When someone asks me what my favorite TV shows are, I always spout out a list of reality shows, and in return get a look of disgust, especially when I say “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” This show films the daily lives of the wealthy Kardashian family members living in Los Angeles, California. My dad finds disgust in this show, but I don’t see how it is any better than his favorite show American Idol, or Dancing with the Stars, where results are completely rigged in the competitions.
Many people would assume that I watch the Kardashians because I’m jealous of their lives, or that I crave to be them. However, I watch this show because I find fascination in other peoples lifestyles, whether it be learning about a family struggling with poverty in Africa, or the Kardashians striving to succeed in Hollywood.
Most viewers cannot relate to the Kardashians because they struggle with “rich people problems,” having to deal with finding better producers, finding the perfect scent for their fragrance line, or choosing between two different $4,000 shoes. But that is where the humor in the show is to be found, in their extreme lifestyles. The public gets so offended by the Kardashians, but why can’t they just ignore them, instead of going out of their way to trash them. The public obviously does demonstrate some interest in the Kardashians because they have had interviews with large names such as Oprah and Ryan Seacrest.
The Kardashians came into the spotlight originally because the father, Robert Kardashian, was the lawyer who represented O.J. Simpson. Kris Jenner divorced Robert before his death of cancer in 2003, and has since then, remarried to olympian Bruce Jenner. The show Keeping Up with the Kardashians is not the reason the family is famous. They each have different careers and lives, but come together on the show to present the importance of family. Through marriages and remarriages, there is a hugely extended amount of people on the show. In a recent interview on “E!”, the family was interviewed about what it takes to pull together the show. The youngest sibling Rob, emphasized how they must put their entire lives on camera, not hiding anything. When they put everything on camera, they put EVERYTHING. You learn about marriages, sex life, pregnancies, fertility issues, and basically everything a typical person would keep to their immediate family only. However, this is a career for the Kardashian family, and by signing with a TV producer, they are committing to an exposed life. Just like when a CFO signs commitment papers to a business, he or she is promising not to steal money from a company, and realizes this job could cut out family time. With any job, there is liabilities and consequences.
On the “E!” interview, the three Kardashian sisters were asked how difficult it was to put their entire lives on film. Kourtney emphasized that this show is part of their lives, and you have to put everything out there realizing people will judge you, but others will become even bigger fans. Taking this into my own life, I have to consider that any decision I make could be judged by others, but although one choice may cause people to dislike me, it may cause others to like me even more.
Kim Kardashian, possibly the most famous sister of all has had the most public humiliation in the whole family. First off, her sex tape was leaked, and sold to a producer for $1 million, and she maintained a marriage for only 72 days. Kim has become a controversial subject for the media in that she is pregnant with Kanye West’s baby, but is not officially divorced from her ex. Many people judge her for getting pregnant while not being married, but society must realize that not all lifestyles are the same.
You can assume that the way people act as they mature, is due to the way they were raised. I was not born into a wealthy Los Angeles family, nor was I raised in poverty. I was raised in a middle-class Dallas family, therefore I act accordingly. My actions represent how my parents raised me, and the lifestyle I grew up in. Media and society should take interest in the different ways families live in the world, rather than discriminating against any person who makes more than a certain budget.
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