‘The Kardashians’ on Disney Plus: How Fame Works – Media

There are good reasons not to know the Kardashians. In the twenty seasons of their first docu-soap, nothing is at stake and little happens – but there is a lot of talk, about and with each other. In Bentleys and Lear Jets, in villas and by pools, in luxury restaurants and on the way to parties. The five sisters and their mother, who are at the heart of this eternal tale, always eloquently assure each other of their affection and existence. Who has never seen an episode because the series Keeping up with the Kardashians was previously a phenomenon, especially in the USA, can with The Kardashians get on Disney Plus. With the series they continue what they tearfully ended after their first docu-soap: circling around yourself, in front of the camera.

The content of the first episodes of their new docu-soap can also be summarized in such a way that the sisters have to manage their fame while continuing to seek their fortune. Kourtney is dating Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, and Scott, her ex-boyfriend and father of their three children, needs comfort. Sister Khloé takes over and flirts a little with the ex-boyfriend. Kim has split from her husband, rap superstar Kanye West. He also has to be comforted, Kim takes care of that herself. Politics, crises, wars – all of this hardly ever happens in the highly polished world of the Kardashians, the conversations are more on the level: “And then I like that … and then he like that. .. and then me like that again…”

Houses are bought and furnished, barbecues are held, cars, clothes and jewelry are bought, given and shown. One can perceive the world in which the Kardashians stage themselves as superficial, nouveau riche and thoroughly commodified. But she is more beautiful and carefree than the world most viewers have to live in these days. And the protagonists are quite lovable. Because, despite all the artificiality, they appear natural, sympathize and care for each other without you thinking that they are pretending.

There is no difference between brands and people, between advertising and crying

Spoilers, an old sex tape by Kim in the new series creates some drama. Only Kim is now a mother and her son discovers the announcement of past sins on a social media service while preparing for a show. During the crisis meeting, the sisters and the mother sit in a walk-in closet that could accommodate an entire family. They discuss with each other and with lawyers, on the smartphone in loudspeaker mode, everything has to be said, shown, recorded. Even when Kim starts to cry because she doesn’t know how to protect her children from this maximum exposure, the camera stays on and shows that her face can no longer cry, presumably the effect of botox and fillers. Only the eyes look desperate. It’s brutal, but without harming anyone. The woman knows exactly what she is doing. Everyone else too. The stars of the soap are businessmen who sell goods. And anyone who thinks this commodity is intimacy hasn’t understood modern marketing.

So you learn how much you can reveal without really letting anything out. That’s one of the reasons the Kardashians are worth knowing. You’ve heard and seen a lot of them anyway – the crazy marriage to the superstar rapper West, with music videos, the appearances at galas and Kim’s butt, which in pop culture is somewhere between the smile of the Mona Lisa and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s muscles ranked. All of this is as well known as if it were a noble family that provides material for the people. Meanwhile, Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner, father of the Jenner sisters Kendall and Kylie and a famous track and field athlete) has her own series. She was on the cover of Vanity Fair, but also the subject of some Ricky Gervais jokes – as well as a Twitter fuss over those jokes and more Gervais jokes, over the Twitter fuss. A spiral of attention that winds endlessly around itself.

This spiral also made the youngest sister, Kylie Jenner, the woman with the most Instagram followers worldwide (325 million). Kim is eighth (297 million), Khloé tenth (231 million). When the Kardashians activate their followers, everything becomes a hit, whether it’s lingerie, a TV series, or a cosmetics line. This is not surreptitious advertising, as it used to be called, there is simply no longer any difference between brand and person, between advertising and crying.

Kim Kardashian is set to appear on Saturday Night Live. But with what actually?

So the show and family became a laboratory test of how fame works today. Where billions of people sit in front of screens and watch other people live their lives, fame feeds itself at some point. It works well for viewers because you can sulk with Kylie or comfort yourself with Kim. You can watch other people solving problems that they have previously caused themselves. Normal everyday life, in pink cashmere.

You can also find out how high the sisters are in the celebrity class system in the new season. Kim Kardashian is set to host the comedy show Saturday Night Live perform – that’s high mass for every comedian, actor or entertainer in the USA. She wonders about it herself, because she can neither sing nor dance nor play. Khloé and Kourtney tell the camera that Kim has the least sense of humor. But Kim Kardashian has long been a living work of art that chooses its creators itself. So stand-up grandmaster Dave Chapelle is asked to write the opening monologue. He refers to Michelle Wolf, the comedian who spoiled Donald Trump’s presidential dinner. The gags written by Wolf are then repeated by Kim Kardashian Saturday Night Live-Legend Amy Schumer by. Kanye West selects the wardrobe for the performance. Famous people help famous people become famous.

Of course, you can also stream the Kardashians without worrying about all that. If you watch a few episodes in a row, it almost seems like elevator music. A bit too plain if you listen carefully, but basically relaxing.

The Kardashians, beginning April 14, on Disney Plus.

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