Why do we still follow them after all this time? This is a serious question. I’m not being facetious or cutesy about this, I genuinely do not understand why we still give a shit what they do and what they ‘say’.
I watched Keeping Up with the Kardashians from time to time in the middle of its run, mainly for background noise on a Sunday morning while I scrolled through my phone not acknowledging I was awake. It was, fine. Much the same as any other celebrity family reality show. Then I guess social media happened and the entire family became full on socialite/moguls on their way to world domination. And I don't think it would bother me this much if it weren't so fake, and ultimately damaging.
The filtered pictures, the crash diet to fit into Marilyn Monroe's dress (side note: after the new movie that's coming out, can we leave Marilyn alone?), the comments about all the fancy treatments they use and how it's "attainable" for everyone to be able to do it. Like, no. You have no real jobs, all the money in the world to pay for the treatments, and the private chefs, and the personal trainers needed to maintain those bodies. Now, this is true of influencer culture as a whole. But no influencer has the same amount of influence as this family.
And the most recent scandal, the private jet use. Though not exclusively a Kardashian problem and damage done by celeb and rich people culture, but they were the ones that broke the seal on that pollution disaster. Also, a 17 minute flight when you can just drive for 45 minutes? That's what you use a private jet for? Ridiculous.
They are not interesting enough people, or do interesting enough work to keep our attention like they have for the last fifteen years. The only reason they are still relevant is because we are making them relevant. We don't know them as people because of all that control they exert over their images. So why do we even care about them?
After all,
