Opinion | I’m Tired, Kim
Burnout is hard enough without rich celebrities calling you lazy.
March 13 wasn’t a particularly fascinating day.
But that evening, around 6 p.m., I lit a candle. Notes of white sage and lavender swelled in my small, carefully curated bedroom. I flicked on my Himalayan salt lamp (I haven’t hopped on the sunset lamp trend yet, so don’t come for me) and I let out a tense breath as it warmed up the space with a peachy glow.
Skin moisturized, plants freshly watered, closet clean and organized, I flopped onto my bed only to realize it was the first time in literal weeks I had set aside time to relax.
But even the term “relax” is generous. Despite my best efforts, an undercurrent of stress refused to let me fully unwind. There was a voice in my head that said I should be doing something productive, except I knew there was nothing to do.
Megan J. Miller, Opinions Editor
I came across that infamous Kim Kardashian interview with Variety soon after, where she revealed her advice for women in business:
“Get your f—ing ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days,” the 41-year-old socialite told reporters.
No remorse. No second thoughts. Just a celebrity speaking with all the bravado of someone who truly believed their epiphany was about to grace frontal lobes all across America like a dove riding a gentle breeze.
Kardashian came under fire for her quote for obvious reasons. The message it gives off is akin to: “You’re poor because you don’t work hard.”
I guess none of her public relations department told her we’ve ditched this narrative already. Some celebrities couldn’t get a clue even if it slapped them in the face.
She did get one thing absolutely right though: I don’t want to work, at least when I’m not supposed to.
When that tedious list of things I need to get done is finally crossed off, I want to be able to relax. I don’t want every night off to turn into a guilt fest that ends in existential workaholic dread.
I already live life believing time is always out of my control, and it has made me view every minute of my day as a commodity — something precious not to be spent on something as frivolous as self-care, or even worse, relaxation.
Not to mention, believing you’re always 10 steps behind is exhausting in and of itself. No wonder I can’t properly unwind.
The rich blaming the poor for being poor is nothing new. The disconnect between the realities of us normal folk and the flouncy lifestyles of our rich overlords has long since been a point of tension in our society.
When I say rich, I’m not talking about that truly self-made person you know. I’m talking about our common enemy — the rich rich. Like, Kardashian’s Hidden Hills mansion costs $23 million kind-of-rich.
The disconnect bleeds into other areas, too. Not too long ago, a string of celebrities quarantining (some of them in apartment complex-sized estates) strung together a poor off-key cover of “Imagine” at the onslaught of the pandemic. Cue gagging.
If there’s any point I want to drive home, it’s this: just because someone isn’t over-working themselves doesn’t mean they’re not working hard.
Our society needs to re-learn the concept of work-life balance. After all, if you’re not taking care of yourself, how can employers expect you to be at peak performance?
We need to take charge of taking care of ourselves, while also pushing companies and culture to treat workers with more respect. Harmful societal narratives exacerbate detrimental business practices.
I’m not trying to negate Kim Kardashian’s hustle. I mean, I’m sure she has to lose a few hours of sleep at night running her SKIMS business, knowing her product is a result of sweatshop labor, right?
I could debate this further, but it’s another night off for me, and I’d rather relax, so I’ll leave it at this:
I’m tired, Kim.
Leave me alone.