Guilty Pleasure Binge

So what is Kim of Queens? Well, let me start by telling you what Kim of Queens is not. It's not any of the f&ckery that is Toddlers and Tiaras. Now that we've established that, let's proceed.

In a nutshell, it's about Kim Gravel, a pageant coach who along with her sister and mother, mentor young girls towards ultimately becoming the next Miss America. In a not-so-nutshell, the show is so much more! Kim is so much more! She is a self-proclaimed ugly duckling turned Miss Georgia who's also a hard-working, tough-loving, real-talking, country-saying, clogging-hating entertainer and entrepreneur; and she's not just coaching girls to win in pageants. She's coaching them to win in life.

The reality series chronicles Kim and her firm but loving coaching strategies for her group of Miss America hopefuls. To be honest, some of these girls have personalities as boring as a funeral for a relative you didn't know, and Kim's mission is to shake them up. The best part though is when she discovers an unorthodox girl who doesn't fit the stereotypical pageant "type" and encourages her to compete in her first pageant. As you watch the show, you realize it's not just about a physical transformation or makeover, although, I do love a good before and after. It's about helping each girl embrace what makes them unique and special, and motivating them to showcase it to the world.

You also can't help but to be entertained by the wacky relationship between Kim and her bless-this-hot-mess sister Allisyn, and their mother Ms. Jo, who all work together at The Pageant Place. All in all, they each have the best interest of the girls at heart, but they don't always agree on some of the smaller details, namely when it comes to competition outfits and evening gowns. Kim's style choices for the girls lean more towards classy, while her sister Allisyn's choices are more flashy, and that's where the hilarity ensues. It also goes without saying that Kim is well-versed in the Arts, culture, and world events, but she's also a country girl at heart and will whip out a country saying faster than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking competition. In fact, her country sayings have been aptly dubbed as "Kimisms".

I'm gonna (yes, I said gonna) go out on a limb here and say that you don't have to be into pageants to like or appreciate this show. Kim's tough-loving and hands-on coaching style is inspiring to watch. She helps these girls navigate through important matters such as self-esteem and self-worth, body-positivity, and finding your voice and purpose in the world. I also love that she puts her money where her mouth is and doesn't demand anything from her girls that she hasn't done or won't do herself. One of my favorite scenes is when Kim, in an effort to dissuade one of her students from clogging, teaches her tap dance instead, or something fairly close to it.

I absolutely love re-watching all episodes of this show. My girls enjoy it too and will join in the Kim of Queens Binge Fest every few months. So would anyone consider this show a guilty pleasure? For some, perhaps. After all, it is reality television and not without its share of drama. There is the group of overbearing pageant moms who are either trying to re-live their former pageant days or live vicariously through their daughters as well as putting excess pressure on them to win at every pageant. The real drama ensues, however, when they try to overstep their bounds with Kim, but trust me, she knows how to handle them and that's entertaining to watch too.