‘Collateral damage’ in Caitlyn Jenner’s flight to freedom
CAITLYN Jenner, or the Olympian formerly known as Bruce Jenner, will star in a new docu series “I Am Cait” on E! Channel starting July 26. AP
In most of the media accounts about Caitlyn Jenner’s decision to “transition” from male to female, her courage and determined quest for her true nature and essence are highlighted.
Recently on the Jenner-Kardashian family’s reality TV show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” however, a series of telecasts showed former wife Kris and their “shared” children’s point of view on the controversial topic—and it was most instructively, quite different.
At times, Kris even accused Jenner of keeping her in the dark too long about the latter’s plan to become the woman she always felt she was, in her innermost core. While Kris understood her ex-husband’s conflicted feelings, she also felt that, as the wife, she was entitled to be told more about the impending change of gender.
Gradual revelations
The fact that Kris found out about it only later deeply hurt her, and she felt betrayed!
Jenner in turn protested that she didn’t want to hurt the people she loved most, especially her ex, so she made the revelations in gradual increments. But it was clear from Kris’ painful outburst that Jenner did not succeed in her “kind and loving” objective.
This was the cautionary message that the series of televised confrontations between the former spouses imparted to viewers: In wanting to be finally happy and free, “shielding” our loved ones from the encroaching truth could inadvertently turn them into hapless “collateral damage” in our quest for liberation.
So, the earlier they’re brought up to date on our personal decisions that directly or even tangentially involve them, the better.
As for the ex-couple’s children, the Kardashians, who were older, were better able to emotionally get a grip on their own conflicted feelings. They kept reminding themselves that, whatever deficiencies Jenner may have had in the other areas of life, she was a great adoptive dad who helped them a lot to get over their birth father’s early demise.
Resident stylist
In fact, Kim Kardashian ended up understanding her adoptive dad’s decision to finally claim her female-hood that the reality star even offered to become the latter’s stylist!
They went through Jenner’s wardrobe of women’s clothes, shoes and makeup doodads—and a new kind of bond was forged!
It was different with Jenner’s natural children, Kylie and Kendall, now rising superstars themselves in the fields of fashion, merchandising and reality TV. They felt more hurt and vulnerable, now that the father figure in their lives had turned out to be—not quite. But, it was still made clear to them that her feelings for them hadn’t changed one bit.
It was also pointed out to both family members and the show’s viewers that the fact that Jenner wanted to fully become a woman did not necessarily mean that she had been lesbian all along. It’s much more complicated than that: A cross-dresser is not ipso facto homosexual in his or her emotive and erotic makeup—so, Kris should not think that, when she and Jenner were making love, her husband was faking it all along.
Yes, it’s complicated, but that could be one good outcome of Jenner’s much-publicized “flight to freedom,” that people will be encouraged to think beyond facile stereotypes, and go to the genuine heart of the matter, not just its obvious erotic and exotic ramifications.
