Kim Doesn’t Have To Cure Cancer, She’s Important In Her Own Right

Wait a minute. I’m confused. Why are all of you saying Kim Kardashian isn’t worthy of a “Vogue” cover?

She totally does.

How long has Kimberly Noel Kardashian existed in our cultural memory? It’s been quite a long time now. She first appeared as Paris Hilton’s friend in blips on red carpet specials, but has since completely eclipsed Paris in star power. Like Paris, Kim is criticized for being famous via a sex tape, but truthfully that sex tape was just the springboard for her fame.

Think about the Kardashian empire for a minute. There are perfumes, books, a makeup line, a clothing line or two, a kids’ clothing line and, of course, the eponymous TV series that catapulted the entire clan into the cultural lexicon. And guess who built all of that? Kim. Kris may have managed her daughter brilliantly, but it was Kim who worked her ass off modeling, making appearances and doing interview after inane interview to make her name. There’s no denying all of the Kardashian sisters have become pretty powerful businesswomen in their own right.

So why should Kim be shamed for being famous on TV? Isn’t that the way a ton of folks get famous now? It sure is. “Keeping up with the Kardashians” may as well be a sitcom, with each member playing a caricature of themselves for the cameras. It’s been playing on E! for eight seasons, which means people are watching. You’re probably watching. And if anything, you know who the Kardashians are. Everyone does.

People say Kim isn’t talented and that the only reason she got a cover is because of her much-publicized relationship with Kanye. We know Kanye and Anna Wintour are buddies and that Kanye’s interest in fashion is legendary, so as soon as Kimye hooked up I figured it was only a matter of time before Kim got a cover of her own. Why shouldn’t she?

She’s just as famous, if not more, than Jennifer Aniston. Famous people get magazine covers. Kanye is crazy-talented, obviously, but Kim’s done a bang-up job of making a name for herself on her own. She would’ve gotten a cover on her own anyway. She’s made herself an icon–visit any Kardashian’s Instagram page and see for yourself. The women in the Kardashian family became celebrities just for being themselves.

Kim also loves clothes. Have you ever watched an episode of the show? There are several episodes that revolve around the contents of her closet. Not to mention Kim has done an extensive amount of modeling, which makes her the perfect fit for a cover. There’s nothing separating Kim from someone like Kate Upton. They’re both beautiful women who men fawn over while women think, “Hey, there’s a woman whose body kinda looks like mine.” And it does! We never get to see high-end designer fashion on bodies like Kim’s because generally, those clothes aren’t cut for a woman with hips and an ass. But Kim tried them out; we got to watch her make mistakes with her wardrobe while she figured it out, but she’s really hit a stride in her designer clothes lately. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but isn’t “Vogue” about clothes?

In addition, Kim and Kanye are an important part of our cultural landscape. Everything they do is news. The two of them uniting created one monolith of fame; she’s one of the most beautiful women in the world and he’s a rapper who will go down in history not only for his music but for his interest in design and art. It only made sense for them to hook up. If This Bland Female Celebrity can snag a “Vogue” cover to blab about her latest boring movie or Rihanna can grace one just for being Rihanna, then why shouldn’t Kimye be awarded the same honor? If you ask me, their upcoming wedding is a project important enough to be written about.

I’ve always felt very positive about Kim and the Kardashians in general. They’re not perfect and they let us see that via the show. We saw the collapse of Khloe and Lamar and Kim’s turbulent emotions over the end of her marriage to Kris Humphries. They didn’t have to show us these things, but they did. As vain, self-obsessed and materialistic as the Kardashians may seem at first, they are at heart just a normal American family, like it or not. They don’t need to be brilliant actors or singers, write bestselling novels or cure cancer. In this day and age, you can be famous for being famous. There’s nothing wrong with that.