Well! How do you like THAT! Reality TV has gotten me again. But THIS time the underdog character, the sort of unhip, laughable, ponytailed side-character… the unimportant one if you will, has COMPLETELY STOLEN THE SHOW!
At least for me.
The Kardashians, God love ’em, have built this huge multi-media empire on the most frivolous and transient subjects: fashion, beauty, club appearances, flying around the world, and like, hair extensions. (Don’t get me wrong, I love ALL those Hot Topics and they ALL have their place in life, but the Ks take on things is so wispy thin and insubstantial as to just be, like, well… it doesn’t take up ANY space in your brain.)
So this whole time, apparently all 8 years that this show has been on the air, the emotional tone has been self-absorbed, glib, occasionally vulgar, and very, very insular. Most of the scenes are filmed in one of their huge houses in So California, and involves their latest marital or professional escapades, and they all seem to live in just their own little worlds of wealth, access, and entitlement. And the whole MACHINE runs on moving through things FAST… they will have a meltdown-y melodramatic moment about something and then, as they like to say repeatedly “It’s, like, SOOO time to move on.”
Now a storyline has emerged that, like, nobody saw coming. One that is so big, so freakin important that they have had to have TWO special episodes and a Diane Sawyer interview just to cope with! The patriarch of this entrepreneurial clan, the out-of-step but likeable Dad, will soon be living publicly as a WOMAN!!!!
Now I am old enough to remember Bruce Jenner on the Wheaties box. Arguably, one of THE top male athletes of our time. OLYMPIC athlete in all those intense and uber-masculine events. (I mean discus throwing?? Who even DOES that?) He is so familiar in THAT arena that this news really throws you back.
And the fascinating thing to watch is the juxtaposition of this Superficial Franchise Operation dealing with such a… well, let’s be honest, WTF kind of situation. Because they’ve had to show, like, REAL EMOTION. And tolerance. Not to mention delicacy!
All the Kardashian/Jenner kids obviously adore Bruce, and he gets so tickled and excited when talking about his future… letting his hair grow, painting his nails, putting on cute clothes… he is SWEET and SINCERE and GOOFY and… well…it is like, SO MOVING! This man that we all thought we knew… we had a category for him: All-American Olympic Hero… he has been living with a huge and painful secret his WHOLE LIFE… and now, at the age of 65, he has the courage to change everything about himself… well I just thought to myself:
“Huh! So the REAL story of the Kardashians has been going on between-the-lines and off-camera this whole freakin time!”
Wow. Good luck Bruce… we’ll try to Keep Up…
Hilton Head 29928 
Pretty much my exact thoughts. Simplistically, I was thinking what a fine specimen of testosterone he was when I had such a crush in the late 70s. How little I liked him since the Kardashian crap began. How much respect I have for him through this interview. How brave he is.
I liked your words and perspective. I enjoy all your stories.
Thanks Candy! So delighted that you take the time to read my blog! BTW, there is a little gray FOLLOW button on the right-hand side… if you enter your email address it will let you know when I have added a new post. 🙂
Well Said!!! As much as the Kardashions have been sell-outs, I have been forced to re-think their branding when it comes to Bruce and I find my-self to believing that they might be more favorable and loyal in character , especially when it comes to family. The question that still remains for me: Are they sincere or just more brilliant in this publicity …or both?.
Good question! Realistically, I think it is a bit of both. They DO love him and yet NEVER miss an opportunity for publicity. In this case, all the publicity may actually do some good, and is well-timed in light of the more public emergence of the transgender community in general.
Love it Leslie!! So very true! Like he said in his interview- he had “the story” the whole time!!!
I’ve never watched The Real Housewives but still found this very interesting. It’s really good how your are able to take things somewhat out of context and for it still to be interesting and make sense to people like me.
Hey thanks Nikolas! When you are here this summer you may have an opportunity to catch up on all the American Reality TV characters and villains… NOT! 😉
I haven’t watched these shows, but I’m fascinated by the Bruce story. If only the Ks weren’t on it….
Haha! True dat! Keeping Up With the Kardashians was always kinda good to watch if it was a rainy day, you’re feeling lazy, let’s say even a “sick day”, and you just don’t have the mental energy to do anything else. But now Bruce has ELEVATED the whole friggin thing to a level of significant social activism! What?! Who knew?