Vanity

Everyone seems to be talking about Caitlyn Jenner. The internet and TV talk shows are plastering her Vanity Fair photo on all their feeds.

All I can think of is the Amanda Marshall song; Everybody’s Got a Story That Will Break Your Heart.

How come Caitlyn Jenner has become the poster child for transgendered people?

Haven’t we seen this before? It’s not new? Chaz Bono, Alexis Arquette, Janet Mock. Bruce Jenner did not invent this. But he certainly has the ways and means to promote his journey.

And how much trouble am I going to be in for not joining in and applauding the effort?

How tough was it to get Vanity Fair to hire Annie Leibowitz to take the photo while you were surrounded by the best people for wardrobe and make-up. Really, how tough was that? It’s not like you were going to lose your job, friends or family. You would still have millions of dollars if the picture failed. It was not a brave move.

Bruce and Caitlyn were always going to survive.

I would have been impressed if Caitlyn funneled some of her millions of dollars to start a foundation to help transgender people live without fear. I would have been shocked if Caitlyn had persuaded her stupidly rich family members to join the crusade.

Somewhere there is a lost soul who has a factory job surrounded by a bunch of guys. Maybe the greatest fear is to go to a drugstore and buy an eyelash curler and mascara, sit alone in a basement suite and dress up your face. And maybe a deeper burden is that you remove all the makeup before your friends see a smudge and guess your secret. Deep down inside you know you would lose everything if anyone saw the real you.

Everybody has a story that would break your heart, and most will never appear on the cover of Vanity Fair.

9 replies
  1. Deb
    Deb says:

    This paragraph really says it all:

    “Somewhere there is a lost soul who has a factory job surrounded by a bunch of guys. Maybe the greatest fear is to go to a drugstore and buy an eyelash curler and mascara, sit alone in a basement suite and dress up your face. And maybe a deeper burden is that you remove all the makeup before your friends see a smudge and guess your secret. Deep down inside you know you would lose everything if anyone saw the real you.”

    Why should people have to live in such fear?!?!

    Reply
  2. Lin
    Lin says:

    I hear what you’re saying, Tricia, and understand where you’re coming from. All the “little guys” are important too, and often seem to have no visibility, and little support. The “big guys” get so much (unearned?) attention. But I am going to branch off here, and say the visibility and notoriety of the “famous” or pseudo famous are a big help to the little guy, I believe. They bring a lot of public attention to these over-looked or distained issues, maybe open some eyes, some minds, some hearts, and in the end help the little guys a lot. (Like Ellen Degeneres, out, proud, normal) ❤️

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload the CAPTCHA.