Great post Mikala! My dad has said to me “fame is cruel and unnatural” and that sentiment always comes to mind when celebrities’ body stuff becomes public conversation. No one would be “normal” or “okay” under that level of scrutiny! Money is nice, but you can’t buy self esteem.
We are all heartbroken and stuck inside a system where we are damned if we do, damned if we don’t. Its exhausting! And yet, I think compassion and hope for a better world is necessary to keep going. <3
"A better body culture will not spring from perpetual fury toward people who are suffering under the same standards as the rest of us even if they have their riches to keep them warm at night." Love your perspective. I can remember countless times I've been in conversations where the fury was directed at the women profiting off the system, not the system itself. I'm putting this point in my back pocket for next time.
Beautifully written! I am also sure that their need for perfection comes from being put in the spotlight by the media in the most unflattering way possible.
If I was photographed regularly, I can only imagine the scrutiny I would put on myself. This will give rise to the need for Photoshop, cosmetic surgeries and shape wear. Whilst I don't fully empathise with the Kardashians' pursuit of perfection, they are the product of a bigger problem in our media world.
Love this post! To the extent that I think about the Kardashians, which is not much, I miss the 'old' Khloe. She was different from her sisters and yes, that must've been hard in her family especially. But now she seems less recognizable, less distinct. I found her tall, slightly larger (but hardly/barely plus-sized) self beautiful, maybe because she seemed a bit more real. More relatable.
In working herself over to fit the Kardashian mold, which again, I don't judge her for, I feel something was lost. How she looks is not WHO she is, so my POV is purely superficial, I realize. And I'm all for bodily autonomy, in whatever form feels necessary. But I liked how she looked before. And I feel compassion for her, and just a bit of sadness, that she felt so much pressure to change.
Very much agree with you - this is the perfect place for "yes, and" type of thinking. Yes, Khloe and her family have done untold amounts of damage to young girls' self-esteem, enriching themselves by capitalizing off the pain of others. That's obviously awful. AND this family grew up in a world and body culture that deeply wounded them. We can recognize they are doing bad things while also recognizing that their choices and the people they are, are in many ways a product of their environment. I can have some empathy for them (even if I have *more* empathy for the girls buying Kylie lip kits and looking at Khloe's photos wondering why they don't look like them).
👏👏👏 great piece. As a 45 year old woman who is continuing to detangle herself from disordered eating and accept my body, I also feel empathy for her. For anyone who feels or has felt like I do. It’s horrible and can be all consuming. I wouldn’t want that for anyone. Your point is spot on.
I genuinely feel so sad for her looking at that completely normal looking photo that she is so ashamed of. It honestly makes her so much more relatable and it’s sad she doesn’t want people to see that.
I don’t love the hand she plays in pushing body modification and snake oil products but totally agree on Good American - I have big hips and they’re the only jeans that fit me right. They’re an amazing product and her co-founder’s How I Built This podcast episode is amazing.
Great post Mikala! My dad has said to me “fame is cruel and unnatural” and that sentiment always comes to mind when celebrities’ body stuff becomes public conversation. No one would be “normal” or “okay” under that level of scrutiny! Money is nice, but you can’t buy self esteem.
100%!
This is a great analysis of the both can be true way of understanding.
Celeste Davis recently wrote about this in her Defense of Horrible Botox a la the Nicole Kidman discourse: https://open.substack.com/pub/celestemdavis/p/in-defense-of-horrible-botox?r=22kzjx&utm_medium=ios
We are all heartbroken and stuck inside a system where we are damned if we do, damned if we don’t. Its exhausting! And yet, I think compassion and hope for a better world is necessary to keep going. <3
Thanks for linking that Emmy, will check it out <3
"A better body culture will not spring from perpetual fury toward people who are suffering under the same standards as the rest of us even if they have their riches to keep them warm at night." Love your perspective. I can remember countless times I've been in conversations where the fury was directed at the women profiting off the system, not the system itself. I'm putting this point in my back pocket for next time.
Thank you :)
Beautifully written! I am also sure that their need for perfection comes from being put in the spotlight by the media in the most unflattering way possible.
If I was photographed regularly, I can only imagine the scrutiny I would put on myself. This will give rise to the need for Photoshop, cosmetic surgeries and shape wear. Whilst I don't fully empathise with the Kardashians' pursuit of perfection, they are the product of a bigger problem in our media world.
Yes, I paused many times while writing this to imagine what/how I'd be like if I was suddenly as famous as them. It bends my brain in knots.
Love this post! To the extent that I think about the Kardashians, which is not much, I miss the 'old' Khloe. She was different from her sisters and yes, that must've been hard in her family especially. But now she seems less recognizable, less distinct. I found her tall, slightly larger (but hardly/barely plus-sized) self beautiful, maybe because she seemed a bit more real. More relatable.
In working herself over to fit the Kardashian mold, which again, I don't judge her for, I feel something was lost. How she looks is not WHO she is, so my POV is purely superficial, I realize. And I'm all for bodily autonomy, in whatever form feels necessary. But I liked how she looked before. And I feel compassion for her, and just a bit of sadness, that she felt so much pressure to change.
Thanks Kim! Khloe actually just gave an interview about how she loved her former look, too, which is interesting: https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/khloe-kardashian-perfume-xo-khloe-new-podcast-interview
Very much agree with you - this is the perfect place for "yes, and" type of thinking. Yes, Khloe and her family have done untold amounts of damage to young girls' self-esteem, enriching themselves by capitalizing off the pain of others. That's obviously awful. AND this family grew up in a world and body culture that deeply wounded them. We can recognize they are doing bad things while also recognizing that their choices and the people they are, are in many ways a product of their environment. I can have some empathy for them (even if I have *more* empathy for the girls buying Kylie lip kits and looking at Khloe's photos wondering why they don't look like them).
👏👏👏 great piece. As a 45 year old woman who is continuing to detangle herself from disordered eating and accept my body, I also feel empathy for her. For anyone who feels or has felt like I do. It’s horrible and can be all consuming. I wouldn’t want that for anyone. Your point is spot on.
I genuinely feel so sad for her looking at that completely normal looking photo that she is so ashamed of. It honestly makes her so much more relatable and it’s sad she doesn’t want people to see that.
I don’t love the hand she plays in pushing body modification and snake oil products but totally agree on Good American - I have big hips and they’re the only jeans that fit me right. They’re an amazing product and her co-founder’s How I Built This podcast episode is amazing.
Is her dad Kris’ old hairstylist or what. That’s what I need the answer to.