We love to consume the never-ending content of the Kardashian family, but what is the real meaning behind all of their content?
The Kardashian family has been in the public eye for as long as most of us can remember. It all started when Robert Kardashian represented his friend, O.J. Simpson, in his infamous 1995 trial. Or, should we say, it all started with Kim’s infamous tape in 2002. That tape was the start of the Kardashian family becoming the PR tycoons that we know today.
The Tape
When Kim Kardashian’s tape was released in 2002, it could have been the end of their family’s stint in the public eye. But, the family had different plans. They took that tape that could have destroyed their family and used it to create the reality TV empire for which they are known today. That tape snowballed into a longer film, which then snowballed into the show Keeping Up With The Kardashians. After the show started, there was no turning back. The Kardashian family became one of the most talked about names in every household. Kim Kardashian making a tape, and having it leaked, is not an issue, or something that she should have felt ashamed about. In fact, the way that her family took that tape and made it into something so successful is pretty impressive. The precedent that those actions created, is the problem. This tape was the first time the Kardashians really controlled their narrative.
Controlling the Narrative
The family continued the precedent they set with Kim’s tape, and continued to keep their narrative incredibly controlled. One way they keep control is by releasing information about a family member at times that corresponded to when the newest season of their show would premiere, or when a member of the family was about to start a new project. They made sure they were always being talked about at the right times, and in the right ways. If someone in the family did something that the public did not like, they would work to create some kind of distraction to avoid any kind of negative publicity. That is where the problem lies. All celebrities and public figures will make big announcements or PR moves when they have a big project coming up. But, the Kardashians don’t just make these moves to promote themselves, they make these moves to prevent people from criticizing them.
AstroWorld
The most extreme example of the Kardashians controlling their narrative happened after the tragedy that occurred at AstroWorld in the fall of 2021. Although Travis Scott isn’t a member of the Kardashian family himself, he does have two children with Kylie Jenner, so he is part of their world. Arguments can be made that it was not Travis’s fault that people were injured and killed, and that the security should have been better. But, countless other performers have made it clear since then that they are able to control a crowd and see when people need help. Travis could have and should have, done more to prevent the tragedy that occurred at his event.
After everything went down, the Kardashians posted some apologies on social media, that were really just empty words, saying that they “couldn’t believe what happened” and are “just heartbroken.” But their words had no actions behind them because they knew that they could easily spin another story and get the attention off of AstroWorld. Just two weeks after AstroWorld, Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson officially confirmed their relationship. This relationship absolutely shocked the public, since they seemed like such an unlikely match, especially to get together just months after Kim separated from Kanye West. Whether or not Pete and Kim were actually a genuine couple does not matter. The point is that their relationship was not officially disclosed until enough time had passed from AstroWorld, that they could look like they really cared about what happened, but that they could also prevent people from talking more about it. This is the issue. The fact that the Kardashians know they have so much control over their public image, that they can do whatever they want because they’ll be able to change the narrative and make people forget about whatever bad things they have done.
I don’t begrudge the Kardashians for having fame, or being successful in the public eye. I don’t even begrudge them for controlling their narrative, because everyone does that to an extent. However, the Kardashians have gotten to a place where they can essentially do whatever they want, and not face consequences, because they know the public will eat up whatever new thing they decide to come up with. Because of this, they act like they are above everyone else in society, because they never have to answer for any of their harmful actions. They can just keep hurting people and society over and over again, because no one will stop them, because they have made it so no one can.