Editorial: Sympathy Foregone by Unforgiving Fans
Last week, many heard about how five assailants posing as Hôtel de Pourtalès employees robbed Kim Kardashian in her penthouse suite, stealing millions of dollars worth of jewelry and holding the reality star at gunpoint. Many saw the ugliness of the event, while a few ridiculed her and said she deserved it. All because of who she is and what she is known for.
Ironically, society is more sympathetic to female celebrities with “A-List” status such as Adele or Jennifer Aniston. I mean, even looking back to a few years ago when someone broke into Sandra Bullock’s home and she managed to get out without confronting the perpetrator, people did not say horrible things. Instead, they offered sympathy and condolences. But why? They make just as much money. They are just as famous. Yet Kardashian is the one that gets the backlash and it’s more than likely because of how she became famous.
I’m in no way a fan of Kim Kardashian. I could never watch the reality show she is on because her voice annoys me, and I myself do not really get why she is even famous. But you have to give her credit for her fame, considering that it is clearly not easy when it was a sex tape that launched her career. Just because she does not have as much of a ‘respected’ resume, does not mean she deserves the laughter and hate for this incident. No person deserves to go through what she went through. Yet many judge her because of who she is and her career.
Many other female celebrities including Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are also continuously reminded of their low points which are not looked highly upon as well. Meanwhile, people have forgotten male celebrity mistakes like with Jerry Springer and Robert Downey Jr. Did you know Springer was involved with a sex scandal involving a prostitute and cashed check early in his career? Or that Downey was in prison for a drug conviction?
It is disturbing how the media focuses on female celebrity mistakes in comparison to men’s. The men could do pretty much the exact same thing and no one would bat an eyelash. However, that could also get into society’s general double-standard.
So let’s change something about this. As an Elle Magazine article pointed out, even people who showed respect and sympathy towards Kardashian were praising her as “a mother, a daughter, a wife.” However, they totally missed the fact that, thank goodness, she was okay. Yes, she means a lot to those close to her, but sympathy should not be given only because she is loved by others. We, as a society, need to look at the human being and stop judging because of mistakes. No one is perfect.