The Kardashians

After watching the Kardashians in class and discussing their celebrity fame, it is interesting to think about how they got their fame and if it was deserved. I am actually Armenian, like the Kardashians, and it is always a hot topic in my household. My relatives think the Kardashians are entertaining, beautiful girls, with style yet sometimes they lack intelligence and make themselves look stupid. I think they are celebrities because of Bruce and Kim's social status and lives but they way Kim became famous was through other celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Ray J, and Reggie Bush. The sex tape scandal is what got her fame and needless to say my family was not too proud about that. Many people think their family is not deserving of their fame but they have multiple shows, businesses, and sponsors so I believe they are a deserving famous family.

Celebrities

In the US we have a rise in "celebrities" due to the boom in reality TV shows, alot of people dont believe this stars are celebrities and think they are celetoids but i strongly believe these reality stars are celeactors because our big reality starts like the Kardashians or Kendra have become reality icons. Even if people dont want to believe these "uneducated" "untalented" people are celebrities they most definitely are!  They have become American icons who travel and "tour" to see there hugeeeee fan base! They also have clothing lines, bed lines, dolls and much much more. These celebrities like the Kardashians have also latest over a decade because there are most people guilty pleasure as much as we want to hate them we love them and get hooked on each and everyone of there shows and spin offs.

Kardashians

After watching the very first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians on Tuesday, I've realized how much these celebrities have evolved into what they are today. I believe that some of the members of this family are celebrities. Bruce was an Olympic athlete, which I think constitutes him to be an achieved celebrity. Kim I believe is a celebrity as well... regardless of what others say. I think this because clearly she is not a celetoid... because she has been in the media for a long time now. I would say she is an attributed celebrity because of her sex tape scandal, but she has become an achieved celebrity today through all her modeling, television shows, and publicity. The little sisters, Kendall and Kylie, I believe are ascribed celebrities but are becoming achieved celebrities. They were born from already famous parents who decided to keep them in the media, whereas many celebrities, such as Michael Jackson, try to keep their children away from the media. Now these girls are becoming very successful models. The Kardashian's and the Jenner's I believe are celebrities, whether they were born into it, worked for it, or did something that made them famous. After watching the first episode in class, I believe they continue to achieve their fame through small quirks that make them stick out in the media, such as Kim's sex tape or Kourtney's $5000 extensions. These quirks are things that entertain the viewers because not everyone has the ability to buy million dollar rings, drive fancy range rovers, or are born with large behinds like Kim.

The Kardashians

In class on Tuesday, we discussed the Kardashians and whether or not they are celebrities, and what they are even famous for.  I will admit I watch the show, and all their spin offs, but the class discussion made me think what are they famous for?  The Kardashian’s lives are so irrelevant but yet the show just signed another three year deal on the E! network.  Rojeck (2004) argues the different forms of celebrity status: attributed, achieved and ascribed.  It is sad to see how the ascribed celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Snooki and others all make a hefty amount of money for basically doing nothing.  There are true artists and entertainers who work their ass off, while Kim Kardashian smiles for a photo shoot.  I think we should keep these people into a different category than real singers and actors who truly work for their money.

Rt. Make Me Rich & Famous: #PublicInvestment

Apparently the network E! thinks there's even more to keep up with. On Tuesday, April 24, the major network confirmed the reality show Keep Up With The Kardashians signed a three-year deal.  

So what is it that keeps us so interested in the Kardashian Family?

Even if you don't watch reality TV shows, you can't help but notice they're everywhere today. The sad, frustrating and shocking fact is Snookie and the Situation of the Jersey Shore or the sassy and eccentric gals of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, New York, OC (or whatever)  not only equal the same salary as big TV actors, but can eclipse them.

Its sad to hear that hard working, talented and charismatic actors and actresses, who often spend years training and perfecting an impressive performing craft, now play second fiddle come paycheck time. With the media's continued, constant and crazy coverage of the public debacle of Kate and Jon Gosselin, which reported that Kate last year made more money that half of daytime shows sitcom actresses.

After carefully analyzing shows like the Kardashian’s it’s clear that these reality “stars” use the all forms of media to catapult them into fame and maintain their status. If the news doesn’t cover them that particular week you can be certain to hear a car crash occurred, someone’s house was broken into, or someone just broke up. In the end it is not them who are famous but US who are making them famous.

We asked the question, "What is fame?" Taking a look into the Kardashian show from, a an analytical standpoint it is important to question why a show that seems so unimportant as been so successful. The Kardashians do a good job keep themselves relevant but this all thanks to their supports. People like us who watch their show and buy their products. What is it that makes them so attractive to viewers. Some argue that it is entertainment because their lives are so ridiculous but I believe that even if viewers feel this way, there is still a sense on envy. We aren't entertained by things we don't like, and this show is not comedy. Although we may find some parts of their lives humorous, their lives can still be looked at as exemplifying ideals of cultural hegemony. By watching the show, we are supporting the idea of cultural hegemony by furthering their success.

Music and Talent

It is quite interest in this day of age where just about everything has become restructured (In my opinion) due to the Internet. In our discussion on Tuesday we went over three kinds of ways in which you reach celebrity status: ascribed (born with fame), achieved (achieved the fame), and attributed (octo-mom). I wanted to talk about achieved fame in it's relationship to the music industry. The Internet has open many doors for independent artist, but it has also taken away so much. It is now possible to make music solely by computer, which completely cut's out the $$$ middle man (Music Engineer's and the like). As an artist we also have the ability to market ourselves and even start an independent record label via website or the numerous social networking sites or both. But, where does the down side come into affect?? It come with no surprising that many teens grow up want to be famous. This large amount of kids growing up set on becoming rock-stars (in the long-run), creates numerous artists putting out numerous tracks. In-fact, now that we have the Internet the music has become more saturated then it ever has before. I wanted to give one idea of achieving celebrity status, but feel like this can fit with just about any area of entertainment. Technology has open many door, but I also believe it has padlocked quite a few as well.