A normally lighthearted and fun show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, has been addressing bigger issues in their latest episodes. There have been some abuse stories that came to the surface regarding the Kardashian children abusing their nannies. The stories have shed a concerning light on famous family.
The Kardashians came into the spotlight with their wildly popular reality TV show on E!, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, in which cameras follow around the famous family's every move, documenting their day to day life and struggles. The show follows Kris Jenner and her five daughters - Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian West, Khloé Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner. The family is no stranger to controversy, but it seemed like it got out of hand this week when Kourtney brought up issues regarding her two children being violent toward people. The reaction by Kris' boyfriend, Corey Gamble, was also a point of contention with viewers, as his solution to the problem was physical discipline - to spank them.
Last Sunday's episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kourtney explained that her 9-year-old son, Mason, got in trouble as a school for threatening to "fight" another student. Then, Kourtney opened up about the fact that they no longer have a nanny as she quit because of being scratched in the face by their 7-year-old daughter, Penelope. Kim then said that she should call up the nanny and apologize like she had done when her 6-year-old daughter, North, had been aggressive toward her nanny. That's when Kris explained that the situation with Penelope is "much more serious" than Kourtney is playing it off to be.
The matriarch explained, "I have six kids. Not once in my entire life did anyone ever have a complaint like this," adding, "We need to take care of this before it gets too far out of control." Kourtney immediately disagreed with her mom, dropping a bombshell, saying that when she was a kid she used to "f–king slap [her] nannies, like, bam across the face." That's when Kris' boyfriend, Gamble chimed in and said, "If P scratch me, I'm whipping her a**," adding that a"whippin' is that discipline" Penelope needs.
Since the episode has aired, it has brought to light some issues with abuse toward nannies in their family that has stemmed back to when Kourtney was a child. It seems that the behavior that should have been addressed is being swept under the rug, and the show has put more emphasis on the fact that Kris' boyfriend, Gamble, said that he would use a harsh form of corporal punishment (aka "whipping her a**") to rectify the situation and to discipline Penelope. It seems that the real issue here - the abuse toward the nannies - had no real solution and has shed a concerning light on the family.
Given their negative reaction toward Gamble, but their more indifferent reactions to other forms of abuse in their own family, there appears to a lack of balance in their approach to the overarching situation. The treatment of nannies in the Kardashian family, based on the information they revealed, ought to be treated just as seriously as Gamble's approach to discipline. Of course, what's being presented on TV versus what might have been left on the cutting room floor could easily indicate that there is more to story; but, that being said, it still brings to light a sensitive topic that deserves further discussion.
Keeping Up with the Kardashians airs Sundays at 9 pm EST on E!.