I’m softening my stance on this controversial pair
So there I was scrolling through Instagram, ignoring the kids, eyes fixed on my screen, as were theirs (don’t judge me, it’s Week Bloody Four of Lockdown here and we’ve all gone to pot) when the bold Kim Kardashian turns up on the Vanity Fair account. The ol’ index finger stopped up the bus for further inspection. It was a video interview with CNN political commentator Van Jones about Kim’s work advocating for prison sentencing and criminal justice reform. Good on ya, Kim, I thought. At least you’re not showing us your huge arse again because, let’s face it, that one-trick pony was getting a bit tired. At least you actually have something to say of value these days. Go Kim, I thought.
I was just about to head off on my merry scroll again when I decided to read the comments. Oh Jebus. Vanity Fair’s readers were not happy. Not one bit. Basically, bar one or two thumbs up, the rest of the comments, and there were many, went along these lines: ‘Oh please. Sorry but this is not a role model. This whole crisis has made it very clear that people like her DO NOT MATTER! Instead, showcase women in healthcare and with essential jobs.’
Hmmm. These are strange days. I headed over to Kim’s account to see what she was peddling. Yup, everything as usual from shapewear to a new perfume. That’s why she’s got 164 million followers. They want to be sold stuff. It’s a business, baby. In fairness, she had also donated $1million to families affected by Covid-19 and had a perfectly primped post supporting #ChildrensHospitalWeek. She’s not all bad, Kim K. Certainly not all good either.
Admittedly, I’ve gone a bit soft of late. I’m no longer prepared to take a hard line on anything, now that everything is in the air. I’m assessing. Listening. And listening some more. I’m absolutely up for better role models, ones who aren’t afraid to show us their real face, some wrinkles, some wonky teeth, who aren’t always trying to flog us stuff. If the world economy goes under, how will we buy those contouring kits anyway? The future is up for grabs. Smart move by the Italian government to expand its ‘Golden Power’ rule, which aims to block foreign takeovers of Italian companies. The vultures will be swirling again. As leaders of the fashion world, the Italians have much to protect.
Another controversial personality I’m warming to of late, or at least not taking a hard stance on, is Donald Trump. I never thought I’d ever say that, but I’ve had time on my hands to research. He’s not all bad, Donald. He’s certainly not all good either, but at least he’s not making up excuses to go to war. That is massive. I could change my mind again depending on the information coming in – which, quite frankly, is why we shouldn’t ever really take a hard stance on anything. Firstly, we could be wrong and, secondly, there’s always new info to process.
‘Kim and Donald are not all bad ... but they’re not all good either’