One of our favorite shows is Big Brother which airs on CBS during the summer. It's not very good, but we like it anyway.
A new season started just the other day… a little later than normal, but with all of Hollywood on strike or something, it’s content for the network. They’re also advertising 90-minute Survivor episodes that I can’t say I’ll tune into.
However, a while back, we discovered Big Brother Australia after subscribing to Paramount Plus (some kid’s show was only available on the platform at the time). For my money, the Australian version is a way better show. Similar format as the CBS offering, but much better production value, and the “game play” is better.
Another show I used to guilt-watch years ago (before the streaming revolution) was a cable staple called Keeping up with the Kardashians. Another terrible show, but hard not to watch.
The 1976 Olympic gold medalist decathlete, Bruce Jenner, was the stepfather to the Kardashians and the father of the younger girls in the family and a few more of the offspring (“characters”) who came in and out of the show. Bruce was by far the most normal of any of these folks.
Jenner kind of kept to himself, played golf, and fiddled around with remote control toys. He offered advice and wisdom to the family members which was rarely, if ever, taken.
Unless you've been living in a cave the last several years, one is probably aware that Bruce changed his name to “Caitlyn” and now "identifies" as a woman.
Imagine my surprise when the celebrity version of Australian Big Brother, Big Brother VIP, appeared on our streaming service with Jenner as one of the dozen or so "housemates." The show originally aired in 2021 when Jenner was running for the California governorship in the Newsom recall election.
The cockroach known as Newsom still maintains his kingdom to this day, so obviously Jenner lost the longshot bid.
We don't get much time to watch television, but usually it is later in the evening when the children are winding down.
My 6-year-old, knowing nothing of the history of the Olympiad or the Kardashian Kult, popped in on his way to bed and saw the 70-something Jenner on the TV. "Is that a boy just dressed up as a girl?"
I answered in the affirmative. More questions entailed.
What had I gotten us into? We turned off the program until he was finally down for the night. Didn’t get back to it for several more weeks.
I guess I'm supposed to believe that, yes, Bruce Jenner is now a woman called Caitlyn. Hard to know which way is up and which way is down.
Keep in mind, being the most normal "Kardashian" does not make one actually “normal.”
I found myself oddly cheering for The Athlete Formerly Known as Bruce, especially in the battles with one of reality television’s all-time villains, Omorosa.
Omorosa made her bones on Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice and ultimately was one of dozens (if not hundreds) of terrible hires by the former president within his administration.
Jenner, somewhat ironically, was using a lot of Trump’s people for the ill-fated gubernatorial run.
For what it’s worth, Jenner bowed out of the show a few episodes in, claiming a need to get back to the campaign.
Point being, we’re being gaslighted on an ongoing basis.
Remembering Bruce Jenner as a decathlete is one thing. He also starred on CHiPs for a bit in the 1980s as a motorcycle cop. Masculine sensibilities there, for sure.
Most of us remember the Wheaties box with him on it.
By the time the Kardashians show came around, however, Jenner flossed a ponytail and wore earrings in both ears. A harbinger of things to come.
He still golfed a lot. He took one of Kim Kardashian’s ex-husbands golfing to talk about things prior to the “marriage.”
I love golf, too. Never hit the links with a member of the greater Kardashian tribe, however.
Golf is a sport that is hard to ruin, even though the craziness throughout coronamania almost did it for me. Almost.
I like to watch it and find it is a better radio sport than people give it credit for, as well.
I also wear the clothes. Golf shirts are (or should be) fairly ubiquitous, especially in the summertime. The modern “golf pant” is not your pleated cotton dockers of a generation ago.
Clothing has come a long way in many respects.
Our affiliate link which you can find at OLeary.Golf has a wide selection of gear, fun practice equipment, and accessories that work well as gifts.
No hair ties or earrings, however.
As always,
Brian
