The prince charming of Armenian pop - Armenian Reporter

No reason to keep up with the Kardashiansreviewby Adrineh GregorianWelcome to a world where everyonehas silky long brunette hair,Range Rover SUVs, and a smalldog. No, this isn’t the parking lotof a private Armenian school inSouthern California; it’s the newreality show called Keeping Upwith the Kardashians, on E! EntertainmentTelevision (Sundays at10:30 p.m.)At the center of the show isKim Kardashian, daughter of thelate defense attorney Robert Kardashian,who became famous forhis association with O.J. Simpson.The Kardashian name obtained anew wave of notoriety when a sextape featuring Kim was widely distributedearlier this year.Capitalizing on this newly foundfame, Keeping Up captures the lifeof famous-for-being-famous socialiteKim and her rambunctiousfamily, complete with Olympicgold winning stepdad Bruce Jenner,mom/manager Kris Jenner,and siblings Kourtney (28), Khloe(23), Robert (20), Kendall (11), andKylie (9).Of the staggering 10 childrenbetween Bruce and Kris, sevenare featured on the show jugglingtheir privileged lives and careers.The Kardashian women stay busyoperating their high-end clothingboutiques, Smooch and Dash, inthe affluent Los Angeles suburb ofCalabasas, while Robert, Kendall,and Kylie just try to be normalkids.Kim recently celebrated her 27thbirthday in Las Vegas, solidifyingher place as the “it girl” to watchout for. However, this programshows a less promising future. Inthe sea of reality shows, KeepingUp does not rise to the surface.Keeping Up is a weak derivativeof earlier reality series featuringfamous families and remains consistentwith the textbook formula:a nice house, dramatic mother,clueless father, and siblings thatbicker in a sea of small dogs.The show may be “unscripted,”but each episode is a choreographedself-contained train wreckwhere family members make up acast of quirky characters who amplifytheir personae for airtime.The womenFirst, there is the sultry one, Kim.She’s gorgeous and stunning, nodoubt. Then there are the twosisters, Kourtney and Khloe. Inthe same vein as Drizella andAnastasia (Cinderella’s stepsisters,remember?), are neither aspretty nor as famous as Kim. Butdon’t get the wrong impression:the Kardashian family is a groupof lookers. Most noticeably camera-starvedis their mother, Kris,who usurps the limelight from heryoung daughters. Finally, thereare the two adorable little sisters,Kendall and Kylie, following inthese debaucherous footsteps.The menBruce Jenner is typecast as “Mr.Mom,” the sensible one. Unassumingbrother Robert Kardashian, Jr.,seems the most normal, not appearingin most of the shots, andthus not having a chance to fake itfor the cameras. Finally, famousfor-being-famousstepbrotherBrody Jenner, a seasoned realitystar who knows how to make realityTV look marginally real, makesa few guest appearances.Topics range from Kim posingfor Playboy, taking sexy photos,contemplating a sex tape scandal,and hiring a sexy nanny – allin the first three episodes. Restassured, this show is not meantsolely for 13-year-old boys with noaccess to the Internet, but I’ll stickto the Discovery Channel to learnabout how animals procreate.Bordering on pedophilia, scenesshow the adolescent little sisterspole dancing, making cocktails,and pretending to be on GirlsGone Wild. I consider myself aflaming liberal, but finding humorin juxtaposing young girls withadult actions is crossing way overthe line.What made reality TV such aphenomenon is the ultimate guiltypleasure – getting a peak insidehow people live. The Osbourneswere successful because they werekitschy and oddball, yet at the endof the day, they were a family youcould relate to, with boundaries.I’m not passing judgment on theKardashians’ off-camera lives, butusing children for shock value entertainmentis deplorable.Though the show sheds light ona family bound together by theirblunt honesty and salacious humor,the Kardashians surpassnormality making this as contrivedreality as Flava of Love.Understandably, the entertainmentfactor gets people tuningin, but the staged scenes, amateuracting, and camera hoggingare disengaging. I would preferto see a more natural look insidehow this modern-day BradyBunch lives.Keeping Up won’t be winningEmmy nominations any time soon,but that’s not their goal. The Kardashians’aim is to earn ratingsand market themselves. For that,they walk away winners. A showlike this is a brilliant brandingmove in an era of oversaturatedcelebrity figures.As for me, after watching thefirst three episodes I had to readthe United Nations Geneva Conventiontoreinvigorate my IQ. fdon’t connect:www.eonline.comTo remind yourself that TV can be doneright: www.current.comArmenian Reporter Arts & Culture 11/10/2007C19