My name is Jay Phillippi and I've spent my life in and around the media. TV, radio, the movies and more. I love them, and I hate them and I always have an opinion. Call this the View from the Phlipside.
This news is fresh off the wire as we used to say. It was just earlier this week that the announcement was made that after a mere 72 days of marriage Kim Kardashian and her husband Kris What’s His Name (oh come let’s be honest marrying into the Kardashian clan is the best thing that has ever happened to him. And sadly is likely to be the highlight of his life in the media), anyway 72 days into the marriage it is apparently over. If I am honest I can not tell you that I care much either way. It is part of an ongoing lack of appreciation in our culture for the institution of marriage (I’m headed towards my 30th anniversary in that institution) but that’s a topic for a different commentary series than this one.
What interests me is the inevitable ruckus that pops up at times like this about how much money the media spent covering these fantasy nuptials and if they’ve been ripped off. To start with Kim and old What’s His Face did pretty well. They managed to convince some gullible media outlets that paying for the privilege of covering this Off Broadway flop (a 72 day run isn’t a hit by any definition it seems) to the tune of almost 18 million dollars. Which some bright lad figured out to just over 5 thousand dollars per hour each. Not bad pay while you are apparently being miserable.
So the question becomes should the media types (and this includes the likes of People magazine, the E! Network, Britian’s OK! magazine) be upset about laying out that kind of money when the marriage lasts such a short time. The answer obviously is no. The media doesn’t care any more than I do whether or not whether or not Kardashian and company stay married for 72 hours, 72 days or 72 years. They paid for the publicity potential of those few days leading up and culminating in the wedding ceremony itself. Having milked that for every last drop they can they probably thought they got all the entertainment value they paid for. What happens next is of no effect on the business at all.
No the real question should be applied to us, the viewers. Well you the viewers. What’s the value for the viewer? A fantasy event is understandable. Sadly it’s a fantasy event that puts all the emphasis on the wedding rather than the marriage. In fact that may also be the mistake made by Kim and um, um, you know, him.
Call that the View From the Phlipside
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