May 7, 2015
Kim Kardashian Selfish
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
There two types of people in the world: Those who can get behind Kim Kardashian and those who despise her and her large behind. Most people have a distain for Kim because of what she represents - the antithesis of the American dream. The line of thinking goes that Kim (and to some extent her family, especially her sisters Kourtney and Khloe) became famous from doing nothing; for simply existing, having a sex tape, living her life on her reality show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and by brainwashing dumb Americans into buying into her brand.
Kim's new coffee table book, "Selfish," will certainly not turn any of the haters into new fans. Many will see it as just another vapid way to capitalize on her clueless fans. But if Kim is good at one thing, it's taking photographs of herself. She is the undisputed Queen of the Selfie -- her Instagram has more than 2,650 posts and 31.2 million followers. A picture she posted of her wedding to Kanye West has more than 1.92 million likes, which is the most liked picture on the social media site.
To say Kim is a master at taking a selfie is an understatement, but "Selfish" is not just full of Instagram rejects. On paper, the book sounds ridiculous, but it's actually a touching window into one of the world's most photographed woman. It spans between 2006 and 2014 and Kim includes photos of some of her most private moments in her life, most accompanied by a caption written by Kim.
The reality star doesn't shy away from sharing her most unflattering moments: in a few pictures she snaps selfies with one of the worst sunburns I've seen on another human being. Other pictures show her being a goofball, and some are embarrassing partying photos one would delete off Facebook.
Most of "Selfish," however, captures amazing moments in Kim's life, and the book finds a heartbeat and is actually moving at times. Selfies with her family, including a young Kylie and Kendal, brother Rob and stepfather Bruce Jenner, who recently captured America for coming out as a transgender woman, show that, no matter what you think about Kim, she's got an unbreakable bond with her family.
Later on in the book, there's a clear shift where Kim becomes more demure, not afraid to show off her curvy body, whether that be in skin-tight dresses or completely nude. "Selfish" ends with pictures of daughter North and Kim's wedding with Kanye, where she writes a caption thanking her fans.
It becomes clear her book isn't for the haters - she's not trying to earn new followers, she's happy with those who have been with her from the start.