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And it all started rather bizarrely, in 2007, after a private porn video “accidentally” appeared in the media, today the most famous among the Kardashians – the famous Kim. But that was just the beginning… The second wife of the Kardashian clan played a key role in positioning the family on the list of the rich and famous. It was the ambitious and thoughtful Kris (Kardashian) Jenner, Kim’s mother, who was the “brains of the operation” from the very beginning.
Chris was born with a flair for business. She found the “Golden Cock” precisely in her family, firmly believing that together, united, they can conquer the world! In the end, it happened, and Kris took her title of “momager” with pride. She rightfully attributed the credit for creating this term to herself. She was and remains the manager of all her children’s business ventures, and above all, the creator of the “Kardashian” brand.
With the advent of the Kardashian family, matriarchy came into vogue. Chris went out of her way to include the whole family in the show, even though the female members carried the entire story. The Kardashian sisters were the dominant figures and the main protagonists of every plot, which very quickly brought them world fame, which was in the rank of movie and pop stars. The greatest publicity was always created around Kim, who skillfully “provoked” the public, but other family members also managed to fight for their space. In accordance with the (un)written rules of matriarchy, only the male part of the family remained in the shadows. Moreover, Chris’s son, Robert Jr. didn’t do well in the whole reality circus, so in the end he left the show, struggling with chronic depression and drastic excess weight. Opposite him, her husband, Bruce Jenner unexpectedly turned the game in his favor, by changing his gender, becoming Caitlyn and launching his own show.
However, as much as the Kardashians attract the attention of the media and manage to maintain their popularity with their “reality” portrayal of life, it could not be said that their success was to everyone’s liking. Moreover, there are too many controversies, contestations and those who felt that the Kardashians were “over-Kardashian”. The public openly questioned their credibility, stating that they are “celebrities” without specific talent, knowledge and occupation. Those who claimed that the Kardashians promote wrong values and that their reality is at the level of kitsch entertainment, where everything revolves around “skillfully staged” private plots, relationships and divorces, sensationalism, scandals and “fake” emotions, are not rare.
But despite numerous (un)justified criticisms, bad or mean comments, the Kardashian clan did not give up. For all these years since they have been on the media “celebrity” scene, they have managed to make a brand out of their name, collect three billion dollars and start several profitable businesses. Their business empire, which is attributed to the family franchise, includes everything from designer clothes, to skin care, perfume and make-up lines, to television shows and autobiographical books. From the basic reality format “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, in the meantime several other related shows were born, so that in 2022 their new show called “Kardashians” will begin to be shown, which presents the family from a slightly different angle, and potentially announces and a possible change of generations.
Looking at their genesis of success, it would be interesting to see where the legendary Kardashians are today. Are they compatible with current trends and intriguing enough to capture and hold the audience’s attention, as they did before? There is no doubt that their private lives are still of public interest. Particularly dynamic love-marriage relationships, but also the fact that the Kardashian / Jenner sisters, like their mother, share several common interests, and above all an affinity for dark-skinned men, certainly rappers and athletes.
First on the list is still Kim, who is by no means giving up her title of “the most popular Kardashian”. After recently ending her seven-year marriage to famed rapper and business mogul Kanye West, with whom she has four children, Kim has moved on to new jobs and adventures. She has launched a line of body shaping clothing “SKIMS”, as well as a skin care line “SKKN by Kim”, as well as her own emoticon “Kimoji”. Completely unexpectedly, Kim directed her attention, as well as the attention of the public, to the reform of the American criminal law, and on that occasion she launched her first podcast show on Spotify. Through her humanitarian work and social involvement, she helps people who are “victims” of unjustly imposed prison sentences. However, as much as this engagement sheds a completely new, different light on the famous starlet and influencer, she will not retire from the media and the entertainment industry. Moreover, it was recently announced that Kim Kardashian will appear in the new season of the horror series “American Horror Story – Delicate”. Although she has previously appeared in the films “Disaster Movie” and “Ocean’s 8”, this will be her first, more serious acting assignment. Thanks to his business engagements, and above all his influence on social networks, Kim has officially been on the Forbes list of the super-rich since 2021 with an actual income of $1.7 billion. He is currently attracting the attention of the media with his new relationship with American football player Odell Beckham Jr., who is ten years younger.
Her younger sister Chloe once tried to build a leading career, but in the end, she still found herself in the fashion business. As of 2017, she is the successful owner of the brand “Good American”, which promotes jeans and other clothing. In a turbulent relationship with basketball player Tristan Thompson, she had two children. By the way, Khloe was often the target of criticism for her appearance, she was even called the “fat sister Kardashian”, but later, with the “little” help of cosmetic surgery, she significantly improved her appearance. Considering that she has always been different from Kourtney and Kim, the public speculated that Robert Kardashian is not actually her father, but that it is the “notorious” OJ Simpson, a family friend, athlete and actor, far more famous for criminal proceedings and acquittal for the murder of his ex-wife. Chloe was diagnosed with a facial skin tumor in 2022, and after a successful intervention, she devoted herself to spreading awareness about the importance of regular checkups.
The least ambitious in terms of media exposure and fame is the eldest Kardashian sister – Kourtney. Although she actively participated in building the glamorous image of her family, she never tried to be in the foreground, like Kim. From the beginning, she was more dedicated to her private life and engagement within the family, mostly fashion business. From 2006 to 2015, she lived in an extramarital union with Scott Disick, with whom she has three children. At the beginning of 2021, she announced that she was dating Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, whom she married a year later. In November 2023, the couple had their first child. She is the owner of the lifestyle brand “Poosh”.
A new generation of sisters, this time the Jenners, led by Kendall and Kylie, are largely ruling the media and world fashion scene, threatening to soon take over the throne from their older sisters. The two were only 11 and 9 years old, respectively, when the show “Keeping up with the Kardashians” began to be shown, so they practically grew up in front of the cameras.
At first, it seemed that Kendall had a greater predisposition for success than Kylie, because she stood out with her looks, “cool” behavior and interests. She started modeling very early, worked at Fashion Weeks in Paris and Milan, participated in the Victoria’s Secret fashion show and was the face of the Estee Lauder brand. She was declared the highest paid model in the world in 2018 and at the same time became the first and only member of the family with a “profession and profession”. Her love life followed her business success.
The biggest surprise of the Kardashian/Jenner family is certainly the youngest of them – Kylie. As a teenager, more inclined towards sports than the glamorous life of her older sisters, Kylie was the “ugly duckling” of the family, least expected to follow the path of the famous Kardashians. And then, with the indispensable help of stylists and aesthetic surgery, Kylie experienced an extraordinary visual transformation overnight, which brought her enormous popularity. Already at the age of eighteen, she became one of the most influential “teenage” influencers, and today she is the founder and owner of the company “Kylie Cosmetics” and one of the five most followed people on Instagram. Although “Forbes” magazine declared her the youngest self-made billionaire back in 2019, it turned out that her bank account currently does not exceed 680 million dollars, which places her in second place among the richest members of the Kardashian / Jenner family. Kylie’s private life is also exciting. Already at the age of 17, she was dating rapper Tyga and appeared in his music videos. At the age of 20, she started a relationship, also with rapper Travis Scott, with whom she soon had two children. All the media are buzzing about her new, current relationship with the “trending actor”, Timothée Chalamet. At the recent Golden Globe Awards, the couple didn’t hide their crush, and news leaked that “jealous” Kylie wouldn’t let Selena Gomez take a picture with her boyfriend.
And finally, the famous “mommy” Kris Jenner, who also has no intention of stopping. In addition to still successfully managing the Kardashian empire and her company, Jenner Communications, Kris has published an autobiographical book as well as a cookbook, and has appeared in music videos for Ariana Grande and Meghan Trainor. At the same time, she does not neglect her private life either. After divorcing Bruce, who had since become Caitlin, after 24 years of marriage, she entered into a relationship with Corey Gamble, 25 years her junior and unavoidably dark-skinned.
There is no doubt that the Kardashian family has gone through various turbulences, ups, downs and controversies since its first appearance until today. Although contested and praised in equal measure, they have become indispensable actors in the entertainment industry, trendsetters and undisputed ratings magicians. They interfered in everything, from catwalks and red carpets, to design, music and film, to social networks and the protection of human rights. No matter how successful or not their engagements were, the publicity that was created around everything they did brought them quite enough satisfaction, as well as earnings. However, what they were and remain the most successful in is a superbly designed strategy of selling their own privacy, thanks to which they became a “myth”. There is no doubt that the Kardashians are a trend that lasts, but also a picture of the world in which we live. For now, they are firmly holding their throne, and how long their soap bubble will last, we will see Keeping up with the Kardashians!
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