What Kim Kardashian’s ‘get your a** up and work” Comment Could Have Been for Women in Business
Kim Kardashian made headlines earlier this week with a controversial comment while promoting her new show. “I have the best advice for women in business. Get your a** up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days” she lamented.
Naturally, she set the internet aflame and the knives came out from all directions pointing to her various advantages like wealthy parents and existing high profile status.
Considering much of her public life has been built off of controversy, I’d say it’s a pretty brilliant publicity stunt…let’s not forget it was during an interview with Variety while promoting her new show.
If however, she wanted to make a genuine statement that no doubt would have sparked an alternate reality response, she could have said “I have the best advice to women in business, it’s about accepting sacrifice.”
Kim Kardashian appears to be generally under-appreciated when it comes to the sacrifices she’s made to get to where she is considering her constant bating of slings and arrows.
From a fringe friend and styles for Paris Hilton growing up in exclusive Beverly Hills, she’s become one of the most well-known people on the planet. Let’s briefly examine some of the highlights:
- 1980 — born in Beverly Hills, California to Robert Kardashian, prominent LA attorney and studio exec & Kris Jenner
- 2007 — sex tape with then boyfriend Ray-J goes public, lawsuit ensues
- 2007 — Keeping Up with the Kardashians launches
- 2007 — Shoots nude Sports Illustrated
- 2010 — Kitten photo controversy w/ PETA over holding a cat by the scruff of its neck
- 2011 — Begins dating New Jersey Net Chris Humphries, films wedding & creates television show, divorces 72 days later
- 2012 — Dates Kanye West while still married to Chris Humphries and eventually Kanye & Kim marry, media frenzy ensues throughout their relationship
- 2022 — Begins dating Pete Davidson, viral social content fires between Kanye and Pete
Throughout this time, there have been many claims of body modification as well. A simple google search on before and after claims and you can come to your own conclusions.
She has skillfully used controversy and publicity to advance her brands and business. Whether she’s the designer or it’s some other puppet master (some say Kris Jenner), it’s working.
Regardless of whether or not Kim’s worked “hard” so to speak, she has sacrificed a lot.
She has sacrificed her privacy, sexuality, body, personal image, just about everything a non-famous person holds holy and private to climb the status and social ladder.
Few people on earth will go to those lengths from sex tapes, to relationships and family life being willingly scrutinized in the public forum, to risking personal injury for the camera.
And when she makes a comment like “I have the best advice for women in business. Get your a** up and work” it’s another sacrifice.
She (they) had to know that this would rile up the internet, and it did. And she’s willing to be publicly tarred and feathered for clicks (and money).
This sacrifice is what Kim could exemplify for women in business.
Sacrifice takes many forms, long hours at work, missing children or family time, relationships wax and wane from competing priorities but these are the ones ‘normal’ people are familiar with.
Men have historically sacrifice themselves in many ways, fighting war and battles over territory, chasing wounded prey, protecting against incoming threats, etc.
Women historically have made different sacrifices which have primarily beenmake the ultimate sacrifice during childbirth and risk death to bring a new life.
As I observe the sacrifices my wife makes when deciding between working and spending time with our son, it’s a struggle to try and succeed in both avenues.
And I wish Kim (or someone) would be talking about sacrifice and how succeeding in life (business, child rearing, friendship, relationships, anything) requires a give and take…and give and take is ok.
Understanding the sacrifices we make each day when making the decisions that formulate the consequences of our lives can be the difference between being blindsided by life or living consciously.
Increase the discussion of and acceptance of one another’s sacrifices in life, this is my best advice for women (and men) in business.
— Adam @thatmhg
creator of Avalo
