Interestingly enough, I recently stumbled across a recent post which explains that in a new interview with Harper's Bazaar, Kim admits to regretting her decision to pose for Playboy.
I'm sorry I did Playboy. I was uncomfortable," she remembers, though at the time she was excited. "Go for it," she recalls her mother saying. "They might never ask you again. Our show isn't on the air yet. No one knows who you are. Do it and you'll have these beautiful pictures to look at when you're my age.
Kim's reflection help illuminate many issues that persist in our current pop and media culture. Although we now see that Kim in fact regrets her decision, the episode in which she pretends to be SO happy is one that still airs from time to time, influencing young viewers. Kim's recent statement simply reminds us of the reality of Raunch Culture, and of the necessity to be aware of its reach, hopefully forcing individuals to evaluate the information they receive through popular media with a critical eye.
Jordan, that's really interesting. It's bizarre how we are all aware of how fake much of the content on t.v. is--even when its "reality"--yet we continue to accept what we see on the screen. I also saw this episode, and I would never have guessed that Kim secretly regretted this decision.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with both cait and jordan. I think one of the main issues that we do not really discus in class is that people can do one thing one moment and convince themselves or believe that they are happy with their decision and then later after time has passed think back on it and regret it. This is life. I think all people are subjects to this feeling. When it comes to raunch culture there is a very thin line women walk. I always think about what a psychologist would say. Are we lying to ourselves for one reason or another or is it just that as time goes on and we get older and go through different life experiences we are able to look back and evaluate why we chose to make that particular decision.
ReplyDeleteAs Emily said, I think one of the really interesting things brought up by Kim's interview is how people, especially women in this particular case, sometimes have to convince themselves that what they're doing is not only acceptable, but at times liberating and as Kim says at the end of the episode something for young women to look up to. In Levy's book she talks about how strippers and women who expose themselves on Girls Gone Wild often admit that their actions are liberating and empower themselves as women, but after hearing Kim's later comment that she in fact regrets her decision, we have to ask do these women who expose themselves and pose naked in magazines really feel a sense of self-empowerment? Or are they simply lying to themselves and buying into this Raunch Culture for whatever reason, only to later realize they may regret such decisions?
ReplyDeleteI think Jordan raises a really interesting issue with this topic. Reading these responses reminded me of an article from "Listen Up" that described a woman's debate over whether or not to become a go-go dancer. The author's extremely difficult financial budget almost convinced her to accept the job, however a last minute change in luck and the opening of a tutoring position prevented her from doing so. Looking back on the decision making experience, this woman also voices disappointment in herself for coming so close to participating in a situation she normally would not. Similar to Kim Kardashian, a woman may convince herself she is making the right choice at the time to resist disappointing herself. If she were to take a step back, however, she too may realizing that by engaging in such opportunities she is compromising her own values.
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