The Kardashian family is comprised of strong and successful business women who have built multi-million dollar empires. The Kardashian/Jenner women are an international household name. They work with brands like Pepsi, Topshop, Sears and Calvin Klein. They have their own clothing lines, apps, makeup, books and TV shows.
Kim Kardashian made a sex tape with singer Ray J in 2003. The release of the tape launched her career into what it is now. She was featured on Paris Hilton’s reality show, “The Simple Life,” once in 2003 and three times in 2006. The first season of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” was released one year after this, in 2007. Once the show began gaining popularity, so did the rest of the family’s careers.
Kylie and Kendall Jenner were only 9 and 11 years old during the very first season of the show. Kylie is now 20 years old and a social media personality, makeup entrepreneur and model. Kendall is now 22 years old and a supermodel and TV personality. They have been in the spotlight for 11 years, and have done well with their platform.
The three Kardashian sisters, Khloe, Kim and Kourtney, opened their own clothing line in 2006. Kim is now married to Kanye West and they have three children: North, Saint and Chicago West.
People look down on Kim for rising to fame after her sex tape, but she is a entrepreneurial genius. No one else could have taken one video and turned it into a multi-million dollar business. She has tricked America into buying her family’s products, sponsoring them and watching their show.
The Kardashians were able to start where they did because of their father Robert Kardashian’s wealth. However, there are plenty of wealthy people who are not famous and do not stay in the spotlight. The Kardashians are a special case; they climbed their way to stardom and success by sheer will and hard work.
Kris Jenner, the Kardashian matriarch, is manager to her five daughters. She gets them jobs and sponsors, and manages the family’s media coverage. Kris pulls publicity stunts and makes sure everything their family does gets time in the media.
Kylie’s pregnancy and delivery of baby Stormi would not have been as big of a story if not for her mother. Kylie kept the pregnancy a secret until her daughter was born, and made a YouTube video explaining the past nine months. The video didn’t make her look like a young, dumb mother, but a responsible mother who knew what she was doing and had the support system to care for her child.
Everyone knows who the Kardashians are, and barely anyone remembers the sex tape. America knows the Kardashians for their wealth and popularity. They are well-respected in the media as business women. People own their products and watch their TV show. They are not a family built on a sex tape, but a business family built on hard work.
Ashlon Lusk is a 19-year-old mass communication freshman from Houston, Texas.
