ice because she wasn’t willing or able to wait for it to cool down. So yeah, I’m going to suggest that Maw 1 is a damn ass alcoholic. It seemed like the show in telling LB’s story was working around coming out and saying Maw 1 is alcoholic or explicitly saying that living with her was one of his major issues. To some large extent that is continuing to protect an alcoholic. It was interesting that they showed him talking about his Bio dad being in prison for drug-related offenses. Seemed like LB and family were trying to promote the idea of nature leading to his own addiction issues without also calling out living with an alcoholic and modeling behavior with which he was raised. I am careful about linking his willingness to walk with others who have not. He is younger and started from a higher level of fitness. While we have had our special princesses (Penny aka Cleopatra), many of the others had injuries that caused major inactivity from which they didn’t recover. Also, being 600 lbs at 5’4” with a slight build is very different than being 600 lbs at 6’4” for a guy who also has a stocky build. With less muscle mass, lymphedemas and depending on the way the weight is carried, it can be much harder to walk or feel confident you can walk. It’s a long road back if you feel your legs can’t support your weight or if you cannot align your knees and feet correctly under your mass. LB could align his body correctly since he didn’t have masses on his legs. It was good to see him walking on the track and riding a bike. He is always going to be a large person. It looks like he is making the changes needed to have a full, active life. Finally, I had a roommate who was in recovery. I kept any alcohol in my bedroom closet so it was not in his face. It felt like the right thing to do. He went out and about, often in places with alcohol. He would go to parties, out to dinner, etc. with people who drank. Didn’t have a problem with that. But having alcohol easily accessible at home when you’ve had a bad day is a different temptation. @Normades What a wonderfully supportive mom you are. :-)

Polyamorous is being in relationships with more than one person at a time. Polysexual is being attracted to people of multiple genders beyond your own and one other. A person can be polyamorous and also be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual . . . . As the understanding of gender expands so do the words describing sexuality. (FYI - I speak to youth on issues regarding gender and sexuality as well as harm reduction). A person's sexuality does not change based on who they are dating. So if a pansexual woman is with a man, she's still pansexual. If a pansexual woman is with a woman, she's still pansexual. It is not uncommon for partners of transgender people to question their own sexuality when their partner comes out. Some relationships last through a person's physical transition. Many do not. Given the failure rate for relationships overall, especially after major life changes, it is not surprising to me that couples don't always come out the other side together. In some ways I think Jazz wants to push through her transition as quickly as possible to lessen the issues with dating. As a transgender girl with male appearing genitalia her dating group is smaller than if she has female appearing genitalia - kind of the carpet matching the drapes.

I didn't mind Jazz's definition of pansexual so much. She's basically saying she's not fully sure which gender she may be attracted to and she is open to anything. The producer who explained it to one of the twins brought in the soul BS. Pansexual = attracted to all genders or attracted to people regardless of gender. Polysexual = attracted to multiple genders. Both allow for the idea that there are potentially more than two genders (which is how they differ from bisexual, although many people are changing the definition of bisexual to mean attracted to one's own and other genders). A person's sexuality does not make them superior. It is simply a part of who they are. With that said, I don't find it that strange that Jazz is still figuring things out. Many of my friends kids are around her age and working through where they fall in terms of sexuality. She is emotionally immature for her age. Given time, she'll get there. It's a lot to ask of anyone to be willing to date someone who is on TV. Add in that she is transgender and, especially at her age, most kids aren't willing to make themselves seem different in ways that can lead to being made fun of. She doesn't have a large dating pool, regardless of her sexuality.