In an era when the fog of reality TV being “real” seems to have lifted, the new Hulu show centered around the Kardashian family doesn’t hold the same appeal as the original. While I’m no stranger to the fact that the world will watch anything the famous family does, from taking a total of two bites of their food to extravagant parties. The Kardashian’s fame was never in question after they decided to end their E! Network show Keeping Up with the Kardashians after 14 years. What seems to be different about the new show, The Kardashians, is the increased control they have over what is actually shown to the public.
Whether you believe with all of your heart that the KUWTK was raw, unscripted, and totally real or not, there is no doubt that Hulu gives them access to higher quality production. For years now, arguably even prior to the show that really made them famous, Kris Jenner has been working tirelessly to change the public’s perception of her family. With the help of the show after a particular daughter’s “adult film”, the Kardashians and Jenners did exactly this. The fame the family received from the first show allowed each daughter to open a business and create extremely successful careers.
However, as the girls got older and more children began appearing within the family there seemed to be this shift over time, from a family of crazy rich, drama fueled celebrities with “no real talents”, to women who forged extremely successful businesses. Whether you consider building a business with access to seemingly endless resources and contacts impressive or not, it did change the way much of the public saw them. Kim even went as far as attending law school.
Now that they’ve all shifted their taste in men as well, it seems like the perfect time to rebrand their presence on television. But as women who have become incredibly busier than when the original show first aired, it’s hard to believe that this would lend well to a natural script. While we’ll never really know how much of the show is manufactured or not, what we do know is that the Kardashians and Jenners have much more control over what is being filmed this time. That doesn’t mean the situations or emotions aren’t necessarily real, but it is likely just the next step in changing the narratives surrounding the famous family.
