What does it mean to be a HERO Caitlyn Jenner ?

Photo credit : Caitlyn Jenner

Ever since Caitlyn Jenner came out as Transgender on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine and received the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award live at The Espy awards there is still an ongoing debate concerning what a " Hero" actually is. Amongst many people on social media this is still a hot topic with various memes and statuses arguing that Caitlyn Jenner should have not received this award and that she is not courageous, brave or a " Hero" for just deciding to live her life as a woman after 65 years. They go on to compare her to the men and woman injured while serving our country that still have the spirit to persevere and break records in sports as being the " real " heros. While I agree these individuals should be commended and are definitely courageous ...I am not so sure that I believe Caitlyn Jenner doesn't deserve the same title as well.

About the award as copied from http://espn.go.com/espys/arthurasheaward  

" The Ashe Award is one of the most prestigious in sports. Recipients reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost. The award is inspired by the life that Ashe lived, using his fame and stature to advocate for human rights, although, at the time, those positions may have been unpopular and were often controversial. From speaking out against apartheid in South Africa to revealing to the world his struggle with AIDS, Ashe never backed away from a difficult issue, even though doing so would have been easier. Winners of the Ashe Award strive to carry on Ashe's legacy in their own lives - - inspired by those who do so each day."

In my opinion many people acting out were not even aware of the criteria that Mr.Ashe intended for the award recipient and we saw people jumping on a bandwagon mostly for a chance to be snarky about a still taboo topic ...transgenderism. On the scarier side Caitlyn received death threats and hate tweets.
Caitlyn Jenner has not just decided to become a woman overnight. This is something she has struggled with since she was a young child. Due to obvious pressures of society , on top of being a world renowned Olympian, Caitlyn stopped an earlier attempt at transitioning and further hid her true feelings with secrets and lies. Ultimately after much soul searching  Caitlyn decided she rather live as her authentic self than go on any further  and in doing so , being the public figure she is, faced a media firestorm where no one could have guessed the outcome. Many people were accepting however this is not the case for the average person who is transgendered out of the public's eye.

As seen in Caitlyn's new docu-series on Entertainment Television " I Am Cait" we see a woman willing to take on the burden for a life she is just becoming a part of ( not trying to be a martyr) and just beginning to understand. I Am Cait was filmed as she just transitioned and they even covered the ESPY award and Cait's now infamous acceptance speech. I see a Cait who is taking on the role of advocate and is trying her best to stay humble, aware of her privilege, while shedding a light on a topic that rarely gets the attention it needs and deserves. The facts are, whether you are aware or not, that people who are transgender have the highest murder/suicide rate in our world today all because they are trying to live their lives as who they really are. Just think about that for a moment.Really think about it as if it were as real to you as it is to them.How can anyone not think this needs to be addressed/stopped?!
Many people who are transgendered are homeless, can not find employment due to discrimination, can not find health care and often times are shunned by their families left to fend for themselves. In watching I Am Cait we are seeing ground breaking television spotlighting what it means to be transgendered and hopefully normalizing it as it should be and there is still a long way to go. Caitlyn has cleverly inserted many new friends who are transgendered so they may share their stories which are unique as they are...they themselves being skeptical of Caityln as their new spokesperson however you can see they are genuinely appreciative for the media attention and awareness that I Am Cait is bringing to the community. This no way negates all the pioneers that have come before, and there has been many...the best part is Cait knows this and makes us aware she is only a vessel. I am not sure what your definition of a " Hero" is but I do know the way I see it...Caitlyn Jenner is courageous, brave and a " Hero" for making an attempt to save lives while you sit on your couch and judge her.



For information on how you can help www.Iamtransgendered.com

Watch Caitlyn Jenner on " I Am Cait" Sunday's 8/7C on Entertainment Televsion 
 
Follow Caitlyn on Twitter @Caitlyn_Jenner

Follow the show @IAmCait

Follow me @BillyCharlesNY

The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills...#ByeFelicia

Two time NY Times Best Selling Author Brandi Glanville

Hello reality television fans! What can I say? It's been a hot minute since I have felt the urge to post on a Housewives series. If you have been watching the latest season of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills on Bravo TV you probably have been just as tired as I have been with the same old formula.
This season we see the emergence of two new additions, soap stars/actresses Eileen Davidson and Lisa Rinna. That's the only thing that is new for #RHOBH besides the pack finding a new target to " gang up on " per usual. Is a group of friends discussing the behavior of another friend to her face a " gang up" ? I am not so sure. Anyway...This season the target seems to be Brandi Glanville and Twitter has been on fire with team so and so. I just have to say many of you are under the impression that what we are seeing is " reality" when in fact we are seeing a story line manipulated by producers resulting in one dimensional characters. I hope you all are smarter than that by now. We left off on the latest episode with a fight between Kyle Richards, her sister Kim Richards and Brandi Glanville. It is of my opinion the this last episode could have gonna a completely different way if Kyle had just graciously opted out of a confrontation with Brandi instead of choosing the gay mixer as an opportunity for camera time. If you really paid attention,  regardless of what team you may be on , an apology never goes well when it's peppered with a "but". I personally as a viewer saw no indication that Brandi  was seeking drama with  Kyle...to me  she seemed nervous and hopeful that this , as Kim also thought, would be an opportunity to set aside differences with Kyle and move forward. I honestly think that Brandi is getting a bum rap this season... producers are seeking to show her in a certain light. I also think that many of the seasoned actresses on the " reality series" have the game down and aren't being really " real".

Donald Trump and Brandi Glanville #CelebrityApprentice

 If you have watched  Brandi on Celebrity Apprentice ( where she received accolades from The Donald himself)  or have listened to her pod cast one show #unfiltered you would know that the producers of #RHOBH are showing her how they see fit for their agenda. Basically only drinking at social events ( which we all do ). Where is The NY Times two times best selling author, mother, and radio host? No where to be seen. You are getting a one dimensional character not representational of the who the person really is which is unfair however Brandi is smart enough to know what she signed on for. Regarding the other ladies... I feel we rarely see true moments and it is hard to decipher reality from crocodile tears given the majority of the ladies resumes as seasoned actresses.

#winning

 Also it is of my opinion that Brandi's brashness and being sexy/single plays on the insecurities of the other ladies adding fuel to the fire.Do I agree with everything  Brandi says when she is drinking ? No. Do I think that the majority of her scenes and placement can be contributed to editing to suite a an unreal reality ? Yes. It's funny to me that Kyle is just now bringing up past issues with Brandi after they moved forward this season. Also her dig at Brandi about being friends with her sister Kim " for six months" as if that is  is  not possible ( after filming for a few years ) to become friends in real life with someone in that amount of time...which we all know is bullshit. There is no amount of time that it takes to develop a close friendship... it just takes trust and loyalty. Kyle's own sister , regardless of what you think is going on with her or not, says otherwise as well. If this blog is coming off as if I am defending Brandi...I am. I think people get too caught up in a show where the producers wants you to pigeon hole someone ( if only for a season ) as a character for their own creative  purpose. Everyone, in my honest opinion, from watching this show from season one,  has been guilty of the same behaviors ( maybe not to the same extent ) as Brandi so why are they getting a free pass?
It's disappointing to see grown women act so immaturely and also not use communication for what it's intended for. I know that people watch #RHOBH for the drama and the opulence but it seems like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is stagnate as a series with the only real changes being a couple of new women added to the mix.  I am sure that Brandi is laughing all the way to the bank with her many new business ventures...that's if her ex  Eddie Cibrian doesn't try and take it all ( allegedly). I will be interested to see if the reunion sheds any light on this hot mess of a show and if Brandi is allowed to plead her case and speak her truth...until next time In the words of Brandi Glanville herself #ByeFelica.

#unapologeticbitch

Click photo above for Brandi #unfiltered

Follow Brandi Glanville on Twitter @BrandiGlanville and listen to her show @podcastone #unfiltered

Follow me on Twitter @BillyCharlesNY

Understated IS Overrated...Meet Mercedes Javid from Bravo TV's Shahs of Sunset!

Mercedes Javid on the prowl to a television near you soon...

Mercedes Javid taking center stage in The Shahs of Sunset Season 3 promo Video

Recently I had the opportunity to speak with the beautiful Mercedes Javid from Bravo TV's The Shahs of Sunset. This opportunity couldn't have came at a more  perfect time because season three of Shahs will be airing soon ( This week on  Tuesday November fifth )  and I will be recapping each episode live weekly on The Gina Show  with host Gina Cutillo Wednesdays 11 am EST on Reality Reel. I have been following Shahs Of Sunset and the cast since the first season and have been talking with Mercedes ( or as her friends call her MJ ) on and off for awhile now. She participated in my fundraiser to raise money and awareness  for Hurricane Sandy victims last year. It just so happened that we both had the time to finally sit and talk and get to know each other.  I was honored for her to share insights into her life with me and she even gave me some much needed advice regarding mine. Mercedes has always been known as the party girl of the group however I learned there is so much more to her than that. She shared with me the things that she has been through which have shaped her, how she feels about being on a reality television show and what motivates her to do what she does as far as being an astute business woman in the real estate world.

 She also put many rumors to rest regarding The Shahs of Sunset and gave me a glimpse behind the scenes. For instance I brought up the introduction of new cast member Lily Galichi last season and the way viewers perceived her behavior towards Lily  to be what they thought of as " jealous". Mercedes didn't waste any time setting the record straight and letting me know that wasn't the case. Mercedes and cast member Reza Farahan had been friends for many years and really know one and other having a " sister/brotherly" relationship as she put it to me. When Lily stepped on to the scene none of the cast knew her and the fast friendship between Reza and Lily put Mercedes on alert...a natural instinct when one feels protective of a friend and doesn't quite know a strangers actual intentions. A wall went up so to speak because due to the arena that they are in you never know who you can trust or not and Mercedes tells me she would rather have a couple of really good friends than a ton of acquaintances. She did say that next time around she would give it a better go in the same situation but also let me know that we as viewers only see a small part of what is filmed and that scene at the dinner didn't show most of things that caused her to react the way that she did.
 Mercedes is a Leo and like her sign she told me she is fiercely loyal when it comes to friendships that she holds in high regards.She also put to rest that she has any feelings towards Reza other than  friend and that she views him as a brother assuring me she  knows he is gay and as fabulous as he is she doesn't want to marry him. She did say she is a supporter of marriage equality and hopes to see her friend have the wedding of his dreams someday if that would make him happy. This was all done in a light hearted spirit and what you see on the show is what I received in our conversation. She spoke of Reza in the highest regards acknowledging their recent ( last season ) shaky past.

Mercedes and Reza how we like to see them together...smiling

Mercedes has closed the George Khouri chapter for good.

I also asked her about George Khouri   " The Persian Drake" who she was notoriously dating last season  and their status. She was happy to say that they are no longer together ( you do the math ) and although she wishes him the best they have not remained in contact.

Mercedes and her mother Vida last season

The Fab Dr Michelle Golland

 I also brought up Dr Michelle Golland and wondered where her relationship with her mother Vida was at now. From what I gathered we may not be seeing Dr Michelle return this season but we both agreed that we thought she should have her own show and Mercedes told me she still talks with her when she needs to ...almost like a life coach. She also told me that her relationship with her Mom is a work in progress and that are on the road to a better understanding of each other. Like every relationship these things do not happen overnight and Mercedes is well aware what issues she comes with and what part her feelings towards  her Mom affect their dynamic. I also asked her where she stood with particular cast members and if we will be seeing Sammy Younai return for season three and although she can't tell me for sure with editing being what it is she hopes so. She was happy to say that at this point in time Reza and her relationship is coming full circle after both being in places of change and self discovery.

Who is friends this season and who isn't ? Tune in! 

Mercedes Javid and " Persian Pop Priestess" Asa Soltan

Mercedes Javid and Golnessa Gharachedaghi

 I was surprised to learn of new friendships that were formed and some that have dissolved but I will not go into details the season has to play out and there are contractual obligations. I brought up the new trailor for the show and the trip and she was a part of that but I can not  go into detail here either other than to say that for her and many of the cast of Shahs of Sunset it was  " life changing". We  talked about her business and being a top realtor and  what motivates her to be successful. She is a hard worker and is driven to be self reliable and independent which allows a freedom you can not get when you depend on another. I admire her work smarter not harder approach to life and job.We also discussed her fur babies Pablo and Julio and the similarities we share in certain aspects. She was also kind enough to give me some encouraging words regarding issues that I had been having. Overall I left the conversation feeling that I had a friend and that's what is endearing about MJ she draws you in and doesn't tell you what you want to hear rather the way it is ...in my opinion  that's a class act! Be sure to tune in to the new season of The Shahs of Sunset on Bravo TV weekly starting November 5th and follow Mercedes (  and the cast ) on Twitter !

FOLLOW MERCEDES JAVID @MercedesJavid