Kardashians - Womens Studies
The Kardashian Empire
These days it is practically impossible to read a magazine or watch an entertainment news show without seeing a member of one of the most talked about families in America, the Kardashian’s. The Kardashian family has taken the world by a storm by building their empire from the bottom up and spreading their influence by dominating almost every channel of the market including television, radio, books, and retail. While some may argue that this family is “simply famous for being famous” or “undeserving reality stars,” a closer look reveals a very different picture. After years of hard work, the Kardashian family has established their name for themselves and secured a position within the elites, earning an astounding $65 million dollars in 2010 alone, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
For this assignment, I analyzed the Kardashian’s as a brand name and how they and their products are so appealing to women. As a result, I considered what their cultural messages and implications for society are, how the Kardashian’s reify cultural stereotypes and whether they are liberating or oppressive for women. For my 20 artifacts I chose to observe the many media outlets the Kardashian’s use to reach society. I chose to use this particular medium for my paper because I have always been a Kardashian fan, and as a business major, am intrigued by their business savvy ways and extraordinary success.
In order to understand the Kardashian’s one must first understand how exactly they established their empire. Robert Kardashian was a prominent lawyer in California, who married socialite Kris Jenner. The pair had four children together named Kourtney, Kimberly, Khloe and Robert Jr. The Kardashian family was initially surrounded by media buzz when Robert Sr. defended his close friend O.J. Simpson in one of the most controversial and high profile murder cases in United States history. O.J. and his wife Nicole were close friends of Robert and Kris, and Roberts’s
These days it is practically impossible to read a magazine or watch an entertainment news show without seeing a member of one of the most talked about families in America, the Kardashian’s. The Kardashian family has taken the world by a storm by building their empire from the bottom up and spreading their influence by dominating almost every channel of the market including television, radio, books, and retail. While some may argue that this family is “simply famous for being famous” or “undeserving reality stars,” a closer look reveals a very different picture. After years of hard work, the Kardashian family has established their name for themselves and secured a position within the elites, earning an astounding $65 million dollars in 2010 alone, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
For this assignment, I analyzed the Kardashian’s as a brand name and how they and their products are so appealing to women. As a result, I considered what their cultural messages and implications for society are, how the Kardashian’s reify cultural stereotypes and whether they are liberating or oppressive for women. For my 20 artifacts I chose to observe the many media outlets the Kardashian’s use to reach society. I chose to use this particular medium for my paper because I have always been a Kardashian fan, and as a business major, am intrigued by their business savvy ways and extraordinary success.
In order to understand the Kardashian’s one must first understand how exactly they established their empire. Robert Kardashian was a prominent lawyer in California, who married socialite Kris Jenner. The pair had four children together named Kourtney, Kimberly, Khloe and Robert Jr. The Kardashian family was initially surrounded by media buzz when Robert Sr. defended his close friend O.J. Simpson in one of the most controversial and high profile murder cases in United States history. O.J. and his wife Nicole were close friends of Robert and Kris, and Roberts’s