I’ll spare the backstory meant to fake-educate the people who don’t know because today we’re talking about a topic everybody knows something about: Kimye. OK. For the three people still reading this sentence, here we go.
1. Last week I read GQ’s cover story with Kanye West. As an unabashed Kanye fan, it was right in my wheelhouse and it caused me to share the article with people in my circle who are Kanye non-fans (“haters” might be too strong?) in an attempt to explain some of the appeal. My favorite part of the interview:
KW: But when an Instagram photo gets 2.3 million likes—
**GQ: Your wedding photo, which is currently the most liked photo on Instagram ever. **
KW: That’s because of who?
GQ: I don’t know.
KW: Don’t say you don’t know! It’s because of Kim. Meaning there’s no photo that I would have put up by myself, or next to one of my smarty friends, that would have got that amount of likes. So now you take this photo that has that amount of likes, and it has a flower wall from the same guy who does the Lanvin shows, and it has a couture Givenchy dress and Givenchy tuxedo in it. That’s the point. Now the thing that is the most popular is also communicating the highest level of creativity. The concept of Kimye has more cultural significance than what Page Six could write.
And there it is: “Now the thing that is the most popular is also communicating the highest level of creativity.” Which leads me to:
2. Kevin Fanning’s total destruction of some BS linkbait, titled “A Response to Bustle’s 31 Questions About Kim Kardashian Hollywood”. Required reading for anyone who has ever thought that New Content is sorely missing Good Content or, at least Critical Thought, your pal kfan pulls apart the cynical sham that is Bustle in a way that is majestic to behold. Highlight:
20. Does she really think this is the best use of her time and image?
She used her time and image and attention to help create a game that million of people have played, and that millions of people love, and which in turn is generating millions of dollars in revenue. Some people write mean-spirited content on the internet for pennies, in order to make their rich male bosses even richer. We make decisions in life.
Brutal. Just brutal. But enlightening too. Because before I read that article, I was exasperated by the state of America that allows Kim Kardashian to have a hit on the App Store while independent developers struggle mightily.
Turns out, it really is all about me
I really like Kanye West, but I totally understand why people might not. Kanye is a polarizing figure and his musical stylings are not for everyone, but I think that most people see Kanye as an artist and judge him on his creative output, musical or otherwise. On the other hand, I don’t give Kim the same consideration. When Kanye interrupts Taylor Swift it’s the brash act of a megalomaniac, but when I see Keeping Up With The Kardashians on my TV, it’s indicative of the fall of our society.
And really, I’ve got better things to be do than catalog all of the ways the Kardashian/Jenner clan have disappointed me over the years. Kim is just another person trying to leave her mark on the world. So what if what’s she’s doing is Not For Me? At least now the most popular things are getting an injection of good taste and high levels of creativity.
Periodically Yours,
Bob Sherron
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