I’ll admit it—I’ve been known to watch a few episodes of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” in my day. It’s the ultimate definition of a guilty pleasure, feeling involved in someone else’s extravagant life.
I had to stop, though, because I found myself caring far too much about the facets of their lives. I really shouldn’t seriously discuss the merits and disadvantages of Kim and Kourtney moving to New York, as if they were my own family. And, really, my nerves can’t take voluntarily listening to bickering sisters.
Yet, here I am writing an opinion on Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian’s divorce.
The 72-day affair has quickly become a media sensation, and a popularized hashtag on Twitter, “#ThingsLongerThanKimKardarshiansMarriage”. Two of my favorites being: “This hashtag,” and “Dora the Explorer’s pause, when she is waiting for you to answer her question.”
The over-$10 million wedding premiered on the E! Network, drawing around four million viewers. Producer Ryan Seacrest reportedly raked in over $5 million for this event. And if those stats don’t turn your stomach, breaking down the wedding cost over the 72 days, it comes down to over $138,000 a day.
Yikes.
So why does this matter? Some people I don’t know that have no impact on my life, that have no influence over me, that frankly straight up irritate me, split up after a lavish wedding. So what?
To me, what’s really bothered me is the economic hypocrisy of the public. People have been in an uproar about the whole affair, creating statistics like how their wedding could have paid for around 2,000 college tuitions or created 200 schools in underprivileged areas.
All of these stats are well and good, but the fact of the matter is that the money is already spent. And it was spent only 72 days ago.
What really sickens me is how there would be none of these statistics had they stayed together. No one would have expressed this disgust—at this level at least—had her marriage lasted longer than 72 days. Spending this kind of money was OK as long as they lived happily ever after.
And really, that’s just straight-up disgusting. Kim was going to spend that money no matter what, I get that, really, I do. After all this hype, all this money, all this coverage, people feel betrayed by their split. But the acceptability of this extravagance by the public can’t just be filed under guilty pleasure.
But still, those guilty pleasures are just that with those ratings only getting higher. And those Kardashians are going cry, fight, and laugh all their way to the bank. Again.
Photo Courtesy of WikiCommons.
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