Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
‘My mom’s a superstar all from a home movie’, and other gems
DURING hard lockdown, my son, in a moment of boredom, wrote out report cards for everyone in our family. In them, he described what he liked and didn’t like about each of us.
While I thought I was the model parent, he mentioned that I was too protective of him and cackled like a witch when I found something funny.
My daughter concurred and added that when I fell off my broomstick chortling, there was nothing cute or adorable about it. They found it annoying and embarrassing. And I thought I was the hip and woke parent.
It’s crazy how kids can humble you. With their brutal honesty, they choose violence over and over again. Never mind that you suckled and cared for them in their precious first years.
But this isn’t about me … or my children. It’s about North West. No, not the province. The other one. Kim and Kanye’s kid.
The oldest member of the Kardashian/West brood has lived a life. At only 8, that sassy attitude of hers tells us she really is her mother’s child, though we get the feeling that sometimes she wishes she wasn’t Kardashian’s daughter
Her larger than life personality (we wonder who she takes after?) ensures that no one puts Nori in a corner. But then again, when you’re born into the messiness that is the Kardashian/ Jenner clan, there are no victims, only divas. And because she’s growing up in the spotlight, Nori can’t always say what’s on her mind, unless … there’s a parody Instagram account that says it all for her.
Nori’s Black Book (@norisblackbook), with more than 1.5 million Instagram followers, is the satire account that we’re here for.
Created by 35-year-old writer Natalie Franklin from Sacramento, California, the spoof account is written from the perspective of North West.
With the tagline, “My mom’s a superstar all from a home movie”, you know you’re in for a host of internet gems from Franklin.
Franklin even featured on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians in 2020 to finally reveal she was the person behind the account to Kim, Khloe and the rest of the world.
Writing as Nori, Franklin gives her take on the Kardashian family drama, the latest being Kim’s newest bae, Pete Davidson. Sharing a picture of Davidson’s “My girl is a lawyer” tattoo, Nori’s response was: “If she gets a ‘My Boy Is Kinda on SNL’ tattoo, I call the cops.”
On the reason for Kim wearing too much black, she wrote: “I’m sorry, but
every day can’t be a funeral. She’s been in mourning since 2016. Do better.”
To say that Franklin is a genius when it comes to one-liners is an understatement. No wonder Nori’s Black Book (NBB) has amassed millions of followers. So, how was NBB born?
Short story: in 2013, Franklin took Nori’s Black Book to Tumblr. After gaining popularity on Tumblr, NBB then moved to Instagram. From there, it blew up and went viral.
Long story: In 2014, the Kardashians launched their “Babies R Us” clothing range, using Baby North as their model.
“I remember saying to a friend, ‘Oh my god, could you imagine being
North West and having to wear ‘Babies R Us’?’” Franklin told Cosmopolitan in a January 2022 interview.
“I’d be p*ssed, like, ‘Where’s the Prada? Where’s the Balenciaga? Where’s the Gucci?’ It was a light-bulb moment for me.”
Franklin admitted she started Tumblr blog Nori’s Black Book as a distraction from her job. Her inspiration was Suri’s Burn Book, a popular blog at the time that satirised Suri Cruise, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise’s daughter.
The catalyst for the blog going viral was a post about Kris Jenner wearing overalls.
“The account was popular from the beginning, but I didn’t think it would
ever go mainstream; I thought it would be funny for the cult Kardashian fans only. And then Kanye got a hold of it, and it was like, ‘Oh my god’,” she told the publication.
On how she channelled Nori’s voice, Franklin explained to ET that she used Kim and Kanye’s personality.
“If you watch KUWTK, Kim’s very judgemental with her family, and then Kanye has a big ego. There’s a dash of Kris in there with the brand,” she said.
On who is the easiest Kardashian or Jenner to make fun of when creating content, Franklin said Kourtney, Scott Disick and their kids. “It’s easier for me to write for Scott because his relationships are hilarious. And Kourtney is in constant conflict with Kim, so that speaks directly to North,” she said.
One person she was particularly proud about taking the p*ss out of is Corey Gamble, Kris’s boyfriend.
“The jokes I write about Corey are the best, especially when people realised he was the same age as Kim.”
Inadvertently, Franklin has put a spotlight on the warped reality of the Kardashian/Jenner clan.
Yes, they may be one of reality TV’s most loved and hated families, but Nori’s Black Book managed to zero in on the ridiculousness of what’s it’s like in the life of the super rich.