For the last 9 years, the country has been obsessed with the Kardashian clan. The Kardashian and Jenner family have pushed the boundaries of social norms in almost every way. From issues surrounding slut shaming, cultural appropriation, gender identity, and underage sexuality, the Kardashian/Jenner machine have been in the center of it all and have made the socially unacceptable chic.
It all started with the infamous 2007 sex-tape featuring Kim Kardashian and then boyfriend Ray J. In previous years, blunders like this would have ended a celebrity’s career but in the case of Kim and the Kardashian family it resulted in the creation of a Hollywood reality empire that would make the family a house hold name. Since then the public has supported the family faithfully by watching their reality shows, buying their mobile apps, perfumes, and other products the family endorses. The majority of their reality show story-lines focus on the most recent relationships the Kardashian women are in and who they sleep with. The Kardashians are poster children for not only feminine sexuality but also interracial relationships. A majority of the men the Kardashian and Jenner women have relationships with happen to be African American. In a time where racial tensions are high you can turn on “Keeping up with Kardashians” and see their racially blended family living happily together. Also the Kardashian’s and Jenner’s have borrowed from African American culture by wearing Corn rolls or “Dutch braids” as the Kardashians call them and other styles that have become synonymous with black culture. Kim has become a trailblazer for moms by posing nude multiple times post pregnancy and posting photos in the internet for the world to see. This resulted in her “breaking the internet” because of the hysteria her pictures created and the millions of searches and views it led to. She did this to show moms can still be sexy and having children doesn’t mean you have to tone down your sexuality for anyone.
Most recently the Jenner side of the Kardashian family have made great waves the last year. Bruce Jenner transitioned in to Caitlin Jenner before our very eyes and was very transparent about why he transitioned. This has resulted in an increase of discussion about transgender rights and issues Trans people face. Since Caitlin Jenner came out to the public there has been many acts of legislation purposed for Trans rights across the country. Kylie Jenner the youngest Kardashian sister has come into stardom by dating rapper Tyga who is 7 years her senior. The couple began the relationship in 2014 when Kylie was only 17 years old. After Kylie turned 18 and legally became an adult all PDA between her and Tyga was publically documented by paparazzi, blogs, and social networks. Clearly the couple’s relationship started when she was underage but once again the Kardashian/Jenner machine glamorized the relationship and showed support.
After revisiting the Kardashian/Jenner milestones, it’s hard to deny that their family has had a profound effect on American pop culture. They have showed society that its ok to openly be sexual and that a woman of all ages should be able to do so without being slut shamed. They have blurred lines between racial boundaries with their style and relationships. They have opened the door for many people to confront their gender identity and start discussions in their own communities. This might sound crazy but maybe instead of looking at the Kardashians as reality soap opera stars we should consider them trailblazers for social change.
