The first time I heard the name “Kardashian” was June 2012. I didn’t watch a whole lot of television and laughed at “reality shows,” knowing that programs like “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” weren’t actually portraying reality. (Sorry to break that to you.)
“Keeping Up with the Kardashians” may be one of the most popular ongoing reality TV shows of our generation; the daughters, the drama and the damage. The show portrays the blended family of Kim Kardashian, including the members of the Jenner family.
Speculating rumors regarding Bruce Jenner’s gender identity have recently surfaced as over the past couple years he has had numerous plastic surgery procedures.
Speaking as a female, many of the women on the show put down men, contradicting national efforts to minimize gender discrimination.
One of the “villains” on the show, Scott Disick, explains how, in his experience, the women are on top and the men are on the bottom. During one of the episodes, Disick has a conversation with Kris Humphries, Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband, calling the men on the show to be “whipped.”
This is not acceptable.
We are living in a world where feminism is working to equalize men and women’s rights, but shows like this are going against these efforts. These women in the public eye are not empowering females, and instead are bringing others down.
However, with the portrayal of women on the show, there should also be privacy for the family at some point. For Bruce Jenner, his situation should be just that — private.
We can look back on different paparazzi encounters and how media impact the lives of celebrities, but as always, there are exceptions to the rule and the Kardashian/Jenner family is one.
It has been noted (not verified) that Jenner’s own biological daughters were the ones who leaked the information about his current transformation in becoming a woman, and there is debate on whether or not the Kardashian family supports this decision. However, his mother has spoken with the media in full support of Jenner and his most recent decision, according to an article posted on RadarOnline.
As there are many different viewpoints and issues within this family, the media are the main influence and it is important that we recognize the impact that media have on our society.
It has been said that those in the Kardashian and Jenner family crave the attention that the media provide our culture, which is probably not a surprise. This is something we cannot blame them for, as it is something we all deal with, in craving to be noticed and have our 15 minutes of fame.
While I may not agree with everything that goes on in Jenner’s day-to-day life, I do not know him personally and can’t begin to understand what he is going through. With that said, If Jenner has decided to become a woman, then that is his decision.
It is wrong for publications to mock him by Photoshopping pictures for their front covers because of his decision. It doesn’t matter if you disagree or agree with what an individual or family is doing; there should be some level of respect between the media and celebrities in situations like Jenner’s.