So far, 2018 has been a year for high profile figures to utilise their platforms to speak out about empowering one another and understanding each other’s differences. However, when Khloé Kardashian, the TV reality star with a following of over 73 million on social media, launched a ‘mini-series’ on her app ‘KHLOÉ’, entitled ‘Khlo-C-D’. This seemingly quirky pun which she says focuses on “cleanliness and organisation”, resonates a much more serious issue for many, especially those who suffer on a day to day basis from the debilitating mental health illness, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Commonly, like other mental health illnesses the stereotypical quip of ‘so-called OCD’ has become part of people’s everyday vocabulary, a nonchalant phrase to describe cleanliness and organisation. In the UK, it is estimated that on average 1.2% of the population suffer with OCD, which equates to 12 out of every 1,000 people. It is an anxiety disorder which often causes intrusive thoughts and leads to repetitive activities, often known as compulsions, which temporarily settle the obtrusive feelings and discomfort. It is due to the public’s lack of knowledge and understanding that sufferers often feel isolated and embarrassed which in turn means that they do not seek the help that they truly deserve. Surely all this is a world away from what Khloe Kardashian envisages it to be?
Khloé Kardashian first used this trivial term back in 2015, when she entitled a video of herself arranging biscuits in a jar: ‘KHLO-C-D: Cookie Jars’. However, three years later she has taken this naïve concept further by launching ‘KHLO-C-D WEEK’, a week-long series on her app and website. To promote this, she has taken to the highly influential and dangerous world of social media by stating, “"I have always been Khlo-C-D — and I have Kris Jenner to thank, LOL. The interesting thing is my mom is a hoarder, but she demands cleanliness and structure from me (and all her kids)". This alone for many may be a cause of frustration and controversy which has been shown through the backlash on twitter, where many professed their dislike towards this reality star’s insulting title and her belief that "I may put the Khlo in Khlo-C-D, but I'm not the only person in my family who likes things neat and orderly."
Sadly, this one ignorant action undermines the hard work and dedication of many other high profile and influential people who are trying to make a difference in attempting to remove the stigma and lack of understanding around mental health illnesses. Thus, this highlights the importance of influential figures’ platforms which in the future need to be used in a mature way, not by using controversial puns.
