If you're like us and you watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians, you'll know the drill. The world's most glamorous women sit around their marbled mansions eating salads, the cookie jars are meticulously laid-out, and the glam is beyond #Goals.
Why we watch the show? "I don't know, it's just addictive" is most people's response. Something about watching Kim Kardashian have a meltdown over how's she's going to squeeze in getting her nails done between photoshoots is just so watchable. In fact, the whole family is.
Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kylie, Kendall, and Kris Jenner form the core squad on KUWTK. Scott Disick pops his head in here and there (and Kanye West does the same) but admit it – you're in it for the girl drama. Watch these girls get in a fight, and it feels real.
Feeling real and being real aren't the same thing, though. In 2018, the Internet briefly fell apart when Kim called Kourtney "the least exciting to look at." It probably forms Kim's biggest insult to date. Kourt promptly burst into tears and the whole affair had us on the edge of our seats.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians "scripted." You'll see that headline floating around. But what about the stuff you hadn't even thought of? The quiet product placement. The giant Yeezy plugging. The storylines that just make no sense?
It's time to break it down. Here are 15 things about KUWTK that are totally fake (plus 5 that are 100% real).
20 Catfights "Exaggerated" To Boost Ratings
It's half the reason we even tune in. Watching Kim call Kourt "the least exciting to look at" on season 15 gave us #Popcorn on a platter. Whether it's Kylie and Kendall fighting over clothes or Kim quibbling with her sisters, you can't say it isn't #Dramatic.
"They all knew they needed something big to start off the season. By now, they are all good actresses, whether people want to believe it or not!"
Radar Online reports. A source told the media outlet, "Their fight this season is so overly dramatic, and they all know it." Celebuzz reports that the sisters "made up their catfight for the ratings."
19 Executive Rights To Edit All Footage
That $150 million the family signed with E! to extend the show? The Kardashians aren't just getting paid to feature on it. Their executive producer rights earn them the chance to edit the footage as they see fit – don't think a little tweaking isn't going on.
"It's their right to edit," The Mirror reports. Kris Jenner even admitted this back in 2011 while speaking to Piers Morgan:
"From the start, they've always said we have, you know, the right to edit and approve all footage."
Given how meticulous this family is about their image, it's safe to assume that a certain percentage (possibly significant) of what you're seeing isn't quite "reality."
18 But Finding Out About Tristan Was 100% Real
Last year threw us the biggest #Drama ever. It certainly wasn't nails or stylists. The Daily Mail's footage of Tristan Thompson with another woman (just days before Khloe was due to give birth) shook this entire family to the core. We saw Kendall in the car with Scott Disick when she heard.
"Wait, hold on, one second," Kim tells her producer as she is visibly shocked by the news on her phone. "I mean, I can't even imagine being in Khloe's shoes," was Kourt's reaction.
The sisters found out just like we did. There was no other way. It was live, it was 100% real, and it will go down in history.
17 Those House Exteriors You Thought Were Real
Tune into any episode of KUTWK, and you'll see fancy footage showing the exteriors of the Kardashian homes. The scene will open with that Italian-style villa, and you'll probably see "Kris' house" or "Kim's house" written at the bottom of the screen.
Think again. Different house exteriors were used for "security purposes,"
Digital Spy reports. In 2014, a house featured as a "Kardashian home" was actually 20 miles from where the family lives. "When we film inside, that's obviously our real home," Kim said before confirming that the exteriors weren't always as real as they seemed.
16 Kylie Wanting To "Shoot Her Christmas Calendar Privately," #Pregnant
If you noticed that Kylie Jenner vanished off the face of the earth for a giant chunk of 2017 (and early 2018), you'll know that she returned to Instagram with a baby. How the producers handled Kylie being paid for a show she wasn't appearing on, we don't know.
"She wanted to shoot hers privately at home," was the KUWTK statement as Kylie's sisters covered up the secret pregnancy.
The entire family knew (and we'll give them credit for keeping their mouths shut). With no Christmas calendar from Kylie, this sister was most definitely not shooting anything. This one gets a #Fake.
15 Those #YeezyPromos You Figured Were Casual Choices
Don't think for a second that anything about this family is "casually" decided on. Smart business brains are arguably the biggest Kardashian asset there is – and yes, that includes the clothes they choose to wear.
You've definitely noticed the pared-down Yeezy wardrobeKim and her sisters have been wearing on the show. #Promo comes second-nature to these girls.
Got millions of viewers? That's millions more chances to promote Kanye West's Yeezy clothing line. Kim and Khloe seem to wear Yeezy the most on the show, but don't think it's accidental.
14 Kids "Whipped Away" If They Cry Or Make A Fuss
Either they're the world's best-behaved children or something is up. KUWTK shows us Kourtney's three kids as walking, talking cutie pies. North isn't far behind. The Mirror reports:
"It's a well-oiled machine with three nannies moving around the house, bringing the kids in for a quick Snapchat with [mom], then whipping them away again if they start to cry or make a fuss."
While the mommy-and-daughter time seems genuine, this does kind of explain the lack of tantrums. Three from Kourt, three from KimYe, True, and Stormi? We'd expect more crying IRL.
13 Lip Fullness Due To "Like, Six Different Colors"
Kylie's lips first starting making headlines when Kylie was still in her teens – she did admit to having had a little helping hand. Explaining it on the show? There are ways around that.
The Cut spotted dots that don't add up. In 2014, a season 10 episode centered around Kylie's lips. Kylie tells Remix that her lips are "au naturale," claiming that the fullness is due "to like, six different colors."
Fast-forward to the episode's final scene, and Kylie is admitting to Teen Vogue that she'd undergone some enhancements. The problem? The Teen Vogue interview was four days before the Remix interview.
12 Although, When It's A Wig, They'll Admit It
Here's something that's actually really respectable about the Kardashians. Instead of swanning around looking effortlessly glamorous (and keeping their mouths shut), these sisters will openly admit having the glam squad on-tap. In fact, we see the teams all the time.
In season 15, Kris braved the plunge to blonde as something she'd "always wanted to do." Much like Kim will admit to hair extensions, Kris didn't hide that her new do was a wig.
"I've really wanted to go blonde for so long, but the process is really gruelling on your hair that I thought I would try a wig first," Kris said.
11 The Cuba Episode That Was Filmed In Los Angeles
Remember "Missing Cuba" on season 12? Kourtney, Khloe, and Kim took an impromptu trip to Havana, Cuba to bask in the sun, visit the historic sites, and cruise around in an open-top car. The fedoras might be there, but The Cut worked out the whereabouts (and they aren't Cuba).
"Inconsistent" is the report of a May 26, 2016 filming date which coincides with pics of the family shooting on the same day – in Los Angeles.
The math would suggest that the ladies had already returned from Cuba for around 20 days when the so-called "live" footage was shot. #Oops
10 The Khloe Story Dates That Literally Don't Add Up
The mismatched dates surrounding Khloe's storylines start way back on season one. Khloe had a run-in with the law, and the footage seemed pretty real. The problem? The Cut reports that KUWTK wasn't green-lit as a show until August 2007. That's five months after Khloe's #Oops moment.
"Remembering Dad" is the name of the episode. Problem #2. The anniversary of Robert Kardashian's passing is six months after Khloe's so-called "live" footage.
More recently, Khloe "found out" she was pregnant on the show. This Is Insider puts a giant question mark to this in general – showing the pregnancy test to her assistant also doesn't add up, date-wise.
9 Kourtney And Scott's "Scripted" Drama
Watching Kourtney and Scott fight, make up, co-parent, and generally bicker is half the fun of this show. As it turns out, what we're seeing might only be half the story. Or, more accurately, a story that never existed in the first place. NY Daily News reports:
"It's all part of the show's scripted manufactured trouble between the two."
Club scenes also "placed" an attractive female near Scott "making it appear he was flirting with other women." The woman planted in the club to jazz up the show is, as the newspaper reports, Allie Rizzo, a BFF of Kourt. It's all starting to add up now.
8 We Need To Talk About Those Cookies
We've got half a mind to pitch "Keeping Up With The Kookies" to the producers over at E!. Watch any episode of KUWTK, and you'll see the signature finish – yes, those jars of beautifully laid-out cookies.
While there's probably a huge amount of prep that goes into making the interiors look #Perfect, we've got a feeling the cookie jars are real. Khloe has taken to her website on multiple occasions to explain her "Khlo-C-D." That pantry organization video was intense.
Khloe, Kim, Kylie, and Kris are all about the #Organized. Just look at their closets. While we don't really see anyone ever eating the cookies (although Kendall admits hating Oreos), the jars are probably there IRL.
7 And The 15 Minutes Of Random L.A. Footage That Really Adds Up
You might think that an episode of KUWTK runs for just under an hour. Add up the ad breaks and those in-between-scene shots of LA (or wherever in the world they are) though, and you realize one thing – is the actual footage any more than 15 minutes?
Kim argues with Khloe by the pool. Camera cuts to nicely edited shots of LA's freeways and the beach. Kris then has drama with Scott. Once again, the scenes are cut up with local shots.
Ultimately, this one is mildly amusing. If you're bored one day, watch the show on fast-forward. You'll be amazed how little footage there actually is (and how much time you spend watching palm trees). #FakeReality
6 Noticed How The World's Busiest Sisters Are "Suddenly" Available?
Yes, they sit around those poolside swings and appear to be #FullTime in Calabasas. The reality, as we we know, is that Kim can be in New York while Khloe is Cleveland. Kris can be with Kendall for Paris Fashion Week (and Kylie could be halfway across the world).
"Readily available" for FaceTime barely works out IRL, and we're total normies. Remind us how Kim can get Kris on the phone so quickly without checking her calendar?
These girls plan their calendars months in advance. They do what they had planned, and still, they're time-strapped. Being casually available for phone calls? We just aren't seeing it.
5 And How The Cutaway Comments Seem Really "Right Now?"
Cutaway "how I'm really feeling" commentary is something you get on every reality show. You get it on the Real Housewives franchise and you get it on Jersey Shore. What you don't think twice about, is how much time lapsed between the event and the "talking about it" section.
It just doesn't add up. You can't be rushing around a hotel lobby and catching a flight (then appear with different hair to talk about how it "feels right now."
This one isn't a #Fakery accusation that the Kardashians will ever have to deny. It's just how reality TV works. Still, for all the #Real it feels, it sure is #Fake.
4 Fact: The Salads Are Real
Those salads in plastic bowls started drawing attention from day one. It's like there isn't a KUWTK without Kim, Khloe, or Kourtney sitting around munching on salad. OK! wrote an entire article about the salads, from which Kim is quoted saying:
"Everyone asks where our salads and yellow drinks are from – it's a place in Calabasas called Health Nut. Chef salad with mango iced tea."
The deets? Kim likes the Chinese chicken salad with a mango greentini. Kourt likes the Chef salad with no cheese, no tomatoes, and no sprouts. We like that Health Nut is a family-run place.
3 Kris Jenner: Accused Of "Orchestrating The Entire Saga"
When it comes to being scripted, KUWTK has faced some pretty major accusations. Viewers want to be seeing reality, but The Mirror's reports don't suggest it's 100% that.
Number one: Kim's meltdown after Kris and Khloe "papered" her house? Reportedly scripted. Number two: A rather damning accusation from Robert Kardashian's widow, who claims the show was an awful "rewrite of history by the Kardashian siblings at the direction and behest of Kris Jenner."
Ellen Pearson-Kardashian added: "The entire saga was orchestrated by the Kardashians off-screen and then scripted for the episode." Eep.
2 Corey Gamble: Arrival On The Show Is Wrong By Three Months
Corey Gamble mostly keeps a low profile on the show. He sits in Kris' home, enjoys the fancy surroundings, and gives the odd opinion. The Cut reports that Corey's arrival on the show doesn't add up.
In 2014, the sisters and Scott chat in Kris' kitchen to decode Kris' new relationship with the as-yet-unknown Corey Gamble. The scene was filmed on December 17th (with backup from Khloe's Instagram that day).
There's a catch, though. The Cut reports that Corey met the family at the latest in October 2014 during a Vegas trip. The scene showing the sisters "discovering" Corey was filmed three months after they'd met him.
1 Family-First, Hard-Hitters You Don't Wanna Mess With: 100% Real
This one you just can't dispute. Kourtney spoke for the entire family in season 15 when she said that "[messing]" with the one Kardashian is messing with the entire family. If anything is real about this show, it's the accurate portrayal of the world's biggest #GirlBosses.
Mess with Kim? You've got her sisters to answer to. Tristan more than got the cold shoulder from Kim after his baby drama with Khlo.
"Family first" might be this family's on-screen motto, but it's 100% true. Then again, with $150 million to continue the show (and never an opportunity missed to rake in the cash), #HardHitting also fits.
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