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Kylie Jenner’s Baby Announcement Video Killed the Kardashian Cynic Inside of Me
Is it a stretch to say that the Kylie Jenner “To Our Daughter” baby girl video changed my life? I mean, maybe it’s a little dramatic. And it definitely didn’t hugely change my life. But I don’t think saying that would be a false statement either. Because pre-Kylie Jenner baby video, I was something of a Kardashian cynic. I like the Kardashians about as much as anyone who works in celebrity entertainment, but I never really watched much Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I check in on their Instagrams regularly, but the only one I actually follow is Kim Kardashian — and I only followed her right before the holidays to see if they’d reveal Kylie’s pregnancy on the 25th day of their Christmas cards.
And honestly, I’ve been pretty cynical when it comes to the KarJenner clan. Heck, I even Photoshopped Kylie with a baby bump because I found the idea of a 20-year-old as mom to be so bizarre. And I had a lot of fun arguing that Kylie really was Kim’s surrogate, even though it would be a little too neat of a solution to the “Kylie’s still just a kid herself” problem. I might’ve argued that the family found fame on its own merits (I’m not a Kardashian hater), but I just wasn’t necessarily here for them on an everyday level. Aaaaaaaand then I watched Kylie’s baby announcement video — and suddenly I lived in a post-Kylie Jenner baby video world.
Within minutes (like, three) of Kylie’s statement going up, and seconds (like, 27) of her video teaser being shared to Instagram, my friend had texted me the news. I immediately responded, “B—H!!!!! IS THIS REAL?????” in all caps because I kind of thought that this day would never really come. (In some of my darkest work moments, I wondered if she would never confirm her pregnancy, if she would eschew public life forever, if one day the youngest KarJenner on the family tree would just show up to a KUWTK family reunion with a five year old on her hip only to disappear back into her Calabasas home for another half a decade.) I clicked the link in Kylie’s bio, thought to myself, “11 minutes?! I don’t have time for this!” and then watched the whole thing. And, you guys, they totally won me over. The lip kit mogul murdered the Kardashian cynic inside of me. Consider me a true believer now.
Because here’s the thing. Kylie seems incredibly young to be having a baby. But she also seemed really excited about being a mom. Her baby daddy Travis Scott has always given me kind of weird, creepy vibes (seriously, are there any pictures of him where he’s not hunched over with the worst posture I’ve ever seen, expression blank for the cameras), but the YouTube clip showed a different side of him. He was loving, caring, careful, excited. His family was there and seemed supportive. He seemed genuinely into the idea of being a dad and dutifully attended Kylie’s doctor appointments with her.
And Kris Jenner, of course, seemed fully on board. Kris, who we always joke is a momager first and a mom second. But Kris, though she may have orchestrated the best baby reveal date in history (Justin too-good-for-an-‘NSYNC-reunion Timberlake really woke up thinking it was his day, huh?) seemed like nothing more than an excited grandma. Sure, she’s done questionable things promoting her kids in the past (the “Kim, you’re doing amazing, sweetie” line during a naked photoshoot will always be iconic), but she really followed Kylie’s lead on this one. The famously close family closed rank to protect the youngest sister, her pregnancy, and her secret. They showed up for her — and though I’m not surprised, I am still touched.
Look, there are still plenty of reasons to make fun of or doubt the sincerity of the Kardashians at any given point in time. And God knows I probably still will going forward. After all, the Kylie Cosmetics founder is the same girl who talked about feeling robbed over her childhood because she grew up on a TV show, only to leave that TV show so she could have her own solo spin-off in Life of Kylie. But going off-the-grid (that is, the Instagram grid) to save herself from stress and the pressure of public opinion so she wouldn’t pass that legacy down to her daughter is not a move the old Kylie Jenner would make. Mom Kylie may be just as glam as ever, but she truly seems ready and able to do pretty much anything for her child. And after watching that video, I trust that she will — and that Travis, Kris, and the rest of her fam will do the same and have her back every step of the way.
The E! empire-running family may still be hungry for the spotlight, but TBH there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that — and the limelight looks good on them. As long as they’re doing right by their kids, and I think that they are, I’m ready to be on their team. Calling myself a Kardashian lover may be a little strong. But the Kardashian cynic in me is no more.
