Introducing The Reheat

Hello, and welcome to The Reheat! This is a column where each week, I write about the highlights of the podcast I co-host with Sadaf Ahsan. Our podcast, also titled The Reheat, re-examines the most salacious scandals of yester-year from a contemporary lens. Whether it’s a deep dive into Bennifer’s original love story from the 2000s, or a meditation on the time princess Anne was almost kidnapped, we explain why each saga captured our imaginations back in the day. Sadaf and I also ask, would these stories be as scandalous if they happened in 2021? The answers to that question might surprise you!

Check out Episode 5 of The Reheat:

Every time we release a new episode, I will be sharing some of the juiciest tidbits for the lovely readers at Addicted Magazine. Obviously, we hope these columns tantalize you enough to listen to our podcast, where you’ll learn all the tantalizing details I don’t share here…

This week’s post is all about our latest episode, which provides listeners with a fulsome conversation about America’s First Family, AKA The Kardashian-Jenners. Here are four highlights from the installment!

 

Did You Know The Kardashians Are Important Advocates In The Armenian Community?

On December 12, 2019, The US Senate voted unanimously to recognize The Armenian Genocide. This change to official American Foreign Policy was the culmination of years of advocacy from Armenian Genocide survivors and their descendents. But did you realize the Kardashians played an important role in advocating for this policy change? This week’s episode of The Reheat explains how and why that is…

 

Did You Know The Kardashians Should Obviously Stop Appropriating Black Culture?

While the Kardashian gang have done some meaningful advocacy in their Armenian community, they’re still capable of cultural appropriation. There’s some brilliant analysis available about how the Kardashians have shaped their appearance to co-opt traits typically associated with racialized bodies. However, as white women, the Kardashians are celebrated for their full lips and voluptuous figures. By contrast, racialized women are often derided or fetishized for the same characteristics that have made the Kardashians rich and famous. Let’s remember that next time we make Kyle Jenner even wealthier by purchasing one of her lip kits! Sure, all your faves are problematic; however, that doesn’t mean this family should be immune from being called out for their culturally appropriative ways…

 

Did You Know Ms. Kardashian Says She Did Not Leak That Infamous Sex Tape?

In 2007, a tape of Kim Kardashian engaged in sexual relations with then boyfriend Ray-J was released by Vivid Entertainment. To this day, Kim maintains that she did not release the tape herself, nor did she want it to be made public. For the record, we believe Kim, and we think it’s important for others to believe her,too. Listen to the podcast if you’d like to hear more on that Hot Take!

 

Did You Know Kim Kardashian Didn’t Invent Fake Marriage/Industrial Complex

In August of 2021, thirty-year-old Kim Kardashian wed 26 year-old NBA player Kris Humphries. The two had been an item for under a year when they got engaged; they tied the knot only three months later. Naturally, the wedding was televised on E!, much to the delight of Kim’s adoring public.

Sadly, the ill-fated marriage lasted a mere 72 days. Many fans were irate about the brevity of the union, feeling as though Kardashian had faked her love story with Humphries to create fodder for the show. However, we would like to defend Kim on this account, because she did not invent the concept of Fake Marriages For Money!

Consider The Bachelor, which premiered in 2002, well before Kim and company graced our TV screens! The entire premise of that show is that the titular Bachelor dates thirty women who look like Instagram models. In the season finale, he proposes to his favourite future influencer on a mountaintop or a beach in Aspirational Destination X. Afterwards, the newly engaged couple do an interview about how in love they are  – accompanied by the requisite photo spread – for People Magazine. Approximately, two months later, they’ll break up. But the fact that the relationships on The Bachelor are statistically unlikely to succeed doesn’t stop millions of people from tuning in again the next season. See! The public loves Fake Marriages, so it is churlish of us to judge Kim for having participated in one.

Check out Episode 5 of The Reheat all about the Kardashians below and click here to catch up on all 5 episodes of the podcast!

Sarah Sahagian

Sarah Sahagian

Sarah Sahagian is a feminist writer based in Toronto. Her byline has appeared in such publications as Elle Canada, Flare, Bitch Media, The Toronto Star, and The National Post. She is also the co-host of You Do You: A Dating Podcast. Sarah holds a master’s degree in Gender Studies from The London School of Economics. You can find her on Twitter, where she posts about politics and live-tweets The Bachelor