The Konquering Kim Kardashian
Friday, October 28, 2011
Kim Kardashian.
What comes to mind with that name? Socialite. Sex tape. (Believe it or not, even the Wikipedia entry on Kim mentions that.) Big butt. Famous for doing nothing.
Unfortunately, Kim Kardashian was thrust into the limelight due to her sex tape with then-boyfriend Ray J. But Kim became a household name thanks to her family’s reality TV show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" on E!.
With four reality TV shows under their collective designer belts, the Kardashians have pushed reality TV in different directions and monetized their family life and fame. But Kim remains the flag bearer of this family, as she seems to be the most entrepreneurial of the brood.
In the show’s Season 1, Episode 1 back in 2007, Kim gets invited to guest at "The Tyra Banks Show". Kim was worried that she will get asked about her sex tape. Kourtney pretends to be Tyra and asks Kim, "So what do you do for a living? Tell me." Kim replies, "I own a clothing store, and I'm a wardrobe stylist."
Fast-forward to 2011, Kim Kardashian has redefined herself. Under her Twitter profile, she's a self-described "business woman, exec producer, fashion designer, perfumista". Kim Kardashian's official website, KimKardashian.com, is surprisingly silent on what her mission and values are. "Inside the Kardashian Empire: Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Talk Life, Career, Love" reveals what the Kardashians' Konquest plans are about.
"This was our ultimate dream ever is to, you know ... create our own clothing line, go into bedding and home, denim, lingerie, ready-to-wear, everything, you know, from shoes to accessories, handbags, we -- this was our dream. Fashion is our life," Kim said.
And they want it to be your life too.
Kim stays true to this group dream. Apart from "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and the spin-off show "Kourtney and Kim Take New York", Kim co-authored "Kardashian Konfidential" and "Dollhouse" with sisters Kourtney and Khloe, and released a music video "Jam (Turn It Up)".
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| Photo Credit: Amazon.com |
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| Photo Credit: Amazon.com |
Add to that their family’s three clothing stores - D-A-S-H L.A., D-A-S-H Miami, D-A-S-H NYC and soon-to-open Kardashian Khaos, their retail boutique at the Mirage in Las Vegas.
On her own, Kim released her own fragrance line (Kim Kardashian, Gold and Love fragrances), watch line (Kim Kardashian Watches), and a fitness workout series (Kim Kardashian: Fit In Your Jeans by Friday). She's chief fashion stylist for ShoeDazzle, a shoe-shopping site.
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| Photo Credit: KKFragrance.com |
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| Photo Credit: KKFragrance.com |
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| Photo Credit: KKFragrance.com |
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| Photo Credit: KimKardashianSignatureWatches.com |
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| Photo Credit: FitinyourJeansbyFriday.com |
Interesting enough, Kim’s appeal targets both men and women. Her appeal to men lies in her sex symbol image, while to women, she promotes a lifestyle – shopping, partying, and rubbing elbows with fellow socialites.
After all this, who is Kim Kardashian?
She is a person, a brand and yes, a business. She successfully parlayed her fifteen minutes of fame, and created her brand and business.
With the ongoing Kardashian Konquest, as long as people continue to be entertained by this family, then there will be more spin-off shows, product lines, endorsements and continued multimedia success for them, especially for Ms. Kardashian.
8 comments:
I find Kim and her whole family extremely annoying and obnoxious, however the way that they took their fame and built an empire is nothing short of enviable. Kim has made wise (besides her now defunct marriage) choices and has made her what seemed 15 minutes of lame last years..
I agree! And yes, it's amazing how they can milk anything - any situation - and make money off it. I wonder how they'll do that with Kim's divorce. Perhaps a tell-all on their 72-days of marriage in a magazine that'll pay her millions?
After I got over the ABSOLUTE SHOCK of the news that the sacred covenant of Kim's marriage had been broken, I was thinking about your blog - this could be a very interesting few weeks to be writing about this topic! My guess is that she'll play the victim well enough to spark yet another new business venture. It'll be interesting to watch whether this development will hurt her brand at all (as most comments I've read and heard aren't surprised by the divorce but DO think Kim looks a little foolish because of it) or if it'll only add to the tabloid "empire" her family has created. (I use the term empire loosely...though the public generally mocks the Kardashians, they continue to make $$$$ selling themselves, so SOMEONE out there is buying into it...including me/us by paying attention to it at all!)
Im not into the show business, but I think another "reality" Tv show is coming. More money for the Kardashian´s. I honestly can not understand why people continue enjoying this kind of "entertainment" . But well I guess The show must goes.
Kylene, love the all-caps "ABSOLUTE SHOCK"! :) Anyway, it's like a PR stunt all throughout - getting together with Kris, the exceedingly- expensive-but-no-apologies-for-it wedding, and now this? I confess, their success really boggles my mind.
Mike, oh no! Not another Kardashian show!!!
This seems to sum it up. "She is a person, a brand and yes, a business. She successfully parlayed her fifteen minutes of fame, and created her brand and business." Yup.
But on to your contribution. You've done a good job of covering the history and the values (sex and money) they express through a multi-faceted "fashion" business.
Some of your statements are a bit glib without telling us much, though. "Kim was worried that she will (should be "would") get asked about her sex tape. Kourtney pretends to be Tyra and asks Kim, "So what do you do for a living? Tell me." Kim replies, "I own a clothing store, and I'm a wardrobe stylist." If this is how she prepared to handle questions about a sex tape, it's not very effective. Is that what you meant? Not really clear.
For a woman who was perceived to "do nothing" she appears to be rather busy! Still, can't say that I'm captured by either her sex appeal or anything else. Vacuous comes to mind when I think about performers (?) in this category.
Still there are quite a few people out there who seem charmed by her charisma. More power to her. (did like the watch though :)
So sorry I was unable to comment on the initial post, you know I’m your number one fan.
I have a hard time viewing the Kardashians as a legitimate “business” I will admit they have masterfully (with the assist of a Mom with no scruples and the media) parlayed 15 minutes of fame into an hour. The fallout from the current “crisis” they face and whether they can successfully navigate this minefield will determine what future (if any) they will have. When your bread & butter product is you it is hard to sustain it for any considerable length of time. People don’t like being made fool of, they get tired of looking at you, your butt drops. Stay tuned…
P.S. Loved, loved, loved the use, definition and interpretation of the word “intermediary” as it relates to your blog!
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