If someone were to believe that Kim Kardashian West is popular because of the controversies she finds herself in...it won't be entirely untrue. I would be buying my personal yacht if I got a penny for the number of times people have asked me, "Why is Kim Kardashian so popular?"
The truth is - no one can REALLY answer that correctly.
What's Up With Kim Now?
On 21 October, the American socialite turned 40 and she chose to take her close family to a "private island". According to reports, they flew on a Boeing 777 to Tahiti, some 6000-odd kilometres from Los Angeles. On 28 October, Kardashian posted about her getaway on social media and all of a sudden the internet turned against her.
It was particularly one out of the five tweets that she posted that gathered the attention and was labelled "tone-deaf".
She wrote:
"After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time".Kim Kardashian West
These were the reactions that poured in...
The Karshain Sensation
Now before we go further, let's just put into perspective how Kim Kardashian (now Kim Kardashian West) became popular. It's because millions around the world were interested in what she was doing. And not to mention the infamous sex tape in 2002 - which she is asked about in EVERY interview to this day.
The glamour world talks about her contribution and the trends she's made popular. Lampshading, contouring, outside corsets, tiny bags, sheer clothing, latex clothing...this list can go on.
The show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, despite criticism, remains on the most popular TV shows' list in the United States. Needless to say, it has its fans in India too.
Her sisters Kylie and Kendall also rose to fame with the show.
Why Blame Kim Kardashian West for Celebrating Her 40th?
A birthday, as we all know, falls on a particular date of the month, every single year. So, why did people all over social media go on to ridicule Kim for "enjoying the cake"? Did she go too far or overshare this time, not in keeping with the miseries that surround us as the world deals with a pandemic? People have lost jobs, economies are seen dwindling and cases on mental health disorders are on the rise.
But here’s the one tweet which most people chose to ignore:
"I realize that for most people, this is something that is so far out of reach right now, so in moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is. #thisis40".Kim Kardashian West on Twitter
One might say it's not the best tweet in the world about recognising privilege but to say, "Do you know something, you could've just had the trip without splashing it all over social media?," is sure selective.
At the beginning of the lockdown, when Ronaldo said that he will be living on his "private island" through the pandemic, people were in "awe". No one seemed to question his privilege with the announcement.
Even now, as the unlock begins in phases, with some countries in the West slowly returning to "normal", we see popular Instagram celebrities, YouTubers, socialites go out to party and enjoy drinks at fancy clubs...but who's calling them out?
Popular YouTuber James Charles went out partying with his friends and vlogged about it in the middle of the pandemic. With a subscriber base of 23 million, shouldn't someone be questioning the messaging when it comes to YouTubers too?
Or has the pandemic become a reason to selectively take potshots at people?
When Gal Gadot Was at the Centre of Being Called Out
Gal Gadot, who had organized the star-studded singalong to do a "good deed" during the coronavirus lockdown, also faced the heat of the internet. This was in March when the news about the virus was getting grimmer by the day.
What is it about privilege that when men flaunt it, we want to “be like them” and when women go out with earnest intentions; it has to be “called out” vehemently? Food for thought, right?
The Many Points of Contention With Kim Kardashian
On David Letterman's show, David says, "Guess what kids shapewear for everybody and within a minute 4 millions things of shapewear have been sold. Is that what happens?"
"Basically," Kim responds calmly.
Selling the idea of the "Kardashian body" has been a major contention with Kim Kardashian. There was a time when thin, tall and white were the basic notions of beauty. Now we see people talking about curvaceous bodies and rating that body type as the "most desirable".
But who is to blame?
With Beyonce, the queen Jennifer Lopez, CardiB and of course Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner - the curvaceous body shape has become the symbol of womanliness. But should we be blaming a Kim for this too?
Or the 4 million and many more who buy the shapewear that she launches? Or pregnant women or otherwise?
If we recall, brands across the world have done horrible things.
From not having a wide selection of shades in a foundation range to not accommodating all sizes in a garment range, the faux pas are aplenty.
Closing Argument...
The general folk on Twitter said that Kim should have kept it private. Had the pandemic not been around these same pictures would have invited overwhelming cutesy responses. Fans would have submerged themselves in Kim's glory.
This woman makes her living off posting for 190 million followers on Instagram. It's easy to troll a Kim Kardashian or the likes of her for anything they choose to share. Social media, as we know, has become a breeding ground for hate and constructive criticism doesn't exist.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)