Unless you haven’t looked at a computer, TV, or magazine stand in the last week, you’ve heard about Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover. The most obvious story here is the courage it took for Jenner to decide to do the article and photo shoot. But there is another important story, which Jon Stewart points out. Why is it that the first thing everyone decided to scrutinize about Jenner the second the magazine hit the stands was her looks?
Of course, many of these media personalities were probably trying to be supportive by commenting on how beautiful Jenner looks, but the message that really came across is something along the lines of, “Okay, as a woman, it’s fair game for us to publicly judge your body.” It’s yet another example of the media’s messed up priorities when it comes to reporting on women. And, as Laverne Cox points out, it shouldn’t be how closely a person resembles cisnormative beauty standards that determines how they should be treated, or whether they can experience life as the person they know themselves to be.