Kim Kardashian On ‘My Next Guest’ Episode With David Letterman Changed How I Think About Her
If you told me a couple of years ago that I’d be spending my precious weekend binge-watch time admiring Kim Kardashian West during an interview with David Letterman, I’d have asked you to shut the front door. I’ll admit, I always deemed the Kardashian-Jenner clan to be rather frivolous, and would trash any friend who had been Keeping Up With The Kardashians. But call it the overwhelming surge of emotions and nostalgia surrounding the announcement that the show is ending, the ongoing controversies surrounding Kim and Kanye West’s marriage and the fact that Kim just celebrated her 40th birthday with a beautiful party, I was actually curious about her opening Season 3 of late night show host David Letterman’s Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.
The promo images revealed that Kanye West, Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian and Khloé Kardashian were all in the audience, practically emoting “You’re doing amazing, sweetie.” In some shots, Letterman and Kim were shopping at a local CVS Pharmacy too. So what if I didn’t follow KUWTK? I’d watch this. And I’m glad I did, because the episode made me see Kim Kardashian West in a whole new light.
1. The episode got very real about some of the most important experiences that made Kim Kardashian who she really is.
The OJ Simpson trial
I’m practically a novice when it comes to knowing the minute details of the Kardashian Jenner clan’s lives. So each time David Letterman delved into an important event in Kim’s life, her candidness impressed me. She talked about how her family was forced to pick sides during OJ Simpson’s trial. Her father, Robert Kardashian was Simpson’s friend and lawyer, and her mother, Kris Jenner, was close friends with Nicole Brown Simpson, who was alleged to have been murdered by OJ. Dealing with something like this when you’re 13 or 14, being mistaken by the paparazzi as your own father’s mistress…. I cannot fathom the impact this would’ve had on a young Kim.
Caitlyn Jenner
I loved that the conversation about Bruce Jenner (Kim’s step father) and his transformation into Caitlyn Jenner talked about the thought process that comes before the acceptance can. Kim Kardashian didn’t immediately dive into the politically correct or sensitive bits where she said all the right things. She spoke about how watching Bruce Jenner dressed as a woman, and being asked by her step-dad to keep it a secret from her mother was a huge dilemma in her head. It couldn’t have been easy to process something like this. And admitting that does not diminish your support for them either.
Also Read: The Most Fashion-Forward Trends Birthday Girl Kim Kardashian Single-handedly Popularised (And Some Controversial Ones We Wish She Hadn’t)
2. Talking about the Paris Robber was Kim Kardashian West at her most vulnerable, and closest to any of us women.
Kim and David Letterman began talking about the incident, which happened during the Paris Fashion Week three years ago, on a rather humorous note. He couldn’t believe that Kanye West had flown over from a different continent just because he didn’t like his wife’s outfit! The privilege of the rich and famous, which peeked through enough times during this interview, was laughed at plenty by the audience too.
But soon enough, when Kim began recounting in grave detail of the terror that befell her, she suddenly wasn’t Kim Kardashian West, one of the biggest celebrities in the world. She was just another woman who thought that not only was she going to be robbed or killed, but she might also be raped because of the way she was dressed. As she talked about how she was wearing just a night robe with nothing underneath, and she tried to prepare herself for sexual assault, I felt a chill run down my spine.
No matter who we are or what our circumstances are, we always, at the back of our mind, are fearing sexual assault. Because sometimes, it’s not even a motivated crime. Sometimes, it’s a power move to reinforce her helplessness or break her. Other times it’s an afterthought for men. But for women, it’s often a fate that could spring up on them anytime.
The way Kim spoke on My Next Guest about it was raw, unfiltered, and always dignified.
3. The price of fame is too damn high. And you can’t pay it without your family backing you up, like the Kardashian-Jenners did Kim.
When she spoke about the aftermath of the Paris robbery, and how anybody who owns a phone can track just where she is or what she’s doing, it made an important point about the price that celebs have to pay for that fame. And Kim’s a titan of the game. For her, it’s always an uphill battle, to be scrutinised so minutely all the time.
Of course, her stint as Paris Hilton’s stylist and Keeping Up With The Kardashians came up. Because, really would their fame have ever catapulted this way had it not been for the show? The family has been vocal about their decision to have no more seasons of KUWTK owing to the nature of social media and the change in relevance of such content. But what surprised me was that Letterman even got Kim talking about the controversial sex tape that jumpstarted her on the path to fame.
And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Kim Kardashian has been both famous and infamous. And through it all, what has kept her at the top of the food chain has been the constant support of her family. Today it is the combined star power of the Kardashian-Jenner sisters and their mother, Kris Jenner that accord them a seat in the box. As Kim said, none of it would’ve been possible without her family.
Also Read: Emily Ratajkowski’s Devastating Essay Reflects How Men Violate Women’s Agency And Our Misogyny Lets Them Get Away With It
4. Kim Kardashian could make a good lawyer. I can tell by the way she answered some of David Letterman’s more curveball questions.
I’ve always seen Kim Kardashian as this unidimensional celebrity. But watching her on My Next Guest, talk about her law degree, the causes she supports (prison reform) and how deftly she answered some of the more difficult questions that David Letterman threw at her (like the one about OJ Simpson being guilty or not, or who earns more, she or Kanye), I saw a woman who was confident enough to get through it all.
Now, I’ll admit, Letterman does have a knack for making his guests look like the smartest, most candid people in the room. But the guest ought to have some raw material to build on in the first place no? She looked gorgeous in her outfit, laughed and made Letterman laugh too with her wit, and their entire conversation about her Instagram followers, the money she’d earn for one post and Letterman’s weirdass phone seemed well-written but endearing.
5. In a game that is rigged against women, Kim Kardashian has unapologetically played to her strengths.
Love her or hate her, you cannot deny that Kim Kardashian West has managed to build an empire that few others have. This game of fame is rigged against women, but Kim has emerged as a shrewd businesswoman who knew just where to invest her fame, fortune and efforts into. (I actually love her Skims line for its inclusivity.) She isn’t a trophy wife, but like most influencers, building on her existing fame and follower base by constantly dabbling in newer ventures. The fact that she is reading the law right now, and plans to invest considerable time in taking about social causes is something I’m excited to see pan out. Hey, if celebrity culture can benefit someone, then why not?
I read somewhere that this My Next Guest episode was one of the most watched on Netflix right now. And I am not surprised. The episode offers plenty, and much like me, David Letterman too seems to have found a whole new way of looking at Kim Kardashian and what she does and stands for.
So am I a successful Konvert after watching My Next Guest? Not exactly. But will I be shedding my blind and uninformed prejudice and holier-than-thou attitude towards Kim Kardashian West and the rest of the Kardashians and following their lives more closely? You betcha.
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