Anybody who knows me is well aware of the fact that I am usually the first to defend the Kardashians and Jenners rather than criticize them. They are constantly looked down upon for their lack of discernable talents or special skills, but they work with what they have and have been able to maintain a multi-million dollar business with their so-called “mediocrity”—who can’t respect that?
As more and more controversy surrounds the family, however, I am less than willing to advocate for them. In fact, I think it might even be time for me to reign in my defense of the clan (or should I spell it “klan?”). It is hard to argue my point when you look at the latest pop culture blunder the Kardashians, specifically Kendall and Kylie Jenner, have wrapped themselves up in. This past weekend, the Jenner sisters released a new $125 T-shirt line featuring their own selfies printed over images of iconic musical artists, including but not limited to Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Metallica, Led Zeppelin, and Jim Morrison.
This is only the most recent of social snafus that the Kardashians have been involved in. In April 2017, Kendall was swept up in a media frenzy after her Pepsi commercial depicting Jenner’s ending of a protest by handing over a cool beverage to the police, went live on the internet. Kylie and Khloé were both accused of stealing clothing designs from small businesses this past June. Kylie’s popular $29 lip kits were found to be made of almost the exact same ingredients as the much more affordable $6 Colourpop liquid lips back in 2016. Just this past week, Kim was under fire for selling $49 contour makeup kits that held barely any product and broke for many upon first use.
Despite all of the controversy surrounding their various cosmetic and clothing lines, the Kardashians have consistently refused to acknowledge any mistakes or errors they or their businesses have committed in the past, nor have they made much of an effort to improve their products for consumers or better themselves as individuals. When faced with adversity from the Pepsi commercial, Kendall banned journalists from asking her about the shoot. After being exposed for copying designs from small businesses, Khloé presented her accusers with a cease-and-desist letter that cited defamation.
And the Jenner sisters released an apology statement for the offensive T-shirts only after they backfired on the internet. Admittedly, we did actually get an apology this time around—I commend them for that. But the fact that they thought to print their faces on top of the images of iconic musicians and sell them for over $100 was a good idea, is indicative of the lack of action they would have taken on the subject had they not received such negative backlash on social media.
It’s not necessarily all of these controversies that make me dislike the family, although such negative incidents certainly put a damper on my view of them. It just seems to me that the Kardashians are incapable of taking responsibility for their actions. They never commit fully into any of their work endeavors, from modeling to creating makeup lines, because to them, it is not work. All of these things they “invest” their lives into are merely hobbies that they have the resources (A.K.A. money) to partake in. And while doing so, they make a mockery of the modeling world, of the makeup world, of the clothing world, and now of influential musicians. They take prestigious, hardworking careers and try them on for size, only doing so on their terms and conditions instead of acting like real adults and taking on true responsibility. Why should I be surprised by that, when the Jenners and Kardashians are already so well-known for stealing from other cultures in the first place? Stealing the aesthetics of a certain career or job is obviously the next step.
The members of the Kardashian/Jenner clan do not particularly bother me personally. They seem like funny, nice women who are a pleasure to be around. But their complete incapability to think for themselves, to take responsibility for their actions and mistakes, and to be true working women overshadow any redeeming qualities they might have as individuals.
Will I still watch their show and read their tweets? Sure, occasionally. We have the marvelous ability to criticize public figures while simultaneously partaking in their entertainment. But if the Kardashians and Jenners want to really improve and make their mark as business moguls and as decent human beings, they better start taking responsibility for their actions before it is too late.