A few weeks ago, I got on another Kardashian Kick. I am notorious for these spontaneous spurts of obsessive binge watching, and I can't quite figure out why these weird patterns of love for the Kardashian clan come and go so often. When I'm in one of these phases, I watch "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" until I literally run out of episodes. I follow the sisters on Snapchat and Instagram, I mimic their hair and makeup and I relate every situation I'm in to something from their lives.
"I seriously feel like Kim when she lost her diamond earring in the ocean. My life is a disaster."
I've never said that exactly, but that gives you an idea of the ridiculous things that come out of my mouth when I have Kardashian on the brain. Sure, it's an unhealthy fixation that should probably be tamed. It's a guilty pleasure that any Kardashian hater will be sure to pounce at me for, but the truth is, the Kardashians are my love language.
You may be laughing or rolling your eyes because that statement sounds completely over the top, but in reality, Kardashian culture has created tons of fun bonding moments for me and my friends. When I would come home to my dorm on the nights of freshman year, my roommate and I would "talk Kardashian" until we went to bed—not because we necessarily care what's going on in the lives of a random family we've never met, but because they are hilarious to "keep up with," as they say. We both would greet each other with silly news of their new hair or bigger news like the birth of Saint West, and although none of these little facts matter in the big scheme of things, talking about nothing was always a sweet way to unwind after a day of school.
Talking about nothing is really what the Kardashians are all about—the show is just a bunch of clips of the family talking to each other about (mostly) trivial issues that could really only matter if you're a gajillion-aire living in Calabasas. It doesn't require a lot of thinking (really, do any reality TV shows?), so it doesn't require your undivided attention. It makes good background entertainment; you can have it on while you're eating, working out, writing a paper, anything. Well, maybe not while you're writing a paper, but you get the idea.
A few nights ago, one of my best friends and I were indulging in the Kardashian world and could not stop laughing. If you actually watch the show attentively, you notice all the ridiculous things the family does and says. Kim asks Khloé why she's jet lagged from her trip to Australia and you can't help but crack up when Khloé confusedly responds, "because I just got back from Australia." I guess the Kardashians are entertaining because as different as their world seems from ours, they're just a bunch of goofy sisters dealing with life and each other.
Speaking of sisters, the Kardashians have allowed some serious bonding for me and my sister, too. We like to watch the show and then share the Kardashian news with the rest of our family, but that's not always appreciated. My dad swears the family members are actually spawns of Satan—seriously, he has a theory and everything—but despite what they're truly like in reality, their media image has become an influential piece of pop culture. From fashion and makeup lines to books and TV series, the Kardashians have definitely helped tighten relationships with some of the best girls in my life. Yes, it sounds silly, and no, no one really knows why they're famous, but this family is a huge source of entertainment, whether you like them or not. We have to admit that reality television is pretty pointless, but I'll probably keep up until there's nothing left to keep up with. After all, we have to laugh at ourselves every now and then—or at least at our favorite family on the West Coast.
