I Am Cait in the Media

[Kromm]

This is a few months old, but I don't think I've seen it posted here. I DO think it's very relevant that this is from June. Because I think that means the automatic "rah rah" factor is fairly strong, but also the inherited suspicion from her being a Kardashian is also in place.

 

That said, the name is mostly a misnomer. Most of the video (especially the Q&A) isn't about Caitlyn at all, but just transgenderism in general.  

 

TEENS REACT TO CAITLYN JENNER

 

 

Near the end there IS a question about Caitlyn's motives, but remember this is back in a time when the only options appeared to be Caitlyn either doing it for the fame or "to do good". Another option (like: using it to avoid criminal charges) wasn't even anything thought about. So the answers on that (and the generally positive spin most teens I think would tend to put on things) don't surprise me in the least. I do wonder if this video was reshot now if any answers would be different (at the very least the pronoun flipping would be).

[Cosmocrush]

Motives for the timing of this show can only be speculation, I personally think most answers are clear when you follow the money and it's probably a combo of the money and the fame  Mostly though, I'd posit it was a case of striking while the iron was hot; the Vanity Fair cover/interview came on the heels of the Diane Sawyer interview and this show on the heels of Vanity Fair and the ESPY award/coming out ( and the season finale of KUWTK)    Perfectly planned, perfectly positioned for succe$$ful number$.  

 

I might be wrong but wouldn't all three of these big projects (Diane Sawyer, Vanity Fair, I Am Cait) already have been in the works during the time of the fatal accident in February?  The civil suit wasn't filed until after the Diane Sawyer interview.   

Edited August 23, 2015 by Cosmocrush

[Kromm]

I might be wrong but wouldn't all three of these big projects (Diane Sawyer, Vanity Fair, I Am Cait) already have been in the works during the time of the fatal accident in February?  The civil suit wasn't filed until after the Diane Sawyer interview.   

Actually probably not. 

 

The accident was in early February (I think like the 6th or 7th).  The Diane Sawyer interview was on April 24th.  That's 2 and a half months lead time.  Plenty of time to produce a piece like that, even if it took a few weeks to make the deal for it.

 

The Vanity Fair cover was their July issue. it did probably come out about a month before that though (magazines usually do that). While magazines generally give themselves around 3 months lead time, they don't really NEED to. They can slot in a cover story and go to press with just a few weeks lead. That said, even if it came after the Sawyer interview totally, there's plenty of time there to play with.

 

A reality show like I Am Cait usually has a TON of lead time. Like... a year.  Seriously. But it doesn't have to.  Realistically this all could have been decided on and put into motion within two months or so of the accident, leaving another few months to actually shoot it before we catch up to the Espy awards (July 15, 2015) and then another 2-3 weeks even after that to clean up the editing.

The timing of the Civil Suit is irrelevant IMO, because this hurry hurry media blast certainly can't be about helping with that. If anything it might hurt that case.

[millennium]

If the response to People's "Special Edition book" is comparable to the ratings for "I Am Cait," they're going to have a lot of copies left over.   The ratings continued to slide for the 4th episode, from 1.2 million to 1.19 million.

[Kromm]

I don't know who buys those magazine special editions anyway. I see them in Supermarkets occasionally, sitting there lonely and ignored.  Then maybe eventually on eBay for pennies.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Kromm

[Cosmocrush]

I don't know who buys those magazine special editions anyway. I see them in Supermarkets occasionally, sitting there lonely and ignored.  Then maybe eventually on eBay for pennies.

My mom, LOL.  Especially the special editions of the Royal Wedding or royal birth.   She keeps them for months and then gives them away. 

[millennium]

Keep digging that hole, Jenner.    The more you foist yourself on the public, the sooner it'll tire of you.   I can't imagine any sudden renaissance of interest in this sideshow.

[Coffeecup]

Motives for the timing of this show can only be speculation, I personally think most answers are clear when you follow the money and it's probably a combo of the money and the fame  Mostly though, I'd posit it was a case of striking while the iron was hot; the Vanity Fair cover/interview came on the heels of the Diane Sawyer interview and this show on the heels of Vanity Fair and the ESPY award/coming out ( and the season finale of KUWTK)    Perfectly planned, perfectly positioned for succe$$ful number$.  

 

I might be wrong but wouldn't all three of these big projects (Diane Sawyer, Vanity Fair, I Am Cait) already have been in the works during the time of the fatal accident in February?  The civil suit wasn't filed until after the Diane Sawyer interview.   

Cait's PR team might have thought it was a great idea to do all these big publicity events in rapid succession, do a media blitz, but I think it's backfired. It was/is overexposure. The public is starting to get sick of Cait, just as they are already sick of all the other Kardashian-Jenner media coverage. Every day there's a new PR pic of Kim pregnant, Kylie in some new clothes or new car, Kendall in a midriff-baring outfit, Kourtney in a bikini, Khloe showing her sideboob, Kris doing something controversial, etc. Add to this Cait in a new dress, Cait posing with some celebrity, and the deluge of preview film clips and tabloid articles prior to every I Am Cait show. Many people are wishing the Kardashian-Jenners would just go away.

[millennium]

Here's a perfect example of the mythologizing still occurring in the media.   The poor ratings are everyone's fault but Jenner's.   The Kardashians, the "television experts," the advertisers, the viewers ... we don't realize what a national treasure Jenner is.    We should be ashamed of ourselves.

 

The real reason Caitlyn Jenner's show is losing its audience

An advertising executive weighs in on why viewers and advertisers are steering clear of “I Am Cait.”

 

Caitlyn Jenner has vaulted from the shadows of the Kardashian clan to become one of today’s most popular and influential celebrities. Her Diane Sawyer interview attracted 16.9 million viewers, and her appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair drove a record 9 million visitors to their website. In an age when celebrities look to the size of their Twitter following to measure their worth, she gained a million followers in less than four hours, outpacing even President Obama. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, she just won the gold medal of celebrity buzz by bringing home the Teen Choice Award for Social Media Queen of the Year. Not bad for a 65-year old retired Olympian.

 

Yet despite her legion of fans, the ratings of her reality TV show, I Am Cait, are in freefall. The show’s second episode drew roughly half the audience of the premiere, which had 2.7 million viewers, according to Entertainment Weekly. Forbes reports that the third episode dwindled to 1.19 million viewers and there’s nothing to indicate that Sunday night’s episode, the series’ fifth, fared any better. The show’s poor ratings have prompted most big advertisers to give it a wide berth and leave the media mavens who predicted a hit wondering what went wrong.

 

But none of this is surprising if you stop and think about what we watch and why. To begin with, consider the intersection of empathy and entertainment, a place seldom visited by reality TV.

 

Successful television shows only come in two flavors, optimistic or voyeuristic. Optimistic television includes morning news programs, daytime talk shows and most family sitcoms. From the smiles of the anchors to the timing of the laugh tracks, these shows are designed to trigger the endorphins that make us feel happy, hopeful and closer to our fellow humans.

 

Voyeuristic TV includes the nightly news, reality TV and heavy drama. Dramas like Breaking Bad give us a voyeuristic and escapist glance into a much darker world than our own, and after it’s over, the real world feels lighter by comparison.

 

Reality TV functions in a similar way—a window into a world messier than the one we live in. Viewers want it tawdry, titillating or tragic. It’s a funhouse mirror, a distorted reality bearing no resemblance to ourselves, a televised sideshow of people whose biggest accomplishment is, well, that they’re on reality TV. We watch them like exotic animals in a zoo, not laughing with them but laughing at them.

 

And that’s why, despite being a celebrity, Caitlyn Jenner doesn’t have what it takes to be a reality TV star. Because when we watch her on the small screen, we’re actually on her side.

 

Caitlyn Jenner, like Bruce Jenner before her, is someone who people want to succeed.

 

We all wanted to watch Bruce Jenner clear the high jump, and we want Caitlyn Jenner to break down barriers. We want her to win. But what we don’t want is to watch her try to keep up with the Kardashians or anyone else.

 

From the decathlon to her speech at the ESPY awards, Caitlyn Jenner is inspirational. She’s optimistic. There was a momentary, voyeuristic fascination with her transgender transition, but now she’s Caitlyn, not Bruce, and she’s still someone we are rooting for, not someone we secretly hope slips on a banana peel.

 

That’s what the so-called television experts lost sight of when they sought ratings by equating Caitlyn Jenner with the rest of her family. Her identity isn’t based on being a social media phenomenon—she’s just someone trying to figure out who she is. So we empathize, even if her struggles aren’t our own. There’s no entertainment in ridiculing her, because she’s demonstrated too much dignity.

 

The recent news that she may face manslaughter charges related to a February car accident does cast a long shadow on an otherwise optimistic tale. But regardless of the outcome, that story already feels tragic as opposed to tawdry. There is only sadness, no upwelling of righteous glee at someone else’s misfortune. It doesn’t fit the narrative we associate with Caitlyn Jenner.

 

The Kardashians belong on reality TV, that’s how they arrived on the cultural landscape. They are the flip side of the optimistic-voyeuristic coin. So if you insist on putting Caitlyn Jenner on TV, make her a guest anchor on a morning news program or the host of a daytime talk show. That’s where she belongs.

 

http://fortune.com/2015/08/24/caitlyn-jenner-ratings/

[Coffeecup]

Here's a perfect example of the mythologizing still occurring in the media.   The poor ratings are everyone's fault but Jenner's.   The Kardashians, the "television experts," the advertisers, the viewers ... we don't realize what a national treasure Jenner is.    We should be ashamed of ourselves.

That Fortune article was so stupid! First, the entire premise that TV shows are either "optimistic" or "voyeuristic" is flawed. When I watch the Weather Channel, I want to know if it's going to rain. When I watch the local, national or international news, I want to know what's happening. When I watch a PBS documentary, I want to be educated. When I watch a shopping channel, I want to buy a product. When I watch CSPAN, I want to learn more about how our government works. When I watch CNBC, I want information about the stock market and the economy. When I watch Turner Classic Movies, I want to be entertained. And so on. I don't watch sitcoms and generally don't watch reality shows; frankly I don't know how I got interested in the Kardashian-Jenners. I guess they are so pervasive in the media that they finally "infected" me, LOL.

 

The guy who wrote that article is in the advertising business, so all he thinks about is how many products he can sell during the commercials. I don't think he understands human nature and TV viewing habits nearly as well as he thinks he does.

 

I was kind of gagging at the way he described Caitlyn as some sort of saint who is above all the Kardashian fuckery. She isn't. She's right down there seeking publicity and money along with the other K-J's.

 

I absolutely cannot imagine Caitlyn being a successful morning news anchor, or even being offered such a job in the first place. Aren't those people supposed to have experience in broadcast journalism? From what I've heard, the news anchors all worked their way up, starting out as cub reporters on local TV news stations. Caitlyn has no such training or background, thus she would have no credibility as an anchor. She has a speech impediment too, that lisp, maybe from some of the facial surgery or Botox. Her voice does not have the resonance needed for a news person either. It' a thin voice. I don't think it will sound any better as a surgically altered high voice.

 

Talk show host? Nope, Caitlyn doesn't have the personality for that. A good talk show host must be able to show genuine interest in every guest, must suppress their own egos and let the guest shine. All we've seen of Caitlyn speaking with young transgender people is that she seems bewildered and clueless. Talk show hosts have to be on the ball with their guests. It also helps if they have TV reporting experience. For example, Oprah started out as a reporter on a small TV station. And look at the king of talk show hosts, Johnny Carson. Johnny was not only charismatic and a great comedian, but he had the ability to completely sublimate his own ego and show a sincere interest in guests from all walks of life. Johnny was just as enthusiastic about some ordinary person with an interesting story to tell as he was about the biggest celebrities. My impression of Caitlyn is that as a talk show host, she would be more concerned with her makeup, hair and clothes than in showcasing the guest.

 

The advertising guy just doesn't get it. I Am Cait is losing viewers because the show is boring, not because the public has failed to grasp her wonderfulness. That show had only one thing going for it, the novelty of seeing Caitlyn as a woman. Everybody had already seen her in the Vanity Fair article and the ESPY awards show anyway, before I Am Cait went on the air. People watched the first show to see what she was like. So they saw her, and satisfied their curiosity. Then they moved on. There's a lot of competition for TV viewers, and the I Am Cait show isn't competitive enough.

Edited August 25, 2015 by Coffeecup

[Kromm]

 

And that’s why, despite being a celebrity, Caitlyn Jenner doesn’t have what it takes to be a reality TV star. Because when we watch her on the small screen, we’re actually on her side.

What a pantload.

 

While the social pressure to see Caitlyn as some kind of magical unicorn who must be worshiped or else (you find yourself pilloried) is large, I think that's also up against the reality of being a Kardashian (whatever her last name is), as well as the bullshit that comes out of her mouth and the social media attack.  I think the truth of the situation is closer to that people WANT to be on her side, but are starting to find it impossible to be, or the shallowness of the whole approach we've seen isn't striking any real core in people.

 

Even if you don't believe stuff like the show or media attack being to get herself out of criminal charges, it's hard at this point to see it as about "making the world a better place"--or even if you do believe that statement (vs. the third option of this just being about fame), then there's the extreme egotism of thinking that you, this one person, are the linchpin. 

 

if people aren't watching it's because they're either bored of her (and the over-saturation--especially given a lot of fluff being attached to it), resisting the sanctification, or it's just plain a bad show.  Or some combination of those. 

[millennium]

There's a lot of competition for TV viewers, and the I Am Cait show isn't competitive enough.

 

Ah, but according to the Great Brainwashing of 2015, this is a good thing.   We should be grateful that the show is not actively competing for viewers.  E! is to be commended.    There's no downside where Caitlyn Jenner's concerned.

 

I Am Cait: Why Caitlyn Jenner's Low Ratings Aren't All Bad News

http://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2015/08/23/i-am-cait-why-caitlyn-jenners-low-ratings-arent-all-bad-news/2/

Edited August 26, 2015 by radishcake
removed full article

[millennium]

I don't believe for a nanosecond that E! chose social impact over high ratings.    E! had every intention of cashing in on this show.   They just overestimated their star's appeal and the public's interest.

[Artsda]

Every clip E! releases now seems to have a tie into the family. Caitlyn and Scott talking about Kris Humphries, Caitlyn talking about Kourtney's break up with Scott and how she's doing. Caitlyn talking about Brody and Brandon thinking the cover is too sexy.

 

Obviously E!'s now trying to grab and sell viewers on the family component because they think it'll boost the ratings. 

[Kromm]

CAITLYN JENNER: SWINGIN' AT THE GOLF COURSE

Edited August 26, 2015 by Kromm

[Coffeecup]

CAITLYN JENNER: SWINGIN' AT THE GOLF COURSE

Well, I'm glad to see she wore regular golf clothes instead of some glam outfit.

 

This part of the article was interesting: "When Caitlyn decides to get serious again, she'll have to re-register her handicap with the USGA as a woman. Bruce played at a very high skill level and Caitlyn will probably improve her handicap because of her gender." I hadn't even thought about that. (Probably because I don't know much about golf.)

[GaT]

This part of the article was interesting: "When Caitlyn decides to get serious again, she'll have to re-register her handicap with the USGA as a woman. Bruce played at a very high skill level and Caitlyn will probably improve her handicap because of her gender." I hadn't even thought about that. (Probably because I don't know much about golf.)

This is why they have sex testing at the Olympics.

[editorgrrl]

CAITLYN JENNER: SWINGIN' AT THE GOLF COURSE

Well, I'm glad to see she wore regular golf clothes instead of some glam outfit.

This part of the article was interesting: "When Caitlyn decides to get serious again, she'll have to re-register her handicap with the USGA as a woman. Bruce played at a very high skill level and Caitlyn will probably improve her handicap because of her gender." I hadn't even thought about that. (Probably because I don't know much about golf.)

I thought this was interesting, too: "Jenner showed up at the Westlake Golf Course around noon and stayed for an hour. We're told she mostly kept to herself and worked on her short game and practiced off the tee at the driving range."

Caitlyn doesn't have any friends. Which is why the show had to hire Candis, JBo, et al.

[Artsda]

Caitlyn was/is part of a private golf club, wonder why she went to this public course instead of her normal one.

[Kromm]

The idea of Cait kicking ass at the golf course sounds awesome since most women who go to golf courses are expected to flail and need the help of men to do the basics.

Except apply the same filter Caitlyn seems to have done when she talked about now automatically being one of the best female helicopter pilots out there now that she's transitioned.  Think of both the massive ego and latent sexism in that statement.  On some level Caitlyn still identifies as a man if she believes her genetics mandated she's better than thousands of combat trained career chopper pilots who exist who happened to be born female.

 

I certainly can't say we know she has the same expectation about golf, but it does introduce the thorny issue that as much as we'd like to deny it, she's got a musculature designed by genetics that probably can hit a golf ball somewhat further than most women (this is very different from the pilot thing, where in fact some studies show women actually have an advantage because pure strength isn't a factor and women turn out to have superior hand-eye coordination a lot of the time). Thankfully, whatever handicap they give Caitlyn, it's not like she's going to be playing professionally (the closest she'll come is those stupid celebrity Pro-Am tournaments).

 

So it's complicated I guess.  Caitlyn acting like a a sexist pig about one skill (piloting), but actually arguably having an unfair advantage over other women in another skill (golf) where she inevitably is going to want to be re-ranked/handicapped against them.

[Taylorh2]

The idea of Cait kicking ass at the golf course sounds awesome since most women who go to golf courses are expected to flail and need the help of men to do the basics. I'd like to see her engage in her interests more and Have fewer deep conversations about trans issues. I mean, they're important but I think that part of the problem with this show is that it seems like an extended Oprah episode. It's not really light television, which I think many people look for on a Sunday night (or at least, I do).

 

I don't know anything about Golf:  Do the women who play at this country club keep some sort of official record of their handicap/wins ?  Because it doesn't seem fair (TO ME) that Caitlyn Jenner can "re-register  handicap with the USGA as a woman because Caitlyn Jenner will have the same handicap that Caitlyn Jenner had when Caitlyn was Bruce Jenner. Does it put Caitlyn at the top of the rankings ?

[iwasish]

Caitlyn was/is part of a private golf club, wonder why she went to this public course instead of her normal one.

I read somewhere her regular club is closed for renovations til December.

[Kromm]

Caitlyn was/is part of a private golf club, wonder why she went to this public course instead of her normal one.

Was a film crew along maybe?  Many private golf clubs wouldn't allow that, whereas it's possible a public one might appreciate the publicity.

[Kromm]

I had assumed that the hormones would work to even out the playing field so to speak in terms of changing her body composition?

If science was magic, sure.

 

Not saying it doesn't change some stuff, but it doesn't magically erase bone structure, change muscle density, height, etc.

[iwasish]

If science was magic, sure.

Not saying it doesn't change some stuff, but it doesn't magically erase bone structure, change muscle density, height, etc.

Clearly though Caitlyn is no longer the athlete she once was. She isn't even the same athlete she was within the last decade. She was much heavier and more muscular at the start of KUWTK. In the last 3+ years she's gotten very thin and the few glimpses we've had of her legs or upper arms show little muscle tone. The advantage she has now at 65 is way less than it would have been even 25 yrs ago. In many ways I think her transition is being as well received as it is because she is 65. The general consensus is that "sex" isn't a driving force in her decision. she isn't going to be out there trolling for men who may find themselves in an awkward spot when all is revealed. That seems to be a common fear among men. Also, if she had transitioned way back in the 80s I don't think it would have been so quickly accepted. IMO there would have been controversy over the Olympic medals.

[xls]

Here's a perfect example of the mythologizing still occurring in the media.   The poor ratings are everyone's fault but Jenner's.   The Kardashians, the "television experts," the advertisers, the viewers ... we don't realize what a national treasure Jenner is.    We should be ashamed of ourselves.

<gag> "We all want...."  

 

 

Ah, but according to the Great Brainwashing of 2015, this is a good thing.   We should be grateful that the show is not actively competing for viewers.  E! is to be commended.    There's no downside where Caitlyn Jenner's concerned.

 

They just don't realize how great CaIt art!

I'm thinking most people first tuned in out of curiosity, and after finally seeing what she looked like got bored and left.

[Coffeecup]

Update on Caitlyn's plans for vocal cord surgery. Radar article: The vocal coach, Dr. Lillian Glass, says Caitlyn decided not to have the surgery because of the risks. The vocal coaching sessions were filmed for the I Am Cait show, but Dr. Glass said on her blog that the production company notified her they will not use the footage.

https://www.drlillianglass.com/dr-lillian-glass-worked-with-caitlyn-jenner-to-feminize-her-voice-and-body-language/

Blog of Dr. Lillian Glass

Posted on August 15, 2015

"...I had the opportunity to work with Caitlyn Jenner to try to help her feminize her voice, speech patterns and body language. Our session was filmed for her reality show I’m Cait. Unfortunately it will not be shown this season. But my management team at Sirena Media received this very nice email from the show’s producer:

"Hi Karin!

Unfortunately, that scene did not make it into the series. We had to make some tough cuts because we filmed for 12 weeks but only ended up with eight 42 minute episodes. We so appreciate Lillian working with Cait and all the help she offered and maybe we can have her back next season.

Best of luck to you both and thank you again!

Andrea Metz

Executive Producer

"So there is a possibility I may be on her show next season. Because I am bound by a confidentiality agreement I signed with Bunim Murray, Caitlyn’s production company I can’t go into detail as to what specific work I did with Caitlyn and what we specifically discussed during our time together..."

***

Dr. Glass said further down in the blog article that she only worked with Caitlyn for three hours. Vocal coaching takes months for success, so what did Caitlyn expect to achieve after only three hours? Either Cait was expecting to learn some Instant Woman's Voice tricks -- like people seeking a magic diet that makes you lose 10 pounds in one week -- or she just did this coaching session as an experiment.

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2015/08/caitlyn-jenner-surgery-vocal-cord-operation/

Second Thoughts? Caitlyn Jenner Decides Against More Surgery — Find Out Why

Posted on Aug 27, 2015

Caitlyn Jenner is taking a break from going under the knife. After contemplating getting vocal cord surgery to feminize her voice, RadarOline.com has learned the transgender star of I Am Cait has opted out of the procedure – choosing instead, to keep her more masculine-sounding voice!

As Radar first reported, the 65-year-old reality star was working with renowned voice coach Dr. Lillian Glass...

According to an on-set source in production for the E! reality show, it was not as successful as Jenner would have hoped. But it did accomplish one thing — it convinced the transgender rights activist to stop considering vocal cord surgery.

“Caitlyn asked Lillian what she thought of the surgery and Dr. Glass told her that she does not recommend it at all,” says the source.

“Dr. Glass told her that the success rate is extremely limited with the surgery, and that she could ruin perfectly good vocal cords,” the insider tells Radar, adding, “She told Caitlyn that surgery could result in vocal paralysis and she could end up with a breathy voice that will not even be loud enough to be heard!”

With Jenner’s career as a public speaker in the balance, that was a scary possibility.

“Dr. Glass also told Caitlyn that she could end up with S****** Dysphoria from having the surgery, which is when the vocal cords don’t come together and don’t vibrate well,” the source says.

In the end, Caitlyn seemed to have taken Dr. Glass’ suggestions to heart, as the source tells Radar she no longer is considering have the surgery to her throat.

“Dr. Glass told her that she needs to work on her communication skills,” the source adds.

“Being feminine isn’t just having a soft voice. Caitlyn needs to practice on gesturing, inflection, body language and other skills.”

“And to REALLY start to sound like a woman, “Dr. Glass recommended that she would need about three months of vocal training twice a week,” says the source.

***

I agree 100%, especially about the need to work on body language skills.

Also, Dr. Glass mentioned the "next season" of the I Am Cait show. What? There's going to be a second season? I thought the show was losing more viewers every week.

Edited August 27, 2015 by Coffeecup

[Thumper]

I wondered the same -- next season???   I thought this was a one and done series.

[iwasish]

I wondered the same -- next season???   I thought this was a one and done series.

As long as she can milk money out of this she will. She loves the attention. She's in a clip now talking with Jenny Boyland about how she'd like to go out with a guy because it would make her feel so much more feminine. Two episodes ago she couldn't wear a bathing suit in private with the ladies, had bigger fish to fry than worrying about an orgasm... now she wants to date a guy? Like who is going to date her? Really. Are they casting the part now? Are they over at the Screen Actors Guild Senior home looking for someone to play the love interest? Or maybe some older Olympic hero looking for a second  round of celebrity status?

 

I wonder if she'll host SNL at some point?

Anyone heard if she's gotten Blossom on Ellen yet?

[millennium]

As long as she can milk money out of this she will. She loves the attention. She's in a clip now talking with Jenny Boyland about how she'd like to go out with a guy because it would make her feel so much more feminine.

 

I believe it's this sort of twisted vanity that accounts for the reports of people changing their dating preferences after taking hormones/transitioning.

 

People are not accessories, damn it.    There is absolutely no thought or consideration for the other person.   She wants to date a man to make HER feel good.   The date may as well be a blow-up doll.

[iwasish]

It's the speed that she's moving thru these supposed milestones that I find shocking. It's as if every possible situation faced by a newly transitioning person

has to be addressed and put on tape. Either she's way further along in her process than she's fessing to or she's riding that pink cloud right into a brick wall when the cameras are gone and the paid friends go back to their community and she's doing a Norma Desmond up in the hills... Alone.

[millennium]

But she's not moving through any milestones.   She never had to find a job as a woman.   Never had to find someone to rent her an apartment.   Never had to struggle with achieving a female appearance.   Never had to pass.   Never had to try to scrape up money to buy hormones or surgery.   Never had to seek acceptance from people on her own strength, without the help of Annie Liebowitz, Vanity Fair, Diane Sawyer, the entire mainstream media, not to mention the Caitlyn Jenner Anti-Defamation League whose members are currently on Twitter threatening to beat up anyone they see in a Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costume.   Has never had to make friends as a woman -- and the people on the show don't count, because they're paid to be there.

now she wants to date a guy? Like who is going to date her? Really. Are they casting the part now? Are they over at the Screen Actors Guild Senior home looking for someone to play the love interest? Or maybe some older Olympic hero looking for a second  round of celebrity status?

 

 

There are people who will do anything for money or fame.   Also there's a whole subculture of "chasers" or "admirers."    I suspect there will be no shortage of men willing to date her.

Edited August 28, 2015 by millennium

[Coffeecup]

As long as she can milk money out of this she will. She loves the attention. She's in a clip now talking with Jenny Boyland about how she'd like to go out with a guy because it would make her feel so much more feminine. Two episodes ago she couldn't wear a bathing suit in private with the ladies, had bigger fish to fry than worrying about an orgasm... now she wants to date a guy? Like who is going to date her? Really. Are they casting the part now? Are they over at the Screen Actors Guild Senior home looking for someone to play the love interest? Or maybe some older Olympic hero looking for a second  round of celebrity status?

 

I wonder if she'll host SNL at some point?

Anyone heard if she's gotten Blossom on Ellen yet?

If she goes on a date with a man and it's filmed for the show, you can bet the "date" will be someone who has to audition and sign a non-disclosure agreement, just like her new "friends" from the transgender community. He'll get paid too.

But if Cait starts dating a man, what would the show do with the storyline about Candis and Cait flirting with each other? Will they write Candis out and write the man in as the "love interest"? That kind of scripting is on my mind because I was just reading about Tyga being under contract to appear on KUWTK as Kylie's love interest. Tyga and Kylie really are dating, but Cait going on a prearranged, auditioned and casted date would just be fake.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Coffeecup

[CousinAmy]

The Stewarts and the Hamiltons follow I Am Cait on Sunday night; I think George Hamilton would be perfect for some suave arm-candy! 

 

However, there's still the sticky wicket of the car accident, which hasn't gone away, no matter how fiercely E! tries to avoid it. Gawker reports that lawsuits are still flying hither and yon - the estate of Kim Howe is being sued, and so is Caitlyn:

 

 http://gawker.com/lawsuit-filed-against-woman-who-died-in-caitlyn-jenner-1727130124?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gawker%2Ffull+%28Gawker%29

[iwasish]

The clips up now show her at a club stuffing money in Candis 's cleavage.

No wonder Brody and Brandon passed on appearing.

[millennium]

Reportedly Episode 5 struck a new low in the ratings.  Merely 1.020 million viewers on Sunday night.   I Am Cait was trounced by Beachfront Bargain Hunt, Guy's Grocery Games and even Ice Road Truckers.

 

But she did squeak past Naked and Afraid, so, uh, boo-yah.

Edited August 28, 2015 by millennium

[Cosmic Muffin]

How does this show's rating compare to I Am Jazz, which I realize doesn't compete in the same time slot?

[editorgrrl]

http://www.advocate.com/media/2015/08/26/inside-scoop-i-am-cait-ratings-impressive-really-strong-and-steady

E! tells The Advocate that I Am Cait is one of this year’s top five new TV series across all of cable, among those most highly desired viewers aged 18 to 49, behind AMC's Better Call Saul, Discovery Network's Naked & Afraid XL, HBO's Ballers, and Spike's Lip Sync Battle.

And for context, E! says Jenner’s show is ahead of its major competition on the other entertainment networks, including Black Ink Crew on VH1 and The Game on BET.

E!'s Wheeler also shared data with The Advocate to bolster its contention that the show is "largely stable" post-premiere, hovering between 1.2 and 1.3 million viewers aged 18–49, averaging 2.5 million “Total Viewers,” meaning viewers of all ages and genders watching the show every Sunday.

With this kind of information at its disposal, you’d think E! would be jumping at the chance to renew I Am Cait for a second season, but there’s no official word yet on whether that is in the offing.

The Advocate turned to Jenner’s friend and I Am Cait adviser Jenny Boylan for her view of the show’s chances. "I'd be shocked if there wasn't a season 2,” said Boylan in an online message, “but then nothing shocks me anymore."

Edited August 28, 2015 by editorgrrl

[millennium]

 

Any clue what fake honor or reward she purchases next?  I would have joked "a knighthood", but those aren't gender neutral. What do they call the female version again?  A Damehood?  Yuck. Dame Caitlyn. I bet you can buy one from some small European Principality or something, with a token royal with no other real power than to hand out stuff like that and wave in parades or something.

 

 

 

 

L.A. Mayor

Caitlyn Jenner Should Carry Olympic Torch

... In 2024

 

http://www.tmz.com/2015/08/28/l-a-mayor-caitlyn-jenner-should-carry-olympic-torch-in-2024/

 

Sure, let's start planning her honors nine years out.

 

With this kind of information at its disposal, you’d think E! would be jumping at the chance to renew I Am Cait for a second season, but there’s no official word yet on whether that is in the offing.

 

Their reticence seems to belie the spin.

Edited August 28, 2015 by millennium

[Artsda]

Clip of Ellen show

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/caitlyn-jenner-ellen-degeneres-candis-cayne-820408?utm_source=twitter

Edited September 4, 2015 by Artsda

[Mya Stone]

This thread is currently locked as we work through the posts that have ridden this thread off the rails.

I do not have an ETA for when it will be back.

This does NOT mean to take the discussion elsewhere in this forum. If it continues in other threads, we will be forced to lock them, as well.

Thank you.

[sleekandchic]

I thought this Work Advice column from The Washington Post was helpful and compassionate:

@Work Advice: When a transgender coworker hits the showers

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/atwork-advice-barbara-is-back-and-now-she-wants-to-use-the-locker-room/2015/08/12/e6c28914-4050-11e5-8d45-d815146f81fa_story.html

[Muffyn]

Here is an interesting article from Angelica Ross who was one of the women Caitlyn spoke to at HRC.  she has an interesting perspective on what the producers chose to present from their discussion. 

http://www.missross.com/call-me-caitlyn-sincerely-miss-ross/

 

Our conversation with Cait spanned over two episodes, with the start of the conversation being a cliffhanger to tune in next week. Although the title under my name on the screen read “CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises”, my story and my experience as a black trans woman founding a startup tech company focused on improving the economic landscape and overall well-being of the trans community was completely erased from the show. The full conversation was nuanced, but ultimately what I said about TransTech and what we do was left on the cutting room floor. What the producers ended up using highlighted my life and work in past tense as I explained, “I felt like I would never in my life choose to do sex work, but after being fired from so many jobs what other choice did I have?”

[Kromm]

So an accomplished person reduced to cliches, eh?  Most of the truth left out to emphasize the sensational, the surface, and sequences and reactions changed to make things look even worse.

 

Shocking.  Only not.  I kind of expect these kind of reveals by now.

 

How many people in the Transgender community have at this point expressed thoughts like what's in the first part of that article, I wonder? The hesitance and lack of trust in Caitlyn Jenner.  But then this one, a thoughtful authoritative person, with direct experience of Caitlyn and her show. Who got lied to, manipulated and used--and her story mangled beyond belief.  By Caitlyn Jenner specifically.

 

I'm gonna try and stay calm about this and not get angry.

Edited September 7, 2015 by Kromm

[possibilities]

Ross's article makes me love her and I wish she had a show of her own; I'd watch.

[princelina]

Interesting to read the Angelica Ross article, because watching the show tonight, at Chandi's support group, I was thinking to myself that they had talked about her doing sex work before and wishing that we had been given more info on how she got out of that and became the educator (I forget the actual title she has) that she is today.  So maybe they did, but that wasn't considered interesting enough for the show!  Too bad; I would have been interested in both of those ladies' stories.

[millennium]

So an accomplished person reduced to cliches, eh?  Most of the truth left out to emphasize the sensational, the surface, and sequences and reactions changed to make things look even worse.

 

Shocking.  Only not.  I kind of expect these kind of reveals by now.

 

Not merely cliches -- racist cliches.  Reducing the accomplished black transgender woman to someone "who used to do sex work" without explaining that she runs her own tech company now to help transgender people find work, and has gone without paychecks herself in order to pay her employees.

 

Ross writes:

 

 

 

I want to take this opportunity to hold Caitlyn Jenner responsible as an Executive Producer for the editing and misuse of her new found power. The first step to dismantling a system of oppression is recognizing your role in its perpetuation. This is a step we all have to take regardless of race or ethnicity. If Caitlyn wishes to be a part of the solution, then she must be willing to examine the ways she has contributed to the problem. The way “The Road Trip” episodes parts 1 and 2 were edited, were just some of the ways she is contributing to the problem. I urge Caitlyn to retreat from the “White Savior” narrative.

 

The only part of the article I find dismaying is that Ross at the end invites Jenner to join her on her mission.   Fool me once and all that.   Although perhaps the invitation is extended with full knowledge that Jenner will probably never call her again and is merely a pointed way of emphasizing Jenner's insincerity.

 

 

 

I understand however, Caitlyn, that sexual freedom and sex worker rights may not be your thing, another option would be to join the board of a trans-led organization; TransTech Social Enterprises would love to have your support. You can even participate in some of our workshops that break down “Power, Privilege, and Oppression” and learn more about social, racial, and economic justice. Refuse to contribute to a system that puts white cis gay men, and those of similar experience, as the gatekeepers in charge of resources that trans women of color are trying to access. You can help turn this around! Trust me, as much as you can fly a few of us girls in to become your instant entourage, it’s not your money that your new found community is after. It is your potential to facilitate change, your access to people and resources that could help trans people beyond the individual level and create massive change on a systemic level. THAT is where you can make the greatest impact. Call me Caitlyn.

 

Ross notes that she held her tongue until now due to a nondisclosure agreement.   I'm actually surprised the NDA wasn't open-ended.

Edited September 7, 2015 by millennium

[Kromm]

That is shocking. The 2015 ESPY Awards were July 15, 2015. The episode with Ross could have been any time within the 2-3 months previous to that (since we can't exactly trust the broadcast order). But logically it was probably set early the month before.  So maybe it's been 90 days or so. A shockingly short NDA period (then again, most reality shows aren't rushed so much they air a month or two after being filmed--and this one is). 

 

Maybe it's all Ross would agree to sign. We have her own words telling us that she was skeptical even from the first.

[Muffyn]

She may have had an NDA that only went until the show was aired.  The concern would have been that she would ruin the episode by telling people what to expect..  It may not have occurred to the producers that an intelligent, educated, thoughtful, confident woman like Angelica Ross would refuse to let herself be reduced to a cliche without fighting back.

Edited September 7, 2015 by Muffyn

[millennium]

I ran across this piece while looking for something else.    What's wrong with this picture:

 

Caitlyn Jenner sons find mother's Vanity Fair cover shoot 'too sexy'

 

Caitlyn Jenner recently revealed that her sons Brody, Brandon and Burt have supported her famous Vanity Fair cover and believes that their mother's shoot was very sexy.

 

The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star, whose famous cover was clicked by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, said that to her pal Candis Cayne that her kids have appreciated her cover shoot, E! Online reports.

 

The 65-year-old TV actor added, "A couple of the kids thought that the Vanity Fair shoot was a little too sexy."

 

Previously, Jenner had stripped down to a figure-hugging corset to appear on the front cover of the glossy magazine.

 

http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/caitlyn-jenner-sons-find-mother-s-vanity-fair-cover-shoot-too-sexy-115082400298_1.html

 

Where's an editor when you need one?