Welcome to our final episode on Season 1 of Netflix’s amazing Untold series. This round, we discuss perhaps the most famous subject in the entire anthology: Caitlyn Jenner. Before listening, however, we want to note that the gender dynamics and politics in this episode get unusually complex. We have no issue referring to individuals in whatever manner they prefer. Diversification and differentiation in gender, sexual orientation, and identity are values we fully support. That said, Caitlyn Jenner is a unique case that deserves to be treated on unique terms. Caitlyn herself “deadnames” / refers to her former self as Bruce. She speaks of the past iteration of herself as if he were a separate individual/identity/self — providing intimate insights into Bruce’s inner subjective life while also noting a sense of current alienation from that identity. Our goal was thus less worried about upholding popular dictums or norms so much as respecting the example set by Caitlyn herself. If acceptance is the willingness to treat everyone as they wish, Caitlyn’s particularized identity deserves to be recognized as she defines it — fashionable or unfashionable as her own choices and gender classifications may be. Even so, during the editing process, I noticed a few pronoun mistakes within these parameters. These were mere performative lapses — on-air mistakes. Nothing more, nothing less. We apologize proactively. Pronoun politics aside, Untold: Caitlyn Jenner offers a fascinating character study of a multidisciplinary personality and exceptional soul — a closeted trans woman, a meat & potatoes former midwesterner with a conservative Christian upbringing, a former Athlete of the World. That’s right — Bruce Jenner’s epic Gold medal decathlon performance during the 1976 Montreal Olympics won him the title to trump all titles. Unless, one argues being awarded Athlete of the Year for the courage of coming out as a trans icon is a superior accolade. Both are pretty remarkable, and worthy of our admiration and attention.
