No one can deny the global popularity of the Kardashian-Jenner family members. However, there’s one aspect of their Hulu reality show The Kardashians that has grated at the nerves of even their most loyal fans. Rather than the pranks and hijinks from years past on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, viewers have been subjected to what sometimes feels like an hourlong advertisement for the family’s numerous brands. Two episodes into Season 3, it doesn’t appear that the criticism has led the reality stars to dial back on the self-promotion and I’m starting to wonder how big a problem it really is.
In the second episode of the current season, which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription, Kim Kardashian addressed some of the complaints people had about the show, including how it’s different from their first series that aired for 20 seasons on E! She pointed out that back in the early days of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the sisters had no careers, no kids, no social media, and she’s not wrong that that plays a big part in how The Kardashians is different and why it needs to be. Let’s break it down a little further.
Promotion Of The Kardashian And Jenner Brands Is Plentiful
There seem to be few corners of the lifestyle space that hasn’t been invaded by one or more of the Kardashian-Jenner siblings. Between makeup, clothing, underwear, alcohol, vitamins and more, they’re all running their businesses, and of course that means that those items are going to pop up on the show. But I know I was not the only one who rolled my eyes when Kris Jenner pointed this out on the June 1 episode, called “Don’t Want It, Don’t Need It, I’m Done”:
I’ve got Travis Scott shoes, Good American jumpsuit, let’s see. Oh, a SKIMS bra. I’m representing. And SKIMS underwear.
Geez, do you want some 818 tequila to wash down that Lemme gummy vitamin while you’re at it? It feels a little tacky, and it’s easy to see why some fans were calling The Kardashians a “chore” to watch in Season 2, with sometimes very little happening to justify the product placement. We saw some of that in the most recent episode of Season 3, when Kylie Jenner traveled to Italy to visit the lab where Kylie Cosmetics was made, and she followed that trip with one to London to see her makeup line on display at Harrods. Is this just their reality now?
Their Businesses Are A Huge Part Of Their Lives
Back when Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered in 2007, they were still promoting themselves, but at the time, all they had was the clothing store Dash. So of course there was plenty of time for Khloé Kardashian’s pranks, the relationship drama between Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, and everybody making fun of Kim Kardashian for being over-dramatic.
And while there are valid questions to be asked about how real The Kardashians is, it is a reality show, and the family’s reality has changed drastically over the past 16 years. I don’t think the Hulu series would be more realistic if nobody ever wore SKIMS or if they didn’t film at Kendall Jenner’s 818 launch party or follow Kourtney Kardashian as she does promotion for her Lemme gummies.
Their businesses are even built into the drama. Apparently a big storyline this season is going to be the feud between the two oldest sisters, with Kourtney Kardashian accusing Kim of using her and Travis Barker’s wedding as a business opportunity in regards to Kim’s partnership with Dolce & Gabbana.
To put it simply, it is what it is with the Kardashians. Their businesses are their reality, so that’s what we’re going to get on their show.
The Show Needs To Keep Finding Ways To Balance Its Content
That’s not to say there aren’t other things happening on The Kardashians. Entire episodes have been dedicated to Khloé’s breakup with Tristan Thompson and the months leading up to the birth of their son. Kim has discussed her struggles with ex-husband Kanye West, and Kourtney and Travis Barker were an open book when it came to their fertility issues.
Hopefully the show can continue to find ways to balance the business with the personal. In the Season 3 premiere, I actually enjoyed seeing the launch party for Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila (possibly because I’m easily entertained by people flying in on jetpacks and seeing producers shade the cocktail-mixing robot). However, even those who weren’t fans of the shameless plug got to see more of the Jenner sisters in action elsewhere in the episode, when Kendall hilariously attempted to teach Kylie Jenner how to drive a stick shift.
It seems like The Kardashians might also benefit from having Scott Disick back as part of the regular cast. The father of Kourtney Kardashian’s three children has seemingly been relegated to having heart-to-hearts with Khloé and Kim — far away from the tongue kisses between his ex and Travis Barker — but I guarantee you nobody would have a problem if they decided to put their heads together for another prank against Kris Jenner.
We don’t need the reality royal family to ignore their other jobs; we just need to see Khloé pee on the pavement every once in a while or do something to remind us (and themselves) that it’s OK to have a little fun.
In the end, I think we, as fans, are fully aware that the Kardashians and Jenners are influencers who make their money by peddling products — particularly their own. We expect to see their brands show up when we tune into The Kardashians. But the audience isn’t stupid either. The problem isn’t that Kris Jenner is wearing shoes, underwear, and a jumpsuit all made by brands her family owns; it’s that it feels patronizing that she’s just standing there listing those brands.
Like Kim pointed out on the show, things have changed with the family, so things have changed with the show. While there’s no arguing how much self-promotion is going on, I think fans are willing to stomach it, as long as there’s a healthy balance of fun as well.
New episodes of The Kardashians stream each Thursday on Hulu, and be sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule to keep up with all of the new and returning shows that are premiering soon.
