Why the Kardashians make good role models

/

No, wait, hear me out.

A major subtext of “basic” white girl culture is the obsession with the world of celebrities. From celebrity couples to celebrity babies, white girls worldwide can’t get enough of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. We idolize these famous figures, trying to dress like them, look like them, and talk like them. And while that problem in itself should be addressed, we can’t deny that the Kardashian family is the master of the celebrity machine. But I would argue that they aren’t exactly the worst figures to look up to: In fact, I think the Kardashian sisters are healthy role models for young women. From the importance of strong family values to interracial relationships, the Kardashian sisters actually have a lot going for them (other than fame and fortune):

They actually look like real people.

Fashion trends from the ‘80s and ‘90s began teaching young girls that "skin and bones" is beautiful, which transcended into the normalization of size zero and setting unattainable standards for impressionable young women. If the Kardashian sisters have one thing going for them, it’s curves.

They can make lemonade.

Kim Kardashian provides the perfect example of moving on from a bad situation. Back in the early 2000s, when we had barely even heard of the young socialite, her now-infamous sex tape got leaked without her consent (making her a victim of a sex crime, which no one ever seems to acknowledge). Like the model of feminism that she is, Kim turned what could have been a life-ruining experience into a multi-million-dollar empire, whereas other young stars in the same situation have disappeared completely from the limelight. I mean, does anybody even really remember who Paris Hilton is?

They’re honest.               

Okay, maybe not about their hair or their eyelashes, but I get the vibe that these girls aren’t faking much else. My favourite thing about the Kardashian sisters is that they are who they are. You can argue that their show is scripted, but it all seems pretty real to me. In various episodes of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kourtney talks openly about having breast implants, Kim gets Botox with cameras in the room, and Khloe talks about her weight insecurities. After Kim’s notorious 72-day marriage ended so publicly, she is on the show discussing her decision and later joking about it with her sisters. Khloe’s five-year marriage to Lamar Odom also ended publicly and painfully, and Khloe reveals details of that struggle to the audience as well. Kourtney, too, has faced relationship drama in the public eye, dealing with an alcoholic boyfriend who she loves too much to walk away from. Displaying these experiences so publicly teaches young girls that they aren’t alone, and that it’s okay to talk about things that may be uncomfortable.

They may not be the noblest causes, but hey, at least they’re real.

If you’d like to find out more about the Kardashian sisters, you can find them everywhere (but Instagram is a good start). 

540121_10100463543607595_2010604094_n.jpg

KYLA CLARKE

Kyla Clarke is a Sagittarius from small-town Alberta. She enjoys travel, outdoor concerts, and not eating meat. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Carleton University and aspires to work as a writer or editor in the magazine industry.

Twitter | Wordpress | Instagram

What it means to be a basic bitch

/

A “basic bitch” can best be described as a young woman who is completely average.  According to the wise contributors of Urban Dictionary, a basic bitch is “just an extra regular female.” Much like #whitegirlproblems, a woman’s basicness is likely due to her preference for Starbucks beverages, Ugg boots, Marilyn Monroe quotes, and other pop-culture phenomena. The term, probably originating from the hip-hop community, like so many slang words tend to do, has become so popular that it’s been shortened to “basic” and is synonymous with “boring,” “average,” or “ordinary.” (For example, an insult directed towards a young woman could include something like: “You’re so basic,” or “That outfit is so basic.”)

Unfortunately, “basic bitch” is just as problematic as “white girl problems,” as it’s mocking and degrading a woman and her personal interests and preferences.  As Michael Reid Roberts of The American Reader says, “jokes about basic girlfriends reek not only of a disgust of female mass culture, but of women in general.” Every time a man refers to a woman as “basic,” he’s implying that she is ordinary, and lacks unique, redeeming qualities. Maybe she’s okay to hang out with sometimes, but he wouldn’t commit to a basic bitch. She’s cute, but she’s not special.  And women are guilty of it, too. Calling one another a “basic bitch” implies a sense of arrogance, as if one is better than the other because of the clothes she wears (like in Kreayshawn’s hit “Gucci Gucci”), the way she styles her hair, or the television shows she watches, and it only allows men to continue doing it too.  In the fight for gender equality, women need to join together and support one another, not perpetuate hate.

After all this thought about basic bitches, I couldn’t help but think, “aren’t men basic too?” How many times do you see massive groups of dudes banding together over sports or video games?  We were all witness to the great visor trend of 1999, and the time when Lacoste polos were everything to the popular boys at school. Fortunately for women, some of the great people of the Internet agree:  this list provides ten solid examples of “basic bros.” Because so help me God if I have to hear one more man in a KCCO t-shirt telling me how he just can’t live without bacon.  





Could you be basic? Watch the video below to see if you are exhibiting any of the classic basic bitch symptoms:

KYLA CLARKE

Kyla Clarke is a Sagittarius from small-town Alberta. She enjoys travel, outdoor concerts, and not eating meat. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Carleton University and aspires to work as a writer or editor in the magazine industry.

Twitter | Wordpress | Instagram