Series review: In reality, Cait is a drag
Caitlyn Jenner is the most famous transgender woman in the world. Her Vanity Fair cover story catapulted her, inadvertently or not, into the unenviable position of global transgender affairs ambassador, and, judging from her reality show, I am Cait, it is a responsibility she takes seriously. She accepts this burden in the first few moments of the show, sighing to herself, "What a responsibility I have", worrying about the plight of people in her position and wondering aloud whether or not she is portraying the correct image.The show goes on to document Caitlyn's first meeting with her mother and sisters. These women are all already quite advanced in age, so you would expect explaining her transition and the reasons behind it to them would be like squeezing custard from a diamond. But, despite the odd nonplussed look, the Jenner Golden Girls take the news in their stride.It seems that, once you reach the other side of 60, stressing too much about things outside of your control is likely to activate your life insurance policy, so you don't.I Am Cait is not a typical reality show. It meanders between being educational, ostensibly moving and responsible in a way that makes it feel more like a documentary broken up into digestible parts. This is probably why its US ratings have been poor.During her Keeping Up With Kardashians days as Bruce Jenner, Caitlyn was never really the person you tuned in to see.In among all of the tears and semi-scripted tomfoolery that made that show popular, Bruce was always the level-headed extra who seemed to have fortuitously stumbled into a recurring role.None of that level-headedness has disappeared; instead it's been channelled into something more important than resolving domestic disputes about who stole whose favourite dress. The result is that despite I Am Cait's noble intentions, the show comes off as beige and a little preachy.The fault for this doesn't lie with Caitlyn but the format. Reality TV has built a castle on a foundation of cat fights, tears and general vapidity. In this way it is a lot like smoking. We know it's bad for us but sometimes a shot of nicotine, tar and lord knows what else straight to the lungs is what we need to feel good. I Am Cait more closely resembles a post-new year diet. It's the kind of sombre and healthy viewing that might make you a better person, but it does little to titillate your viewing taste buds.I Am Cait airs on Sundays at 8pm on DStv channel 124What others say:Beneath the soft-focus suds and the sparkle of A-list drop-ins, there are serious, moving and honest moments. - Jane Mulkerrins, thetelegraph.co.ukA fake, forced, boring reality TV show. - Daisy Wyatt, The IndependentA TV show with noble motives that slams into dullness. - Willa Paskin, Slate..
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