Things You Missed In The Very First Episode Of Keeping Up With The Kardashians
What things did you miss in the very first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians? The reality television juggernaut has been king since its premiere in 2007, and has truly changed the culture of America, according to The New York Times. The iconic reality series also launched the careers of the entire Kardashian-Jenner family, whose net worth is higher than you realize.
In 2020, 13 years after KUWTK premiered, the Kardashian-Jenner family stunned fans when they announced their beloved reality series was coming to an end. Of course, devoted viewers of the series were heartbroken. However, the announcement also prompted reflection on how Keeping Up with the Kardashians has changed since season 1, impacting the lives of those involved, as well as those watching at home.
Do did you dive down the rabbit hole and start watching KUWTK from the very beginning? If so, you might have noticed a few things about the premiere episode that surprised you. So without further ado, here are the things you missed in the very first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that are both hilarious and telling.
The house in the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians was fairly modest
One of the first shots in the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians features an aerial view of the family home. While it's certainly bigger than a lot of people's homes, it's also much more modest than all of the homes the family would occupy in the future.
The first KUWTK house appears to be one story, with an interior that's relatively tame; there aren't any outlandish tile floors or extravagant staircases to be seen. Instead, it's pretty much a normal family home (albeit a nice one), which you might not have noticed in the first episode.
Fast-forward to today, and just about every member of the Kardashian-Jenner family lives in multi-million dollar mansions, which makes their first home on the series kind of shocking to see. What's even more more shocking is that they all used to seemingly live together. If not, they all spent a lot of time in the family home together, including Rob Kardashian, who isn't as present in later episodes of the series.
Kim Kardashian's backside is literally the first topic of conversation in Keeping Up with the Kardashians
As the camera zooms around the household in the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, it becomes clear that Kim Kardashian is the star of the show. As she looks into the refrigerator in the kitchen, her mother, Kris Jenner, and sister Khloé Kardashian, joke about Kim's rear end. At one point, Kris even tells Khloé that her sister has a little "junk in her trunk" — just ten seconds into the first episode.
As fans of KUWTK (and pretty much everyone who has ever been on the internet) know to be true, Kim's backside is kind of a big deal. It has "broken the internet," inspiring butt-envy among young women everywhere, essentially starting a culture war about what a women's body should look like.
Still, it's pretty interesting that in the first seconds of the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kim's posterior is already the center of attention. Perhaps the creators of the show, and even Kim herself, were plotting to take over the internet from the beginning. Honestly, with this family? Anything is possible.
Khloe Kardashian has always kept it real on Keeping Up with the Kardashians
For as much as members of the Kardashian-Jenner family have changed since the premier of Keeping Up with The Kardashians, some of them have remained fairly consistent. Most notably, in the first episode of the series, fans get to know each of the stars' personalities — and Khloé Kardashian keeps it real from the start. In fact, in Khloé's introductory line not a minute into the episode, she literally states, "My sisters say I'm a b*tch, but I always have their best interests at heart."
Khloé's down-to-earth attitude has stuck around over the years, even as so much else has changed. In a 2016 interview with Harper's Bazaar, Khloé stated she can't abide phony people."I don't try to do things to get people to like me," she explained.
Yes, there's no denying that Khloé has always kept it real, and isn't afraid to speak her mind. While the very first episode of Keeping Up with The Kardashians tended to focus more on Kim Kardashian and the family's dynamic, Khloé's no nonsense mentality has been there since day one.
Kris and Caitlyn Jenner's relationship was rocky from the start on Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Anyone who doesn't live under a rock knows that Kris and Caitlyn Jenner went through quite a rough spell around the time of their divorce. Then, in 2015, Caitlyn came out as transgender, and the Kris took it pretty hard. But the pair had been having issues for a while, as they separated in 2013, before Caitlyn made the decision to be herself. The next year, in September 2014, Kris officially filed for divorce, putting an end to their 23-year marriage.
However, if you watch the very first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, it's pretty clear that Kris and Caitlyn's marriage has always been rocky. For example, one of the first things that Kris does is poke fun at Caitlyn for not having any friends of her own. Um, ouch.
That's not the only drama the couple had, either. In fact, Kris even got a little drunk with Kourtney Kardashian, and showed up late to her own anniversary party. That doesn't exactly scream long and happy life, now does it?
Scott Disick was kind of a jerk on the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Perhaps the most iconic relationship in Keeping Up With The Kardashians history isn't Khloé Kardashian and Lamar Odom, or Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, but Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. The two were dating when the show premiered, and through many ups, downs, breakups, and makeups, they've managed to raise three adorable kids, despite no longer being a couple. Since the beginning, Kourtney Kardashian has undergone a stunning transformation. But one thing is true about their relationship, and that's that Scott was the cause of a lot of drama.
But what you might not have noticed in the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians is that Scott was a jerk from the get-go. While he and Kourtney were out on a date, he continuously nitpicked and belittled her, which was pretty hard to watch.
As if that wasn't enough, Kris Jenner also mentioned in that episode that she had a suspicion that Scott was cheating — and she told the cameras before she even told her own daughter! It was pretty dramatic, and proof that Scott was a jerk from the beginning.
Kylie Jenner was mature from the start of Keeping Up with the Kardashians
To say that the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians is full of jaw-dropping moments would be an understatement. That is, after all, what the Kardashian-Jenner family is known for. But there's one moment that's been burned into the brains of everyone who has seen it: during the anniversary party for Kris and Caitlyn Jenner, Kim Kardashian gives an interesting present to her parents: a stripper pole.
But that's not the only moment that's lived on in infamy. It's what happened next, when Kim's 10-year-old sister, Kylie Jenner, hopped onto the pole and showed off some admittedly impressive moves. It was cringe-worthy enough that Caitlyn carried her away, but viewers at home were admittedly entertained.
However, in retrospect, Kylie really regrets it. In an interview with E! News, she was asked if there was anything she would change about the show, and her answer wasn't surprising. "The stripper pole was so embarrassing," she said. "I wish it never happened." Ouch.
Kris Jenner has been an executive producer of Keeping Up with the Kardashians since the first episode
Part of being the ultimate momager means that Kris Jenner is an executive producer of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. But you probably didn't know that Jenner has always been an executive producer on the show. In the opening credits of the first episode, Jenner is listed as one of the (albeit many) executive producers of the series. That means she's had some say in what viewers see, and has been handling her family's interests from the very start.
While Keeping Up with the Kardashians may be finished, Jenner still has truly enjoyed her time on the show. In a 2020 interview on an episode of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Jenner told Seacrest how emotional she was about the show ending. "You're going to make me cry all over again," Jenner revealed (via JustJared). "It really hasn't [hit me yet]. I got very, very emotional this morning." We'll miss you too, Kris.
Tyra Banks made an appearance in the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians
One of the biggest plot points in the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians is Kim Kardashian flying to New York City to appear on The Tyra Banks Show. Kim is pretty nervous before her interview, but in the end, she really had nothing to worry about. None of this is all that shocking — until you realize that you'd completely forgotten that Tyra Banks had her own talk show!
Interestingly enough, the bigger issue at the time had more to do with Banks than the Kardashians. According to The Hollywood Reporter, after The Tyra Banks Show ended, Banks herself revealed that she was pretty miserable during its run. "At that time in my career, I was probably the most successful, lucrative, and [relevant]...and the most unhappy," she shared. "And so when [The Tyra Banks Show] ended, I was like, 'I'm done with talk. I'm going to hunker down, go to business school, and really focus on the business side of my career.'" How's that for a stroll down memory lane?
The infamous tape was an issue on the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Even if you've never seen an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians and couldn't care less about the family, you probably know about the tape. It's arguably what launched Kim Kardashian's career, and made the family interesting enough for a reality show. If you don't know, the tape is the sex tape Kim made with her boyfriend at the time, Ray J, as noted by Page Six. And, seeing as Ray J was a pretty famous rapper at the time, and Kim wasn't unknown then, the tape went viral.
While the tape now seems like a lifetime ago, when the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians first premiered, it was still really fresh. So when Kim learned she'd be appearing on The Tyra Banks Show, her immediate fear is that Banks will bring it up. It's only natural for Kim to be afraid, but it's also so shocking to look back and see what a huge deal it was in that very first episode — and how much it's fizzled out since then.
In the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the family had a clothing store
As hard as it is to believe, when Keeping Up With The Kardashians first premiered, the Kardashian sisters still worked normal jobs, as they weren't yet powerful influencers. In fact, you might have missed just how important their clothing store, DASH, was to them in the first episode of the series. There's even a scene of Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian working there in it.
Sadly, DASH didn't last. In 2018, Kim Kardashian announced that they were closing the store. "After nearly 12 years, my sisters and I have decided to close the doors of our DASH stores," she said in a statement obtained by People. "We opened our first store as a family in 2006, and since then we have made so many lifelong memories." She added that it's been an extremely significant part of their lives.
Since DASH has closed, and each Kardashian sister has launched her own businesses, it's pretty shocking that the store used to be their primary source of income.
The Pussycat Dolls were still a thing on the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Since the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians premiered in 2007, it's not shocking that there are some pretty nostalgic moments when you re-watch the debut. But one thing you probably missed is the fact that The Pussycat Dolls were still a thing, as Kim Kardashian name-dropped Robin Antin during the episode.
Since then, Antin's name doesn't quite carry the same weight, so you probably missed how proud Kim was to be friends with her. Additionally, The Pussycat Dolls split in 2009, just a couple of years after Keeping Up with the Kardashians premiered. Here's everything you need to know about The Pussycat Dolls reunion.
Watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians today clearly hits differently then it did back then; you might have been impressed that Kim name-dropped Antin at the time, but now, it's just funny.
You learn how Kris and Caitlyn Jenner meet on the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians
In addition to all the drama between Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, Kim Kardashian's appearance on The Tyra Banks Show, and Kylie and Kendall Jenner being little troublemakers, another major plot point in the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians was Kris and Caitlyn Jenner's wedding anniversary. The family threw a party at their home to celebrate, during which Kris and Caitlyn reveal that the two met on a blind date — right after Kris divorced from Robert Kardashian. Then, Kris shares that they were married five months later. Um, that's not a very long time between a divorce and another marriage!
You probably missed that detail in the first episode, as there was so much else going on. And as we all know, Kris and Caitlyn had a very public divorce after 23 years of marriage, but that's actually a pretty good run — especially as they had only known each other for less than a year when they got hitched.
On the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kris Jenner says Scott Disisk isn't ready for fatherhood
It's pretty clear in the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that Kris Jenner isn't very fond of Scott Disick, Kourtney Kardashian's boyfriend. For one, she didn't like the fact that Scott is younger than Kourtney. Oh, and Kris told viewers she suspects that he was cheating on her daughter, which is kind of a big deal.
All that drama aside, Kris' words in that first episode actually foreshadowed so much more about Kourtney and Scott's relationship than anyone could have known at the time. In fact, you might have missed that Kris was also concerned about Scott's ability to be a father; given that he went on to have problems with drugs and alcohol, Kris had a right to worry.
In the end, Kourtney and Scott had three children together, despite their rocky relationship. And while Kourtney and Scott seem to be on a permanent off-again, they're still co-parenting their kids together, as noted by Poosh.
The ring Kim Kardashian jokingly tried on in the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians looks like her engagement ring
After the stress of taping an interview on The Tyra Banks Show, Kim Kardashian decided to blow off some steam with her friend and go shopping in New York City. Of course, one thing Kim looked at while she was out and about were diamonds. In particular, Kim tried on an engagement ring — which looks eerily similar to the ring she would receive from her future husband: rapper Kanye West.
According to Brides, Kanye dropped $8 million on Kim's engagement ring, which has a 15-carat rock that jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz called a "perfect cushion-cut diamond." Talk about putting a ring on it!
When Keeping Up With the Kardashians premiered, there was no way anyone could have known that Kim and Kanye would ever become Kimye, but it's clear that Kim has had expensive taste for years. Even though you might not have noticed all those subtle glimpses into Kim's future in the first episode, they were there all along.