Humans have a natural curiosity for lives outside of their own. The poor are intrigued by the rich, curious about the way that their lives differ from their own. Television in the 2000s featured many shows that glorified the wealthy and famous. Tabloids were splashed with the scandals and drama that occurred in Hollywood. 

Today, media has transformed, but ordinary people are still fascinated by those online who are different from themselves, such as influencers and celebrities. But the questions still stand: Why do we care about what these celebrities are doing? Does it really impact us? Furthermore, are their lives truly better than our own?

One show that highlighted the lives of the rich and famous is “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” The show ran from 2007 to 2021, with 20 seasons and over 280 episodes. The show followed the life of the Kardashian family, mainly focusing on sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe, along with their half-sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Their parents, Kris and Caitlyn Jenner, made frequent appearances on the show, as did the various partners of the sisters. The reality show attracted high viewership on the E! network and, despite its critiques, was recognized for its success. 

The show was not all glory. It highlighted family struggles and other issues that occurred. The show emphasized the “famous for being famous” aspect of the Kardashians’ lives, featuring what were they doing that made them famous. 

Kris and Caitlyn Jenner made that fame happen. Caitlyn, a gold medalist, and Kris needed a way to support their combined eight children after their marriage in 1991. They used Caitlyn’s name and image to generate profits through speeches and advertisements. Their fame grew over time, and in 2007, their reality show was pitched to Ryan Seacrest and made into a reality.

Personally, I have always thought that the Kardashians were fascinating. I grew up in a poor, rural town, the opposite of the Hollywood Hills world that the Kardashians occupied. As I was growing up, the Kardashians reached higher levels of fame than ever before. I remember when Kim’s mobile game launched in 2014 and took all of my classmates by storm. My best friends in middle school played the game almost every day. 

To see such extravagant levels of wealth on TV and in a game was confusing for me. How could people have that kind of money? Why could my family not live like that? My family did well for themselves, and my parents work hard, but we were never going to reach any level of wealth similar to the Kardashians. I am not saying that I was not a grateful child. I truly appreciated, and still do, everything I had. It was just frustrating for me to see the lives that these people were living, lives that I would never be able to live. 

I still harbor bits of that resentment in me. I feel it come out sometimes, such as when a classmate says that they have never had a job, that they do not need to work through college, that they were gifted a car when they turned 16. 

In reality, I know that the lives of the wealthy are probably not that much better than mine. I have great friends and family, I can afford to go to school and get an education and I was finally able to buy myself a used car this summer. 

However, the glorification of the wealthy in our country is unhealthy. We should all aspire for better for ourselves, but how much better? Should we encourage people to look to standards that are unrealistic? I think that we need to reflect on our lives and decide what do we really need to be happy? I know for myself, it is not an extravagant house or car or clothes. I need the people that I have around me. I need my passion for learning and for the other things in my life. 

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