The Hate Toward the Kardashians Is Total B.S.

Katherine Ryan's new Netflix special, Glitter Room, covers it all: the power of Celine Dion, life as a single mom, and why all the hate toward the Kardashians is B.S. In fact, on that latter subject, she has a lot more to say. Here, she explains.

I was reading the other day that in real life lions are a matriarchal society. So in The Lion King Sarabi should be the one in charge—not Mufasa—and yet we barely even know her name because she's such a minor role. It made me think of the Kardashians. They're like human lionesses—powerful women who show us that you can love men, you can respect them, but you don't really need them. Sure, there have been men who orbit around these sisters, but they're not integral to the success of the family. I love that.

It'll always be about the way they look, or who they've slept with, or what they do with their bodies.

I most admire what Kris Jenner has done with the family. She didn't have to do it. She could have just been a lady who lunched, but she made a conscious choice to change the path of her matriarchal destiny. She's built an empire of women who are successful and out here changing our culture. We don't even fully appreciate Kris Jenner yet for everything she's built. She's vilified a lot—"Oh the devil works hard, but Kris Jenner works harder"—but why? She's a manager, she's a business person, and she's doing a great job.

That's why I think any criticism of these women is so steeped in misogyny. It'll always be about the way they look, or who they've slept with, or what they do with their bodies. People have a real problem, I think, with beautiful women being independent.

I'm fascinated by divisive characters, though. Isn't it so boring to be in the middle? You never hear, "Meh. I think the Kardashians are OK." It's, "I love them all." Or, "I can't stand them." It's a very interesting litmus test, to find out whether or not someone likes the Kardashians. It says a lot about that person. For one, there's a certain snobbery about the show. Keeping Up With the Kardashians—or any reality TV, really—is often looked down upon by the mainstream. Women are often asked about their "guilty pleasures," and I don't believe in that. Pleasure is pleasure. If something as innocuous as relaxing with a reality show is considered a guilty pleasure...I mean, we've got enough guilt in our lives.

And then there's the jokes about their careers. I love when the general opinion is that someone shouldn't or can't do something because of their background or the way they look and they're proven wrong. Look at Kim's foray into legal advocacy—she probably knows that people are laughing at her, that people are saying she can't do it. The reality is she doesn't have to do it. She's certainly not doing it for any personal financial gain. She's taking the time out of her life, when all she had to do was the bare minimum. She just had to be Rob. But Kim's in the White House now! (Not that only great people are allowed there.) It fascinates me how angry she makes people, when Kim is genuinely making change and using her celebrity for good.

You always have to look at the meta narrative. If you look at anything face value, you'll never see the full picture. I was watching an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and wondering why they were going to a gun range. I know how the family feels about gun control, so I was like, "What are they doing?" And then I realized, "Oh, that's how this episode will turn out." They talk to people about the death rates and the statistics of gun violence. I thought, isn't that clever. They're talking about real issues while still keeping it true to their brand. It's great.

Of course, they're not perfect. Yes, they've had some filler and botox. But so have I! I understand some of the criticism, which is why I love to see people like Jameela Jamil push back and question why the sisters are advertising weight loss shakes. It's tricky—I don't expect them to have perfect body confidence, because they're in a system where, unfortunately, women are better received if they look a certain way. But still, they're at the point where they should be setting an example. I think the Kardashians—all of us, actually—could learn from women like Lizzo, who completely and unapologetically reject the idea that women have to look or behave a certain way to be a star.

Whether they're fighting or getting along, this element of sisterhood and collaboration always comes first.

What I love most about the family, though, is that they support each other. It's so feminist that there are these women—many of whom are working mothers—and whatever happens in their lives, they stand up for each other. Whether they're fighting or getting along, this element of sisterhood and collaboration always comes first. They're all about business, work, and supporting each other.

I certainly don't begrudge these women their success. I think it's aspirational and inspirational. Anything I've achieved is because I had to eat. They didn't have those same stakes—they were eating regardless—so the fact that they've done so much not because they had to, but because they wanted to, deserves some praise.

Glitter Room is now available on Netflix.

Originally Appeared on Glamour