I AM CAIT: NOT WORTH THE WAIT

I've never watched any Kardashians show in it's entirety, but I did give Caitlyn's show a shot last night. I'm not a fan of reality TV in general, but is this really what people settle for as entertainment nowadays? Such a snooze! And here's a hint--if adding teal hair extensions is as eventful as the "plot" gets, they might have wanted to save all the slightly interesting/funny/touching moments to debut on the show. All of them had already been seen on repeat in the teaser. The chat with the mom, the sports bra joke, the teary "I just want her to be proud of her daddy" and the "Mom already has this dress" look through the closet with Kim. Don't show it to me in advance and then show it again stretched out into an hour and expect praise.

Maybe some of you may feel a connection with Bruce from the Kardashian shows and that makes his transition more interesting to you. Having never seen him as Bruce on those shows, Caitlyn strikes me as a sweet, likable goof. And for people who've had no exposure to trans anything, I guess this show can serve as a Transsexualism 101 and dig into it's many challenges from suicide to family tensions. The last people to evolve on many issues are straight men. By seeing a sports hero who they idolized in their youth dealing with a core change like this, guys are forced to acknowledge that even someone who seemed to have everything may be struggling with something as deep-seated and unsettling as gender identity. This isn't just anyone announcing that they were born in the wrong body. This is a famed Olympian who dudes may have had a poster on their wall of. I don't have to enjoy the TV show to welcome this dialogue. Unfortunately for the show, Caitlyn doesn't seem to have much of a struggle. It would make for better TV if she did. Can't they at least throw in a cat fight with Kris? Trainwrecks, not well adjusted people, rack up reality ratings.

A central theme is Caitlyn's desire to shed light on the tough life that trans people face. She visits the home of a family of a trans teen who has committed suicide. To get there, she switches cars 3 times and even lays down in the back of one to avoid the paparazzi. Caitlyn claims that photos of her are now going for $250,000 a pop. Just a hint: maybe luxury SUVs might attract less attention? Again, America has let reality TV flourish and nothing much really happens on it so you may be used to this. But taking 3 cars to chat with a family whose child has already committed suicide? I think I'd rather see Caitlyn learn of an impending suicide, bust into athlete mode and snatch a trans kid away from a cliff they were about to jump off. But that would require writers with an imagination. Instead, we got to see the star attend a memorial service for the lost teen. Just a thought--maybe save a trans teen who is still alive? I guess that didn't fit in with their shooting schedule.

Throughout the show and in interviews, Caitlyn asserts that she wants to help the LGBT community she's recently joined. A self-described Christian Republican wants to eradicate the negative messages that both her church and her political party help to spread and create the very negative attitudes which drive GLBT kids to suicide? Then she needs to also transition out the the Republican party, because they actively slam GLBT rights as a way to gin up their bigoted base. They're busy right now sending out newsletters about how trans women flock to ladies rooms to molest women and children. So if Caitlyn really is going to be an activists for GLBT causes, publicly denounce the GOP, take a few $250,000 a pop photos and donate the money to a party which actually supports GLBT equality. Otherwise, her claims to be an activist make no sense. Don't ask me to support your journey while your votes and your faith regularly spit on the rights of my community. Oh, and as a christian, I know Caitlyn will give away most of the money she makes and urge her super-wealthy family to do the same. Because any good christian knows Matthew 19:24--"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

I'd definitely tune in to see Caitlyn turning her $3.5 million Malibu home into a shelter for homeless transgender teens and chastising Kim and Kris for "leaking" that sex tape in the name of Christ. Until then, we've got a new Kardashian star with an irritating voice who just isn't very entertaining. And Caitlyn is as sincere an activist as Kim is a talent.