The Kardashians are something of an oxymoron — you either love to hate them or you love them entirely. Either way, they are unreachable — not because they shy away from the limelight. The Kar-Jenners are some of the most influential social media celebrities to ever exist. The media even ridiculed the family for ‘having no talent’ justifying their fame. However, the Kardashians are savvy businesspersons. The family capitalized on the internal chaos, the drama, and well, the beauty standards they are so blatantly responsible for. They then went on to launch multiple make-up, skincare and fashion brands of which some were even successful globally.
In an interview with the New York Times, while discussing the launch of her skincare brand, Kim Kardashian said she might just “eat poop every single day” to look younger. “I’ll try anything,” she said. “If you told me I had to eat poop every single day and I would look younger, I might. I just might.” This isn’t surprising, considering how Kim has in the past, resorted to extreme beauty regimes. She even claimed to have lost around 7 kg in just 3 weeks to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s vintage gown.
If a celebrity isn’t aware of what they’re signing up for, they’re guilty of pandering to unsuspecting masses. From promoting diet pills to sugar bear hair vitamins that don’t seem to do much, the Kardashians are naturally assigned some part of the blame. Along with their glowing tanned skin and black culture-inspired fashion, the Kardashians also appear ethnically ambiguous; this is despite them being of Caucasian origin. However, Kardashian America seldom considers American WOC as “ideal” beauties. Unfortunately, capitalistic feminism is less accommodating of WOCs and the lower-middle class.
The thing about influencers is that whether or not you dislike them, you can’t deny their hold on trends — even if these trends are things you can’t change immediately or naturally, like your body shape. Since the Kardashians spoke about surgery, there has been a surge in Brazilian Butt Lifts, lip fillers, and botox. Nothing is inherently wrong with wanting to look better. But when it is no longer a need and just a want; when beauty billionaires market them and you realize you’re not as attractive in society’s eye, it all goes downhill. Then, eating poop will no longer be a meme of the past.
The Kardashians have, undoubtedly, built an empire. They sit on their gilded, diamond-studded thrones overlooking the millions of impressionable starry-eyed people who believe that they too can sit there if they only bought the often tone-deaf marketing. The Kardashians have built an empire, but one must remember how empires are built — not on prosperity but on war and bloodshed.
