Retrospective Lily

Hulu is currently premiering the third season of The Kardashians one episode at a time, and I have to admit, I highly anticipate my weekly fix of beautiful, botoxed faces and mundane melodrama.

Before watching the show, my education on the Kardashian clan was less than meager. I knew of Kim because of her infamous sex tape and her unofficial title as “world’s greatest social influencer.” [The only name that might be more well-known than “Kim Kardashian” is “Donald Trump.”]

And who could forget the craze that swept social media when Kylie Jenner first dropped those lip kits?!

Now that I’m a fan of their reality show, I have a more thorough and sympathetic view of their family. Kris Jenner, the family matriarch and also part-time Energizer bunny, is truly a role model with how hard she has worked to build their empire. Most of the daughters own businesses. Kim is so much more than her twenty-year-old scandal; among other career feats, she passed The Bar and is now a lawyer who has helped The Innocence Project. Wow!

Of course, the purpose of the show boils down to good PR – so if I’m more charitable in my view of them now, that just proves the editors and producers understood the assignment.

Sometimes, amusingly, very unsubtle fourth-wall-breaking moments put that purpose in a stark spotlight. In last week’s episode, Kim looked directly into the camera and thanked Khloe’s ex-boyfriend for always defending their family. It was a ham-fisted reminder that the audience is meant to walk away from the show and do the same thing.

People’s opinions on the Kardashians vary widely based on how invested they are. Many scoff at them because “they’re famous for nothing.” But a regular viewer of their show, who likely also follows some or all of them on social media, will take into consideration how hard they work, their motherhood journeys, the love they have for each other, etc. when discussing them.

We also are judged easily. Someone who knew an old version of me may always see me in a certain light – especially if they are clinging to something I once said or did that was wrong/hurtful. And the people who know me the best see me more accurately, and hopefully more graciously, because they see the real, ever-evolving me who makes mistakes and learns from them.

Hulu probably won’t be offering any of us a reality show, but social media is the average person’s outlet for good PR. We hope our profiles and posts cast us in a positive light. Some adjectives I’d like people to describe me with, traits I strive to put across on social media: Pretty. Friendly. Family-oriented. Funny. Empathetic. God-seeking. Willing to serve. Inspiring.

What are some adjectives you want people to think of when they see how you present yourself in person or online?

Unfortunately, we can’t control what people think of us, whether their opinion is based on a past version of ourselves, ignorant assumptions based on limited facts, or whatever their interpretation of us may be based on our social media PR. But knowing we can’t control other’s opinions never stops us from trying!