Kim And Kanye’s Divorce Marks The End Of A Cultural Era

Ixnay on the Kimye

( @kimkardashian / Instagram )

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For many, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s marriage in 2014 felt refreshing — especially after her split from basketball player Kris Humphries a whopping 72 days after their wedding.

In 2012, when Kimye first went public about their relationship, they seemed perfect for each other. They’re both career-oriented, operate in similar social circles, and have reputations that precede them. Apparently, Kanye had even been into Kim since meeting her in 2003. I mean, a reality star, a world-famous rapper, what could go wrong?

In typical marriages, partners can work through problems and go about their days free from public scrutiny and fear of making national headlines. From the jump, that would never be the case for Kim and Kanye. Despite that, they stood strong together through roughly eight years of ups and downs. If Kanye was going through a manic bipolar episode and, let’s say, announced that slavery was a choice, Kim was right by his side. If Kim was, for instance, being robbed at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room, Kanye was 100% there for her. Their constant commitment to each other and their relationship was a testament to the genuine love they shared for one another.

So, what caused the eventual demise of their marriage? While there is a lot of speculation from outside sources, Kanye thinks his failed presidential run was the final nail in the coffin, whereas Kim cites “irreconcilable differences.” From the second half of 2020 on, a divorce honestly felt inevitable, though. Whatever the exact reason, their divorce symbolizes the end of a cultural era.

To be honest, their wedding feels like a lifetime ago. Between then and now, we’ve seen our fair share of Kimye content: North West’s iconic fit pics, the latest Yeezy collections, memes about Kim breaking the internet with her butt, Sunday Services, Kanye’s classic Twitter rants (usually followed by Kim coming to his defense), casual celebrity birthday dinners, Keeping Up With The Kardashians drama, you name it.

I think Kim and Kanye’s divorce is hitting Gen Z especially hard because social media and television allowed us to get up close and personal with them and their relationship. We grew up listening to Kanye’s latest releases and watching Kim on TV. They got together and stayed together during such important and formative points in our lives — there just has to be some sort of sentimental value there for us.

But I guess it goes to say how much political differences can really make — and in this case, break — a relationship.

Honestly, I’m going to miss their larger-than-life relationship. I guess one positive that can potentially come out of this is the emotional, 808s and Heartbreak-esque project that Kanye will inevitably drop. For now, I’ll be mourning the loss of what felt like one of the most authentic celebrity relationships of our time.

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Madison Rosenfield is an Online Writer at Rowdy Magazine. When she's not going down internet rabbit holes at 2 AM, she can usually be found curating the perfect Spotify playlist, celebrating her Jewish heritage, crafting, watching coming-of-age films, or taking action in support of causes she cares about. You can find her at @madisonrosenfield on Instagram or @madisonleahh on Twitter to get a deeper look at her passions and perspectives.