Critical response
Keeping Up with the Kardashians has been the subject of constant panning by critics since its inception. Brian Lowry, reviewing the show for Variety, said that the network: "widens its lens to encompass the whole irritating brood—including Kim's sisters Khloé and Kourtney, momager Kris and stepdad Bruce Jenner, who now has the distinction of having two sets of useless rich kids featured in pointless reality shows." Ginia Bellafonte of The New York Times compared the show to reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels and exclaimed that: "the Kardashian show is not about an eccentric family living conventionally; it is purely about some desperate women climbing to the margins of fame, and that feels a lot creepier." Laura Burrows of IGN criticized the family for being too self-seeking and using the given platform only to gain more notoriety for themselves. Following the conclusion of the second season of the series, Burrows wrote: "Those of us who watch this show [...] want to believe that these whores of attention have souls and would actually do something for their fellow man and not reap the benefits of their service, but two seasons' worth of self-absorbed egocentrism speaks to the contrary."
Roxana Hadadi, reviewing Keeping Up with the Kardashians for The Washington Post, was extremely negative towards the reality series due to its absurdity, and commented that the show: "firmly captures all of Kim and Co.'s dumbest instances from the series' debut—from the simply self-absorbed to the downright despicable." Amaya Rivera, writing about the series for Popmatters, noted: "Indeed, there is something disturbing about the Kardashians' intense hunger for fame. But even worse—it is downright boring to watch this family live out their tedious lives." John Kubicek, the senior writer of BuddyTV, reviewed the premiere of the third season of the show and discussed the reason for the family's success by saying that: "the Kardashians' fame is a lot like Möbius strip or an M. C. Escher painting." Harriet Ryan and Adam Tschorn of the Los Angeles Times described Keeping Up with the Kardashians as a: "Hollywood version of The Brady Bunch -- the harmless high jinks of a loving blended family against a backdrop of wealth and famous connections". Jessica Chasmar of The Washington Times said that series: "illustrates our nation's moral, spiritual and cultural decay." Chasmar emphasized its negative influence and noted: "America of 50 years ago would regard Ms. Kardashian with a mixture of disdain and pity, embarrassed by the very idea of a young lady's most private moments being broadcast for all the world to see."
Goal Auzeen Saedi, reviewing Keeping Up with the Kardashians for Psychology Today, emphasized the show's influence saying that: "The Kardashians become more relatable the more famous they become." Saedi also questioned their decision to appear on the show and added: "But if living life in the spotlight is so taxing and demands multiple justifications for the way your life is being lived and criticized, perhaps you can take the cameras out of your house." Vinnie Mancuso, writing for New York Observer, criticized the show and felt: "roughly one iota of shadenfreudic pleasure from this endeavor, but for the most part this show is the 100% drizzling poops." David Hinckley of the New York Daily News, reviewing the tenth season, said that "even when you think something about the Kardashians could be interesting, it's not," adding that the "entertainment value [of the show] is like having spent 10 years in Rapid City, S.D., watching the traffic lights change." Amy Amatangelo of The Hollywood Reporter said that "in true Kardashian fashion, they managed to make everything about them," after Caitlyn Jenner came out as a trans woman to her family in the "About Bruce" special aired as part of the tenth season. Amatangelo felt that the conversations "seemed a little too staged, too controlled", and noted that "there was no attempt to educate the viewers about transgender issues."
However, several critics were more positive towards the show. A number of publications welcomed the show as "guilty pleasure", including The Huffington Post, The Atlantic, and The Week. Tim Stack, writing for Entertainment Weekly, described the reality series as: "my favorite little slice of reality TV spongecake." Lauren Le Vine of Refinery29 appreciated the success of the family which "achieved the American dream of making something out of nothing," using the given platform. Libby Hill of The A.V. Club also acknowledged the show's success and said: "Keeping Up With The Kardashians gives us real, joyous, ugly, unsavory, hilarious life, with all the polished sitcom trappings. And though the latter may have launched a multimedia empire, the former has made it last". Maura Kelly of The Guardian evaluated the aftermath of the failed wedding of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, which was documented on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and subsequently caused public outrage, including an online protest petition to cancel the show. "Since Kim doesn't exactly seem to be an exemplar of self-awareness, I suppose it's possible that she really believed she and Humphries would live happily ever after," Kelly speculated whether or not the marriage was a publicity stunt. "But more likely, she and E! are laughing all the way to the bank – 10.5 million viewers tuned into "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event", after all," Kelly summarized the controversy. Josh Duboff, writing for Vanity Fair, commented on the show's long run and said that "it is near impossible to argue that their continued relevance, 10 years later, is anything other than awe-inspiring and remarkable".
