The public hasn't always viewed Kim Kardashian in the prettiest of ways. Over the years, she’s been criticized for a lot of things: cultural appropriation and promoting unrealistic health and beauty standards among them. And as a reality TV star, she’s seen almost as unnecessarily famous by some circles outside of her established fanbase. But that’s not how she views herself, in case you were wondering. Kardashian, in fact, views herself as an “underdog,” first and foremost.
The 41-year-old and the rest of her family built their billion-dollar empire through each other and the 20 seasons of Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! They went on to ink a multi-year deal with Disney in 2020, which now sees them doubling as executive producers and stars on a reality series simply called The Kardashians. For the August cover of Allure, Kim K explained that their huge platform is kind of like a double-edged sword because the truth about them as individuals often gets misconstrued. She said:
I think I’ve always just been the underdog. … Being on a reality show and that’s not respected. Feeling like I need to work harder to show you guys that I’m not the person you think. I saw some stupid report today where it was like, ‘Kim’s rejected to come to the Jubilee by the Queen.’ I was in London with my boyfriend who’s filming a movie and we’re only here two days. But [the headline] is, ‘Kim: Rejected!’ I think that’s also why I love doing the reality show — the chance to show people who I really am.
Indeed, there was some talk amidst Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee (i.e. the celebration of her 70th anniversary on the throne of Great Britain) that the Hulu star had been failing in her quest to get a ticket for the festivities. In a rare occurrence, Kardashian denied the speculation at the time through her rep to Page Six, saying she “didn’t even ask to go.” The outlet reported that she was there in actuality to support her boyfriend Pete Davidson on a “secret project” of his following his exit from Saturday Night Live.
Nonetheless, it seems Kim Kardashian wants her flowers for all she does beyond the glitz, glamour and what the tabloid rumors say. And truth be told, there are a few people out there willing to give those props, including Whoopi Goldberg. After the SKIMS founder made some controversial comments in March about women in business, The View's hosts discussed the situation at their iconic table. Goldberg made the point that everyone thought the TV personality would “be nothing” after that 2007 sex tape came out but that in actuality, Kardashian’s proven work ethic doesn’t allow for that kind of blanket statement anymore, in her view.
Kanye West also came to his ex-wife’s defense at one point concerning why he thinks people don’t want her to become a lawyer. He implied that the culture would much rather she stay in her respective lane of showing skin over pushing young girls to aspire to more than what they’re given. However, that sentiment got largely lost in the shuffle of West and Kardashian’s major social media beef later on – which kind of lends to her overarching point mentioned.
To that end, though, The Kardashians showcased a bit more of the famous family’s many businesses and projects than ever before, such as that journey for Kim to become a bonafide lawyer. SKIMS also was a topic of discussion, namely with Khloé, and there’s now been an intimate alteration made to the bodysuit collection thanks to the latter. In addition, Khloé’s partnership with the Good American brand took center stage, as well as Kourtney’s Poosh collaborations of late. But Kourtney is still not always happy about the edit they receive…
The show continues the tradition of “keeping up” with their personal dramas and controversies. Season 1 actually concluded with Khloé Kardashian dealing with the bombshell fallout of Tristan Thompson’s latest cheating and paternity scandal coming to light. A lot has developed since then too: Kim K and Kanye West are both being sued, Travis Barker and Kourtney got hitched (three times) and Kylie Jenner finally had her second baby – although his official name is still unclear as of this writing. Pete Davidson is believed to have a bigger role in Season 2, what with the finale’s post-credit reveal.
But her always-eventful TV show and family aside, based on what Kim Kardashian is saying here, there’s apparently a lot more to her than just her next relationship or her next bikini selfie. We’ll see how it plays out in future but, for now, fans can stream the first season of The Kardashians in its entirety with a Hulu subscription.
