This is a guest post by TallahasseeScene’s Whitney Clinkscales
My biggest aspiration in life is to be just like…you guessed it…Kim Kardashian.
Joking.
In actuality, I couldn’t imagine being anything reminiscent of the narcissistic Kardashian clan that our country has grown a dangerous obsession for. To my misfortune I recently stumbled across Kim K’s new app called “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood,” where the goal is to become… famous. As if it couldn’t get any more vain than the title alone, the game pretty much generates an equation for going from no list to A-list by challenging one’s knowledge of what to wear, where to shop, how to and who to flirt with and even the right makeup choices. Kim K herself pops up to help guide you along the road to shame. I mean, fame.
My problem isn’t with the desire to be famous, it’s with the process of how this app says you could (and should) get there. You’re even prompted to pay real money to buy energy for your character and it’s pretty clear that you can’t win without dishing up some cash of your own. So it looks like Kim K is actually profiting from her app where the only fame you may gain is landing on a tabloid cover.
I think that, as artists, we have a responsibility when it comes to the images we mass produce, which means that at the bare minimum, we have to think about how our art will affect our audience. Young children playing this game aren’t just viewing it as entertainment these days. They are actually educated by it and aspire to be like the characters in the game. Look at the numbers of people who follow Kim Kardashian on Twitter and Instagram. They live for the newest celebrity gossip surrounding Kim and her new family. They want to be her, so presenting these kinds of people with a ridiculous game that promises your video game character fame actually says to the fans, “This is how you can be Kim Kardashian.” Children aren’t at the park playing until the streetlights come on anymore. Children are on their iPads, playing games, skyping their friends and generating a digital childhood that artists need to be aware of.
Moral of the story is, don’t waste your time or money on Kim K’s new app, especially if you don’t want to destroy brain cells in the process. I mean really, why should fame be a game? We shouldn’t glorify the fact that some of our most popular celebs have not produced any kind of talent whatsoever. Sure, they fit our society’s twisted standard of beauty; they are “nice to look at.” They may have a lot of money and so people want to be “friends” with them. They may have even generated sex tapes…well, we all know where that one ends…but it’s pretty evident that worthwhile talent isn’t a big part of their skill sets.
Fame isn’t always pretty. Garnering fame because people like your appearance is, in fact, an ugly representation of our society’s moral standards. Next time you go to purchase an app, think about how it may affect you and decide if it benefits you in any way. I promise the game will be so much more fun in the long run if you can look at it mindfully.
Featured photo courtesy of dlwallhd.com
