Kylie Jenner's tears: The burden of beauty in the public eye

In a recent episode of "The Kardashians," a reality show on Hulu, 26-year-old Kylie Jenner teared up while discussing comments in traditional and social media about her looks. The conversation with her sister, Kendall Jenner, was prompted by tabloid headlines claiming that Kylie looked "old" during a visit to France.

Kylie lamented to Kendall: "It's a miracle that I am still confident and can still look in the mirror and think I am pretty." "Just look at pictures since I was 13 – I just have these lines," continued the mother of two, pointing to her cheeks. "I've had them since I was a child," she added, her voice breaking. In a separate scene, she told the camera: "I hear nasty things about me all the time. After more than 10 years, it’s just exhausting."

Kendall Jenner noted that the Kardashian-Jenner family is "dehumanised" in the public eye. The model remarked that if such judgments were directed at another woman, people would defend her from the attacks. These thoughts didn't gain much support among social media commenters discussing clips from the reality show. On TikTok, commenters noted that unkind comments about their appearance have to be endured by all women on the internet, even those whose online presence is unrelated to monetising their image. This is indeed a universally negative phenomenon we often write about.

Many found it difficult to sympathise with Kylie. One person wrote on X: "Kylie has ruined the body image of an entire generation of girls. Sorry, I just can’t feel bad for her." Some comments emphasised that the youngest of the Jenner sisters could mainly blame her parents, who decided to thrust her into the spotlight.

Kylie Jenner's life choices as the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner clan were largely out of her control. Jenner grew up as a celebrity due to her parents, Kris and Caitlyn Jenner (who was known as Bruce Jenner before transitioning in 2015), 's decision to take part in "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." The first episode of the reality show premiered in October 2007, when Kylie was 10 years old.

The Kardashian-Jenner family's global recognition began in March 2007 when a pornographic tape of Kim Kardashian and her former partner Ray J leaked. In 2022, Ray J claimed in an interview with dailymail.com that the tape's release was "an agreement and partnership between Kris Jenner, Kim, and me." This version of events is denied by Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and the adult film studio that released the video.