Week 8

I read many articles about the most recent Cosmopolitan cover that was released earlier this week, which features the Kardashian and Jenner sisters all in one spread. This is the first time in four years that they have done a family cover shoot, and since then so much has changed among all of the girls. Most prominent on the cover are the words “America’s First Family.” When I think of the America’s First family, my mind automatically goes to the family of the President of the United States, not the Kardashians. This depiction of the Kardashians reminded me of what we discussed in class, where the Kardashians have centered themselves as the post-modern Brady Brunch. Despite all of their fame and fortune, they’re using their television show as a way to say, despite their celebrity, they have struggled in many of the same ways as everyone else. Even though their lives are so far from normal, they try to represent themselves as the norm. For Cosmopolitan to label the Kardashians as “America’s First Family,” they’re making a very strong statement. Understandably, many people found this offensive and were upset that Cosmopolitan would award them such a powerful title.

It was interesting to see how people interpreted the cover, and one article that I read on the Huffington Post talks about how the cover demonstrates Black Erasure in America. The author writes, “Putting the Kardashians on the cover is a jab of many that suggests that there is some other more glamorous and whiter option to the black family seated at the top of the nation.” In other words, this Cosmopolitan cover is basically saying that the real first family is not the one in the White House. While the Kardashians have established a strong brand and influence in the entertainment realm, they’re accomplishments will never even compare to those of the Obamas. The article also points out that the Obama family has faced much racial discrimination over the years despite being the First Family of the United States. This is another example of the prevalence of racism in the media, which diminishes the value of everything that the First Family has accomplished at the cost of an interesting cover story. At the end of the day, the labels on Cosmopolitan cover have very little significance when it comes to the value and worth of the First Family, but even a small cover can make a large statement about how popular culture constructs ridiculous images.

Huffington Post Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lakin-starling/cosmopolitans-kardashian-cover-black-erasure_b_8244886.html