I Am Jazz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I Am Jazz (announced as All That Jazz) is an American reality television series on TLC about a transgender girl called Jazz Jennings. The 11-part series features Jazz and her family "dealing with typical teen drama through the lens of a transgender youth."[1][2]

I Am Jazz premiered on July 15, 2015, and has received very strong reviews.

Synopsis[edit]

Jazz Jennings, a South Florida teen, was assigned male at birth. Aged 5, Jennings was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in childhood, making her one of the youngest publicly documented people to be identified as gender dysphoric.[3] Her parents, Greg and Jeanette, decided to support her female gender identity by her fifth birthday. Jazz has been in the spotlight since 2007, when at age 6, she did an interview with Barbara Walters discussing her gender identity. She did follow-up interviews, launched a foundation, and co-wrote a book, also called I Am Jazz. She has also posted videos about her life on YouTube.

I Am Jazz focuses on the "Jennings" family (the surname "Jennings" is a pseudonym, as are "Greg" and "Jeanette", and any reference to the family's exact location is obscured)[4][5] and their day-to-day lives. Jazz, who is about to go into high school, grapples with the usual teen angst in addition to her own challenges as a transgender girl. Her family, which includes her three siblings, parents and grandparents, also talk about their experiences.[2]

Production[edit]

The 11-part series involved filming five days a week, including both days on the weekend.[6] The series was initially called All That Jazz, but was retitled to I Am Jazz. The show takes its title from a 2011 documentary, I Am Jazz: A Family in Transition, that aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network.[7][8]

The one-hour series premiere of I Am Jazz first aired at the same time Caitlyn Jenner was giving her acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPY Awards on ABC.[9]

Episodes[edit]

Reception[edit]

Critic Brian Lowry of Variety praised I Am Jazz, calling it a "sensitively constructed series (in an admirable departure for the attention-seeking network)... Simply told and heartfelt, the show should add a welcome dimension to the education process, capturing the challenges associated with sexual identity at such a vulnerable age."[17]James Poniewozik, in his review for Time magazine, stated that the reality show airing on the same network that recently pulled 19 Kids and Counting off the air feels like a "change of an era." Poniewozik writes, "I Am Jazz is an engaging story of a teen girl who has transitioned. But it is also the story of everyone else, transitioning."[8] Marc Silver of the Washington Post wrote about the boom of transgender-theme shows on TV, including Jenner's upcoming reality show, I Am Cait: "I Am Cait will surely attract more viewers because of Jenner's fame. It's too soon to say how Jazz will fare. But with her humor and honesty, she's a tough act for Caitlyn Jenner to follow."[18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ abGrinberg, Emanuella (March 19, 2015). "Why transgender teen Jazz Jennings is everywhere". CNN. Retrieved July 15, 2015. 
  2. ^ ab"Transgender Teen Jazz Jennings Will Star in TLC TV Series “I Am Jazz”". The Learning Channel. Retrieved July 15, 2015. 
  3. ^Prowse-Gany, Brian. "The New Face of Transgender Youth". Yahoo!. Retrieved 15 July 2015. 
  4. ^Menendez, Alicia; Redman, Meagan; Effron, Lauren (July 14, 2015). "'I Am Jazz': Transgender Teen on Grappling with High School, Puberty". ABC News. Retrieved July 15, 2015. 
  5. ^Lindsey Bever (March 19, 2015). "How a transgender teen became a nationally known activist". Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2015. 
  6. ^Rothaus, Steve (June 25, 2015). "Growing Up Transgender: Jazz Jennings". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 15, 2015. 
  7. ^Linster, The (October 28, 2011). ""I Am Jazz" is a heartwarming look at a transgender 11-year-old". AfterEllen. Evolve Media. Retrieved July 28, 2015. 
  8. ^ abPoniewozik, James (July 15, 2015). "Review: An Extraordinary, Ordinary Girlhood in TLC's I Am Jazz". Time (Time Inc.). Retrieved July 15, 2015. 
  9. ^Yahr, Emily (July 16, 2015). "Caitlyn Jenner's ESPYs speech aired at an unusually significant moment on TV — here's why". Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2015. 
  10. ^Bibel, Sara (July 16, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'Suits', Copa Oro, 'Wahlburgers' 'The Game', 'Stephen Universe' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Digital Ventures. Retrieved July 28, 2015. 
  11. ^Hurtado, Alexandra (July 22, 2015). "Jazz Jennings Discusses the 'Rocky Relationship' with Boys She's Had as a Transgender Teen Girl". People (Time Inc.). Retrieved July 24, 2015. 
  12. ^ abBibel, Sara (July 23, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Sharknado 3' & 'Duck Dynasty' Win Night, 'Suits', 'The Game', 'Catfish' & More". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Digital Ventures. Retrieved July 28, 2015. 
  13. ^Bentley, Jean (July 22, 2015). "Sneak Peek: Transgender Teen Jazz Jennings Is "Scarred" After Being Banned From Soccer". Us Weekly (Wenner Media). Retrieved July 24, 2015. 
  14. ^ abKondolojy, Amanda (July 30, 2015). "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'Duck Dynasty' Tops Night + 'The Game', 'Catfish', 'American Pickers', 'Suits' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 30, 2015. 
  15. ^ abcd"I Am Jazz Listings (TLC)". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 30, 2015. 
  16. ^ abMetcalf, Mitch (August 6, 2015). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 100 Wednesday Cable Originals (& Network Update): 8.5.2015". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved August 6, 2015. 
  17. ^Lowry, Brian (July 13, 2015). "TV Review: ‘I Am Jazz’". Variety (Penske Business Media). Retrieved July 15, 2015. 
  18. ^Silver, Marc (July 13, 2015). "'I Am Jazz' is the latest in this summer's transgender reality show boom". Washington Post. Retrieved July 19, 2015. 

External links[edit]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Jazz