KIM Kardashian has often been referred to as TV royalty given her key role in the hugely successful reality show The Kardashians.
But a body language expert has explained why the billionaire’s toe-dipping efforts at parody will never raise her profile on the world stage.
Since first appearing on Keeping Up With The Kardashians in 2008 Kim, 42, has boosted her fame with a roster of brand-building schemes.
She has a money-spinning Skims business, her Skkn skincare line, and a history of dabbling in fashion and beauty, as well as studying law.
Behind the scenes, the Hulu star has also built up a small acting resume. Aside from TV shows and voicing the odd movie, Kim has put out a few skits where she self-parodies.
Body language expert Judi James said that in doing so, Kim has tried to elevate herself to royal status.
She insisted Kim’s SNL skits and a Super Bowl ad with pop star Usher “do not go far enough” In an exclusive interview, James told The U.S. Sun: “Kim’s self-parodying is her clinging to her famously perfect image.
“It suggests vanity or insecurity. “A self-parody will not work at all unless the star has reached almost celestial levels of fame.
“The more famous they are, the more effective the parody is. “Kim has made a few attempts at testing out self-parody, which signals she is trying to raise her status.
“But her style of parody is to try to raise her to the level of royal status. “In the Usher clip, for example, his acting looks impressively natural against her ‘still being Kim’ performance.
“Kim aims at providing a parody, but without any changes to her looks, styling, or lighting. “This is a stab at regal elegance, but she falls short because she is afraid of impacting her looks.
“The video with Usher parodies Kim’s glamour-goddess status but it is done without denting her brand.” James suggested Kim may have looked to high-profile personalities for a bit of inspiration such as Prince Harry.
“Self-parody is something Michelle Obama did when appeared in Carpool Karaoke,” she said. “Then there was Michelle’s Jimmy Fallon prank in the bookshop.
“This was Prince Harry being taken to a stranger’s house to use their loo. “This was when he arrived in the US and was interviewed by James Corden.
“There was the late Queen joking around with Paddington Bear. “Or where she appeared to parachute out of a helicopter during the Olympics.
“Some other high profile celebrities get bare-faced or uglified without any erosion to their iconic brands.”
Kim’s part in Usher’s commercial came as it was announced he would headline the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. James suggested that the mom of four tried to look regal.
She noticed the clip started off well because Kim was instantly recognizable. “This ended up being Kim being Kim while sounding like Usher’s agent,” she said.
“This is all really just another toe-dip in the water in terms of self-parody for Kim. “Kim is also being pampered by staff she seems to ignore.
“This implies that, like a royal, she has invisible people to dress her and do her hair and makeup. “She maintained a regally elegant body language with almost no alteration in her facial expression.
“She could be sitting in a palace somewhere with her staff while Usher is in the real world. “She does not want to affect her brand though so looks as she does on the Kardashians.
“She’s getting primped by a comedy hair and makeup artist. “Kim did not go for the full parody by sitting in rollers or an old housecoat.
“She rolled her eyes and looked slightly puzzled when Usher hung up when she asked for tickets for her entire family.”
Before now, Kim has appeared in various TV and films. She sH๏τ Disaster in 2008 and CSI: New York in 2009. Kim also secured a four-episode appearance in Beyond the Break.
In 2013, she landed the role of Ava in the romantic drama Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. In September, Kim made her debut in Season 12 of American Horror Story.
Speaking to Variety at the 2023 Met Gala, Kardashian admitted she was getting acting training. She said: “It’s really fun to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new and grow.
“I’m so excited for the experience.” Perhaps Kim’s most famous self-parody was following her monologue on SNL.
In 2021, Kim appeared alongside Pete as Jasmine from the Disney classic Aladdin. The skit showed the comedian worrying about taking the next step in his relationship with Jasmine.
James said: “Here again she still looked like curvy Kim Kardashian and delivered comedy lines – like Kim Kardashian. “There was a jaw-dropping moment when the couple kissed at the end of the sketch.
“Seeing the geeky funny Peter winning a kiss from the goddess-like Kim initially was a shocker. “But it turned out the joke was on the audience when the couple went on to date in real life.”
James also noted a 2015 clip where Kim joked as she wrote a letter to her future self. This was for a Glamour magazine cover.
“Kim’s earliest attempt at self-parody also fell rather flat,” she said. “This is because it is not made clear whether she was being serious or not.
“Kim wished for her 2025 self back and to still be the queen of contouring. “She said she wanted to keep up the tally of Instagram followers.
“There are more implied jokes in the lines she used about not getting any younger and finding a green juice that will keep her tan forever.
“But in style, tone, and body language this sounded and looked like something a teenager might write. “Kim just did not go far enough.
“Kim might fear taking risks with the brand she’s built up. “She could not risk looking anything but iconic even when parodying herself.”