While we’re all making it work, it seems that the life hasn’t changed too much for the reality stars, including their annual birthday blowouts. Even during a global pandemic…
Earlier last week, while we were all collectively isolated in our homes, we all watched Kim Kardashian-West celebrate her 40th birthday on a private island with her closest friends and family, in the middle of a global pandemic. She explained that everyone on the trip had gone through two weeks of precautions and had taken multiple health tests prior to going on the trip. Kim explained that they all wanted to “just feel normal for a little while” in her original tweet. Understandably, the internet exploded with harsh comments and concerns coming from people all over the world.
Kardashian-West certainly could have gotten away with a birthday vacation a year ago. In fact, she probably would have been applauded for her choice in another shiny gold dress for the occasion. However, 2020 has been a year of total societal unrest, and we’re calling everyone out, even if it’s your birthday. It’s been a hard year for everybody. We’ve all been stuck in our homes, isolated from our friends, family, and jobs. Watching someone celebrate the birthday of their wildest dreams in 2020 just kind of felt like we were all back in elementary school, watching all of the most popular kids get invited to a birthday party, while we waited for an invitation that would never come.
Perhaps the most confusing part of this debacle is that Kardashian-West could have swept her family and friends away for an extravagant birthday trip, and we never would have noticed they were absent if they hadn’t posted about it. Kardashian-West’s initial post raised questions about the necessity of the trip during one of America’s most turbulent years. After other celebrities as well as the general public spoke up about how wrong it was, Kim as well as the rest of the guests continued to post even after we had all begged her to stop. Watching Kim, and all of her guests enjoying their vacations in full glam, without masks, while the employees of the resort serving them wore necessary PPE, was hard to watch.
Following the news of Kim’s birthday trip, her sister Khloe revealed she had tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this year during a preview of the family’s reality show, and still publicly defended her sister’s party trip. It seems that the birthday celebrations for this family didn’t stop with Kim. Her younger sister Kendall Jenner threw her annual Halloween birthday party on Saturday, and it seemed like every famous young person in Los Angeles was there. It appeared as though none of the attendees of the party wore masks (except for the people working of course). Each guest allegedly had to receive a negative rapid Covid test result before entering. Not only have rapid tests been known to be inaccurate, but selfishly taking up tests for a meaningless party, when others are struggling for access to tests elsewhere has people once again questioning, was this something you all had to do right now? In addition to throwing a birthday party in the middle of a pandemic, there were also signs around the party posted all around Twitter telling guests to take as many photos that they wanted, but to please refrain from posting them to their social media accounts.
People voiced their disappointment once again, with one user saying the note about not posting was probably to keep the party a secret to the general public. This of course didn’t work, as photos were already all over the internet by the next morning. Kendall was dressed as Pamela Anderson, Kylie was dressed as a snake, singer Doja Cat dressed as model Tyra Banks, and long-time Jenner pal Jaden Smith was unfortunately dressed as a Covid patient. While Smith’s costume was undoubtably in bad taste, I do applaud him for being the only person at the party wearing a mask.
Throughout this entire pandemic we have watched as celebrities and influencers continue to live their lives as if nothing has changed. We’ve watched them vacation on tropical islands, and celebrate their birthdays in clubs, while the rest of us have adapted to this new normal. We’ve met newborns through hospital windows. We’ve waved at our friends and families from our cars on birthdays, been separated from loved ones by borders, and adapted to having most of our social interactions take place through our phone screens. I won’t lie, watching this family extravagantly celebrate their birthdays twice in one week is exactly how I imagine the people of France felt watching Marie Antoinette and King Louis throw another meaningless party while the rest of the country was getting arrested for stealing bread to feed to their families. Getting through this is a team effort, and there are people with a lot less, doing a lot more to help stop the spread. Birthday parties are not essential, and if everyone followed the rules we would probably all be able to celebrate making it through this garbage year properly in 2021.
