Interview Notes
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I interviewed two fans of the Kardashian family, Shaina Kang, and Muhammad Syafiq. Included below are the notes from the interview as well as the video recordings of the full interview.
Interview #1: Shaina Kang
Could you tell me about your background?
Shaina Kang, 23 years old. Just graduated from NUS Industrial Design. Chilling now (job-wise).
What kind of fan would you categorise yourself as?
Casual follower. Doesn’t search them up but follows Instagram accounts that are related to the Karjenners.
How did you get interested in the Kardashians?
Came across one of those Instagram accounts that post clips from shows, and it was a clip of Kylie and Kendall Jenner fighting. She thought that was interesting, so she watched more short clips of the Karjenner family.
What do you like about them?
Their style, the way they dress. Also likes to see how rich people live their life — as she’s just an “average citizen”.
Do you genuinely like them? Or what aspect of their lives is interesting (to you)?
She’s a fan of Kendall Jenner, she likes the way she dresses: her style and fashion sense. Even though they’re rich and are able to buy more expensive stuff, she still likes to see the way they dress. She’s more interested in the younger Karjenners (Kylie & Kendall Jenner) as they are more relatable. As well as the drama. Although it’s reality TV and partially staged, she feels like if she doesn’t get enough drama in her life, she will consume drama from others (ie Karjenners).
Can you tell me about the last time you read news about the Kardashians?
A friend sent news & updates about Kourtney Kardashian’s wedding on their Telegram group chat.
Share with me how you keep up with their news?
Either on Twitter, meme accounts on Instagram, when friends send them to her, or through the Karjenners’ social media accounts.
Do they enjoy reading news about people adjacent to the Kardashians (eg. Partners, ex-partners, family friends etc.)?
No, only the Karjenners. People that they’re involved with are not as interesting as them. Speculates that the people they are dating were chosen because they were less interesting than them so that they wouldn’t steal the limelight, “that’s why Kanye West is gone”.
Do you follow them on social media? Why/why not?
Yes, but not all of them. Only Kendall & Kylie Jenner on Instagram and Twitter, to see how they dress. The other sisters (Kourtney and Khloe) and their mom (Kris) are not as interesting, apart from Kim, because they’re not relatable enough. Kendall & Kylie are relatable because of their age (27 and 25 this year, respectively) and the clothes that they wear. To her, Kourtney and Khloe do not have good fashion sense and she doesn’t have a body type like Kim, so she can’t dress the way she does.
Which aspect of Twitter and Instagram do you enjoy the most?
Doesn’t see their tweets often, but she views their Instagram stories, to see what they’re doing at the moment. They also feel less curated, because they can’t really edit it, especially if it’s a video.
Do you have friends who are interested in the family as well? Do you guys discuss them often?
Yes, only one group of friends and they discuss on their Telegram group chat. Others only discuss the Kardashians when something big happens. For this group of friends, they give her updates if she doesn’t know anything.
Does she enjoy these discussions?
Yes. It’s funny and it’s like having a conversation with friends.
What kind of news/gossip are you the most interested in about the family?
Only interested in the individuals, not the whole family. Just Kylie, Kendall and Kim. She’s interested in any news, such as when they’re dating someone new or fell out with someone.
If presented with lots of news about the family, would she like to filter the news based on the different people in the family?
Yes, because she doesn’t want to see news about Khloe or Kourtney, unless it’s “big news”.
What was the latest news that made you invested in the family?
Kourtney being proposed to by Travis Barker and her kids cried because they weren’t there.
Would you say that you’re mainly interested in their relationship news and fashion?
Yes, as well as their own brands/companies. Also enjoys watching Architectural Digest videos of them and their houses, or Vogue videos (Get Ready With Me, Day in the Life).
What kind of content do you enjoy viewing? Print/video/podcast etc.?
Video & print. Because she’s a visual person, and reading allows her to understand the drama better especially if there are many people involved. It’s also easier to absorb.
If you were to be presented with news about the family, and it’s a long ‘saga’, would you rather read the whole thing or would you rather a summary (TLDR)?
Both. Depends on the kind of news (topic) as well as how she is feeling on that day. Would prefer if there are pictures alongside words.
How do you feel when you are able to chat with others about the Kardashians?
When she watches their show, she feels like some people associate it as being ‘trashy media’ and ‘gossip culture’, so she feels bad about herself when she reads news about them. However, when people discuss this with her, it makes her feel like she’s not the only person reading and digesting content like this; it makes her feel better about herself. It is also exciting to discuss.
Feels bad about consuming ‘gossip’ news as she feels nosy about their lives “although that’s the whole point of their family”. Not embarrassed to be a fan, just wary of overconsumption and being too involved in their lives, as they don’t know she exists. Isn’t something she would share willingly with people she meets for the first time. She would want to get to know them instead of talking about the Kardashians.
Have you ever fallen out of the fandom/lost interest in the family? Tell me more.
Kylie and Kendall aren’t in their reality show as much as Kim, Kourtney and Khloe, so that made her lose interest in the family. She reduced the time she spent watching the show. She was also busy with school, and it didn’t hold her attention so she watched other Youtube videos or other things instead of keeping up with them.
How often do you engage with comments or discussion posts on Tiktok/Instagram/Twitter?
Mainly on Tiktok. If she sees a funny video and she has a funny comment in mind, she’ll reply, or if she sees a funny comment, she’ll like it. She usually isn’t involved in discussions as she cannot be bothered — she doesn’t know who the other commenters are.
Have you had any bad experiences with people on these platforms?
Mainly Tiktok, as the people there are harsh, based on her own observations: Tiktok is a brutal place and people get bullied easily.
What has your experience been like with fellow commenters?
She commented on a Harry Potter TikTok post, and she got 90,000 likes. They’re still liking her comments after a year, and it makes her feel good, although it isn’t a big deal. She’s fueled by likes, validation, and being accepted by people.
Do likes matter to you on social media?
Depends on the content she is posting. If she’s posting something funny, she wants many likes. However, if it’s just about herself or her friends, she doesn’t care about the number of likes she gets.
If you were to engage in discussions about the Kardashians, would you say that the approval of fellow fans is important to you?
No. She’s not as concerned about what other fans feel, she doesn’t care about their opinions.
Tell me what you know about these platforms. Do you enjoy these platforms? What have your experiences been like, fandom-wise?
1. Discord
Initially, when she first downloaded it, she didn’t know how to use it. Only when she used it for school in her thesis year, where they split the channels by professors and module names did it get easier for her to understand the platform. She used it for updates and information about her thesis, as well as to call friends on Discord to do work together.
She does not engage in fan content on Discord, and feels like it is complex for a first-time user.
2. Twitter
Is a huge fanbase for celebrities — mostly Kpop and certain celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion, Charli XCX.
For American celebrities, their fanbase will be higher if they’re active on Twitter. This doesn’t apply to kpop celebrities (they aren’t usually active on Twitter) but their fanbases are very active on the platform.
However, Taylor Swift is an exception — she is not active on Twitter but her fanbase is still large on the platform. People like to use hashtags to discuss and comment on things they freak out about.
American celebrities don’t use Twitter that much unless it’s for their tour dates or reposting their Instagram posts.
For her, she uses Twitter to retweet memes or funny stuff, but doesn’t use it to follow celebrities.
3. Instagram
Follows the Kardashianreacts Instagram account which posts updates of the Kardashians in concise and summarised posts. The first post is usually something useful she needs to see, like a picture of what’s going on. The next slide will be screenshots of twitter reactions, and the caption will inform her what the picture is about.
Content on this account is fast and easy to digest. For example, if the first picture is about Kourtney — who she doesn’t like — she will just scroll past it. If it’s massive news or repetitive posts of the same picture, she’ll be intrigued by it, especially if it’s all over her explore page.
The convenience of Instagram posts is important to her.
4. Tiktok
Fan accounts will post short clips of the show, which she will watch because it’s only a minute long and it’s usually something juicy. If she’s confused about what’s going on, the comments section usually has people explaining the context. There are also discussions in the comments about the content in the clip. She’ll like the comments if they aren’t hurting anyone’s feelings.
Sometimes videos are also paparazzi pictures that people collate to use as a green screen background and discuss what’s going on (the news) in the video.
The comment section is important — it provides information that she doesn’t get from the video. People also give their points of view which she wouldn’t have considered until she reads the comments. She usually only likes comments but doesn’t reply to them, because she can’t really be bothered to engage with them.
5. Reddit
Used Reddit to search up on her thesis topic, as well as to read about the River Valley High School murder. She is not an active user as she has too many social media apps and she doesn’t have time for one more.
6. Podcast
Only listens to Youtuber David Dobrik’s podcast, which usually discusses anecdotes about him and his friends, certain topics (drama, sexuality, food), or things that they’ve experienced recently.
She’s a huge fan of him and she only listens to it either when he hasn’t posted a Youtube video for the week or when she’s bored, so that she can get her daily dose of David Dobrik from the podcast if she doesn’t get it in video form. Feels like the podcast is an extension of his vlogs. She also listens if the topic catches her eye.
In general, she enjoys unfiltered content as it’s less curated and more genuine. She will only listen to podcasts if she’s a huge fan of the host.
7. Telegram channel
Is in mainly thrifting channels where people are selling secondhand clothes, and climbing/bouldering ones where people are selling their passes for a cheaper price. She likes that people can’t talk so there’s less spam, and there’s also an admin which makes it less chaotic. She doesn’t really engage with the posts on the channel.
Which channel from the above do you think is the most appropriate one to discuss the Kardashians and their family?
Tiktok. She would read more comments on this platform compared to Instagram or Twitter. For the latter, she would only read the first 3, which are the most retweeted tweets.
Online forum (Reddit) — there’s anonymity on the platform. If you comment with your Instagram account, it’s tied to your life/identity. However, on Reddit, the purpose of it is to have discussions so she likes that better.
Is anonymity on the internet important to you?
Yes. In 5 years, she might regret something that she had said 5 years ago, so she wouldn’t want people to see her comments. Also, she doesn’t have to hold back if she wants to say something brutal or mean because people don’t know who she is.
What part of Tiktok’s comments is different from the comments on other platforms?
People on Tiktok are funnier. The comments are more brutal but that makes it more entertaining. She would laugh out loud. Comments feel unfiltered. People are creative with working around banned words on Tiktok like guns etc.
What is important to you when engaging in such fandoms?
Common consensus about the celebrity — how do people feel about that celebrity. She doesn’t like it when people disagree with her.
Walk me through how you find news about the Kardashians on a usual day.
A friend sends it on the Telegram group chat, or from Instagram on the Kardashian accounts that she follows, or videos she sees on Tiktok. For Twitter, it’s only if people are scolding them and people start talking about that.
What would make you click on news about the Kardashians?
When she doesn’t feel like doing her work, to kill time. News about them is not a priority to her.
Is there anything else you would like to share about this topic?
No.
Interview #2: Muhammad Syafiq
Could you tell me about your background?
Syafiq, 23, a final-year student in Singapore Polytechnic. He watches The Kardashians every weekend during his free time.
What kind of fan would you categorise yourself as?
Casual fan because he didn’t watch the Keeping Up With The Kardashians series, only snippets of it. However, he watches their new series, The Kardashians, he’s been catching every episode since it came out. Occasionally, the show pops up on his Tiktok For You page and he will watch that as well.
How did you get interested in the Kardashians?
Because of their lavish lifestyle that is often portrayed in the media, especially Kim Kardashian’s, because of the viral meme of her diamond earrings that fell into the sea. He also has a friend who is an “OG” fan of the Kardashians and always sends their friend group news about the Kardashians.
What do you like about them?
The lavish lifestyle, driving luxurious cars, having tons of liquid cash and it’s interesting to see her grow from what she once was into a successful businesswoman, despite her unstable love life. She still manages to have 4 kids and still maintains a good relationship with her family. He thinks that the family is admirable as they have close family ties and he is a family man; it’s very important to him: “We are nothing without family”. Believes they are setting a good example. Despite their net worth, he feels like they are humble about certain things (not everything).
Can you tell me about the last time you read news about the Kardashians?
Yesterday. One about Scott (Disick) not being invited to (Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s) wedding, and eating pasta in Italy. Another was Kourtney’s wedding in Italy on a superyacht.
Share with me how you keep up with their news?
He doesn’t go on Google searching for Kardashian news. He relies on Tiktok snippets for what’s happening around them and fan updates, as it is easily accessible and easy to digest in the form of a video. News about them that he consumes is usually in video form.
Do they enjoy reading news about people adjacent to the Kardashians (eg. Partners, ex-partners, family friends etc.)?
Only the Kardashians, as nothing about their partners interests him, apart from “Skete” (Pete Davidson). Pete is interesting as he is ‘like a child’ and you wouldn’t expect him to end up with someone like Kim Kardashian, although he did date Ariana Grande in the past. Pete is a “funny” man for Kim Kardashian.
Do you follow them on social media? Why/why not?
He does not have a main Instagram account and prefers to be private with a small circle of friends. He doesn’t follow any celebrities on social media.
Which aspect of Tiktok do you enjoy the most?
Content on the platform is endless so he can scroll for hours. He once scrolled for 5 hours non-stop and slept at 6 am. You get a mix of content — Kardashians, football, world news, food — on one platform. That saves you the hassle of going onto other platforms. He enjoys the convenience factor of Tiktok.
Does this mean that you do not actively seek out news?
Yes, he only does so if he has free mornings. He’ll read proper news on the Straits Times app while drinking coffee. However, he doesn’t usually have his mornings free so he doesn’t go seeking out news. This also applies to gossip news.
Do you have friends who are interested in the family as well? Do you guys discuss them often?
Yes. Only if something controversial pops up, like Scott not being invited to the wedding or Kim Kardashian getting together with Pete Davidson, or “Kanye just being Kanye again”. That depends on how often these topics come up.
What kind of news/gossip are you the most interested in about the family?
With whom are they having beef with currently, which family member messed up, who’s having a new baby, or who’s having a new father.
How do you feel when you are able to chat with others about the Kardashians?
As an introvert, he wouldn’t discuss it with others (strangers), but he is already doing this with his friend group. If he were extroverted, maybe discussions with strangers would excite him.
Does it mean that you enjoy reading about their news but you’re not interested in discussing it?
Yes. Celebrities are also humans and that’s how they live their lives, we’re not in any position to say anything.
Have you ever fallen out of the fandom/lost interest in the family? Tell me more.
Not really. He’s not very much into the family, so if news pops up they pop up, but he wouldn’t say he lost interest in the family.
How often do you engage with comments or discussion posts on Tiktok?
Not often. If he sees something that offends him or the comment is degrading to the content creator, he will give them a piece of his mind.
Do you use an anonymous account?
His definition of an anonymous account is when you follow many content creators and you leave comments that aren’t beneficial for either party. He has a private account — his account doesn’t have any identifiable details of him (doesn’t include his name, etc).
Have you had any bad experiences engaging with people on Tiktok?
When he left a comment about the people being recorded in a video, people did not agree with him, so he engaged in an ‘internet brawl’. To him, it was better for him to delete the comment instead of escalating the situation.
Tell me what you know about these platforms. Do you enjoy these platforms? What have your experiences been like, fandom-wise?
1. Discord
Used to use it, but now he doesn’t. it’s only useful when he’s gaming with his friends because it gives a clearer voice communication over other platforms like Skype, Google Meets, or Teams. It is designed and mainly used for gaming purposes.
2. Twitter
A very interesting place, as people tend to be more expressive. There are more users so they are able to engage with more people among their fanbase. He only uses Twitter to scroll through the feed, he doesn’t go looking for specific fandom-related accounts or tweets.
3. Instagram
“Everybody has Instagram”. It’s another accessible app like Tiktok. It’s for people to express how they are living their lives by updating their feed or using it as a private account like him to post “nonsense”. To him, Instagram is up there with Tiktok.
4. Website / online forums
“What are we, in the 90s? Come on!” nobody uses forums now, not that he knows of.
5. Reddit
Reddit is where you go to find exclusive content. Things that you won’t get away with posting because then it will be taken down or reported. He isn’t an avid user, there’s one subreddit he frequents (not porn). He still doesn’t know how Reddit works but he just scrolls through the content.
6. Podcast
He used to listen to a podcast called “OKLETSGO”, hosted by 3 guys who discuss various topics under the sun. it’s more humorous in tone instead of a serious podcast, they’ll sometimes invite guests and converse among the three of them. He doesn’t like listening to podcasts as the content will become very boring and he will have nothing to listen to. It depends, but podcasts are very dry.
7. Telegram channels
He is in a motorbike channel where he gets to discuss their bike models. Users can ask any questions they have regarding their bikes such as why can’t I start my bike or where can I get this part for my bike. He gets his answers very quickly as there are thousands of users and the people in these channels are very knowledgeable about these things. Recently, he asked a question about his bike part and he got an answer pretty instantly and that helped. He feels like there is nothing to be improved as it serves its purpose. The only purpose he joined the telegram chat was to learn more about the bike, so if he ever faced a problem he would know how to tackle it.
Which channel from the above do you think is the most appropriate one to discuss the Kardashians and their family?
Tiktok. He uses that the most.
Instagram is a close second as pictures and videos speak a thousand words compared to reading content.
Twitter/Telegram serve the same purpose as you can post links, photos and opinions. If he had to choose between these two, Twitter, as if somebody said something controversial or posted something, you would want to know who posted it (anonymity). Twitter allows you to access the profile of the person.
Walk me through how you find news about the Kardashians on a usual day.
After half an hour of scrolling through Tiktok, Kardashian content would pop up. Friends might also send news articles, or on Twitter/Instagram on their recommended page. If it’s interesting, he would dive into the news article and read up about it.
What is important to you when engaging in such fandoms?
You wouldn’t want to get into an internet brawl with anyone. He’s learnt to understand that everyone has their own opinions. Knowledge is also important — you have to be knowledgeable about something before engaging in a discussion because you don’t want to embarrass yourself.
Is anonymity on the internet important to you?
No, it’s a personal choice.
Is there anything else you would like to share about this topic?
No, he just thinks they’re a ‘bizarre’ type of family but it’s cool to see as well.
