Since they rose to fame over a decade ago, the Kardashian-Jenner family has become no stranger to criticism. This is because, in addition to their propensity for scandal, their long-running reality show and huge presence on social media have given the world a glimpse into their personal lives that is almost unmatched in scope in the history of entertainment.
While I am far from their biggest fan, I tend to object to a lot of the rationale behind the contempt of the Kardashians. First off, I think a lot of it is slut-shamey. Secondly, I do not think that they are talentless; being business-savvy is a talent, and with the success of business endeavors like Kylie Cosmetics and KKW Beauty, they have certainly proven their ability to click with consumers and create products that, even in a highly saturated market like beauty and fashion, continue to sell.
However, this doesn’t mean that all the criticism aimed at them in unfair. In a time where the rich in America are getting richer at the expense of the middle and working class and capitalist greed is killing the environment, billion-dollar families like Kardashians are extremely culpable.
The Kardashians are far from being the only guilty party (don’t even get me started on Jeff Bezos). But with their unofficial status as the First Family of Hollywood, they serve as the perfect model for the current evils of Hollywood, specifically in the ways in which they use their privilege and showcase their wealth.
To give credit where credit is due, Kim’s work in criminal justice reform is a great first step, as is her calling attention to the Black Lives Matter movement and to the Armenian Genocide. And if you google ‘Kardashian family philanthropy,’ it will produce many results that detail various charitable actions undertaken by them in recent years. However, I would argue that for the Kardashians and the rest of the uber-rich and powerful, it is not enough.
A great first step for them and for others in the 1% is to recognize their privilege. For example, as Kim is currently working toward becoming a lawyer, she stresses often how hard she is working. And while I don’t refute that she is working hard, I think for a lot of the very wealthy, they cannot even comprehend how much easier a pursuit like that is when you don’t have to stress about the cost of tuition, finding affordable child care, paying rent, working a part-time or even full-time job on top of schooling, etc. Then, of course, it is important to mention the leg up she gets from growing up in a wealthy southern California community as a daughter of a prominent lawyer. This is important because right now, people in the working class and middle class look at the richest of the rich and wonder how the hell they got there. The American Dream just takes some hard work right? But in reality, most of the richest are born with so many advantages that the rest of us can only dream of.
Then, of course, there is their material greed. Just recently Kylie posted a video on Instagram of her new $3 million Bugatti Chiron. These days I scroll through her feed and think, seriously, another supercar? Another $30,000 designer purse for your toddler? When is enough, enough? It’s crazy to think how much of a difference the money she spends in one afternoon trip to Cartier could make in the life of another person. I 100% understand the desire to have nice things. If I had her money, I have no doubt that I would go buy myself a nice car. But ten (maybe more—I’ve lost count) luxury cars just collecting dust in the driveway of your Calabasas mansion is absurd.
So, in conclusion: Kylie, if you’re going to boast about something, please have it be your philanthropy, not your Bugatti.