Abstract
ABSTRACTIn the last decade, there has been a confluence of transgender celebrities in the entertainment industry as trans issues have garnered attention in public policy and debate. Reality television, known for exploring the lives of both ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’ people, has been a critical site for mainstream audiences to learn about the experiences of transgender people. While attention has focused on Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox, this article examines transgender issues as mediated through Jazz Jennings’ self-brand and her TLC reality series I Am Jazz (2015 – present). Jazz, a transgender teen girl living in Florida, has crafted her brand as an activist, author, and YouTube producer while expressing her message of living authentically. On reality TV, I argue that Jazz’s self-brand collides with the ‘messy real life’ brand touted by TLC's sensationalised programming. As I Am Jazz attempts to mainstream transgender issues via the nuclear family, it also fabricates moments where Jazz must engage with hostile rhetoric that questions her identity. The article reveals that I Am Jazz represents a current trend in reality TV that positions transgender stars in a state of perpetual conflict, showing how their public mediated selves require reaffirmation to maintain rather than disrupt normative culture.
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