As a fan of the long running reality show, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," it shocks me to hear how many people feel so negatively towards the Kardashian clan and the empire they have built.
The Kardashian-Jenner family first came on the scene to replace the popular E! show, "The Simple Life" starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie as they visited different families and worked odd jobs. "The Simple Life" was a hilarious train wreck enjoyed at the expense of rich debutants. Needless to say, I was a fan of the show, so when "The Simple Life" was cancelled and a new group of ladies took the time slot, I was weary of these Kardashians.
Many like to credit the fame of the Kardashians to Kim's sex tape with then-boyfriend Ray Jay. Sure, many people did not know who Kim was pre-sex tape (at the time she was one of Paris Hilton's friends who also cleaned Paris's closet). But this is 2015, and if a woman wants to make a sex tape with her boyfriend, why does she need to be slut shamed or have that be the only thing she's famous for for the rest of her life? Kim Kardashian was able to turn one sex tape into a business and a net worth over $28 million.
Prior to "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" the family name was most famous for Robert Kardashian, the famous defense attorney who represented O.J. Simpson in the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson. Since then, the Kardashians have created an empire of fashion, beauty, and entertainment. They have a make-up line, a clothing line, a children's clothing line, perfume, books, and video games amongst many other entrepreneur endeavors. It would be ignorant to say that these ladies are not experienced business women who know how to make money and build careers.
One of my favorite lines people often use to bring the Kardashians down is that "they are famous for doing nothing." The contrary is true; the Kardashians are business women and leaders in the fashion world. Like any other person portrayed on a reality TV show, the Kardashians are being filmed because they are interesting. Their lives are relatable through many of their funny, down-to-earth family moments, and paired with their fast-paced, celebrity life, this makes them great to watch.
While most of the attention has been focused on the young Kardashian women, the recent coming out of Caitlyn Jenner has perhaps been the biggest and most influential story of them all. In an interview with Diane Sawyer, Jenner revealed, “We’d done 425 episodes over almost eight years now and the entire run I kept thinking to myself, ‘Oh my God, this whole thing, the one real true story in the family, was the one I was hiding and nobody knew about. The one thing that could really make a difference in people lives was right here in my soul, and I couldn’t tell that story.” As someone who has followed the show since the beginning, the revelation of Caitlyn Jenner was both shocking and truly amazing. While some may criticize Jenner for transitioning only for the cameras, the father figure on the show who was often in the shadows had a secret so deep and surprising that she was afraid to hurt the ones she loved with the news. "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" may be a lighthearted show most of the time, but it has also shed light on an issue that has not gained the support or attention it needs for acceptance to grow. The show portrayed the struggle of an American sports hero reemerging as a new American hero for different reasons.
The Kardashians have documented their struggles with divorce, death, addiction, gender identity, and everyday family life. They are more than just a family with a reality show; they have created a business, have been a platform for social change, and proved how important family is. The Kardashians still may not be your favorite celebrities, but they have proven that they are more than big butts and sex tapes.
