Caitlyn Jenner PR campaign showcases privilege under the guise of equal rights
PR strategies prove pomp and circumstance on biased playing field
E! network aired the much-anticipated “I Am Cait,” on Sunday night to record-breaking numbers. The debut of the docu-series featuring Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner from the oh so popular Kardashian reality dynasty, introduced Caitlyn Jenner settling into her new life after a windstorm of media, including behind-the-scenes coverage of her Vanity Fair cover shoot and later in the season will include clips of Caitlyn preparing to receive the Arthur Ashe Courage award at the ESPYs. Looking over the intense media coverage following Jenner’s transformation, anyone with a beginner’s level understanding of public relations theory can see Jenner’s camp worked tirelessly to ensure all the pieces to this complicated storyline fell into place flawlessly over the last year; with Bruce transitioning with much ado into the celebrated Caitlyn. While many have lauded Jenner’s PR team as innovative and award-worthy; the question begs to be asked; if he was not the economically and celebrity privileged Caucasian male, would his team have been able to curate such a perfectly synchronized turn of events also known as the PR roll-out?
The Daily Mail reported that Jenner’s reps demanded she be given the esteemed ESPY award in exchange for PR plugs and the Diane Sawyer interview. As ABC and ESPN are both owned by Disney, the allegation doesn’t seem far-fetched. Aside from the perks the ESPY Award would receive from the pre-event press coverage, (the most they’ve received possibly ever) they also stood to gain viewers that would undoubtedly tune in to see the Kardashians come out to support Caitlyn in all their red carpet glory. The pre- and post-event coverage alone would’ve been enough to make any executive show producer sacrifice the integrity of an award in exchange for the millions of viewers that translate to millions in advertising dollars. With Jenner as a potential candidate, no respecting option stood a chance. There was too much to gain having Jenner as the award recipient and not enough to lose maintaining the integrity of the award.
Aside from network television, when is the last time an out-of-the-box model has graced the cover of Vanity Fair? Let alone a subject that wasn’t a supermodel or A-list actress? Jenner’s unprecedented press coverage ranges from the Diane Sawyer interview, to support from our political leaders via Twitter to standing ovations at public concerts and public appearances is a strong example of the power of privilege, persuasion and the almighty dollar.
Public relations theory pits media coverage and branding opportunities against the value of public interest. The public is interested in very wealthy famous people, therefore rendering anything Kardashian related as newsworthy. While Jenner’s team lead with a message of “equal rights for all”; the message was hypocritical by design because if Jenner wasn’t the poster child for transgenders, the American public wouldn’t be championing transgender rights on ABC, ESPN and E! With a less affluent subject, the cry for equal rights wouldn’t be anywhere near the decibel that Jenner’s team has roused over the last year. Perhaps it would be closer to the truth if we acknowledged that privileged White men who come out as transgender are labeled brave; while those with less money and less fame are mere statistics.
While the timeline and coordination of the public relations roll-out does qualify as expertly lead, the feats attained had nothing to do with skill and/or savvy and more to do with the color of Jenner’s skin, the size of her bank account and the popularity of her daughters and let’s not forget ex-wife, otherwise known as the Kardashians. –christal jordan
