Why 'I Am Cait' is an unwatchable mess - and how to fix it

[Willowicious]

Why 'I Am Cait' is an unwatchable mess

David Kaufman
NY Post
August 6, 2015 | 2:26pm

http://nypost.com/2015/08/06/why-i-am-cait-is-an-unwatchable-mess-and-how-to-fix-it/

"Barely two weeks since its debut, E!'s "I Am Cait" is already in serious trouble.
While tabloid interest in and social media chatter about Caitlyn Jenner may remain strong, actual viewer numbers are down — way down! — suggesting that TV's great transgender hope might actually be a dud on arrival."

[suzifrommd]

I read this article through, and having watched only a few minutes of the first episode, I have to agree. I saw no reason to keep watching. There needs to be tension or curiosity to keep me in front of the TV and I didn't feel either of them when I was watching. For her sake, I hope she manages to inject one or both of those, or I feel it will be short-lived.

[Tysilio]

I found the Diane Sawyer interview very moving -- there was some genuine truth and struggle in what Jenner and the family members had to say, and some valuable information as well.

The reality show, not so much. I watched the first episode, and it came off as very forced, trying to be all things to all people. You can either do "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," or you can do earnest activism and education, but trying to combine them doesn't work. I admire Ms. Jenner for her courage (although I'd like to think she might say, as I have, "It's not courage, I just want to survive"), but she doesn't, um, have a dynamic, charismatic presence.

In particular, her "activism" seems very scripted, and I think she's dangerously close to coming off as some sort of white savior, Lady Bountiful type -- which I would find profoundly offensive.

I doubt that I'll watch the show again.

[Arch]

Just reading the one-line episode descriptions in my TV listings was a bore. However, out of curiosity (and, I suppose, some twisted sense of trans duty) I watched a couple of minutes of a couple of episodes, and I cannot imagine watching any more than that.

I watched some stretches of that other recent show--the one about Jazz--and hated it, too. No offense to Jazz herself, but I find her and her family profoundly annoying as characters/screen personalities, and watching a full show would be pretty excruciating. Other people seem to like that show, so maybe I'm just a curmudgeon. I'm not much for reality shows anyway; I watch TV shows to ESCAPE reality. These types of shows just seem to be reality on steroids, with certain unpleasant human elements highly accentuated and a dose of surrealism thrown in.

[RavenL]

I've managed to watch the first three episodes so far. And five minutes in I'm already checking my phone. As Tysilio said it comes across as forced. Plus I can't stand the Kardashians anyway.

[Evolving Beauty]

Did you see how SICKENING the comments were below?  No wonder why many will still prefer remain stealth cos this is how sickening the real society is outside. I let the stronger girls go pave way for us all cos me I really can't when I see comments are such seriously.

[Laura_7]

Did you see how SICKENING the comments were below?  No wonder why many will still prefer remain stealth cos this is how sickening the real society is outside. I let the stronger girls go pave way for us all cos me I really can't when I see comments are such seriously.

Don't forget that this is a minority... civilized and mature people don't act that way...

[ErinS]

It's simply a trans-themed Kardashian spin off that reeks of inauthenticity.

Like Caitlyn, I happen to be a white transwoman that transitioned from a conservative, very successful male with a generally supportive family, and with more than sufficient assets that transition is simply not a problem. Unlike Caitlyn, I fully grasp how lucky I am and how rare my story is.

[Serenation]

I've seen 3 eps, I like the show. The second and third were much different than the first one, so don't judge it on the first one.

I don't watch the Kardashians or have any interest in them so I have to disagree with the articles suggestions.

[Serena]

I don't like it neither, and her wealthy white privileged status as an activist neither, Im sorry but she looks so lost in the conversations, etc... Her activism seems really scripted. I'd rather her the stories of the trans women who struggled that she encountered, than Caitlyn reaction as she learns of these from her privileged shocked point of view. Im sorry to say but even just the fact of talking about her having voice surgery etc... It's so bad, literally she had so much surgery is such a small amount of time, and so many other trans women can't even do that, and have been out for way more years that she has. Or when she said that some trans women may be abusing government assistance so they don't have to work.... I just can't support this person. I am happy that she's happy, but I'm tired that now people have this thing Trans movement -> Caitlyn Jenner, she did nothing, and I don't want her as a spokesperson, I wish she would uplift other voices instead.

You know don't get me wrong, I don't care if her voice doesn't sound feminine or about her mannerism, I think that's fine, and we shouldn't be policing about someone transition.

[BunnyBee]

I guess I'm the one person that likes it.  Though the thing I liked best was the trans advocates she took on her road trip with her and if they are gone now, idk!  I find Caitlyn to be big-hearted and wanting to do the right thing, but when her elitism rears it's head she almost loses me.

[bwr]

I enjoyed watching "becoming us" far more than I am cait. Anyone else follow it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Emily R]

I keep watching "I am Cait" because of the subject and how it affects me since I am a transgender woman, but it is neither an entertaining show nor it grabs your attention.  Having said that, she is really trying to be helpful to all of us in our transition and I do give her a KUDOS for not making the show an attention grabber money making venture like the other show with her family.

I have been watching the ads during the show and they are mostly about upcoming shows and not commercial products, meaning that either companies are afraid to advertise or they feel there is no market shares.

I really hope that "I am Cait" finds a happy medium which makes it attractive to non-trangender individuals.

I really believe that "Becoming Us" had to be either scripted or such a rare number of coincidences that amazes me!  You had Carly, the transgender mother of the girlfriend and also the  transgender brother of the best friend girlfriend!   But it was interesting and kept you attention and waiting for more, not so with Caitlan, unfortunately from what I read it seems that "becoming us" will not be renewed.

There is hope as I saw here at Susans's that the BBC is starting a show about a couple in which she is transgender and older and hopefully sooner rather than later it will cross the pond to us.

Its only my personal opinion and I am not in the business in any way.

Emily

[cindianna_jones]

I kinda sorta wanted to watch it when my mother scrolled through the program guide and I thought I saw something interesting in the name "Cait." I really would have liked to have watched it so I asked mom for the controller and I scrolled to the description. Mom had several snide comments to make and then asked me if I wanted to watch it in sort of a snotty way. I handed her back the controller and said "no, please watch what you'd like."

Okay, it's her home and her television. I don't have a problem with what she watches but dang... it has been thirty years. In many ways she is so wonderful but once in a while really pulls one out of the hat like this that is quite hurtful.

I haven't followed anything about Cait. I've seen her photo on the tabloids at the stores and that's it. 

Michelle

[DriftingCrow]

I don't like it neither, and her wealthy white privileged status as an activist neither, Im sorry but she looks so lost in the conversations, etc... Her activism seems really scripted. I'd rather her the stories of the trans women who struggled that she encountered, than Caitlyn reaction as she learns of these from her privileged shocked point of view. Im sorry to say but even just the fact of talking about her having voice surgery etc... [. . .] Or when she said that some trans women may be abusing government assistance so they don't have to work.... I just can't support this person. I am happy that she's happy, [. . .]

I don't have a TV so haven't watched any episodes. I was planning on watching some online if they ever got posted somewhere to see what it was like -- when she first came out, I was afraid it'd be some Kardashian-like show that just made everything into some twisted rotten view of reality, and her "oh I never realized how much pressure women are under to look beautiful before" just rubbed me the wrong way (like, you haven't talked to women before? you haven't read feminist literature before? ? ?), but wanted to try giving her the benefit of the doubt. 

A few weeks ago though I saw a clip of her having a discussion with trans* activists and Cait's comments were completely sickening and shows how out of the loop she is on the realities of other trans people's lives.  With how clueless she was and her insinuations that some transwomen who are on social support are lazy and on it by choice, to me, shows that she has no ability to be an activist other than for super wealthy and white trans women.  If she can't understand why people have to be on social welfare programs, then she doesn't understand why some people have to do other things - like go into prostitution or buy black-market HRT, etc. to survive. 

Maybe what I've seen has only been the negative, but I am glad I don't have TV and won't be looking to stream any episodes or clips online.  From what I have seen, like Serena says, I am glad she's happy but Cait doesn't speak for me and she has a lot of work to do if she ever wants to be an activists that helps the must vulnerable in the transgender community.