Kim Kardashian and the Cynic summary
Kim Kardashian is well known in the media, especially now with her recent stunt of faking a marriage. (why she would do this who knows.... oh wait money) With all the hooplah surrounding this individual i asked myself where she came from, she seemed to just appear out of nowhere. A little research yielded that Kim is the daughter of OJ simpsons attorney, she was also apart of Paris Hiltons party posse (enough said there), lastly what really sent her over the top was a certain "home video" she made with singer/actor Ray J that leaked on the internet. And as a result of all that birthed a clothing line, commercials, magazine covers, and reality show(s). Therefore i felt with all this nonsense surrounding her, that I would conduct my presentation on Ms. Kim. Particularly i will compare her lifestyle with that of the Cynics (a bit of a stretch, but venture with me). Cynics were said to live like dogs, they lacked shame and didnt care for the opinions of others. "Cynics felt that the way people lived in civilized society was full of falsehood, emotional discomfort, and pointless striving. Yet honesty, ease, and repose were available to anyone who merely stopped lying, role-playing, and striving" (Hecht). Comparing this philosophy to Kim is like night and day, with all of the antics behind Kim (and all other b-list reality stars) it's clear that she has a thirst for fame, a desire for public acceptance. A cynic would say that such actions to gain fame are pointless and will not yield happiness. additionally cynics would disagree with any attempt for fame by anyone especially if it didn't better society and privileging the universe. The superficial lifestyle of Kim would also be a target of criticism, marrying a little known basketball player only to divorce and rake in money from the publicity, is deception at its peak. All this just boost ratings and pushes negative messages out to society. I'm not saying we should all be like Diogenes and "do our business in the street", but what i am saying is that we should take some of the cynics philosophy into consideration. Let's stop the psuedo reality, the superficial lifestyles, and worry less about public acceptance and more about the betterment of society. If there is a lesson that Kim K teaches, it's that fame can leave as swiftly as it arrived, therefore use it to push a positive message instead of selfish personal gain.
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ReplyDeleteOur fascination with celebrities really is quite ridiculous, especially with those whose fame is chiefly due to their having been spotlighted by celebrity-gawking media. Marcus Aurelius, famous in his own right as Emperor of All the Romans, had the best perspective on the ancient human fascination with notoriety: Sic transit gloria, fame is fleeting. Celebrity for its own sake is futile and pathetic, a big waste of everybody's precious time.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, isn't the aspiration to actually do something with one's life, something worthy of being widely known, respected, and emulated, a good one? In that case, fame would be a bonus by-product of virtue.