‘We are just puppets’: The suspicious timing of the latest Kardashian cheating scandal

The timing of the latest story to rock the Kardashian family is extremely suspicious — especially when you look back to this time last year.

It’s the story that’s almost impossible to dodge.

The Kardashians, for the uninitiated, are embroiled in yet another cheating scandal. This time, it involves Khloe Kardashian’s partner, Tristan Thompson, and Kylie Jenner’s best friend, Jordyn Woods.

Jordyn Woods and Kylie Jenner, former BFFs. Picture: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

The headlines since have been constant. The response from the family has been a textbook stream of carefully plotted media bites.

Kim Kardashian came first with a tweet that appeared to confirm the rumours. Soon after came cryptic Instagram stories from Khloe Kardashian.

Then, a price slashing of a Kylie Jenner lipstick not coincidentally named “Jordy” just hours later.

Jordyn entered the fray next, sitting down in a highly-publicised interview with Jada Pinkett-Smith on her Red Table video series at the weekend before Khloe flamed an already flammable public feud with aggressive, accusatory tweets in response to it.

Jordyn Woods in conversation with Jada Pinkett-Smith.

KARDASHIAN CONTROL

It may or may not have been a story of their own doing, but it was a story — when broken — that was well within Kardashian control.

Like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs in their wake, the Kardashians were making sure that for good or bad, better or worse, the news cycle was their own. The rest of us were just puppets.

It is no coincidence a story like this one has been so pervasive in the month before the family is due to launch the 16th season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, which premieres on March 31.

After all, it’s not the first time they have carefully used a nutty news cycle to their advantage, capturing our attention at a specific moment in time. History tells us the month or two before a season launches, the media fixates on the family, its drama and the salacious storylines that underpin both.

The last five seasons are telling in their ability to build hype.

SEASON 15

In August last year, as their 15th season loomed, the family built meticulous anticipation, dribbling details of a similar cheating story from Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian. While the cheating story broke in April, the month before the show was due to air was dominated by crafty, curious social media updates from Khloe, hinting at a reconciliation.

Right before last year’s season launched, Khloe (left) started hammering social media with hints she had reconciled with Tristan (right). Picture: AP Photo/File

SEASON 14

In late 2017, in the month before the 14th season aired, news of Kim, Khloe and Kylie’s pregnancies began to leak in the space of a few weeks, all rumoured but none confirmed as the show was about to air.

SEASON 13

That same year, in the month or two before season 13 was due to air, teasers began to circulate regarding the highly-publicised robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris. The family, who had kept uncharacteristically quiet about the event, began releasing their first thoughts and feelings as the show was teased.

Kim and family began talking about her Parisian robbery in the lead-up to season 13. Picture: Keeping Up With The Kardashians

SEASON 12

Looking back to 2016, the pre-show premiere news cycle was awash with talk of Rob Kardashian dating his sister’s ex’s ex Blac Chyna. For a fleeting moment in time, the key Kardashians took a back seat to their brother, who captured media attention with his unconventional relationship.

SEASON 11

Three months before season 11 was due to launch, rumours of a split between Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick began to swirl, with the couple only confirming the news closer to the show’s airing.

Each season has a careful story arc, a main theme, a primary narrative to guide the others.

In a realm where the news cycle moves quickly, our attention always fractured and our propensity to tire of stories and their characters never more pronounced, the Kardashians still manage to capture a Zeitgeist in a way few have and few can.

Khloe is at the centre of this year’s drama. Picture: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Sixteen years and 16 seasons later, they’ve evaded a fate inevitable for the regular reality star: becoming stale and irrelevant with the passing of time.

The law of averages will tell you no matter the money or fame, drama does not touch a single family at the rate the Kardashians would like you to believe.

And yet, the month or two before every consecutive season of their show is due to air, they stumble back on our radar as if their lives only just blew up and the drama only just reignited.

It’s the secret to a long-held television contr act, a recipe to pop culture success.

The great big Kardashian story sits somewhere between exaggerated truth and shiny, concocted publicity stunt, playing out in the news cycle for us all to play along.

And perhaps — outside lucrative endorsement deals, unwavering fame and a handful of bankable Instagram accounts — therein lies the family’s real power: an ability to make sure we are always talking about them, whatever the cost.

Especially if it happens to coincide with the month before a new season of their show airs.

Zara McDonald is a freelance journalist. Continue the conversation @zaramcdonald5