Over the weekend, Kris Jenner hyped an earth-shattering announcement about her model daughter Kendall and framed it as a profile in courage.
“I’m so proud of my darling @KendallJenner for being so brave and vulnerable. Seeing you share [your] most raw story in order to make a positive impact for so many people and help foster a positive dialogue is a testament to the incredible woman you’ve become,” she tweeted Saturday.
Kardashian watchers braced for a bold admission. Was she coming out of the closet? Was she going public with a story of abuse? Had she been secretly working with orphans in a war zone? What transcendent experience made her the savior for whom we’ve all been waiting?
But when the announcement dropped, social media lit up with anger toward the momager.
Kendall, 23, was coming out, all right — with acne. And a massive endorsement deal with zit-remedy formula Proactiv.
“You’re joking me. This is the ‘big announcement’? This is a pathetic cry for attention,” tweeted one angry fan.
“Kendall Jenner gets 3000 dollar facials wearing head to toe Balenciaga in between shoots for Vogue,” tweeted another. “I promise you she’s not using proactiv.”
This spray-tanned gang of charlatans has made much of their fortune on disguising endorsements as “authentic” moments. Never mind that “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” shows Kris taking Kylie and Kendall to a high-end dermatologist’s office, where the girls receive customized skin-care regimens.
Even worse than the tweet was the company’s press release, which positioned Kendall as the next Padre Pio on the Vatican’s fast track to sainthood.
“I am in awe of Kendall’s bravery and willingness to be vulnerable and raw in order to help others. Game. Change. She’s a hero,” says Charles Ressler, Proactiv’s vice president of creative services, in the release. “Kendall’s story is unbelievably compelling, and most importantly — it’s real. Her skin transformation continues to be staggering, she loves Proactiv as much as we do, and most importantly she did this with her whole, very big, incredibly genuine heart.”
Easy there, Charles, and wipe your tongue — it’s black from licking her Balenciaga boots.
Kendall is hardly the first boldfacer to hawk Proactiv’s overpriced skin care. The company has a long list of endorsements from celebrity faces, including Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore. Kendall’s just the only one who fancies herself the heroine of an epic story.
And watching folks call out the family’s shameless money grab was as satisfying as watching an episode of “Dr. Pimple Popper.”