As discussed in both Chapter One and in the introduction to this chapter, reality television is often subject to debate about its authenticity. In light of this fact, KUWTK frequently includes scenes which serve to reinforce the “reality” of the show’s narratives. No where is this more prevalent than in the depiction of relationships on the show.
When discussing her relationship with Lamar on her wedding episode, Khloe notes: “I’ve never had someone tell me so many times a day how pretty I am, and talk to me like that, and just make me feel like I am everything that he says I am,” and later: “I’ve never had someone be so honest with me about their life, and about their past” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”). One point of commonality between Khloe and Lamar is that they each lost a parent to cancer at a young age; this shared sense of loss is positioned as a crucial factor in their bond.
They are shown discussing their wedding plans over dinner and emphasize the
lives—they met on the twenty-seventh of August, Khloe’s birthday is the twenty-seventh, Lamar’s last flight from New York was United Flight 27, Lamar’s favorite number is seven, and there are two of them—implying that all of these are “signs” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”).
The show takes advantage of many other opportunities to reinforce the “realness” of their love; at one point Khloe admits to camera: “Honestly, I have never felt this way; I am head over heels in love, and Lamar’s head over heels in love with me—I just know it’s right” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”). The dinner scene closes with Lamar’s emphatic declaration: “I promise you I’ll never leave you, no matter what” (followed by Khloe repeating the last part in agreement) (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”).123
Later, Khloe and Lamar are shown engaging in an intense make-out session while having dinner with her mom Kris. Kris makes it clear that this is not normal behavior for Khloe when she says to camera: “I have never seen Khloe have this much PDA in front of me in my life. She barely introduces me to a boyfriend—maybe she’s finally found the right guy” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”). Apparently the purpose of this dinner is to announce their intentions to marry (although Khloe, in a subsequent conversation with her sisters, refers to it in a much more traditional fashion as “he asked mom for my hand in marriage”) (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”). Kris, though apparently shocked, appears happy and excited.
Khloe and Lamar’s actual ceremony is followed by direct-to-camera statements from members of the immediate family that seem to be once again assuring viewers of the realness of
123 However, much of the efforts to prove the veracity of this relationship are undermined in the next scene, when Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe’s friend Malika are shown gossiping about how Khloe has been spending all of her time with Lamar, but has not really talked to any of them about her feelings for him or their relationship. They also emphasize the fact that Khloe and Lamar just recently met, seemingly questioning the legitimacy or perhaps the reliability of their strong feelings for each other (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”).
these events. Rob says: “For me, to see my sister so happy, and like, finally, she found someone—I definitely, definitely think that this will last” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”). Kourtney confirms this sentiment, saying: “I’ve never seen Khloe happier, and I think that when it is true love, you just know” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2009, “The Wedding”).
In an on-camera interview with Kim and Kris Humphries (who will hereafter be referred to as Humphries in order to avoid any confusion with Kim’s mom, Kris Jenner) featured at the beginning of their wedding episode, Humphries says: “Baby, every girl dreams about being married…to someone like me. And your dream came true” (followed by awkward laughter from Kim) (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2011, “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding, Part 1”). This
introductory shot is followed by individual clips of Kim and Humphries talking about their initial impressions of each other, and their own assessments of their relationship. Kim says: “From the moment I spotted Kris, he was everything that I ever wanted and more,” while Kris gives a more old-fashioned response: “What made me realize Kim’s the one I wanna marry is just that I look at her and I see the mother of my children” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2011, “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding, Part 1”). This statement is followed by a clip of the proposal (as it appeared on a previous episode of the show) and a clip of Kim and Humphries arguing about how many kids to have (but they do both seem to be in agreement about wanting to have kids right away; Kim tells Kourtney and Khloe later in the episode that they want to get married as soon as possible so that they can start a family).
Humphries’s appearances on the show seem to show how vastly different he and Kim are, a point which Kim claims to see as a positive: “I think Kris and I are a really good match, like, we’re so opposite…” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2011, “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding,
Part 1”). Humphries seems to be on board with their differences as well, stating: “I’m excited to be a part of this family now; despite all the drama and craziness they genuinely really care about each other” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2011, “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding, Part 1”). Kris Jenner appears to be pleased with the pairing; she tells Kim that she has “got a keeper” and that she “picked a good one” (Keeping Up with the Kardashians 2011, “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding, Part 1”).