When “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” first premiered on E! in 2007, I cannot imagine that anyone thought it would become the behemoth it is today.
Whether you like them or not, the Kardashians arguably redefined what we consider to be entertainment. For almost a decade, they have been unavoidable presences on our TV screens and Twitter feeds, and with their show in their 12th season (not including the spin-offs; “Rob and Chyna” just premiered on Sunday night), it seems like they’re not going anywhere any time soon.
What I find most interesting about the Kardashians is how opinions on them are endlessly divided. I’ve rarely heard of someone being indifferent about the Kardashians; you either love them or you hate them.
I, however, am incredibly confused about my own feelings about the Kardashians. As a reality television fiend, I think the show’s concept is genius. I cannot even count how many times I’ve sat down on the couch, procrastinating an assignment, promised myself I would only watch one episode and then ended up watching six. My internal conflict, however, arises from whether or not we think the Kardashians fit with our progressive values.
Sometimes I even wonder if the Kardashians could become some of our modern day feminist icons.
Off the bat, I do believe the Kardashians’ success in business is something to be admired. Kendall and Kylie Jenner have their Topshop clothing line. Kim, Khloe and Kourtney have their own range of beauty products, Kardashian Beauty. Kendall is perhaps one of the most iconic faces of fashion today, starring in countless runway shows and ad campaigns for brands like Calvin Klein and Estée Lauder. Kylie and her Kylie Cosmetics empire have been extremely successful in the past year (yes, I do have a lip kit). And let’s not forget the apps.
Besides their business successes, Kim has made open statements addressing police violence against people of color following the shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling this past summer, and has, along with some of her sisters, supported families who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
Kim has also endured what is, in my opinion, senseless slut shaming countless times during her career. She made headlines last year when she posted a nude selfie, to the criticism of what seemed like the entire Twitter universe.
I do want to support the Kardashians, backed by these reasons. I think their impact is undeniable and that some of the criticism (or kriticism, if you will) they receive is unwarranted and based in sexist ideas.
However, I do think the Kardashians deserve some criticism for other things. Most of the time, these things are not what they do, but what they do not do.
The whole Kardashian phenomenon was originally based around following the lives of a very rich and entitled family. The Kardashians are just as wealthy, if not incredibly wealthier, today than when they were first introduced to us. They are lucky enough to be exposed to resources and education that not many people are. Thus, if they make a mistake, as all humans do, they have absolutely no excuse for why they should not educate themselves on their mistake and apologize.
Take Kylie Jenner for example, who has been accused of cultural appropriation multiple times, and has never attempted to learn from her mistakes. Or, we can talk about Kim’s notorious “Paper Magazine” cover that was based off of racist ideas about black women. Kim never apologized for that either.
So while I admire the Kardashians in the sense that they have successfully redefined what it means to be a celebrity, and I do not think sexist attacks on them are ever justified, they have quite a long way to go before I believe we can consider them true progressives or feminists. They must acknowledge and apologize for insensitive actions they have committed, make a real effort to educate themselves on why they’ve offended people and not continue to make the same mistakes again and again. After all, they have nothing stopping them.
