Controversy is nothing new for Kim Kardashian, particularly in the world of media and entertainment. Her latest endeavour sees her starring in the new Disney+ show All’s Fair which aired last Tuesday: is this show as bad as the critics are saying it is, or is her notoriety dragging the drama down?
The 9 part series released its first three episodes on Tuesday 4 November and experienced a wave of backlash due not only to the TV personality Kim Kardashian starring as one of the main characters but also for the poor writing and lack of passionate acting. The show follows three female divorce lawyers who leave a large, male dominated firm to start their own high-end practice, dealing with A-list clientele, predictably it’s not long before Allura Grant—played by Kardashian—finds herself in need of her own services after finding out her husband is having an affair. There was a high level of online buzz leading up to the launch of this show following the release of the cast list and the press tour clips that circulated showing a fun, high-energy friendship growing between Kardashian and Prime Time Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony winner Sarah Paulson. The cast included other big names such as Glenn Close, Niecy Nash and Naomi Watts.
However, after watching the first two episodes I found myself disappointed by the low grade quality of the acting and the predictable nature of the plot twists. While the show dealt with important societal topics—such as gender and age dynamics in relationships and coercive control—the quality of the writing made these issues seem petty, without depth, and lacking in development. The writing seems somewhat surface level, making the acting—even from the more qualified actors—appear shallow. Casting Kim Kardashian definitely did not aid this matter, as her acting portfolio consists of the same character: the strong, well styled, rich, female lawyer. It has led viewers to question whether she is really just playing at being herself, and not acting at all. With a cast as great as this one, you’d think that more experienced actors would be able to save the show from Kardashian’s emotionless line deliveries, but the cringe-worthy nature of Ryan Murphy’s one liner style writing made this impossible.
The relationship between Paulson and Kardashian is an interesting one, as Paulson’s Emmy was won playing the role of the prosecutor of OJ Simpson in the season of American Crime Story. And, Robert Kardashian— Kim Kardashian’s father— played an influential role in the real-life case. However, none of this dynamic seemed to convey on screen, which may have made for a more interesting show as the two play rivals with the pair becoming friends in the process instead. With Kardashian being primarily a reality TV star, the uncanny similarities between characters and actuality seems almost to blur the lines between fiction and reality. Is this show actually Kardashian’s anger towards ex-husband Kanye West finally having an outlet after many years of online humiliation?
But despite all this there does still seem to be something somewhat addictive about the show. While I roll my eyes at the predictability of Allure’s ex husband revealing he’s being represented by her arch nemesis—played by Paulson—in the same way that The Kardashians has gained a large audience due to society’s love of frivolous reality drama, I find myself waiting eagerly to find out what will happen next. I give this show 3/5 stars. It’s clear what it set out to do, and while it is the perfect bed-rot binge watch, the poor execution of it caps it there.
“Kim Kardashian” by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity Photographer is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
