The Kardashian family promotes products which are harmful to females' self-image
The Kardashians promote products that make women feel ashamed of not fitting strict patriarchal beauty standards. For example, they promote appetite-suppressing products marketed to young vulnerable women.
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The Argument
The very foundation of the Kardashian-Jenner empire is the influence they hold over young impressionable minds. They don't shy away from manipulating to their full potential, milking out every last cent. By targeting the bodily insecurities of their audience, they sell products that not only further perpetuate the idea that beauty is limited to the way a person looks, but also plot the coordinates for its standards.
Having been on TV for over 12 years, sharing and sometimes oversharing many personal facets of their lives with the world, they form an illusion of relatability, inducing people to buy products that are steeply-priced and are detrimental to both physical and mental health. Be it the appetite-suppressing lollipops, restraining corsets for waist training, hair supplement gummy bears (minus the multivitamins actually required), makeup, and skincare products containing harmful ingredients, the Kardashian-Jenners have managed to find buyers for them all.
By creating a market for such products they effectively establish the shallowness of their stand for female empowerment. These products slowly siphon away the power from the hands of the influenced to those of the influencer.
Counter arguments
The Kardashians are social media influencers. They are mediums through which multinational corporations push out their commodities to the general public, and as such, the Kardashians are simply doing their jobs just like any other human being. The problem is with the commodity, and by extension, the fault should lie with its manufacturers who capitalize on the vulnerabilities of the human population. The main reason why the Kardashians are targetted is because of their powerful status in society and the fact that they are more accessible than the manufacturers. Due credit should be accorded to them as they return day after day to the public eye, despite the numerous misogynistic accusations levied against them.
The corporations are the ones who create these products, sustain and then promote their use. It is the FDA who approves them despite their obvious negative effects on an individual’s physical, emotional and psychological well-being. Yet they go scot-free, creating even more products, while the Kardashians are crucified for being women, powerful, professional and accessible.
Proponents
Premises
[P1] - The products promoted by the Kardashians are not just physically harmful, but also promote a certain image that needs to be achieved.
[P2] - People believe the products to be beneficial and trust them because they buy into the illusion set up by the Kardashians.
Rejecting the premises
[Rejecting P2] - The products exist in the market because there are consumers. The Kardashians are only fulfilling their professional obligations.