Whether you love them or hate them, it’s hard to argue the Kardashians didn’t completely change the way we think about fame. So how did this family go from reality TV to becoming the blueprint for modern celebrity and one of the most powerful forces in pop culture?
In this episode, Christiana sits down with author MJ Corey to talk about her book Deconstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto and trace the evolution of the Kardashians and what their success really says about them. Together, they do what the internet has always done best and overanalyze the Kardashians, getting into fame, branding, controversy, and where this endlessly fascinating family goes next.
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00:52 MJ Corey’s first time watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians
03:08 Understanding postmodernism to understand the Kardashians
03:50 Kim Kardashian and ethnic ambiguity
04:55 Comparing the Kardashians to iconic American brands
08:50 Kris Jenner, the O.J. Simpson trial and revisionist history
13:00 The Kardashians, cultural appropriation and Black romantic partners
22:00 The Kardashians as early adopters of technology
25:25 The Paris robbery and trial
31:09 How the Kardashians will be remembered
32:15 Who will be Kris’ successor?
34:12 Predicting Kim’s future in politics
36:20 Which grandchild is most likely to be the next star?
37:40 Does Kim venture into podcasting?
38:10 Does SKIMS IPO?
38:28 How many more times will Kim Kardashian get married?
40:00 When will Kris Jenner retire?
42:04 What’s the future of Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet?
44:29 Which Kardashian is mostly likely to make a hard pivot?
48:30 MJ’s biggest prediction for the Kardashians/Jenners in the next five years
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