The series, which airs on E! Cable TV features the Kardashian family, their friends and partners. However, it mainly focusses on the lives of the three sisters Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian and their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner. The show has been nominated for approximately 20 Awards, 10 of which it has won. Some of the awards that the show has got include Teen Choice TV Reality Show of the Year 2010 and 2013 and The People’s Choice Award of 2011 as the Favorite TV Guilty Pleasure. The Kardashians are a blended family. Kristen, aka Kris Jenner, was initially married to Robert Kardashian from the year 1978 to the year 1991 when they divorced. During their marriage, the couple had been blessed with four children - Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob Kardashian (Kerr Pearce, 2018). After the divorce, Kris moved on to her husband Bruce Jenner, hence changing her last name from Kardashian to Jenner. The couple got two more daughters, Kylie and Kendall Jenner. The family started getting into the spotlight when Kim was employed as a personal stylist to Lindsay Lohan. Also, she got the attention of media, because she was dating famous people. In the year 2016, Kourtney also starred in the reality show. The following year Kim’s sex tape was released. This series of events gave them the fame that let them start their own show discussed in many informal essays.

The first episode of the first season introduces the family to the audience. In this episode, every Kardashian and Jenner family member appears. This episode shows women empowerment through the language they use, the images they create and the clothing they wear. However, it does address the aspect of gender bias where the women dress provocatively while the men’s clothing is preservative. In addition, some scenes present the underage people that are involved in inappropriate acts. Thus, this paper aims to deeper understand the social problems listed above and how the TV series Keeping Up with the Kardashians depict them in the first episode of the first season.

For a long time, women have been treated as minorities. However, the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians shows how the women are taking the control both in their life and in business affairs. For example, Kris Jenner takes the role of Kim’s manager, a job that is considered to be more appropriate for a man. Additionally, the three sisters take the initiative to set up a business. During the episode, Khloe is talking about the Dash Clothing that she runs along with her sisters (Daily Motion, 2007). Moreover, during the Kim’s trip to New York for her interview, she is wrapping some gifts from the Dash Dolls. Another way that the episode portrays women as good businesspeople is through the Tyra Banks TV show. It is obvious that Kris Jenner is excited to see Tyra’s interview with Kim. Therefore, the show must be a very big deal and is expected to grab the audience attention that they need to get their show going on.

How the women dress in the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians is a form of a stereotype. Dressing skimpily shows that women are ranked or gain popularity due to their looks rather than brains. Thus, there is no wonder that even Kris Jenner appears in very short dresses throughout the episode even regardless her advanced age. Conversely, Kim Kardashian shows that women can get attention even without such a provocative style during her interview with Tyra Banks, where she is formally dressed (Daily Motion, 2007). She shows that the modern woman does not have to depend only on the looks in order to get an audience.

Gender stereotyping is also seen when Kris expects Kourtney to act in a serious manner because of her age. For a long time, women’s lives have been governed by the unwritten rules that expect them to behave in a certain way and have certain achievements at a certain age. Such stereotypes are clearly shown when Kris confronts Scott on the nature of his relationship with her daughter (Daily Motion, 2007). She goes further and tells the rest of the family that, based on his age, she does not think Scott is ready for a monogamous relationship that may lead to a marriage. This shows that she clearly expects Kourtney to find someone interested in a serious relationship that leads to the marriage.

To some extent, the first episode of the program depicts the underage people in inappropriate situations. A perfect example is when during the 16th marriage anniversary of Bruce and Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian purchases a pole for her parents’ bedroom, and her friend is teaching her some pole dancing tactics in the presence of Kylie Jenner, who at the time is only 12 years old (Daily Motion, 2007). The young Kylie even goes far and tries out some of the moves that are later interrupted by Bruce who shuns the behavior. Another scene that shows similar acts leads to the party, where the mother catches Kylie and Kendall making martinis behind the bar.

In conclusion, Keeping Up with The Kardashians is a great reality show that keeps its audience glued to the TV. However, like any other program, there is more to it than meets the eye. Its great influence and large audience ensure scrutiny of the TV series. The first episode creates a platform for criticism of gender treatment and shows the women’s empowerment. However, the gender stereotyping, biasness and the underage individuals involved in adult acts are depicted as well. Such criticism should help to improve the quality of the content so as to enhance the women’s empowerment.