16 Reasons Why Watching KUWTK Is Never A Waste Of Time
Whether you love them or hate them, watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians is mostly relegated into the category of 'guilty pleasure television'. While it may be a pleasure, the truth is we don't have to feel so guilty about it. In fact, KUWTK is actually extremely relevant in its own particular way.
For starters, the show is a huge moment in pop culture history. Fifty years from now, students will study the show in college as being one of the premiere reality television shows. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm not even kidding. Reality television is a huge genre of which we've seen the rise. The Kardashian family is riding that wave, baby. Not only is KUWTK part of television history, but it is also very relevant today. Whatever happens on KUWTK is likely to be talked about. You'll see subsequent articles popping up about whatever Kim cried over or whatever boy drama Khloe is having.
Besides the importance of the show in history and today, it is also educational from a public relations point of view. The Kardashians are PR queens. They know how to brand themselves in ways that not many people have figured out. Watching KUWTK is a way of analyzing how they market themselves, while seeming to not market themselves at all.
So, if anyone ever tells you that watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians is a waste of time, they are completely wrong. Watching KUWTK is never a waste of time. Below are 16 reasons why you shouldn't feel so guilty about your favorite guilty pleasure television show.
16 See Where They Started
If you're flipping through the channels and an old school episode of KUWTK is on, you may think that this is a waste of your time, but it's not at all. Trust us, the old episodes are where it's at.
First of all, it's fun to see where the first family of reality television started. They weren't always as chic and wealthy as they are now. In today's episodes, their homes, wardrobes and looks have all been updated. Checking out their old style is both hilarious and a nice reminder that they weren't always the most stylish.
In terms of PR, it's a nice case study in seeing how the television show worked. Of course, it's evolved through the years but in the early seasons, it was figuring itself out. Watching the evolution of both the Kardashians and the show itself is a great study.
15 There's Cultural Relevance
There is so much cultural relevance in the show, especially now more than ever. Before, the show was a light romp through their lives, but the longer it's on the air, the more personal it gets. Whether it is Kris dealing with aging, Caitlyn experiencing her transition, or Kim and Kanye's marriage, there is so much relevance pertaining to what is happening in America today.
Each person on the show, works through their own issues and thus, explores a different issue in America. For example, Kourney and Scott have decided against getting married while having three children together. This is a great display of the new decisions that many adults are making today. Whatever the hot button issue in America is at the moment, they are most likely exploring it in some way on KUWTK.
14 It's Actually Funny
The show is actually pretty hilarious in many different ways. A lot of the comedy on the show comes from physical comedy - think the falling down or running from spiders. However, there's also the dry comedy of Kourtney, who spends much of her time putting everyone in their place. Khloe steps in with the vulgar, raunchy comedy. Kim is usually playing the role of the ditz. They all corner the market on different brands of comedy, making it funny no matter what your preferred style of comedy is.
In the earlier episodes, the comedy is more natural. As the seasons moved on, it became more apparent that the jokes were planned and planted on the show. Regardless, Kourney's straight faced delivery of sass is always perfect. She really knows how to take her family down a peg or two.
13 Behind The Scenes Look At Fame
Let's be honest, most of us will never be as famous as any of the Kardashian or Jenner sisters. Fame is what they have worked for in their lives and they have achieved it in insane levels. None of them probably ever thought they would achieve these levels of fame, but they did and they are here to stay.
Watching KUWTK is a behind the scenes look at what being that famous entails. Whether it's that the glam squad comes over every day or that you can't get frozen yogurt without being swarmed by paparazzi, it's a different kind of lifestyle that we'll never know or understand. Watching them work the red carpet and all of the behind the scenes work that it takes to get there is fascinating. If we're being completely honest, being famous actually looks pretty exhausting.
12 Promotes Strong Family Values
KUWTK is an interesting show, because it prompts seemingly opposing ideologies. While it is materialistic and shallow, it is also about family and loyalty. Yes, the girls get into vicious fights with one another, during which they sling just about any insult they can think up at one another. The point of all of these fights is that they reconcile.
Furthermore, when the fights are about materialistic items (like when Kourtney borrowed Kim's bag without asking) the fact that they forgive each other promotes the message of family over money. In fact, that is a message that if often said on the show. With such an expansive family, they have no end of love for each other. This family factor helps ground a show that would otherwise just be about shopping and eating lunch, and you know they do a lot of that.
11 Highlights Different Parenting Decisions
Now that both Kourtney and Kim have children, the show is much different than it once was. The girls no longer go to club openings, but rather throw their kids birthday parties in their backyards. This shift from being about going out to being about staying in has come with some interesting insights about parenting.
Kim and Kourtney are very different parents, but they never criticize each other. Well, they do, but they also always find a way to make up with one another. Kourtney's parenting is shown on the show in particular, as she's very concerned with what her children eat. Meanwhile, we also get a glimpse into Kris' way of parenting children who are all adults now. Parenting changes from person to person and from phase in life to phase in life. This show accurately highlights the different challenges motherhood brings.
10 Watch The Pros Of PR
There are very few celebrities who are media wizards like the Kardashians. They seriously know how to take a lemon, make lemonade and then market that lemonade into a lip kit empire. No, but seriously, these women can take anything that seems like a mistake and make it into a great way to market themselves.
Kylie's lips were once a huge joke and now she owns a lip kit empire. Her website for her line of cosmetics frequently crashes due to the sheer volume of people trying to buy her products. Nobody is laughing at Kylie's lips now. Of course, the biggest example of this is how the family capitalized off of Kim's sex tape. Most people would hide their heads in shame, but Kim still oozed sexuality any chance she had. Khloe's weight was one was a point for ridicule, but since getting in shape Khloe released a book and a line of jeans that made $1 million on its launch day. So, yeah, this family knows how to make the most of mistakes or whatever it is they are ridiculed about.
9 Learn About Branding
Similarly to the PR topics, this family knows how to brand themselves better than anyone else. In the past two years, the sisters have all been diversifying themselves. Kourtney's brand is motherhood, eating healthy and interior design. Khloe's is working out and… well, jeans. Girlfriend rocks jeans hard. Kim's brand is being a hot mom, both slaying the red carpet and sitting at home with North and Saint. Kendall is the tomboy model. Kylie is the lip kit business owner, who prefers hanging in her huge home to going out.
The way that they showcase their brand, without feeling like they are marketing a specific version of themselves to the public, is genius. Watching the show can give you insight into how to successfully brand yourself, a trick that many A-list celebrities are still trying to master.
8 Explore Aging Via Kris Jenner
Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the family, doesn't get too much of the spotlight on the show. Episodes rarely feature her as a key player. She's usually in the background, popping up for a main story line in a handful of episodes per season. However, her story lines may be more important than those of Khloe or Kendall. Kris' plots usually involve her dealing with aging in today's culture and, more recently, with her figuring out how to be in the dating scene again after so many years off the market.
Kris Jenner's story lines may actually be the most important on the show, because they highlight issues that women go through in their later years. These issues are rarely something talked about, much less highlighted on television. It goes to show that women of all ages can find something of interest in the show.
7 See A World In Which You'll Never Live
Alright, guys. We're never going to be Kardashians or live like the Kardashians. It doesn't matter how many lip kits you buy, you're not going to be living life like Kylie. We won't get to experience NYFW, club openings, or nearly any of the events that they do. However, we can experience them in a way through watching KUWTK, which is cool. Otherwise, we'd have no idea what it is like to experience NYFW and to walk in Kanye's fashion show.
Yes, it's not as fabulous as the actual thing but we'll take what we can get. We can't afford to have an elegant European wedding extravaganza, but, again, it sure is fun to experience it by watching Kim and Kanye's wedding. It's just like living vicariously through somebody else. We get to live vicariously through the Kardashians.
6 Know About Trends Before They Happen
Whether you're willing to admit it or not, the Kardashian and Jenner family are trendsetters. Yes, everyone mocked Kylie's lips for a few months but now, the trendy thing is big lips with bold colors. No, this is not revolutionary but younger girls being so daring with lip color can certainly be attributed to Kylie's lips.
Not only that, Kim certainly helped bring in a new desirable figure. Yes, the curvy, hourglass figure was popular during the time of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, but the '80s and '90s saw the rise of athletic, toned bodies. The early '00s were no different, with the abs of Britney Spears being perhaps the most coveted body part in the world. Then enters Kim Kardashian, whose most coveted body part was a big booty. She cannot take all the credit for the rise of a curvier body, but she certainly helped promote it.
5 All The Makeup Information Ever
Watching the Kardashians get their makeup done can be passive and fun, but also interactive and educational. If you pay attention to what products the girls are using, you can learn what products to use on yourself. You also get an inside look at what techniques the makeup artists use. Basically, it's like Mario's Masterclass for free. Kylie also shares a lot of insider information on makeup via Snapchat. You can follow all the girls on Snapchat for an inside look at their world eery single day.
If you follow their apps, they are always posting makeup tutorials, meaning more makeup information. Sure, you don't have your own glam squad on a Monday morning and probably never will, but you can totally copy some of their products and techniques. That basically makes you a Kardashian, right? Ugh, well, it's about as close as you'll ever get.
4 The World Of High Fashion Via Kendall
Now that Kendall is a bonafide high-fashion model, that world is shown in the course of KUWTK episodes. Sure, Kendall appears in fewer episodes, but that's because she's flying around the world to do all her modeling. The girl is one of the most in demand models in the industry. This means that the show will sometimes showcase what exactly being an in-demand model entails.
Of course, the high fashion world is exclusive so we don't usually get to see all the goings on. It's very rare that they would let a reality television crew behind the scenes of a Chanel show. It's Chanel, after all. However, what we do get to see is much more than we would normally see of the behind the scenes of being fashion's newest it girl. It really is fascinating to watch.
3 See New Workout Trends Without Paying For A Class
In almost every episode of KUWTK, they are doing some kind of workout. These range from traditional workouts to the more trendy. In an interesting way, this allows the viewer to experience the workout without paying to try it. Sure, you can't actually do the workout via the show, but you can figure out the pros and cons of such a workout while watching the show.
The girls will react to the workout, like when Kris tried to workout with Khloe and Kourtney but realized it was too much for her body. She then decided to do Pilates, which is gentler on her joints. No, you won't experience the workout firsthand, but you will get to preview it without paying for a class, which is pretty cool. This is a benefit of watching KUWTK that you probably never realized before!
2 Kourtney Kardashian's Attitude
Kourtney has always seemed to be a bit of the unwilling sister in terms of the whole fame game. Yes, Kim certainly always wanted the fame, but Kourtney, on the other hand, seemed to simply be along for the ride. She's resisted playing the game that her sister loved so much. This attitude towards fame coupled with her dry delivery makes for some of the most hilarious moments in the show. Plus, watching Kourtney deal with motherhood in the limelight adds a whole other layer to an already interesting character.
Kourtney is smart, funny and the first to call out her sisters for their ridiculousness. If you're someone who can't get down with the Kardashians, you may still be able to get down with Kourtney. She is an essential part of the show. All hail Queen Kourt!
1 Scott Disick In General
In recent years, Scott Disick has become one of the stars of KUWTK. In the earlier years, he was a playboy, who cheated on Queen Kourtney and had substance abuse issues. After growing up a bit, Scott seems to appreciate the fact Kourtney is a goddess who should not be cheated on. He's continued to deal with his substance abuse issues, though this seems to be something that he may always struggle with.
The real reason that he's the shining star is because he's the outsider on the show. He is not related by blood, but he is a part of the inner circle. He is almost a stand-in for the audience members. Oh, and he also has the best one-liners on the show. Between calling out the family for their egotistical materialism and commenting on his own egotistical materialism, just about everything he says is golden.
So, if you're feeling guilty about watching KUWTK at the end of a long, stressful day, don't! There are quite a few positive aspects of watching the guilty pleasure show.