Here’s
where the “but not all” part comes in to play: The Kardashians. If there’s one
family we can’t see to get enough of, or rather escape, from it’s the
Kardashian/West empire. I’m not sure whether it’s due to their ever-increasing
number of ‘klan’ members, or the pure fact that we hate to love the
Kardashians. We constantly question their fame and fortune. Most of them became
what I like to call, “famous for being famous.” In recent years, the family
(specifically Kim and Kanye) have become greedy with their source of fame and
expanding their wealth tremendously. The Kardashian/West empire has me thinking
the word “Kardashian” appear in the dictionary sooner than we think.
Let’s start
off with Kanye, since he does have some source of initial talent. He’s a
hip-hop artist turned fashion designer turned potential candidate for the 2020
election, as he announced at the 2015 VMA’s. If he can take over the music and
fashion world, why not go for politics next? Also, apparently he thinks God
too. “You can't title an album Yeezus and
include a song called "I Am a God" without looking like an egomaniac,
especially when you already have a well-established reputation as such,” (Vulture).
This past New York Fashion Week, he really started to shake things up with his
“surprise” Yeezy Season 3 and debut of album “Life of Pablo.” Kanye’s last
minute show disrupted the carefully planed NYFW schedule forcing designers to
move show times about a week before their shows. Both Marissa Webb and Adam
Selman decided to move their shows due to Kanye’s last minute announcement. Marissa
Webb’s PR team sent out an email blast to inform guests of the updated show
time: “Due to unforeseen
circumstances, we are 'swishing' the time of the show to 3 p.m. on Thursday,
Feb. 11. Sorry for making 'waves’” (Fashionista). Kanye had a meltdown in a
recent Twitter rant against Wiz Khalifa. A Somecards
article says it best: “Kanye does not like when anyone implies he's not the OG
or creator of anything.” If there’s one thing Kanye is good at, it’s making a
scene – whether it be a good or bad one.
But, is it that people can’t get
enough of Kanye or are they sick and tired of him and his Twitter rants and
unnecessary speeches? After all, he can’t be making so much money if he’s not
successful with his fans.
Ah Kim, I’m
not sure where to even start with you. For someone who is “famous for being famous,”
she does it pretty well. She ranked number 33 in Forbes’ 100 Highest-Paid Celebrities
List, earning $52.5 million (E Online). Coming from a well-established family, it’s
no surprise Kim rose to fame in the reality TV show that made her a success: Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Since
then, Kim has had many big moments in the media. From the 2007 leaked sex tape
with Ray J that launched her fame, to the beloved 72-day marriage to Kris
Humphres, to the “Break the Internet” cover of Paper magazine in 2014. She is an entrepreneur, but what she
markets is herself. ‘Kim Kardashian: Hollywood’ alone raked in $200 million
(Forbes). In December she launched Kimoji’s that nearly broke the Apple App
store, which on the day of launch was getting 9,000 downloads per millisecond
(TMZ). While most people market their product, Kim markets herself, making her
fame even more of a craze.
Linda Ong,
CEO of brand consulting firm TruthCo says, “In some ways he’s (Kanye) become
more of a Kardashian than Kim has become Mrs. West, and that sort of shows you
the power of the Kardashian machine” (The Wrap). I agree with this statement in
that Kanye’s rise to fame, or should I say power, has definitely been amplified
by his marriage to Kim. If there’s one member of the “klan” I respect the most,
it’s Kendall Jenner. She has built herself a good reputation in the modeling
and fashion world and has (somewhat) strayed from the ridiculousness of the
Kardashians. Out of all of them, she is the only one I follow on Instagram, or
any social media for that matter. While most celebrities want to hide from the
paparazzi and live their own lives with out being in the spotlight, I think
this is opposite for the Kardasians. They live off of their media coverage. Although
a lot of people despise the Kardashian/West Empire, their success wouldn’t be
so large if it weren’t for their fans and the ever-obsessing media over them.
Whether we want to admit or not, our society is infatuated with them and watch
over them like American royalty. But how long can we really Keep Up with the
Kardashians for? Will there ever be an end to the empire? North West might give
us insight into what the future holds for them with this video Kim posted to
Instagram:
Seems like
she’s already over the fame.
Works
Cited:
Lyons,
Margaret. “Does Kanye West Think He’s God? Or Has He Given up on God?” Vulture. 19 June 2013. Web
Mau, Dhani. "KANYE WEST FORCES DESIGNERS TO RESCHEDULE THEIR
FASHION WEEK SHOWS (AGAIN)." Fashionista. 1 Feb. 2016. Web.
Dwyer, Chip. “Kanye West Is Having a Meltdown Twitter Rant against
Wiz Khalifa. It’s the Most Kanye Thing Ever.” Somecards. 27 Jan. 2016. Web.
Bacardi, Francesca. “Forbes’ Top 100 Highest-Paid Celebs List
Might Surprise You.” E! Online. 29
June 2015. Web.
Staff, TMZ, “Kim Kardashian – My Kimoji App Messed Up Apple.” TMZ,
21 Dec. 2015. Web.
Kenneally,
Tim. “Are Kanye West’s Ties to the Kardashian Clan Destroying His Brand?” The Wrap. 21 May 2015.
Links:
https://twitter.com/kanyewest?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Links:
https://twitter.com/kanyewest?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
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ReplyDeleteI enjoy Kanye West the musician and but I don’t like Kanye West the person and I struggle to come to terms with the fame of the Kardashian family. Still to this day nobody can explain to me how they got famous, they just seemed to have appeared one day to take over my television and social media feeds. The marriage of these two powerhouses created an internal struggle for me.
ReplyDeleteCelebrities, politicians and other well-known personalities gain people's ire for what they do and say, but Kardashian doesn't seem to do anything. Even though I don’t necessarily like them there is no doubting their clout. According to US weekly, three of the five biggest moments in celebrity news in 2015 involved the Kardashian conglomerate (McRady 2015). They have almost transcended fame and created their own category. For example, When Lamar Odom was found unconscious, if there's ever been a moment when calling a ceasefire on hurling hate and anger in that family's direction, this was it. That didn't happen, of course. The public treated him or her like they are subhuman monsters that deserve zero respect or sympathy in any situation, even when they're rallying around a man who desperately needs someone to be there for him. I hate to admit it, but I thought the family did a very good job with handling this whole situation, and I wish people would just give them some privacy.
Almost everything that family comes out with whether it’s the Kylie Jenner lip kit or a clothing line; consumers will literally kill each other to get their products. As author Henry Schafer says, “celebrity endorsements have a significant impact on increasing consumer awareness and purchase intentions for virtually every product category” (Schafer 2014). People literally want to buy an oversized shirt with rips all over it because Kanye said it was cool. Believe me, I am one of the first people to get in line if someone in the fitness industry says, “this product really works”. You can guarantee it’s already in my online shopping cart.
But there is something about Kanye’s twitter meltdown that we as college students can relate to. When some days/weeks are just not going your way you just want to let it all out (preferably not on twitter). I think we like watching celebrities get into fights and have meltdowns because it shows that they aren’t perfect. They can have the money, the nice cars and the seemingly perfect life, but they are still human deep down. Kanye especially didn’t grow up in the fast life, he had to earn everything that he owns, and sometimes that side of him wins.
So in a sense the worst things about the Kardashians are us. It really just boils down to the fact that the Kardashians are, at least in terms of the things they're hated for, a reflection of the world we live in. They love material possessions, they want attention for doing nothing special, they're deluded enough to think people actually care about the mundane details of their life. And yes, I am very jealous of the life style they get to live and would 100% trade places, even if it meant getting hate from almost every single person one this planet. I could wipe my tears away with over 200 million dollars.
Works Cited:
McRady, Rachel. "See the Top Celebrity News Moments of 2015!" Us Weeky N.p., 29 Dec. 2015. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
Schafer, Henry. "Q Scores Blog: The Value of Celebrity Endorsements." Q Scores Blog: The Value of Celebrity Endorsements. Blogspot, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLoving to hate the Kardashian’s is my motto. I have a decent amount of friends and family who all love the whole Kardashian ‘klan.’ Therefore it is very hard for me not to be immersed in their lives. I follow all the Kardashians on Instagra. My sister always ask me why I do that if I hate them so much. I told her its because if I didn’t follow all of them I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my friends, I need to know what they are talking about.
ReplyDeleteThis year I started watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians (mostly) every Sunday because it was something I did with my friends when I was at school or with my mom when I was at home. I used to watch an episode and mock everything that the Kardashians would say. I would put on a fake voice and just make fun of them. Now it has come to a point where I actually am enjoying watching the episode. In my defense the longer the show has been on the better it gets, in my opinion.
I also recently followed all of the Kardashians on snapchat. I told my friends that I thought I was going to hate seeing even more of them. I hate to admit this but it ended up being that I like them even more now that I follow them on snapchat. It’s like watching little episodes of the show that are even better then the actual show because they are unedited.
Kim and Kris bother me the most because they are the most annoying. That doesn’t negate the fact that they are crazy smart. Kris was able to make a brand out of her children and they all went with it. Kim Kardashian is a brand now, all because of a sex tape. With the success that Kim has had it does not surprise me at all that she has “climbed her way up the ladder from No. 88 (on the Highest Paid Celebrity List) to No. 33 this year after earning $52.2 million” (Bacardi). I am sure a sum of that money is from the reality show, but I can only imagine how much she gets paid each time she is asked to make an appearance somewhere. I love to hate Kim the most, but the success she has had at making a brand for herself is very commendable
I do not like Kanye West as a person. He seems like an annoying know it all. His twitter war with Wiz was childish. Chip Dwyer said in Kayne West is having a meltdown Twitter rant against Wiz Khalifa. It’s the most Kanye thing ever, “Kanye does not like when anyone implies he’s not the OG or creator of anything” (Dwyer) because he is childish and stupid cannot just let things go. Do all of his personality aspects make me buy is products less? The answer is no. Did I still try and get a pair of Yeezy Boost 350’s when they were released? The answer is yes. The second that Kanyes album “The Life of Pablo” dropped on Apple Music I downloaded it. I think his ridiculous presence in the media, for some reason, makes me more interested in his work.
Overall even though you can say bad things about each and every one of the Kardashian/West ‘klan’, they are geniuses for the work that they are doing.
Work Cited
Bacardi, Francesca. “Forbes’ Top 100 Highest-Paid Celebs List Might Surprise You.” E! Online. 29 June 2015. Web.
Dwyer, Chip. “Kanye West Is Having a Meltdown Twitter Rant against Wiz Khalifa. It’s the Most Kanye Thing Ever.” Somecards. 27 Jan. 2016. Web.
I never understood everyone’s obsession with the Kardashians. When Kanye married Kim after the whole Kris Humphries ordeal I was kind of upset to be honest. I have been a giant Kanye West fan my whole life -- polo shirts were a staple of my wardrobe in middle school. But, now I am almost embarrassed to be a Kanye fan. Since his marriage to Kim he has become a narcissistic egomaniac. I don’t know if it’s the Kardashian’s fault, Kanye’s growing popularity, or even the social media centered culture we live in; but, as Kanye put it in a song on his new album -- “I miss the old Kanye.”
ReplyDeleteWhat really bothers me is Kanye’s obsession with fashion. But, beneath all of that those me-against-the-world comments he makes about his struggle in the fashion industry, he makes some sense… sometimes. Kanye is one of those guys who goes on rants that seem like they’re going nowhere but then at the end of it all he ties it back to something reflective and you go, “huh, wow I guess he makes a good point.” For instance, in his interview with Zane Lowe, he speaks about how he has “a million people telling [him] why [he] can’t do it… that [he’s] not a real designer… that [he’s] not a real rapper… that [he’s] not a real musician, either” (Platon). He goes on to say how he knows how to play the piano, produce, sing, rap, and he even attended art school. Kanye actually has some credibility, but he believes that people doubt him. I think that people can connect with this interview because there will always be people who will doubt you, regardless of what you’re capable of, and you can do nothing but prove them wrong little by little.
Now, what REALLY bothers me is Kanye’s social media presence. He absolutely needs to delete his Twitter. The problem is, his tweets are hilarious. They are so self-centered and ridiculous that you have to laugh. And, they go viral all of the time. These tweets are both entertaining his fans and shoving him and his brand into the spotlight. There is an old saying, “any press is good press,” and I feel like Kanye is living proof of that. For example, a few months ago Kanye went on a rant against Wiz Khalifa because he thought that Wiz’s tweet that had the words “wave;” Kanye’s previous album title, and “kk;” Kim’s initials, were about him (Dwyer). He was wrong, but before finding that out, he absolutely ripped Wiz Khalifa apart. Although Kanye’s tweets were ridiculous, the reason people remain fans of him is because that is him -- that is Kanye. It’s crazy to think, but he’s honest. He’s always been that way. If you watch old videos of him he says the same stuff, but he didn’t have the social media platforms and constant cameras on him like he does today. In a world where celebs are always trying to protect their image, the ridiculousness of Kanye is delightful, and somewhat refreshing, to witness.
Works Cited
Dwyer, Chip. “Kanye West Is Having a Meltdown Twitter Rant against Wiz Khalifa. It’s the Most Kanye Thing Ever.” Somecards. 27 Jan. 2016. Web.
Platon, Adelle. "Feeling Like Pablo: Inside (and Outside Of) Kanye West's New York City Pop-Up Shop." Billboard. N.p., 19 Mar. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
As bad as it may be to admit, I am 1000% guilty of being a Kardashian/any celebrity gossip addict. Some may roll their eyes at the fact that I do like to follow along with the Kardashians and their very boring life, which would make some say then why do I even bother with them. But I’ve found that it’s interesting to see the inside of someone else world that is being held to a higher standard. Kim’s and Kendall’s snapchats aren’t even entertaining- I think my own friends on my snapchat story are funnier to watch. So what makes us so addicted to knowing and being a part of the celebrity world? For me, I find myself often watching these shows such as the Kardashians because I like to feel a part of the celebrity world. The Kardashians give you an insight on what their everyday actives include, whether its sitting down getting their hair and makeup done or simply just taking 100 selfies in their mom Kris Jenner’s famous black and white kitchen. Whatever it is that brings us in to watch them, it’s working. Celebrities being a part of “our world” gives us a sense of connection to these powerful celebs that seem to be on a different world than us.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to agree with you on the fact that sometimes the most powerful celebs in the celeb world have only gained their fame through a series of questionable antics that to us, as “normal” people would not consider being anything of success. The Kardashian fame came about from their famous dad who was a lawyer on the O.J. Simpson defense team, their mom marrying famous Olympian Bruce Jenner, and then a famous movie staring the most famous one of the ‘klan’-Kim. After that, E! Network took an interest into this ‘krazy klan’ and realized that they were not only a family-but a franchise. In the article by Forbes “Top 100 Highest-Paid Celebs List Might Surprise You”, writer Francesca Bacardi writes how Kim has “claimed her way up the ladder from No. 88 to No. 33 this year after earning $52.2 million.” Kim’s success does not come easy as she says, constantly working on endorsements or promoting things via her social media networks, or taking the usual selfie that gets over a million likes on Instagram that proves that celeb culture is a part of our everyday world as long as social media and any other type of media is existent. In the article “Q Scores Blog: The Value of Celebrity Endorsements”, author Henry Schafer writes how important it is for celebrities to be a part of endorsements. He writes how “celebrity endorsements have a significant impact on increasing consumer awareness and purchase intentions for virtually every product category.” Everything the Kardahsian’s stand for is all about being a franchise as a family. Without their many endorsements and “side jobs”, their regular selves wouldn’t be as successful and famous.
LaRosa Comment Continued:
ReplyDeleteI can’t deny that I love to watch their show and bash on how stupid they all sound, or how my mom and I complain together how we are ‘so over’ them and how annoying Kim is when she talks, all while still watching their show every Sunday night and stalking their Instagram pages to see their latest outfits, hair and makeup. The Kardashian’s are always a staple in the media. Their is never a magazine that I pick up at my nail salon that doesn’t include a story or whole article about the Kardashians/Jenner’s. In The article “See the Top Celebrity News Moments of 2015!”, writer Rachel McRady ranks the top moments from 2015 and two stories out of five were about the Kardashians/Jenner’s. The stories of “Lamar Odom Found Unconscious” ranked number three on the list with the story of “Caitlyn Jenner’s Reveal” ranking in as number five. Anytime something happen with this family, the media is always going to be there, and it looks like so will we. Whether we love them or love to hate them, they are a part of our culture and will continue to be until another franchise family comes around.
Works Cited:
Bacardi, Francesca. “Forbes’ Top 100 Highest-Paid Celebs List Might Surprise You.” E! Online. 29 June 2015. Web.
McRady, Rachel. "See the Top Celebrity News Moments of 2015!" Us Weeky N.p., 29 Dec. 2015. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
Schafer, Henry. "Q Scores Blog: The Value of Celebrity Endorsements." Q Scores Blog: The Value of Celebrity Endorsements. Blogspot, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
I think the Kardashian family’s marketing plot, is making society think or feel like they need to keep up with them. Once the show began they were just like most families on reality TV. There was nothing to really keep up with. When word about them expanded and they began opening more Dash stores, they added more factors to themselves. If you look at the family as a PR platform, they’ve actually done quite well for themselves considering OJ Simpson and a sex-tape were all the family started off being known for. Then they bring in a clothing line (Dash and also Kendall and Kylie’s line , spinoff television shows (spun off from the extremely successful KUWTK), apps, social media, and they have too many features that need to be kept up with. It often disturbs me to realize that we have let them come this far. Meaning that without us (society, the viewers and fans), the Kardashians would be no one. We made them this way. The Kardashian family comes from no real talent, yet Kim ranked 33 in Forbes’ Highest Ranked Celebrities. It is interesting to think that if the family was born into a time without the recognition of reality TV, they wouldn’t have gotten as far as they’ve come today. Years ago, would the Kardashian family be recognized as celebrities? To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter provided be with an interesting insight on the definition of a celebrity:
ReplyDeleteTurner outlines three primary scholarly definitions: (1) celebrity as a way that people are represented and talked about; (2) a process by which a person is turned into a commodity; and (3) an aspect of culture which is constantly being reinscribed and reformulated. (Marwick)
The Kardashians strike me to be an aspect of culture, which is constantly being reformulated. In their rising years, they were absolutely represented and talked about a lot more. This essentially turned the family into commodities. I am not sure if there will be an end to their empire. I think that if that was going to happen, there would need to be a serious decrease in their popularity. The problem is that the family is so good at marketing that you are able to buy into their products even if you don’t like them. They have apps and shows for the dedicated fans. But they also have makeup lines, clothing lines, perfume lines, etc. These are products you can enjoy whether or not you are a Kardashian fan. The downfall of their empire may be slow and steady because they still seem to be a rising fad.
Works Cited:
1. Dwyer, Chip. “Kanye West Is Having a Meltdown Twitter Rant against Wiz Khalifa. It’s the Most Kanye Thing Ever.” Somecards. 27 Jan. 2016. Web.
2. Marwick, Alice, and Danah Boyd. "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter." To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. Sage Publications, 19 May 2011. Web. 05 Apr. 2016