What does the popularity of the Kardashians tell us about America?

[calitennis127]

I don't know if our European friends on the board know about this boon to civilization known as the Kardashian family, but given some recent conversations between Kieran, murat, and myself, I wonder what everyone thinks of the American aristocratic family known as the Kardashians?

Does their popularity indicate any problems we have in our society?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

US is probably the only country where there are people who are famous only for being famous.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Honestly, who are these people, where did they come from? I hear the name here and there but I have no idea why they are famous.

 

[tented]

To be honest, I've avoided them as much as possible, therefore I probably shouldn't even be responding, however ...

They represent the phenomenon of being famous for being famous. Like Paris Hilton, they're riding on the coattails of their parents' accomplishments/wealth, without having accomplished anything themselves. It has the whiff of monarchism, as silly as that may sound. Again, I don't claim to be an expert on these people, but this is my impression.

I'm not saying all examples of children of famous/rich people are without merit. There are some who even surpass their parents, but that's pretty rare. Vanessa Redgrave is a better actor than her father, for example, so she's not famous only because of her last name, although I imagine it did get her auditions others would not have had access to.

The Kardashian/Paris Hilton phenomena also reminds me of Andy Warhol's line "in the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Obviously this isn't literally the case, but the essence is there -- people driven to be famous, and have their 15 minutes. As if that, alone, is a worthy goal.

I don't get it, though. To me, the idea of being famous is a nightmare.

 

[Kieran]

There's a name for girls like Kim, not a nice name either. But people are strange, my niece is obsessed about her, loves her to bits. I told her, you know she only has gifts which are common to lap dancers and street walkers, and my niece didn't think I had insulted her. They do lap dancing fitness classes every Tuesday, for a laugh.

The old walls are crumbling. Talent is an irrelevance, when it comes to fame. Fame itself is the talent. I don't understand it, but then, she's not pointing that peachy ar$e at me, although I can't help but see it. She appeals to people who want an easy route to critical mass attention.

It started in America, but everybody is American nowadays, when it comes to stuff like this. And if they aren't, they wannabe...

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

There's a name for girls like Kim, not a nice name either. But people are strange, my niece is obsessed about her, loves her to bits. I told her, you know she only has gifts which are common to lap dancers and street walkers, and my niece didn't think I had insulted her. They do lap dancing fitness classes every Tuesday, for a laugh.

The old walls are crumbling. Talent is an irrelevance, when it comes to fame. Fame itself is the talent. I don't understand it, but then, she's not pointing that peachy ar$e at me, although I can't help but see it. She appeals to people who want an easy route to critical mass attention.

It started in America, but everybody is American nowadays, when it comes to stuff like this. And if they aren't, they wannabe...

Who is the poor guy they use as the "lap" ?:snigger

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

This also reminds me of a quote from Ayn Rand (I am sure Cali would appreciate)


"Only the man who does not need it, is fit to inherit wealth—the man who would make his own fortune no matter where he started."

 

[Kieran]

There's a name for girls like Kim, not a nice name either. But people are strange, my niece is obsessed about her, loves her to bits. I told her, you know she only has gifts which are common to lap dancers and street walkers, and my niece didn't think I had insulted her. They do lap dancing fitness classes every Tuesday, for a laugh.

The old walls are crumbling. Talent is an irrelevance, when it comes to fame. Fame itself is the talent. I don't understand it, but then, she's not pointing that peachy ar$e at me, although I can't help but see it. She appeals to people who want an easy route to critical mass attention.

It started in America, but everybody is American nowadays, when it comes to stuff like this. And if they aren't, they wannabe...

Who is the poor guy they use as the "lap" ?:snigger

Sorry, I meant 'pole dancing classes.' :laydownlaughing

Shows how little I know about these wicked dens of iniquity...

 

[House]

It's right up there with the "royal family" stuff to me. Who are you, and why should I care?

Why do I know the name Pippa?

This isn't just an American thing, though we currently have an abundance of these types of "celebrities."

So what can you discern about American society through this? Not much.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Kim is famous for her looks and her assets.. btw.. she was absolutely horrible in the sex tape that made her famous.. in essence she has made her family over 100 millions dollars for being horrific in the sack:nono

 

[calitennis127]

To be honest, I've avoided them as much as possible, therefore I probably shouldn't even be responding, however ...

They represent the phenomenon of being famous for being famous. Like Paris Hilton, they're riding on the coattails of their parents' accomplishments/wealth, without having accomplished anything themselves. It has the whiff of monarchism, as silly as that may sound. Again, I don't claim to be an expert on these people, but this is my impression.

I'm not saying all examples of children of famous/rich people are without merit. There are some who even surpass their parents, but that's pretty rare. Vanessa Redgrave is a better actor than her father, for example, so she's not famous only because of her last name, although I imagine it did get her auditions others would not have had access to.

The Kardashian/Paris Hilton phenomena also reminds me of Andy Warhol's line "in the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Obviously this isn't literally the case, but the essence is there -- people driven to be famous, and have their 15 minutes. As if that, alone, is a worthy goal.

I don't get it, though. To me, the idea of being famous is a nightmare.

Good post, tented, although I think the problems with the Kardashians run deeper than just shallow celebrity culture. I am also speaking about the infatuation with their actual show, and how in the world millions of people follow the lives of the Kardashians with genuine interest. It is utterly puzzling to me how people can find it interesting to see one of the three sisters put a family member on speaker phone and roll her eyes about how her significant other went out to a nightclub without her.

 

[calitennis127]

The old walls are crumbling. Talent is an irrelevance, when it comes to fame. Fame itself is the talent. I don't understand it, but then, she's not pointing that peachy ar$e at me, although I can't help but see it.

She is actually a very short step from simply being obese. Her hips are wider than the list of losses Federer has to Nadal on clay.

Plus, she is just a poseur of the highest magnitude, without any shame. She thinks that buying Wolford clothing with her ill-gotten earnings deceives people into thinking she is high-class. The reality is that she should be barred from any store of quality above Wal Mart.

 

[calitennis127]

Honestly, who are these people, where did they come from? I hear the name here and there but I have no idea why they are famous.

They are people who have risen to immense fame in America due to the uplifting cultural and spiritual influence of agnosticism and atheism on the general pubic. No sense of privacy or formality. May as well talk about your "vadge" five times a month for millions to hear it.