Kim Kardashian's Private Island Birthday Celebration Becomes a Meme

Kim Kardashian posted photos from her 40th birthday party on Tuesday, and in a matter of minutes, [...]

By Michael Hein

Kim Kardashian posted photos from her 40th birthday party on Tuesday, and in a matter of minutes, she had spawned a brand new meme. The reality star shared 10 photos of herself with her friends and family, all partying close together in a lavish and intimate setting, with no face masks or other coronavirus safety measures in place. However, it was her caption that was her undoing.

In a thread of tweets, Kardashian explained her complex feelings about turning 40 years old and doing so in the midst of a global pandemic. "Before COVID, I don't think any of us truly appreciated what a simple luxury it was to be able to travel and be together with family and friends in a safe environment," she wrote. It wasn't until the fourth tweet that Kardashian explained: "After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time."

That sentence would be the key to Kardashian's latest viral moment, as Twitter users imposed it onto different images from across the vast expanse of pop culture. Most did so without added commentary or context, trusting in social media users to catch the reference or seek it out.

Those who did comment directly condemned Kardashian for this party, in spite of her precautions. Many argued that she could not possibly have been as thorough as she implied, and she still risked infection for all her guests. Others were disdainful of this opulent use of her wealth, especially in the midst of a global crisis and an unprecedented economic contraction.

Some critics also advised others to stop engaging with the tweet if they really resented Kardashian for it. They speculated that she had anticipated and perhaps hoped for this virality, with the philosophy that "there's no such thing as bad press." For most people, however, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Here is a look at how Twitter responded to Kardashian's tweet.

'Lost'

TV writer Michael Schur — known for shows like Parks and Rec, The Office and The Good Place — imposed Kardashian's tweet on a promo photo from Lost. Appropriately, many readers were confused and upset by Kardashian's tweet, as well.

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Ahch-To

Star Wars fans added Kardashian's text to an image of the planet Ahch-To, the home of the ancient Jedi temple where Rey trained with Luke Skywalker in Episode VIII — The Last Jedi. Here, Kardashian's "inner circle" was replaced with the Lanai, the native people who protect and maintain the ancient Jedi temple grounds.

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'Wicker Man'

Author Joe Hill dug deep to use Kardashian's caption on an iconic image from The Wicker Man — the original, not the remake with Nicolas Cage. In a twist with horrific implications, he added: "I was the special guest of honor!"

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Leo

Journalist Hunter Harris applied Kardashian's tweet to photos of Leonardo DiCaprio on his infamous trips with groups of younger women. She even carried the joke on with multiple tweets — and multiple pictures of DiCaprio in action.

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'Midsommar'

One of the most apt comparisons for Kardashian's tweet was the movie Midsommar, with screenshots to match. Although the movie wasn't set on an island, the surreal and gradual turn from vacation mode to survival mode seemed to match.

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'Jurassic Park'

There have been plenty of Jurassic Park references throughout the coronavirus pandemic, but Kardashian's tweet may have been the best opportunity fans have had yet. Many have said that, after seeing the world's reaction to coronavirus safety measures, they "understand" now why the characters kept reopening the doomed theme park in these movies.

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'Castaway'

Finally, film critic David Ehrlich may have hit the nail on the head with a simple image of Wilson, the personified volleyball from Castaway alongside Kardashian's tweet. For many people in isolation, the image hits closer to home than ever before.

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