Whether you love them or hate them, it’s hard to argue the Kardashians didn’t completely change the way we think about fame. So how did this family go from reality TV to becoming the blueprint for modern celebrity and one of the most powerful forces in pop culture?

In this episode, Christiana sits down with author MJ Corey to talk about her book Deconstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto and trace the evolution of the Kardashians and what their success really says about them. Together, they do what the internet has always done best and overanalyze the Kardashians, getting into fame, branding, controversy, and where this endlessly fascinating family goes next.

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00:52 MJ Corey’s first time watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians

03:08 Understanding postmodernism to understand the Kardashians

03:50 Kim Kardashian and ethnic ambiguity 

04:55 Comparing the Kardashians to iconic American brands

08:50 Kris Jenner, the O.J. Simpson trial and revisionist history 

13:00 The Kardashians, cultural appropriation and Black romantic partners

22:00 The Kardashians as early adopters of technology 

25:25 The Paris robbery and trial

31:09 How the Kardashians will be remembered

32:15 Who will be Kris’ successor?

34:12 Predicting Kim’s future in politics 

36:20 Which grandchild is most likely to be the next star? 

37:40 Does Kim venture into podcasting? 

38:10 Does SKIMS IPO?

38:28 How many more times will Kim Kardashian get married? 

40:00 When will Kris Jenner retire?

42:04 What’s the future of Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet?

44:29 Which Kardashian is mostly likely to make a hard pivot? 

48:30 MJ’s biggest prediction for the Kardashians/Jenners in the next five years

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