A Case Study of the Show, Keeping Up With the Kardashian's In Regards To the Influence of Famous Personalities to Society

In my final paper, I propose to explore Neal Gabler’s argument that “Celebrity Culture is Beneficial” using the reality television series, Maintaining up with the Kardashian’s. Keeping up with the Kardashian’s is a reality Tv show that follows the lives of Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe Kardashian which mostly focuses on the Kardashian struggles, family members, and company. I will be critiquing season 6 episode 9 of the show – “Talk to my Agent.” I will also find that reality Television is healthy to watch, and recommend that it educates us by close reading Neal Gabler’s argument. I will also additional explore the neighborhood fandom angle with respects to show viewers, and their clothes line, Kardashian Kollection, as well as Kim Kardashian’s solo business ShoeDazzle. Nonetheless the reality Television show provides fans an additional-aesthetic satisfaction of entertainment.

I may possibly argue that the reality tv series educates it is viewers on the value of household. The Kardashian Klan heavily help a single an additional when instances are tough, and place an emphasis on spending time with siblings. For instance, in season 6 episode 9 “Talk to my Agent” exactly where mother, Kris Jenner was taking on too numerous responsibilities at work, her daughters forced her to take time off and devote time with her family members. Kris later admits that household is crucial and that she’s going to do it much more often. In his post, “Celebrity Culture is Beneficial,” Neal Gabler says, “Like all very good art, the ideal of them (celebrities) resonate with us simply because they give us with life lessons or since they capture the cultural moment or because they give us a glimpse of transcendence or due to the fact they stimulate the imagination” (Gabler 33). The Kardashian Klan proves Gabler’s words to be credible based on the prior instance.

What interests me most about Keeping up with the Kardashians (and the reason I chose to focus on them in this paper) is the adulation they get by so a lot of. I may well locate that their fan base is what in fact keeps them going. In her book Keeping Up the Kardashian Brand: Celebrity, Materialism, and Sexuality, Amanda Scheiner McClain reports that “Keeping up with the Kardashians is the highest rated series ever on the E! cable network it is fifth season debuted with more than four.five million viewers and ended with 4.7 million viewers tuning in for the season finale, a record for E!” (McClain 9). The show’s demographics consist of 18 – 49 year old females as described in McClain’s book. She also discovered the cause the show performs so properly is because “The public enjoys the aspirational intimacy,” (McClain ten) in other words fans and viewers have a wish to exist or be component of the Kardashian Klan. McClain also shares fan feedback “…they are entertaining to watch and the household is relatable” (McClain ten). Relatability serves as a benefit for several reality Television shows.

It is adequate to say that the success of Keeping up with the Kardashians led to the accomplishment of the Kardashian clothes line, Kardashian Kollection, as properly as Kim’s solo investment, ShoeDazzle. Originally the sisters managed DASH boutiques, their really first enterprise, in locations such as Calabasas (property to the very first DASH boutique), New York, Miami, and L.A. In season six episode 9, it is the 1st time Dash Doll viewers have been introduced to the concept of Sears investing in having the Kardashian Kollection at their department store. The spinoff turned out to be profitable. Along with the rising fame, and empire, the Kardashian Kollection appealed to UK’s Lipsy. At the launch of their clothing line, 50,000 visitors bought their glamourous pieces, and “within 24 hours of the eagerly-anticipated collection going on sale, many of the pieces had fully sold out” (HELLO!style 1). Aside from the sister’s accomplishment as one particular, Kim Kardashian cofounded ShoeDazzle back in 2009, it is now valued at $280 million. All of the Kardashian product lines offer affordability (Skrhak 2). I may point out that the Kardashian successes’ are a celebrity culture advantage for the Kardashian’s themselves as it proves to be a marginal benefit along the lines of their fans.

It seems that watching reality tv is far more advantageous than individuals think. In his post “Watching Your Tv Diet program,” David Roberts shares the research of Ms. Langcaster-James. Ms. Langcaster-James, a social psychology researcher, found that reality Television is a healthful genre and it need to be element of your Television diet. Roberts quotes “According to Ms. Langcaster-James, I ought to be on far more than two and a half hours” (Roberts two). Ms. Langcaster-James located that watching reality television is advantageous … as it supplies a good ‘talkability’ aspect, enhancing social interaction. I might suggest that watching Keeping up with the Kardashian’s impacts the social interaction of its viewers positively. I also could point out the purpose becoming is since viewers can relate to reality versus a life that is written. In Maintaining up with the Kardashian’s the Kardashian’s confront and overcome genuine life obstacles, and problems, such as Kim’s timidity of public speaking in season six episode 9. To overcome her worry she danced publically in a restaurant and told herself “sometimes you just have to let go to know what you are really capable of.” Her actions appear to indicate that viewers can accomplish the very same social interaction as well.

It’s attainable I’ll discover that people will get in touch with reality tv harmful, and not agree with it at all. “Is Reality Tv Messing with Your Head?” by Scholastic Options discusses the effect of reality television on teenagers. Scholastic Alternatives questions: “How realistic are these so-called reality shows? The production procedure begins the identical way it does for most shows and films — the wannabe stars audition” (Scholastic Options, 12). Possibly I’ll argue that some reality television stars are offered to be reality stars. It’s likely I’ll suggest that cameras are on 24/7 for reality television series so stars couldn’t possibly be acting. In Keeping Up the Kardashian Brand: Celebrity, Materialism, and Sexuality, McClain quotes Kourtney Kardashian as she described their shooting schedule as “eighteen hours per day, six or seven days a week” (McClain 9). Eighteen hours a day offers the Kardashian Klan only 6 hours a day to sleep. I could even discover the possibility that getting cameras all around tends to make reality stars more inclined to be themselves considering that memories are recorded through pictures, and videos now in days.

I think it can be argued that Keeping up with the Kardashian’s is a wholesome reality tv series to watch, and celebrity culture is useful. No matter the absurd and inevitable troubles the Kardashian’s appear to have, they often have moral help, from their household, and fans as do other reality Television stars.

Annotated Bibliography

Gabler, Neil. “Celebrity Culture is Beneficial”. In his write-up Gabler defends the term celebrity culture, by calling it helpful. He speaks about why celebrity culture is not a dilemma. Some causes consist of that they teach us the basic differences among the real and the false, as properly as the meaningful and the meaningless. I am going to be employing Gabler’s argument to support the actions of the characters. I might be suggesting that celebrity culture within reality tv, besides entertaining, informs us.

McClain, Amanda Scheiner. Maintaining Up the Kardashian Brand: Celebrity, Materialism, and Sexuality. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2014. Print. Amanda Scheiner McClain explores the Kardashian’s brand and celebrity through narrative analysis of their hit reality television series Keeping up with the Kardashian’s. Her insights cover subjects on American culture. I especially will use her data component or show viewers in her introduction of ‘The Family members Business’ to better show their community fandom angle in respects to numbers while also suggesting the fan base is a extremely huge explanation for their success.

Roberts, David. “Watching your Television Diet plan.” Northern Echo 24 November 2008. ProQuest. Net. David Roberts shares the research of Ms. Lang-caster James delivering a new Television Diet regime. The diet reports the healthier amount of every single Tv genre 1 need to intake on a daily basis. I strategy on using the benefits of the study inside the reality Television section and propose that social interaction in reality Television increases the social interaction of its viewers.

Skrhak, K. Shelby. “Keeping Up With Kim.” Success eight January 2012. Web. K. Shelby Skrhak notably discusses Kim Kardashian’s successes, hence landing on January’s 2012 cover of achievement. She speaks about her celebrity endorsements and product lines with her sister klan and solo. I will mainly be focusing on Skrhak’s section of ShoeDazzle and use its value of $280 million to suggest that it’s grown with the Kardashian empire due to fame.

“Kardashian Kollection is a record-breaking accomplishment.” HELLO!style. Internet. HELLO!style magazine brings the good results of the Kardashian Klan’s post Kardashian Kollection launch at Lipsy UK. The write-up mentions the successful outcomes such as nearly every single item being sold out, and how the clothing line really translates who the Kardashian sisters are. I will be employing these motives specifically to assist support the success of their clothes line. This will help celebrity culture and how it’s beneficial because it positive aspects fans and the Kardashian’s themselves.

“Is Reality Tv Messing with Your Head?” Scholastic Choices November/December 2012. Vol. 28 Situation 3, p12-17. EBSCOhost. Web. The write-up focuses on the effects of reality Tv on teenagers. The write-up is trying to deduce if reality Television is truly manipulative primarily based on those effects. I choose to concentrate on the question of regardless of whether celebrities are just smoke and mirrors or if they’re intentions are genuine. I plan on arguing against the articles claim.

“Talk to my Agent.” Maintaining up with the Kardashian’s. E!: Entertainment Tv. Calabasas. 14 August. 2011. Tv. This episode specifically follows Kim’s worry of publically humiliating herself, the public aspect becoming really ironic. She does not know how to dance and is afraid of speaking in front of a lot of people. Additionally Kris Jenner gets mad at Scott Disick for playing a sensible joke. I’m using Kim as an instance to relate her to her fans and suggest that this is all the realistic portion of the show. She will serve as a lesson her motivation to overcome her fear is a realistic. This is all really helpful to the viewers.