Selfish: milennials’ new bible
On Tuesday, May 5, a renowned artistic and literary hero released a photography album that will surely enter the canon of great American literature. Selfish, Kim Kardashian’s collection of handpicked selfies taken across the course of her career, hit bookstores this month, much to the delight of reality TV. The album has piqued the interest of book and art reviewers alike.
For under 11 dollars (and with an ID, due to some rather risqué photos conveniently printed on a series of black pages in the middle of the book), readers can enjoy the photographic voyage of the life of a woman whose reality show is the secret, guilty pleasure of many LM students. Kardashian’s book spans from 2006 to 2014. Starting with her first ever selfie, captured by a disposable camera in 1984, the book jumps forward to a rather awkward shot taken aboard a plane in 2006. From that point on, the shots range from the mundane to the extraordinary, with photos of Kardashian getting her makeup applied interspersed with those of her at the Met Gala while meeting Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue.
Yet Kardashian’s book is not solely comprised of candid shots. Many of her selfies are accompanied by annotations written by the star herself, providing explanations for the seemingly random collection in the book. Some of the captions are comical, such as, “Baby hairs on fleek. Lol.” However, others provide a much deeper understanding of exactly what Kardashian is attempting to show her audience, such as one shot of Kardashian in the midst of curling her hair accompanied by a short blurb reading, “I was getting ready for a photoshoot wearing my signature Juicy sweat suit! I was obsessed!!! I know so many people would find getting their hair and makeup done so often tedious but I love the entire process so much. It’s therapeutic for me. It relaxes me!” It is through commentary such as this that Kardashian’s talent as a writer becomes evident, and she truly connects with her readers.
It is within the very center of the book that Kardashian’s photos take a rather raunchy turn. Printed across 39 glossy black pages is a collection of Kardashian’s indecent selfies. They range from the suggestive to the obscene, all while maintaining a sensual aura that only Kardashian herself seems to have perfected when it comes to social media. Though some were taken for her husband, others were just for her. Kardashian took a few selfies after her pregnancy in an attempt to feel comfortable in her own skin and to “feel sexy again.” Considering the fact that her notorious “video” is what made her famous, Kardashian truly had nothing to lose by including those shots.
As much as the public loves to hate Kardashian, by publishing this book, she certainly displays a degree of confidence that others lack. Whether people want to accept it or not, her book is avant-garde simply due to the fact that it has never been done before. As vapidly as the media often portrays her, Kardashian is a businesswoman and a brand-builder like no other, and Selfish only furthers her career. Hate her all you want, but Kardashian is certainly laughing all the way to the bank, selfie stick in hand.