Obama singles out the Kardashians and Kanye West as part of a culture that is obsessed with wealth and celebrity. http://social.entertainment.msn.com...spx?post=f7eca2e9-ccc0-4263-8d1d-7158a41c45ac Obama criticizes Kim Kardashian, Kanye West President says 'Keeping Up' helps to create generation obsessed with wealth and celebrity President Barack Obama criticized Kim Kardashian and her family, saying their reality TV shows have helped create a generation of youngsters who are obsessed with wealth and celebrity. Obama singled out socialite Kim Kardashian and her rapper boyfriend Kanye West for particular criticism in an interview with Amazon.com during a visit to one of the company's warehouses in Tennessee. Obama bemoaned the rise of reality TV shows and insisted celebrities who parade their wealth in front of fans have inadvertently changed the aspirations of young people. He said, "The American dream involved some pretty basic stuff -- a good job where you felt some security, a good education ... People felt if they worked hard they could get there ... I don't think people went around saying to themselves, 'I need to have a 10,000-square-foot house' ... I think there has also been a shift in culture. We weren't exposed to the things we didn't have in the same way that kids these days are. There was not that window into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Kids weren't monitoring every day what Kim Kardashian was wearing or where Kanye West was going on vacation and thinking that somehow that was the mark of success." Kim Kardashian and her relatives have built up a reality TV empire over the last few years with "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and their three spin-off series. She also broadcast her much-hyped 2011 wedding to basketball player Kris Humphries as a small-screen special. As for West, it is not the first time Obama has clashed with the rapper. In 2009, the President famously branded him a "jacka--" for storming the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards to protest Taylor Swift's Best Female Artist win.
So embarrassing to even read. He's the Prez, shouldn't he be focused on the budget and other world affairs and not what's on the E! Channel?
He's right, but seriously? You are going to tell the youth of the most materialistic country on Earth to stop being materialistic? The American Dream is all about getting rich and successful. Big house, fancy car, white picket fence. Our core values are embedded in greed. Its not the work of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. LOL.
Agree. But what was the context? Did he just step to the press corps and go off on a cultural rant? Was this in response to some question or another? Was it like 30 seconds of a 50-minute speech?
Speaking up about the future of tomorrow (those in charge 10-20 yrs from now) is a pretty big deal. Our society keeps digging deeper and deeper into this cesspool KK is part of, but I feel that singling her out is a bit too extreme. We live in a capitalistic society, yea sure she whored herself out...but many would, to make millions. I have little faith in our media-centric society with shows like Honey Boo Boo and twitter turning rational reasoning into impulse generated responses that are given credibility just because they can be embedded. The future appears bleak, but it always seems so from the POV of the previous generation. Obama isn't the first one though, Presidents like Nixon and others questioned the Hippies during the 70s, a drug dominated culture of bums many thought would be the sure collapse of this nation. We didn't, so there is a bit of optimism we can still cling to about the direction society is moving in--but that doesn't mean the president shouldn't have an opinion on it.
I think the specific aim of it---and KK didn't start it but played a big part in boosting it--Reality T.V. We're breading a bunch of dummies and failures that fall back on reality T.V every time they get into the spot light.
Says the guy who gets giddy like a school girl when he invited celebrities to the White House. But I do agree with him.
not sure why he's b****ing now.. he's been pandering to celebrifriends since the beginning of his regime.
Yeah, if a reporter asks a question about the Kardashians specifically, I have zero problem with Obama's answer then. If Obama wanted to bring it up as part of another speech, I think it's kind of a lame move. Either way, the criticism is of a culture that can care about KK. Einstein once said, long ago, before he left Germany, that he hated and did not deserve his fame, but he said the only silver lining was that society could value something related to intelligence and the pursuit of truth, instead of just vanity, money or war.
That's why they call it the bully pulpit. A secular set of ethics needs to be set somewhere, by someone.
This argument usually comes up from the opposing party or some interest group on the losing side of a particular issue. Otherwise b****ing about free speech, a free market and the leisure time, communications and economic infrastructure and disposable income to indulge in all of it is missing the point of what makes America, if not great, then ... no, screw it; we haven't won a real, just war in 70 years so this is the best thing about this place.
He's a dad being a dad. Also note that he doesn't necessarily blame Kanye and Kim, he just uses them as an example of what a lot of people give their attention to.
well, this might be a first. I fully, 100% AGREE WITH OBAMA. The Kardashian lifestyle absolutely disgusts me. They are nothing but materialistic star f***ers who are shaping the perceptions of many youth in this country. Between Kim's <100 day marriage, her out of wedlock baby and her intentionally leaked sex tape, she is about the worst role model you could possibly dream up. Yes, I have a daughter and am mortified that one day she would be shaped by such trash.
Again we get Professor Obama instead of President Obama... Did the same thing with Louis Gates and Trayvon Martin. His job is to be the President and not lecture us on cultural events. When he is no longer President and wants to discuss such topics, no problem.. but until then worry about being President.
I don't mind having an Executive cerebral enough to vocalize and deliberate issues and start a discourse; I think it indicates a tendency to think and evaluate issues and problems, rather than simply making a decision and then retro-actively lying or propagandizing to justify it. But I am genuinely disappointed, particularly as an African-American, that in discussing and editorializing Gates and Martin, he squandered the opportunity to let his accomplishments, intelligence and abilities speak for themselves independent of his race.
