I found an interesting article on Kim Kardashian's new social media strategy following a traumatic incident where she was held at gunpoint. I know that she went a relatively long hiatus from posting on all social media, and her return this year is indicative of a shift in how she chooses to present herself, her family, her life and her wealth.
Many blamed Kim's constant use of Snapchat, both by providing constant clues to places she frequently inhabits as well as serving as a tool to flash her wealth, for the robbery. I found this victim blaming appalling, but it made me think about this notion of privacy when it comes to public figures whose lives are up for consumption. With someone as public as Kim, who quite literally bares all for see, it seems that some feel like she deserved to be robbed and attacked. I find this deeply disturbing and after reading some interviews she has done after this incident, it is clear that she was heavily traumatized by it.
Her new social media strategy seems to be part of a "conscious rebranding" that reminds me of Beyonce's social media presence. While stars like Kim, Rihanna and more constantly post their looks, activities and views on social media, Beyonce presents a more obviously tailored version of her life. She shares often-staged pictures with her family, as well as pictures from concerts and events she attends. I do not think anyone who follows Beyonce on Instagram would claim to know too much about her, since she chooses to keep a divide between her personal and private life. Kim now has focused less on displaying jewelry and her outfits and instead has focused on her family (with some small exceptions). The heavily filtered photos make it painfully obvious that Kim is deciding what to share with us, removing an intimacy that was previously felt. While obviously Kim always was conscious in what content to post, now there is a filter that exists reminding her of her safety and how her posts could be used against her. I also find it odd that Kim was blamed for the robbery when it should be abundantly obvious that any celebrity has a tremendous amount of wealth, so Kim showcasing her lifestyle is certainly not an invitation to be attacked. I find this all raises a very interesting conversation about the use of social media in the constant battle that is the private versus public lives of the stars. What is the responsibility of the star on social media? Which celebrities let us the most in? Which celebrities are the most careful in curating their image and why?
I found it interesting how you compared Kim Kardashian's new Instagram "aesthetic" to the way that Beyoncé uses the social media. I agree with you said about how Beyoncé has a more staged Instagram presence, but that's not necessarily the word that I would use to describe it. As we read for week two, celebrities are very much manufactured, and I also think that most Instagram posts are staged to a certain level. Thus, I would describe Beyoncé's style as character-focused. Even though she posts some photos with her daughter, most of her photos don't really tell us who she really is. By posting photos mostly related to performances and fashion, her Instagram becomes very limited to her persona as an artist and performer. Even for the photos with Blue Ivy, she still looks "in character", dressed up and ready for the photo. We never get to see her personal life, although it looks like we do.
ReplyDeleteHowever, for a celebrity like Kim Kardashian, who became famous by exploiting her personal life, it is harder to define the boundaries of public and private life. I agree that her new social media strategy suggests that she’s trying to rebrand herself, but I think that this vintage analog camera look that she adopted actually aims to let go of the staged aura and give her a more realistic and motherly image. Because of the nature of analog photography and how you can’t really check analog photos before they’re printed, this look suggests spontaneity and timeless life moments. Therefore, I believe this new aesthetic aims to get away from her superficial and staged personality, and give her a more family-oriented one, as this vintage style is reminiscent of old family home videos and as her new content is very family-related.
I saw this article earlier this week as well. All in all, I think the article applauds Kim's departure from the "oversharing" aesthetic into a more "safeguarded," "slower-paced," and "more meaningful" social media presence. Simultaneously, the author celebrates Kim K's influence as a member of one of a "new generation of celebrities responsible for directly encouraging our use of social media – she interacts with us online, makes unthinkable amounts of money from sponsored posts and prides herself on giving fans unfiltered access to her personal life. In return, many of us do the same."
ReplyDeleteParticularly, I thought Ryan's insight comparing the social media approach of Beyoncé versus Kim K was really insightful, in pointing out the now similar distant, staged, "heavily filtered" and "tailored version of her life."
When I read this, I immediately thought - well... that's why I don't follow Beyoncé on Instagram. Many photos she posts are simply repeated on tabloids, capitalized by captions that are impersonal or nonexistent. As Ryan noted, her Instagram is just really, really disconnected from her personal life, which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing - it's just a matter of preferences.
However, falsely extending my own preferences to those of the general public, I assumed that Beyoncé would have a vastly lower number of followers than Kim K. To my shock (and maybe I am alone in my shock) Beyonce has 90M and Kim K has 90.7M.