Kylie Jenner is not "self-made" – THE CAROLINIAN

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Rejani King
Staff Writer

Recently, Kylie Jenner once again made headlines. According to Forbes, "At age 21, she is fast becoming the youngest self-taught billionaire."

By definition, "self-made" literally means "done by oneself" and "having succeeded or being rich by one's own. In my opinion, this does not describe its success because it's always had She was born into a wealthy upper class family who already had access to the influence of the media and society.Someone who comes from wealth and influence Jenner, in this case, will always be easier to achieve.

She was always able to get into the door without any difficulty, and of course Kylie Jenner was very successful at a young age. but to say that she is "self-made" is a litter.It is privileged (white, inherited wealth and has followed a lot of social media), which has helped her significantly to propel her into the celebrity and wealth she has today.

Kylie Jenner is now worth about $ 900 million. According to Forbes "what her step sister Kim Kardashian West did for the booty, Jenner did for full lips." They both used their "scandals" to their own advantage. Three years ago, Kylie Jenner admitted to having temporary lip fillers. With that in mind and seeing the amount of controversy that she caused, she decided to develop her own cosmetics company.

With the money that she made from outside sources like models and endorsement contracts, she developed her Lip Kits. The problem is that she used her lips, which were modified, to generate fame and money. His messages on social media are objectifying and exploitative.

This is not new for black women who have seen the Kardashian-Jenner family exploit our culture for years. We have always possessed the features and style that Kylie Jenner and her sisters continue to sell for profit. Instead, we are perceived by the public as a ghetto. Racial fetishism is real. The way Kylie Jenner is idolized for her lips and other features that she has modified to copy those of black women shows just how much she (and her family) has little regard for us.

Kylie Jenner's means of success have a common theme, that of social media. Kylie Jenner has one of the biggest social media followers with millions of followers on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. She uses her social networks to market her company and products around the world, earning most of her money.

According to Forbes, "On social networks, teens have popularized the" Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, "a viral fad in which they inserted their lips into a glass and then sucked in air." I remember seeing a lot of videos that people were doing for this challenge and I could not help but think about how degrading it was to see others (especially those from other racial groups besides blacks) to participate.

This challenge only made fun of the very traits that black women have had since the beginning, and continue to be criticized. Forbes continued to note that Kylie Jenner continually markets her products primarily on Instagram, which has launched many other cosmetic brands into success. Apart from social media, Kylie Jenner has had previous projects that have helped her to get where she is now. As a child, she was part of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" alongside her siblings Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall, Rob, her parents Kris and Caitlyn.

It is alarming to see how many people consider Kylie Jenner as an example of female empowerment. A woman who gives power is someone who shows women and girls that they do not need to live by the standards of others. An empowered woman shows others that success does not come from outside, but from what you give to the world.

Thanks to the fact that Kylie Jenner and her sisters built their own empires, "inspired young women" and "expressed" their opinions on important issues in society, they are perceived by many as positive female figures. In my opinion, they are completely the opposite.

They exploit and objectify black women and our culture. I do not discredit the work that Kylie Jenner did on her own. But to say that she is self-made, is to ignore the many ways in which she has benefited from the generational wealth of her family, her influence in the media, and black culture.