The Bruce Jenner Interview

I'm surprised nobody has posted about this already. Who else watched the Bruce Jenner interview with Diane Sawyer last night? It's the first time he's publicly admitted he's transgender, and will be transitioning to live as a woman. http://abcnews.go.com/2020

It was really more of a 2-hour special than an interview, with an in-depth look at transgender issues. I thought it was extremely well done. No matter what you think of the Kardashian clan and all that comes with it, this is groundbreaking. 

Barking in that fake Bronx accent is not very convincing  

I thought it was very moving, powerful, courageous and important, and agree it was well done. He seemed very calm at this stage of his life (I remember him so well from Olympic days), and I was glad to see the relief he felt to go public with what was so clearly a life long struggle. So glad to see the support he has from his family (amazing story about Kanye and Kim). Some of the things he said were so touching and educational: how it would be terrible to die without experiencing what life would be like in this personna; the hope to help others be who they are; difference between gender identity and sexuality.

Agreed. Touching and sad and beautifully done. My heart breaks for him all those lost years. He kept himself inside for decades because he didn't want to hurt his kids. So wonderful that those same kids are so incredibly loving and supportive. And I thought his mother was awesome. Not sure why but I was surprised by his story in many ways (hormones to start transition 30 years ago?!?!) and I came away much more moved than I expected to be.

I agree I came out feeling more moved then ever. Never felt he was being fake at all. I felt bad he held in for all these years. But I felt Kris Jenner could of at least given a comment to say the least even if she lies at least say you wish him well like his 2 previous wives who you know mean it. She obviously knew all along so to act like as if she's "poor little heart broken shocked Kris" is BS. I hope he finds peace now and helps others who may be suicidal. Also Kuddo's too Kanye who I always hated but now have a little respect for.

I was waiting to watch it until it was clear it wouldn't be really negative or sensationalized. I'm so glad they finally came out, and I think this could be really great for both Bruce, their family and the community. I'm looking forward to watching it later tonight.

@nymets, Kris Jenner tweeted that she was never asked to comment and they were watching as a family. Who knows if true but anyway. 

The whole family had really supportive tweets right after, including Kris. They collectively have a huge platform so their positive public face is incredibly important will hopefully open some minds and hearts. 

Eta: 

@KrisJenner: Not only was I able to call him my husband for 25 years and father of my children, I am now able to call him my hero.

Also just to be clear, Bruce asked that the male pronoun still be used in the context of the interview and surrounding stories, so that was addressed and the family's comments are in keeping with that. 

If this is true that kiddo's too Kris

TarheelsInNj said:

@nymets, Kris Jenner tweeted that she was never asked to comment and they were watching as a family. Who knows if true but anyway. 

The whole family had really supportive tweets right after, including Kris. They collectively have a huge platform so their positive public face is incredibly important will hopefully open some minds and hearts. 

Eta: 

@KrisJenner: Not only was I able to call him my husband for 25 years and father of my children, I am now able to call him my hero.

Interesting interview.  I thought both he and Dianne did very well.  

The body language he used when discussing his ex Kris Jenner was very interesting.  Maybe a marriage of convenience for both of them?

Finally, and not to put a damper on this but how will our society deal with the economics of this issue?  If someone feels they need to go through the surgery is it considered medically necessary or cosmetic surgery, no different than say a woman having a breast enlargement or a man having a penis extension.  I'm grappling with this issue.  Celebrities like Jenner have lots of money to have any surgical procedure they desire, plus they are immune from the social backlash and employment and social prejudices but what about all the others who don't have these advantages?  It seems to me a huge struggle for those people.

Is there somewhere that you can view the entire interview online?  I saw excerpts, but from some of the above posts, I don't think I saw it all.

touba said:

Interesting interview.  I thought both he and Dianne did very well.  

The body language he used when discussing his ex Kris Jenner was very interesting.  Maybe a marriage of convenience for both of them?

Finally, and not to put a damper on this but how will our society deal with the economics of this issue?  If someone feels they need to go through the surgery is it considered medically necessary or cosmetic surgery, no different than say a woman having a breast enlargement or a man having a penis extension.  I'm grappling with this issue.  Celebrities like Jenner have lots of money to have any surgical procedure they desire, plus they are immune from the social backlash and employment and social prejudices but what about all the others who don't have these advantages?  It seems to me a huge struggle for those people.

I think the opposite about he and Kris. He basically said they'd still be married if she was able to support him as he transitioned. I think there is love there on both sides and I think his love for her and his girls (all his kids but especially the youngest) probably made him try to keep his secret these past 10 or 20 years, even longer than he would have otherwise. It seemed to me that his decision to transition was the major thing that broke them up and I think that's fair. She can support him as a friend as she seems to be doing but I suppose she has every right to decide she doesn't want to be married to him as a woman. They both seem sad that they broke up, really.

sac said:

Is there somewhere that you can view the entire interview online?  I saw excerpts, but from some of the above posts, I don't think I saw it all.

 I'll bet they'll run it again before they release it elsewhere.

conandrob

He stated that he would cross-dress in front of Kris and she didn't seem fazed by it.  I think at one point he said that one day she just looked at him and said "ok, when are you going to get your regular clothes on", or something to that effect.  I'm too lazy to rewind the DVR.  I understand that different couples have different relationships but I thought that little snippet was very telling in terms of how she viewed his other life.  Either she was a wife in serious denial or just figured this was something that she had to put up with (he of course was well-established and wealthy by the time they met).  

At one point in the interview, he mentioned he needed to "get a beard", his reference to remarrying.  I thought that was a really strange thing to say given he stated that he was not gay (claims he has never had sex with men) nor is he attracted to men but it's kind of understood that gay guys use this term when they are closeted and need to have a wife for their career or public image.  Interesting slip there.  

Last point: towards the end he told Diane that he wasn't sure he'd go through the full procedure.  Again, the body language when he said this was very interesting.  For those who saw it, you can arrive at your own conclusions, but I felt a very palpable resistance on his part and perhaps some doubts.   So is this some kind of publicity stunt for the Kardashian brand, he claims no very early on but the question makes me wonder.  I'm not disputing by any means his gender issues; he clearly articulated that and various people confirmed what was happening for several decades, I just hope that Bruce is not using this for other motives.  That would be sad for many reasons

No matter how you slice it, it is abundantly clear how much he loves all of those kids. The affection in his voice for Kimberly and Khloe was deep and sincere. And the pain in his eyes as he described why he kept his secret for so long because of fear of hurting any one of them was very real and very raw. I think they are all reacting and supporting the way that works for  them. The beauty is it seems he is deeply loved by many. I am no huge Kardashians fans but I think I respect all of them more after all of this. Any of them could have ruined his reveal and taken the limelight from him by commenting at any point but they all let him do it his way and stayed in the background. For all the "yuck" that they are, I think they are handling this as best as they can.

I think of all the things one could possibly do for publicity, this might be the lowest on the list that I can think of. Considering trans women are commonly subjected to not only ridicule but abuse, it seems unlikely someone would come forward with it so publicly purely to be famous. He has much to lose as he has to gain here. 

I doubt that anyone still thinks it's for publicity after last night's interview. Silly anyone did but with the Kardashians circus, I guess it was feasible it was some sort of gimmick or at least going to be a disgusting spectacle. After that interview, it was more than clear that this is real and has been a struggle for him his entire life. 

I had to come back to this thread to say how utterly impressed I am with the way this whole thing is being handled and portrayed.  I always found the KUWTK show to be painfully ridiculous but this special airing last night and tonight is really beautifully done.  So touching and raw and honest.  Really heartbreaking especially with Kris. I can imagine what this is going to do for thousands of families.  Really important stuff.  And I am really in awe of both Bruce's bravery and his beautiful devotion to his family. 

I haven't seen the special yet, but the truth is it would be much easier for them not to do this. They could have easily distanced themselves from Bruce - "we don't agree with his choices, it's not natural" or whatever they wanted to say - and they also certainly do not have to put any of this on TV. I realize their whole lives are on TV, but they have control over that as well. (For example, you hardly ever see Kim's baby on the show because Kanye isn't comfortable with it... you don't see him either) 

He's their father and they love him. I don't think it was ever even a thought in their mind to distance from him. Their bond and love is so deep and real- it is extremely touching. The rawness of their pain was heartbreaking. Especially Kris- the comparison to a "death"  was so spot on- I really felt for them. Kris is a heartbroken woman still in love. Watch it. Very moving.

But that's kind of my point. They're showing their true family relationships, without calculating the PR side of things. It would have been far easier not to. Hence the bravery. 

I thought the interview was sad and fascinating. 

I thought Bruce was the most private of the Family Circus. Now I understand that his metamorphosis will be televised and I strongly disagree with that. If he were a single man, no children, then great, but he's not. This publicity will come back to haunt him and his children in the worse way. 

Kris Jenner is a viper (and a pimp). I don't believe she didn't know about Bruce's cross dressing. Two previous wives knew but not her? His girls walked in on him a few times but yet she didn't know? I call BS on her. Kris is a horrible woman who's all about money and fame. This will be her demise.

I can respect televising the transition in some ways because I hope it will open minds for the sake of other people who are making the same journey. Perhaps seeing Jenner go through this will make it easier for many others, and expand the consciousness of those who might have treated them badly otherwise? Well, that's my hope, anyway.

But it's really difficult not to see it as a money-making proposition for a family that has shown itself only too willing to live life in a fish bowl for the sake of notoriety and cash. Part of me is cringing at the same time another part of me wants to respect his choice and honor who he really is.

The whole thing makes me deeply uncomfortable. Not because he is making the transgender journey, but because of all the queasiness I fell at all things Jenner/Kardashian. That family goes straight to a deeply cynical spot in my being. I don't trust anything any of them does to be genuine.

She never said she didn't know about the cross dressing. She absolutely did but thought (either because he wasn't honest or because she didn't want to believe it or maybe a combo of both) it was about that not about him wanting to become a woman. She seems to me to be genuinely heartbroken over "losing" Bruce, mourning him and their marriage in some ways like he has died. To me, that part was really raw and real and deeply moving.

As for the public piece, I think about this in a few ways. Good for him for not hiding anymore. Great for transgenderism no matter why he's doing it. Even if one person decides not to commit suicide because of all this, it seems worth it. And, he's got to know the public would have hunted him endlessly and even more so if he did it privately. I think his publicist is spot on so far in how this is being handled. If I were him, I'd probably draw the line at another special introducing "her" with a plea to be left alone and not go the reality show route.

I think that's a really good point, that ultimately it would be "public" anyway. And for a family who lives their lives on TV, if he did NOT put it out there it might have come off as something he or the family is ashamed of. So that's a difficult call for sure, but come on... no one is going to undergo gender reassignment surgery for money. This is a real and significant thing, and it WILL raise awareness about this issue. So ultimately, who cares if they're making money off it too? Does that actually make a difference? The thing is still going to happen, which is the transition, and it's raising the public conversation about this very confusing and misunderstood issue already.

Don't get me wrong...I don't think anyone would undergo the process for money, but I think it's possible that having the entire thing on television might have some profit aspect to it. Yeah, that's cynical, and I also agree that it's a good way for them to control the message, but there's a little voice in my head that still wonders about the other possibilities. I can't help thinking that. It's the Kardashians. My thoughts about that family are 95% cynical. Maybe more. I'm sorry if that offends people who might believe they are wonderful and disingenuous. I just can't feel that way about them.

I don't think there is anyone who thinks they are wonderful. I think they are bunch of idiots. That doesn't mean I can't have some admiration for the way they are handling this and putting their emotions out there.

I don't think it matters much if they also profit off of it. The end result is the same- huge raising of awareness that will probably cause a dramatic shift in how transgendered are perceived and received. How can that be bad?