I feel for him. A person's mind must be an awful mess to lead them to do such things. I hope he gets a rest from whatever demons are torturing him.

+1

I'm as liberal as they come, and I could care less what Bruce Jenner does or becomes as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. But I'm frustrated that there are 100,000 problems in the world greater than the 'identity comfort' of a privileged person.

I believe the celebrity-obsessed segment of the population is a greater danger to the future of society than all the people with gender identity/confusion issues.

Good point.

The topic of the interview was the first news on this morning, ahead of the Nepal earthquake. That to me is very disturbing and disappointing.

As long as you bring it up......how about the obsession of white cops shooting blacks in the media? Way too much focus on the racial aspect rather than just investigating so many blacks are being shot....period. Whether by white cops, black cops, or non-cops.

There's an analogy you can sink your teeth into.

Sorry for the detour but thought it was germain to your post, Tech.

This. I think it is sad that so many are obsessed with this fellow's obvious mental illness. I guess it is because only the rich (and Federal inmates) are allowed to indulge their insanity. Cost and lack of financial ability protects most insane folks from themselves.

Well, yes and no. I never chase these threads into PARF, but that discussion would kick it there, fast. Put it this way, I think that's an appropriate focus because we have a hugely disproportionate racial component in police killings, and there have been about 5,000 in the past decade, which is a huge number. We do have a 'trigger happy cop' thread anyway, don't we?

As long as there has been those that are 'celeb', 'royal, or 'warrior' then there will always be fascination. Always. Every culture is like that. Some take advantage of it.

Well said.

Bruce trans Jenner. Yawn.

I guess living with the Kardashian's could be the reason he is messed up

btw Politically, Jenner leans conservative and is a Republican. Jenner is also a Christian.

I didn't watch the whole thing, but came away with the same take as Lubey. Changing out the plumbing has to be painful as hell, all this just to become a lesbian.

To achieve what Bruce did in the Olympics takes an inordinate amount of drive and perserverance. I wonder if there was something in his childhood (molestation, overbearing parent) that might have caused some of this or if it was a "born this way" situation.

And "Belinda"? He couldn't come up with a better name than "Belinda"?

Why change names?

I have trans friends. It's a difficult life for sure. One of my friends helped found the national day of silence and transitioned to a male, lives in Seattle and works in politics and education. He is truly one of the best people I know.

Day of Silence

I wish Bruce the best but the obsession with pop culture, putting your life on TV to make money, etc. in my view takes away from the authenticity of his/her journey and in the end I don't think will do anything helpful for this population. I hope I'm wrong.

Crap t.v.
 

As Marshall McClellan said: "t.v. Is a vast wasteland". Whatever Jenner does, is his biz. Not newsworthy in the grand scheme of things. Just reading about the goofy Koch brothers makes me cringe. I'd be more concerned about their concept of increasing the 'well being of society'. Scarier than what Jenner's doing...buying an election.

I have a trans friend. It's singularly one of the bravest things I've seen. Love or hate celebrities, they give a voice to people alone in the dark, unsure and insecure of how they feel versus how society at large might treat them. As a species, it's been our history to ostracize/hate/exclude/kill those that are "different" from "us" - it takes extra effort to transcend reptile brain to realize that there is no threat, no right, no wrong.

Already mentioned my thoughts about BJ but rather interesting how the OP interacted with his daughter. Good luck to you and can't be an easy subject matter to discuss.

I wonder about kids today and how to minimize exposure from adult topic, sexual in nature and the law. The topics and language on major network TV for ratings.

Obvious sex sells and networks are CASHING in, but years ago, the most hoopla might have been a daytime soap. Today anything goes and its NOT LATE night TV either. They keep pushing and the more titillating, the higher ratings. Reality shows, Hollywood or music industry award shows, daily top hits... you know, fuch songs, its all about the 'bass', etc. No parent can completely censor it and one wonders why their kids are sexting AND a whole lot more! Unreal the story's I sometimes hear from young parents about their kids and caught in the act. Crazy!

Pisses me off how the media has PUMPED sex, yes SEX during daytime mainstream tv, dinner hour, gay this, gay that, massive implants that every young girl yearns want list tv shows, erectile commercials........ on and on.

I'm embarrased when visiting and walking in the family room and the grandaughters are watching this stuff on the big screen. Its crazy and creeps me out!

How far is going to go? So from ED commercials during all hours on TV, will we start having them about little buzz toys for woman? Will we be seeing up the orifices of Kim Kardashian but producers will describe it as a medical and learning show?

BTW: Even if you set parental controls on Sat. / cable TV, i-net, this stuff IS NOT filtered.

I don't know. At the previous turn of the century, an exposed ankle was considered provocation, and there were still people who wouldn't use the term "legs" referring to what tables stand on. Some people even separated books written by men from those written by women. I think overall, we're a far healthier society. De-mystifying sex just doesn't seem a big deal to me.

My accumulated wisdom isn't much, although I have cobbled along with the resources at my disposal.

What I do know, what is critical to a free society in my mind, is the right of an individual to pursue happiness as long as the pursuit harms no one. Hackneyed, I know, but there it is. Simple, self regulating.

I have only watched snippets of the interview, but what is clear to me is Jenner walks on trails I never will, has struggles I will never share, has come to the conclusions he has with burdens I will never carry.

I wish him well as he works through becoming what every free person cherishes, happiness.