The 5 Best (and Worst) Moments From ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’

It’s the end of an era. After 20 years and 14 seasons, Keeping Up With the Kardashians is going off the air. The reality TV show turned every Kardashian-Jenner into a household name and revolutionized the way we think about celebrity, fame, and social media. If Paris Hilton is the original influencer, the Kardashian-Jenners are the ultimate ones.

It makes sense that KUWTK is wrapping. The cultural landscape is vastly different now than it was in 2007. For one, the Kardashian-Jenners no longer need the show to promote their bevy of businesses, products, and projects. They have millions of Instagram followers for that. And also, not many people are tuning into traditional cable anymore—which is why the family has signed a multiyear deal with Hulu. Will the content they put out be anything like Keeping Up With the Kardashians? Maybe—but maybe not.

And if it’s the latter, that’s OK. This family has already given us plenty of reality-TV moments, some of which are cultural canon. Please see: “Kim, there’s people that are dying.”

That, obviously, is one of the most memorable scenes in Keeping Up With the Kardashians history. But this show also came out more than a decade ago, which means some of its scenes haven’t exactly aged well. Below, see our picks for the all-time best—and worst—Keeping Up With the Kardashians moments.

Best

Kim loses her diamond earring.

You know this one well. Kim’s then boyfriend, Kris Humphries, tossed her into the ocean, and her $75,000 earring was a casualty. Thankfully, Kim’s siblings recovered the jewel, but the pure hysteria she expressed over this was iconic—and hilariously un-relatable. That’s why Kourtney’s retort, “There’s people that are dying” is so beloved.

“Don’t be fucking rude!”

I don’t love when the Kardahsian-Jenner siblings fight—two of their spats made my “worst” list—but this one is an exception, and I’ll tell you why. It’s a relic of the times. Kim’s outfit! Khloé’s bangs! The fact they’re eating Chipotle. There’s something about the unpolished, un-Insta-filtered era of KUWTK that will always have a place in my heart. Even if it was “fucking rude!”

“Stop taking pictures of yourself. Your sister’s going to jail.”

Do I even need to explain why this one made the cut? In one line, Kris Jenner summed up why the world was fascinated—either positively or negatively—by her family. Should Kim have been taking selfies in the midst of Khloé’s legal crisis? No, of course not. But this move arguably influenced a generation of selfie-takers who—no matter where they were or how wild the situation was—had to get the perfect shot.

“You’re doing amazing, sweetie.”

In easily one of the most-quoted scenes in KUWTK history, Kris said this while taking pictures of Kim posing for Playboy. The situation is just so bizarre (and so Kardashian!) that you can’t help but laugh.

Kim’s crying face.

Is this the best episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians of all time? Maybe! So much happens on this family vacation from hell, but it all culminates with Kim—fed up with her family’s treatment of her—sobbing in bed. And Kourtney laughing in response. I know it shouldn’t be funny, but…

Worst

Kendall addressing her controversial Pepsi ad.

Oof. This was rough. Sure, Kendall’s apology seemed heartfelt, but as the podcast Even the Rich points out, many fans felt it was too little, too late—and that she was using the scandal to boost ratings. Kendall’s KUWTK confessional was the first time she addressed the Pepsi spot, which, if you forgot, showed the model handing a cop a can of soda to solve racism.

Any time Kris Humphries was there.

This was an era I think all Kardashian fans (and the Kardashians themselves) would like to forget. Kris Humphries just did not jell with this family…or Kim—and this date at STK illustrates that perfectly. Or should I say, awkwardly.

“Just like 20 pounds overweight.”

I’ve never been a fan of the way the Kardashian-Jenners talk about weight. Their obsession with thinness and fit teas is problematic at best and damaging at worst. This quip from Kourtney, starting at the 55-second mark, may seem playful—but I still remember it 10-plus years later, and not in a good way.

Kourtney and Kim’s physical fight.

“I don’t want to be near your fat ass,” Kourtney tells Kim seconds before they come to physical blows. I wish I could blame this one on the times, but…the episode is from 2020.

“She’s the least interesting to look at.”

I’ve certainly enjoyed the memes and jokes that emerged from this moment—when Kourtney and Kim had a fight about their family’s holiday card—but, yeesh, this comment is cruel. Kim essentially called Kourtney ugly! And let me reiterate: They were talking about a Christmas card.