# Do you know what Caitlyn Jenner was originally famous for? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 30, 2021, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207 "2021-05-30T04:10:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/41 "2021-05-30T21:34:43Z")
I’m old enough to remember what Jenner was famous for and the Wheaties. Mostly I remember the haircut. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/42 "2021-05-30T21:46:15Z")
FWIW, before this thread I neither remembered or cared which _particular_ sport Jenner was involved in. If forced to guess I would have said something running related. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/43 "2021-05-30T21:51:44Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I, never having been much into sports, only knew of Jenner from the Wheaties cover. But I was into ice skating about that time, so I definitely remember [Nadia Comaneci](https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/1976-comanecis-perfect-10s-made-perfect-72255190). I’m not sure if I’m being whooshed or not, but Nadia Comaneci was a gymnast, not an ice skater. I would have been 9 years old at the time of the 1976 Olympics, and vaguely remember watching them. I knew Jenner as an Olympic athlete, and from the Wheaties box, although I probably couldn’t have specifically identified the decathlon. I was a bit surprised when I later realized the connection to the Kardashians. Prior to that, I hadn’t had occasion to think about her for years. I didn’t know Cardi B had been a stripper or a reality show star, but then I had never heard of her before “WAP.” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/44 "2021-05-30T21:56:27Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I’m not sure if I’m being whooshed or not, but Nadia Comaneci was a gymnast, not an ice skater. Oops. Shows where my memory is going these days. I was into ice skating, so I don’t know now why I would watched, or remembered, anything about gymnastics. ---
**Author:** ![Sine\_Nomine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sine_nomine/32/513_2.png) [@Sine\_Nomine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sine_Nomine)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/45 "2021-05-30T22:06:58Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > But if someone gave “Jenner” as a clue, I wouldn’t have come up with “decathlon” If the game in the OP is the game I’m thinking of (Codewords), there’s a preprinted board of 25 words, some of which you’re trying to steer your team towards, and some you’re trying to get your team to avoid. I remember Jenner as “gold medal in Olympic track and field _something_,” so a clue of “Jenner” would probably point me to “decathlon.” It would definitely be enough for me raise the possibility with my teammates. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/46 "2021-05-30T22:13:17Z")
I watched a ton of Olympics back in the day, and I have memories of watching Jenner win the decathalon. People who are saying “track & field” or “running” are pretty close, though, because the decathalon is 10 track & field events with at least two of them involving running. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/47 "2021-05-30T22:18:35Z")
Needs more heatsinks or sub out for a couple of PPCs. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/48 "2021-05-30T22:19:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And yeah, it seems odd that people would know that she’s famous without knowing why, but then again, everyone knows why Kim Kardashian is famous, and nobody knows why she is. She’s famous for being famous. No, it’s not for being in a sex video. Lot’s of people are in sex videos, and very few are famous for that. Sasha Grey and Ron Jeremy are famous for being in sex videos / porn. Kim Kardashian is famous for being famous. And Caitlyn Jenner’s current fame is due to being Kim Kardashian’s stepparent. ---
**Author:** ![Enjoy\_Slurm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enjoy_slurm/32/3937_2.png) [@Enjoy\_Slurm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enjoy_Slurm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/49 "2021-05-30T22:30:37Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > She’s famous for being famous. No, it’s not for being in a sex video. Lot’s of people are in sex videos, and very few are famous for that. Sasha Grey and Ron Jeremy are famous for being in sex videos / porn. Kim Kardashian is famous for being famous You’re half right. Kim isn’t famous for making a sex tape. She got famous because her mom made the sex tape famous. And I remember Caitlyn because of her getting away with killing someone. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/50 "2021-05-30T22:32:39Z")
I was 13 in 1976, and watched the Olympics when it happened. Jenner was a HUGE star. Not only did he win the Decathlon, but he set a world record doing it. Back then, the Olympics were part of the proxy fighting of the cold war, so Jenner became a national hero. The Decathlon was the ‘prestige’ sport at the time, with the winner declared the best overall athlete in the world. So it was a nig deal for Jenner to win. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/51 "2021-05-30T23:00:42Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Of course, it may be awkward/in bad taste to show this now because of–you know–Johnny’s jacket. > > [https://youtube.com/watch?v=-qAoQrati5w](https://youtube.com/watch?v=-qAoQrati5w) Hey, you know, he was making an effort to look like the furniture. Perhaps his strategy was to trick someone like Angie Dickinson into sitting on him. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/52 "2021-05-30T23:33:42Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I watched a ton of Olympics back in the day, and I have memories of watching Jenner win the decathalon. People who are saying “track & field” or “running” are pretty close, though, because the decathalon is 10 track & field events with at least two of them involving running. - Four running events-100 meters, 110 high hurdles, 400 meters, 1500 meters. Three jumps-long, high and pole vault. Three throws-shot, discus, javelin. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/53 "2021-05-31T00:24:26Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > > [@Chronos](#): > > > > And yeah, it seems odd that people would know that she’s famous without knowing why, but then again, everyone knows why Kim Kardashian is famous, and nobody knows why she is. > > She’s famous for being famous. No, it’s not for being in a sex video. Lot’s of people are in sex videos, and very few are famous for that. Sasha Grey and Ron Jeremy are famous for being in sex videos / porn. Kim Kardashian is famous for being famous. And Caitlyn Jenner’s current fame is due to being Kim Kardashian’s stepparent. I agree she’s famous for being famous _now_, but that fame had to start somewhere. I would say it was her somewhat famous father plus the intentionally released sex tape (and her perceived attractiveness), which she (and her mom) skillfully parlayed into fame for herself. They used their tiny familial link to fame and the Streisand Effect to great effect. And, relevant to the OP: I suspect many people now have no idea about her father being OJ Simpson’s lawyer, or even that he became somewhat infamous at the time. I only know because it came up here, and that was likely over a decade ago, which is forever ago by pop culture standards. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/54 "2021-05-31T00:32:21Z")
Wasn’t Caitlyn Jenner famous for having a role in _Can’t Stop The Music_? ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/55 "2021-05-31T00:45:03Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > For some reason I had swimming in my head, but now I realize that I had her confused with Mark Spitz I was going to post literally the exact same thing. This entire decade or whatever of things involving Jenner, I thought the sport was swimming. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/56 "2021-05-31T01:11:19Z")
No, that’s “infamous.” A different thing altogether. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/57 "2021-05-31T01:26:41Z")
[Three Amigos!](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092086/characters/nm0000188) > [Lucky Day](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000188/?ref_=tt_ch) : Reading telegram: “Three Amigos, Hollywood, California. You are very great. 100,000 pesos. Come to Santa Poco put on show, stop. The In-famous El Guapo.” > > [Dusty Bottoms](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000331/?ref_=tt_ch) : What does that mean, in-famous? > > [Ned Nederlander](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001737/?ref_=tt_ch) : Oh, Dusty. In-famous is when you’re MORE than famous. This man El Guapo, he’s not just famous, he’s IN-famous. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/58 "2021-05-31T02:17:43Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It sad to see the arc from greatest athlete in the world to hapless dad on a reality TV show. Not as sad as the arc from hapless dad on a reality show to…um. How do I put this? Nothing wrong with being trans or out, of course. But the particular kind of trans person she has chosen to be–aligning herself with her oppressors, running for governor of California as a Republican in a recall election like some second-rate Schwarzenegger reflux, oh and the whole killing someone thing. I’ll take the most hapless parent of any gender identity on the worst reality show ever over this mess. Anyhoo, I was born in '83 so I missed her athletic heyday, and had she not married into the Kardashian clan, or had they not been on TV, I probably never would have heard of her. But she did, and they did, and so I became aware of her then, and learned that she was a big-shot Olympic track athlete once (I couldn’t have come up with “decathlon” either). Certainly if I’d managed to miss her on the show, I feel like I would’ve heard about her athletic achievements when she transitioned, as it seems there was a lot of commentary on it. It wasn’t just the standard journalistic aside about who this person is and why we care about their personal life; there was a lot of focus on the…irony, maybe? of such a manly-man athlete coming out as a woman. So to answer the OP, yeah I think it’s a little weird that people who know of her don’t know that about her. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/59 "2021-05-31T04:42:03Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Yes, but she’s only 28, and she was a stripper within the past decade. All of that occurred within the personal knowledge timeframe of everyone over the age of 20 or so. I don’t feel it works like that. There were presumably only a few dozen people who knew Cardi B was a stripper back when she was a stripper. It was not part of most people’s personal knowledge. It was only when Cardi B later became famous as a rapper, which was after she had stopped stripping, that people learned about her and her past career. So her fame as a rapper made her past career as a stripper retroactively known to people who hadn’t known it at the time it was happening. This was what I would have expected to have happened with Jenner. I would have thought that people that now know her as a conservative political candidate or a transgendered celebrity or a reality show star would have learned that she had been a famous Olympian. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207/60 "2021-05-31T05:20:32Z")
Born in '77… I knew she was an athlete, was 99% sure she was a runner. But using her as a clue would only have gotten me as close as ‘Olympics’… And then only if you used her full name. Just ‘Jenner’ would have led me to ‘vaccine’, or ‘small/cowpox’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-caitlyn-jenner-was-originally-famous-for/943207.md?page=4)