The Kardashians are back. And almost simultaneously with the reality show's arrival, The Andy Warhol's Diaries series hit Netflix.
It's interesting watching Warhol's Diaries and looking for parallels between the Pop Art genius’s views and the success of the K Klan -one of today's most famous pop culture expressions.
I imagine that if Andy Warhol was still alive, he would probably think Kim Kardashian is the perfect embodiment of his ideas. But there are probably more similarities between them than meets the eye, as much as one is perhaps the product of the other.
Born in Pittsburg, Warhol was the first generation of Russian immigrants to the US. Warhol eagerly embraced everything of American culture and channeled it into his work, first as an illustrator, then as a celebrated artist. He found America's best inspiration and expression in entertainment, advertising, personality cult, and making money. Finally, Warhol consolidated all his fascination with America forging his own unmistakable personal brand. He famously said "being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art, working is art and good business is the best art."
In today's pop culture Kim Kardashian, and her eponymous family, are the true expression of turning a personality cult, or "being famous for being famous," into a global making money machine brand.
For over a decade, the Kardashian family has been cashing on conversations about some of society's most controversial and relevant topics. From sex tapes to sexual gender identity and body affirmation to prison reform, the K Klan has always been on the top trending topic. As result, they built an empire whose net worth comes to over 1 billion combined.
It seems impossible to imagine the Karsdashian’s success without Warhol's influence on culture. But they share more than this – they both also look at culture from an inside and outside point of view. Warhol and Kardashian, both first and second generations of immigrants to the US, seemed to have chewed and spilled out everything that American culture stands for. It is as if they seem to mirror society while simultaneously staring at it in awe, just like tourists arriving at a famous attraction. That shifting point of view might be one of their most appealing traits. As much as their insiders, they never stopped being outsiders. Both Warhol's and Kardashian's brands successfully became the object and the viewer simultaneously. One side is the brand, and the other is the commentator.
The Kardashian brand's extravagant, often controversial lifestyle mix is perfect for today's quick and straightforward snack content social media-driven culture. It's very visual and easy to digest, just like Pop Art. After all, you don't need to understand much about art to appreciate the fascination with Warhol's work. From the iconic Campbell Soup painting, Interview Magazine, celebrity's portrait series to his collaboration with graffiti artist Jean Michel Basquiat, Warhol's artistic expression truly helped the democratization of art.
But beyond the monumental importance of his body of work, Warhol's persona shines bright. Famously known for being monosyllabic and monotonic, Warhol's produced one of the most iconic quotes in history, proving prophetic: “everybody will be famous for 15 minutes”. Kim Kardashian's masterminding of social media catapulted her family to an incomparable level of celebrity that extends far beyond 15 minutes. However, if soon everybody will have their 15 minutes of fame, what happens next? Once everybody is famous, then is the concept of fame still valid? As much of a visionary as Warhol was, he died before predicting what would come next. So it's curious to think if The Kardashians show will be leasing another 15 minutes, or maybe their time is up.