Grapes: A good source of vitamins C and K, a perfect snack to throw in a lunch, the main ingredient in wine and apparently now a perfect subject for decor.
Recently, concern has been raised regarding the misuse of food and the vast amount of food waste produced, specifically in wealthy households. On Jan. 4, 2024, Kim Kardashian posted a picture on her Instagram story of a table centerpiece consisting of a gold bowl with roses in the center and bunches of purple grapes surrounding it, spilling from the edges of the bowl. The multiple bunches of grapes pictured in Kim Kardashian’s post clearly were not meant to be eaten. The grapes were there solely for the aesthetic they provided. This instance shows the enormous abundance of things, like food, that some people — specifically celebrities — can acquire and disregard. This has been seen as an insult to many, as several people are losing their ability to provide for themselves and their families in America’s shifting economy.
Unfortunately, this trend in celebrity culture has always been a problem. In 2023, Taylor Swift was in attendance at the Grammys as she was nominated for “All Too Well: The Short Film,” breaking history by winning in her category with an independent directing credit for her own film. Before this, the host, Trevor Noah, was going around to the guests and making jokes. He brought attention to Swift’s fans’ issues with Ticketmaster earlier that year and how her fans caused changes within the company’s policies. He then asked if Swift could get her fans to handle the price of eggs. It is shown that Swift is very clearly confused by the joke and doesn’t know exactly how to respond.
Why was that? Because celebrities like Swift and Kim Kardashian are so far removed from what the average person struggles with on a day-to-day basis, they do not understand jokes about the extreme price of eggs or how posting blatant food waste for thousands to see would come off as offensive and tone deaf. Getting to ignore these types of issues and avoid being held accountable is a privilege that not many people have, or should have, for that matter.
Adding to this rapidly growing issue, not long after Kim Kardashian gladly exhibited her impartial stance on food waste, Khloe Kardashian seemed to agree, posting a photo on her Instagram story presenting an orange and yellow bouquet of flowers with vibrant orange slices littered throughout. The oranges in the bouquet were simply there for people to see, nothing more.
Some may argue that this is not too big of an issue, as celebrities are so far removed anyway. What does it matter what they do and show? While this is true, no one can physically stop these celebrities; what they do and show matters because of the mass influence they hold on social media and other platforms.
This issue in celebrity culture is something that should be a bigger cause for worry. Celebrities are humans like everyone else and need to be held accountable when displaying things like food waste and overconsumption on such influential and widespread platforms.
