This summer has given us a plethora of transgender focused television spots. From having a regular transgender character on The Fosters show his chest post top surgery, to Transparent being renewed for a third season. We have Laverne Cox killing it on Orange Is The New Black which this summer delved into some pretty hardcore material regarding Cox's character, Sophia. We've seen Big Brother's first transgender contestant, Audrey Middleton, in the show's seventeenth season! There is also the web series Brothers which just started it's second season. But then we get to the big named reality shows focused solely on transgender individuals; Becoming Us, I Am Jazz, and now I Am Cait to round out the summer of transgender television.
In a previous post, I opened up about my feelings on I Am Jazz (and subsequently Becoming Us,) and how I was hoping I Am Cait would blow them both out of the water. I watched the premiere. It did just that.
Unlike Becoming Us and I Am Jazz, I Am Cait is wholeheartedly genuine. Even though all three shows are supposedly unscripted, I Am Cait is the only one where there isn't any sense of overacting, trying to hard, or holding back feelings just for the camera's sake. When the show cuts to a seated interview with family and friends, the words are coming from the heart. With the other shows, you get a sense like they just don't want to talk about some of the topics that come up. And can we take a moment to talk about Caitlyn's mom? What a precious human being!
Esther Jenner gets mom of the year award. She is nearing 90 years old but is one of the most accepting human beings I've seen at her age. Sure she has trouble with Caitlyn's name and pronouns, but she is trying and that truly is all that matters. Her love for her child is very evident, and I think that is absolutely important to showcase in a time when transgender teens are being kicked out and abused by their parents just for being themselves. And of all people who made appearances in the first episode, Kanye was who surprised me most. We've already heard that it was Kanye who brought Kim around when Caitlyn first came out, but I was truly surprised at what he had to say. For being such a self centered narcissist in the public eye, it was truly something special to see him embrace Caitlyn for who she is. Maybe I'll start cutting the guy some slack.
If not for everything I've already mentioned, the one thing that makes this show outrank the other trans reality shows this summer is the fact that it's not all about Caitlyn. Becoming Us is all about Ben (not even Carly.) I Am Jazz is all about Jazz, (which at least is the point.) But I Am Cait took a lot of the focus off Caitlyn and put it on highlighting the astronomically high 41% suicide rate for transgender individuals, the immense amount of violence directed at transgender women of color, lack of acceptance by family and friends, etc. AND these things were mentioned more than once at that! The other two shows haven't even touched the subjects. They are 100% about ratings and money rather than dissemination of information that could actually benefit the transgender community, and that is what sets I Am Cait apart.
I am 23 years old. I never lived through the experience of having Jenner be the world's greatest athlete. So for me, this is the most important thing she has ever done. To be honest though, even if I had been alive then, I think this still would be her greatest accomplishment because she is changing lives. Sure winning a gold medal for team USA during wars times is an honorable feat and brought pride to this nation, but what did it accomplish other than that? She is accomplishing more now than she ever has before. She truly is changing lives and saving lives. Her mother even said she is more proud now than she ever has been of Caitlyn before.
Her show is raw, completely unscripted, honest, incorporates statistics and information pertaining to the transgender community, and above all, it's not for money. Caitlyn Jenner is not putting on an act just for money. She received no compensation for the Vanity Fair piece, and although I don't know the logistics of I Am Cait, I would be willing to bet she's not making this show for the money either. If you're only able to watch one show about trans folk this summer, make I Am Cait your priority. You won't regret it!
And although looks don't matter in the least, I have to say that Caitlyn is absolutely stunning in everything she's doing. You go girl!
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