Kim Kardashian West is Giving A Lecture on the Objectification of Women in the Media
Kim Kardashian West signs copies of her book Selfish. Photo: Getty Images
Kim Kardashian West is a lot of things: mother, mogul, reality TV icon, tabloid target, and sex film star. But one word you don’t often hear applied to the pop culture juggernaut is intellectual. That, however, might soon be changing.
As a follow up to her book of selfies, Kardashian West will be giving a lecture at the Paramount Theater in Oakland on the objectification of women in media, monetization strategies, and the business of millennial culture.
“Kim Kardashian West has taken everything that is modern day society—from selfies to self-promotion to sexuality—embraced it, monetized it and now we’re going to talk about it,” promises the event, set to take place on June 30 at 8:00 PM.
This comes hot on the heels of the reality TV star’s controversial appearance on NPR’s “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me,” in which she was quizzed about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a comedic segment called “Not My Job.” Though she got two out of the three questions right, the spot wasn’t exactly a success—hundred of outraged NPR fans wrote in to complain about her inclusion.
While NPR’s intellectual fanbase might rage against the Kardashian-ization of our society, even they have to acknowledge Kim’s savvy. She’s a whiz at manipulating her public image, meaning these two high-minded events are hardly coincidental. This is the woman who effectively went from derided sex tape star to A-list celebrity mom in just seven years. And if recent events are any indication, she might be about to embark on her boldest rebranding strategy yet: Enter, Kim Kardashian West, the intellectual.
It’s a smart move for Kardashian West who, for all her success, has yet to be taken seriously by the cultural elite—a fact she’s sought to remedy over the past few years. Since her divorce from Kris Humprhies and subsequent remarriage to Kanye West, Kim’s legitimacy has been steadily on the rise: She covered Vogue, embarked on a sophisticated style makeover (allegedly at the encouragement of Kanye), and had a book of selfies released by respected art publisher Rizzoli. She’s also cultivated her image as a doting mom and loving wife, sharing her fertility problems on the small screen and frequently posting snaps of North. Even when she posed nude on the cover of Paper magazine, she made it about embracing her post-baby body, rather than flaunting her sex appeal. (It should be noted, too, that the evolution of her more mature personal brand has made more room for the younger generation of the Kardashian-Jenner clan—Kylie and Kendall—to start grabbing headlines of their own).
And while this might sound crazy, think about what she’s pulled off so far. At just 34, Kardashian West is a self-made millionaire with a reported net worth of $85 million and an empire including video games, clothing lines, and books. Are we really so shocked she might have a little more going on in the attic than the media gives her credit for? Like Marilyn Monroe, Kardashian West has played the part of ditzy bombshell long enough. Even as her success continues to soar, society has negated her agency in it all. If she can prove herself a worthy lecturer, perhaps the legions of young girls who (sadly or not) aspire to be like her, will learn that there’s more to her millions than having a nice ass. A message Kardashian West would be smart, particularly in this fourth-feminist wave, to propagate. But also, there’s money to be made. With over 3000 tickets up for grabs, going for between $40 (general admission) and $300 (VIP Party package) a pop, Kardashian West could easily net close to half a million for the lecture.
