Fans Think Kim Kardashian Faked the Met Gala Gift From Her Daughter, North West
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Kim Kardashian stunned on the carpet again at the 2023 Met Gala.
But a pre-Met Gala social media post has fans scratching their heads.
In the post, Kim shows an elaborately decorated room which she claims her 9-year old-daughter, North West, put together as a surprise.
Seventeen years ago, anthropology professor Alexei Yurchak introduced a concept in his 2006 book, Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More: The Last Soviet Generation, that he called "hypernormalization." In its simplest form, the idea Yurchak proposed was that, in the 1970s and 1980s, the imminent collapse of the Soviet Union was apparent, but that rather than confront the uncertainty of the unknown that lay ahead by accepting the actual reality, the Soviets unconsciously all agreed to accept a contrived, blatantly "fake reality" that nevertheless offered comfort in its banal maintenance of the status quo. The act of totally accepting that fake reality is what Yurchak deemed "hypernormalization."
Just a year later, in 2007, amidst a lack of scripted programming due in part to a writer's strike, the E! network debuted a new "reality show" focused on then-quasi-celebrities, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, to U.S. audiences.
Decades later, there's no denying that the Kardashians have dominated the public discourse in terms of celebrity gossip and branded products, from wedding gifts and presents for famous friends to prominent brand partnerships. They are undeniable masters at crafting moments meant to go viral, of a special kind of "reality programming" that's precisely programmed. But the latest Kardashian attempt at curated reality has left some fans incredulous.
As Page Six notes, "Fans are calling BS on North West organizing an extravagant pre-Met Gala surprise for mom Kim Kardashian." The 2023 Met Gala, being a major media event, was naturally attended once again this year by Kim Kardashian, who routinely garners headlines for her bold and sometimes controversial costume choices.
But a pre-Met Gala social media post may have been a bridge too far. In Kim's posted story, per Page Six, "Kardashian showed off a lavish room—which she claims was arranged by the 9-year-old—that included three massage beds surrounded by white rose petals, countless bouquets of flowers and dozens of lit white candles."
In addition to that, balloons were arranged to spell out "Karl Lagerfeld Met Gala." Kim commented in her post, "How sweet is North for surprising me tonight with this for us to relax before the Met?"
Believing a 9-year-old was behind such a decadent display was too much for some. Page Six quotes a Reddit commenter as saying, "There is no way North did this" while another retorts that, "Maybe the intern’s name is also North." One even went so far as to say, "Why does she just lie like this No 9 year old would/can do this….why can’t she let North just be a 9 year old."
Of course, arguments could be had over whether or not it squares with logic that a 9-year-old child personally put together such a scene. But such arguments are irrelevant when it comes to anything put out by the Kardashians. The contrived faux-realities put forth by the Kardashian clan aren't nearly as consequential as the socio-political hypernormalization Yurchak proposed to define the late-period Soviet Union, but they are a shared alternate reality that we all have to either agree to believe, or disengage from entirely.
It's not nefarious delusion, in this case, but more like good, old-fashioned pro-wrestling kayfabe: You either have to be willing to believe the fake reality to enjoy the show, or otherwise, why bother buying a ticket? To poke your head into the curated Kardashian universe and try and square it with the real world is only a recipe for frustration, and eye-twitching madness.
Which is all to say: Sure. Why not? Let's all just go with "9-year-old North West personally decorated a massage room for Kim ahead of the Met Gala." Good job, 9-year-old North West. Good job.
You Might Also Like
