Keeping Up with the Kardashians

I think everyone knows by now that reality television is not real. It was interesting news (I suppose) 15 years ago. I honestly don't understand why anyone cares anymore. With this in mind, I think it unfair to judge the real family based on what is seen. So when you see me make criticism, please note that I am criticizing the "characters" on the show, not the actual people. I don't know them, and for all we know, they could be lovely people.

This show is just another version of the Osbournes: spoiled "kids", a mother who clearly loves her kids but can't parent for crap, and a father whose given up all hope of ever having anyone recognize the value of his opinions. Bruce is a lot more like Dan Conner from Roseanne than he is Ozzy, but all three men seem to agree on one thing: the love of overbearing women. Disturbingly, in the likability contest, Roseanne seems to win out of the women picked. Scary thought, huh? Kris Jenner, as presented here, is a women who does seem to love her family. She is also one of the worst parents I have seen presented on a TV show in a long time. This is a women who harassed her daughter into posing naked for Playboy that clearly made her uncomfortable; a daughter who was trying to fight off the stigma of the sex tape. This is a women who gave out her daughter's private cellphone number in the middle of an argument because she criticized her (bad) management. This is a women who openly admits to living vicariously through her children (specifically in the Playboy episode).

The daughters are in their twenties, and are treated as if they were teenagers. Well, people rise to what is expected of them, so they act as such. Khloe's the only adult daughter that a normal person can relate to, and even she's a bit... scary. And then the two youngest children are pretty normal kids, but it disturbs me how often they are presented in an unflattering light. When they're in their twenties, are they really going to want to be remembered for playing on a stripper pole? Or mocking their sister? Or how about when the older one hit puberty, and they presented her as an angry little brat? Sure, that's how kids are at that age, but we should chalk at least SOME of that up to hormones and recognize that she's probably not going to want people to see her like that. When you're an adult, you get what you signed up for. When you're a child, someone needs to draw the line.

My other problem is that every episode has a adorable little moral and it's always pretty much the same: "I'll never take my family for granted again... Well, I mean I won't take them for granted again until next week". So they beat us over the head with a lesson that's never actually learned. At least when Full House did that, it was cute.

Is it entertaining? At times. But is it something I'd suggest to others? Not really, no.

This show is more political than just entertainment. We need to question why are so many people watching this show which has no important message. This shows makes us think of a society that is obsessed with watching reality even though it has no educational or informative message. it is a culture that is obsessed with a narcissistic society as Pecora write about in the Surveillance Society. The Kardashians not only make it seem that it is important to publish their private lives and make it an entertainment but they also send a message that many must critically analyze: consumerism. They show their houses and talk about their brands in order to target young audiences and not only receive money from the show but also from their brands. It is the complete exploitation of the fan audiences. When done watching an episode, audiences walk out with a desire to purchase things and speculate about useless stuff like how kim lost a $70,000 earrings in the pool and cried about it. The Kardashians want to create realism and influence an ideology of consumerism. Even though it is blatant their show is scripted or might be manipulated at times in order to create social media buzz. For example, when Kim Kardashian recorded the conversation with taylor swift and Kanye West and published it on snapchat in order to humiliate Taylor and gain more snapchat followers. It is all done for profit and fame. The real question that show make emerge critical discussions is why do the Kardashians believe people would want to watch their private lives? Isn't that exploiting the audience by using their time for useless content? As well as to promote their brands? Every episode is pointless and had drama that we don't need to see such as the drama when Bruce Jenner told the family he wants to transition to a female. The whole episode was Kylie, Kourtney, Khloe complaining about how he has never talked to them about this even though he's been feeling like a woman for a long time. How does this narrative and plot affect the audience? It doesn't teach us anything other than being obsessed with reality TV.

There needs to be a rating choice of zero for shows like this. I have just watched the episode where they drag a homeless man off the street to "play with" and I have never felt so sad for these horrible people. The show is 100% pure car crash TV. The worst thing is that it is totally not "reality" and comes across as completely scripted, planned and faked.

Sadly it seems like any Joe can now grab a film deal and the once original Ozzy Osbourne format has now long gone. This show just sums up everything I hate about these type of people and watching it makes me sad to be part of the same race.

These shows must stop...but they wont...because they are designed for lazy viewing (couch potatoes) and lets face it...there are plenty out there to keep this sort of show on air :(

Kim Kardashian is generally attractive...i'll give her that. but this show, in my opinion, is cheap reality television at its dullest. Now that the Kardashian trio have become nation wide household names the show is all about improving their image and their 'brand?'(rolling my eyes). KIM AND KOURTNEY HAVE NO PERSONALITY AT ALL. Khloe's personality is more likable only because she at least has one..but shes an obnoxious spoiled cow that if not on TV would be someone i'd want to smack in the face with a hot iron. I'm all for trendy entertaining reality shows even if trashy, and even though i may not like all of them I normally can at least see the reason of interest...but i genuinely cannot comprehend why America would embrace these boring, spoiled, non-special kardashians and treat them as legitimate celebrities/business women (need we be reminded kim kardashian and her family are riding on the success of kims sex tape)...i will celebrate the day their 15 minutes are up and they fall from their undeserved fame pedestal like Paris Hilton before them.

As with all reality TV shows, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" is a waste of airtime. Every episode involves stupid, idiotic people engaging in the same petty dramatics that have obviously been written and staged - rather poorly might I add. There is absolutely nothing special about this garbage, and I cannot see why anyone would find it the least bit enjoyable. The acting is poor, which is not surprising considering how untalented these individuals are. Kim is exactly like Paris Hilton, that alone being an excellent reason to change the channel.

Stay away and do not expose your loved ones to this poor excuse for entertainment. They will thank you later.