I Am Cait Reviews

1.01 Meeting Cait

Promotional Image from E! for “I Am Cait”

Caitlyn Jenner has been famous for four decades. She was once arguably the best athlete in the world when, in 1976, she won the gold medal in the decathlon. Similarly, for eight years, she’s been the father-figure (she still encourages and lets her children refer to her as “Dad”) for the Kardashian-Jenner clan, which, of course is a brand so famous that you’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard of Kim Kardashian. That said, I think that for both good and ill, Caitlyn (and her broader family’s fame) colors the docu-series that she’s started on.

First, let me say that in one way, I feel that I’ve been training for recap duty here for years. As a pathetic but truthful confession, I’ve been watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians since its premiere in March of 2007 and all their assorted side series and specials. I think that amount of inanity is actually really helpful because I know a lot of Caitlyn’s family’s dynamics coming in. If you were only familiar with the Kardashian-Jenner clan via tabloids or whatever you hear on twitter, you might be lost a bit in the first episode. While the bulk of it does focus on Caitlyn’s relationship with her sister Pam as well as her first reveal of her true self to her mother, there are still visits from Kim and Kanye West as well as Caitlyn’s youngest daughter (and one of her two daughters with Kris Jenner), Kylie.

Second, I want to express that I’m a cis-woman so I know that I don’t understand fully some of these issues myself as I’ve never lived them, but I think that from watching friends and family deal with depression and suicidal issues, that some of what Caitlyn and the people she meets even in episode one say about their struggles resonates deeply. They’re working hard in this docu-series to try and keep the focus on some of the big, looming issues facing the transcommunity. So, before I review the episode proper, here are just a few facts to remind people about how it’s not just hard for everyone, but that there are very real life-and-death stakes here for the trans community. Whereas for the general population, there’s a rate of attempted suicide for 4.6% of the population, for the gay and lesbian community, it’s arond 20% but for transgender or non-conforming gender individuals, the rate can be as high as 41%. That means that trans and gender non-conforming individuals are at huge risk — ten times the risk for attempting suicide than others. They are also, especially transwomen of color, more likely to be victims of violent crimes. As of June 26, 2015, ten transwomen of color had been murdered in the U.S. Finally, they’re lible to be fired from their jobs due to gender discrimination and one study found they are far more likely to live in “extreme poverty.” Due to job discrimination and other factors, they’re far more likely (4x) to live on a means of less than 10,000 dollars (American) a year.

So this is the world in which activists and celebrities like Janet Mock and Laverne Cox have been working and fighting, and it’s here where Ms. Jenner, by her own admission, is both trying to find her place within her family as well as within the greater trans community.

Orange is the New Black’s Laverne Cox.

So per usual, I tend to break recaps down into the good and the bad and then discuss my overall verdict as opposed to blow by blows. Let’s begin, shall we?

The Good:

• First, I think that they chose a good approach to differentiate this show stylistically from Keeping Up With the Kardashians. It really is made in a documentary style with more handheld camera action as well as without music. There’s no cuts or graphics and it’s a quieter feel than the pandemonium and added bells and whistles of Cait’s former show. We’ll see if this means more direct authenticity in future eps.
• Second, part of the main events of the episode involve Caitlyn unveiling her new look and her authentic self to her mother for the first time. The anxiety Ms. Jenner feels is palpable and real, including her shaking hands before her mom and sisters come in. I think that it says a lot that even here, in her own home, Ms. Jenner goes out of her way to make her family feel comfortable and worries most about her family being upset around her. She says more than once to her mother and sisters, “It’s okay.”
• Third, I think it’s also interesting that as part of the adjustment process, Caitlyn brings in a psychologist, Dr. Susan P. Landon, to speak with her mother. Her mother has asked and it’s a way both for her mother to better understand the psychology as well as the truth of being transgender. It also helps reveal that to the audience who may not be as familiar with it from a psychological perspective. Dr. Landon works hard to convey and explain to Cait’s concerned mother that children as young as five understand that their perceived gender is different from societal norms and even then they may start adjusting and hiding. The doctor also stresses (and it won’t be the last time in this episode) how important gender pronouns and true names can be.”
• Cait’s mother struggles throughout the episode with pronoun choices and more than a few tears over seeing Cait’s makeover. She remarks to Dr. Landon, “It is overwhelming…I knew he [pronoun used in episode] was going to be dressed as a woman. I think he is a very good looking woman. He’s still Bruce.” Later, in a confessional style reveal to the camera, Cait’s mother continues, “I love him so much and I always will. It’s a lot of getting used to…I will.”

Caitlyn’s youngest biological daughter, Kylie

• Cait’s also a father (her choice of title) and grandfather. Some of the episode deals with her revealing her look for the first time to Kylie. Her youngest daughter comes over and they bond over blue hair extensions (no really) and old pictures of Grandma Jenner from the ‘40s. Again, after Kylie’s left, Caitlyn expresses her dismay. While her daughter is supportive over the phone and in person, she hasn’t visited much even when asked. (Neither have her stepchildren, Kourtney, Rob or Khloe.) She’s very worried that people may be kind to her face but behind her back going, “ Oh my god, that was so strange!”
• The other issue that Cait tries to address is suicide rates among the transgender community, including teens. She’s been bothered lately by three suicides in quick succession in San Diego and, with permission, goes to visit the family of teen Kyler Prescott who committed suicide. This is by far the most powerful part of the episode. Kyler’s mother was extremely supportive of her son. She recounts to Jenner that, “ I was so proud of him for working so hard to be his authentic self….I knew nothing about it when we started, but I had an open mind and an open heart…Unfortunately not all transgender teens get that.” Kyler’s mother went on to note that Kyler committed suicide a few days before his new birth certificate recognizing his real gender and name arrived.
• The Prescott family also makes the point that in Kyler’s (and others’ cases) that even family support is not enough when society is harassing and discriminating against them. She pointed out that for Kyler, bullying wasn’t even about other kids as much as “…adults not understanding. People not needing them to understand that he needed them to use a male pronoun.”

Kyler Prescott, one of three transgender teens to commit suicide in 2015 in San Diego

• Even Jenner in a moment of confession later to the camera admits that she, herself, struggled with the temptation to commit suicide, “ [Suicide is a] permanent solution for a temporary problem and the ones at risk are these young kids. It doesn’t need to happen. I know how these kids feel…I’ve been in my house with a gun and said ‘Let’s just end it right here…’ That struggle is real and I’ve been there.”
• Finally, she’s open that her story is not the only story and that she’s trying to learn how to be part of and integrate into the community.

The Bad

• You still can’t escape the Kardashian-like vapid nature of everything. There’s still a lot of emphasis on hair and make-up and looking good or, in other words, conventionally feminine. Ms. Jenner has a team for all of this, and even has outfits donated to her from designers like Diane Von Furstenberg. Again, this shows the disparity between Caitlyn’s situation and others. She’s wealthy. She’s attractive by heteronormative and cis standards because she can afford a team and all the surgeries to help her feminize. We do get that we’re only seeing one story of transition, but we’re seeing the optimal version currently, the one where wealth and influence (and free designer clothes) is making everything as easy as it could be.
• The pacing of the show could be better. Granted, most reality shows are “things that happen” but it can definitely be dull in places and going through the wardrobe closet with Kim or trying on hair extensions with Kylie is boring. However, since fashion is how Kardashians and Jenners can say “I love you,” then these girlie bonding moments with Caitlyn are important just in a very Kardashian way.
• Finally, I think that again there’s this emphasis in the show and, perhaps, in Ms. Jenner’s mind of what being a woman must be and, again that includes clothes and hair experiements as well as doing girlie things. During her first visit with Kylie, she says, “We’re doing make up and hair. Isn’t that more fun than sports and watching golf?” Again, it reinforces the only problematic dichotomy that sports are for manly men and dress up is for women. For a show that wants to smash through barriers, this is beyond problematic.

Showing off the wardrobe bounty with stepdaughter Kim.

The Verdict

• Overall, I think Ms. Jenner’s show shows promise. She’s open with the privilege she’s been afforded and also adamant that she’s here to learn and respect others’ individual journeys. She’s also very honest about the fact that she’s not here to represent the one true trans narrative and that there are so many issues in the community (suicide, discrimination, violence) that she is trying to help work towards helping.
• The show does best when its honest and relatablewhen you see her fear before meeting her mother and daughter, or when she goes to Kyler’s family to learn more and show how adversely affected transgender teens are by discrimination and bullying and likely to encounter both violence and struggle with suicidal urges.
• The part that drags are the “rich people” problems or celebrations of Ms. Jenner with her designer clothes or hair extension parties. To be fair, that’s part of her experience too. Part of being of the Kardashian-Jenner clan is the wealth and fringe benefits (like designer duds). It’s harder to relate to or care about, especially when, in general, transgender individuals are so much more likely to struggle with poverty.

Caitlyn as she greets her mother and sisters

• I think overall, that “I Am Cait” is a B first effort that alternately makes you cry over the stories of young lives lost but also makes you roll your eyes at the designer duds dropped on her doorstep. Worth a continued watch to see how it evolves.

All images are property of E! networks

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