In this 2010 Screen Tests interview, reality TV queen Kim Kardashian talks about her childhood dreams of being a gym-going housewife with lots of kids, her strong work ethic, signing contracts with her father Robert Kardashian, falling in love with fashion, playing Donna Karan's assistant with her sister Kourtney Kardashian, crashing her first car, scoring several Manolo Blahnik Timberland boots on eBay, how Real World inspired her to do reality television, how Keeping Up with The Kardashians started, scary movies, skydiving, her obsession with the true-crime TV series, Snapped, and wanting to be a crime scene investigator.
Kardashian is a master of proportion: The tightness of her clothes highlighted and elongated her hourglass body, and her long black hair, which was curled and smoothed and teased into a waist-length fall, set off the smoky Cleopatra makeup on her catlike brown eyes.
As a celebrity, Kardashian gives good value: She is the star of a reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which means she is famous for being herself. On the show, and in life, she has defined that persona as a glamorous It girl who is close to her family, a wealthy but hardworking beauty who is not skinny, a single woman (almost 30!) looking for her soulmate. Kardashian takes her role seriously. She’s willing to reveal her life in all its simple complications to the millions who watch the show; the millions who follow her on Twitter; and the millions who read her blog on her website, asking questions and seeking advice on how to be all things Kim. Like a classic movie star with a knack for new technology, she meets and greets with poise and perfect hair.
Kardashian was at the mall on a bright Saturday morning in September to promote FusionBeauty cosmetics, a company known for its lip-plumping products; to meet Kardashian a customer/fan would have to be among the first 200 patrons to spend $75. Kardashian checked her phone and typed something in.
This is part of Kardashian’s every-girl approach. She may look like a pinup, but she’s also practical and at least theoretically faces the same challenges as her mostly female fans. She has no particular talents-can’t sing, can’t dance, can’t act-but she has something that appeals: Kardashian represents possibilities, a goal that may be attainable. She’s genuine and colorful, which is why, after five seasons and a spin-off, Keeping Up With the Kardashians shattered records at the E! channel, garnering 4.7 million viewers for the premiere episode this August. That installment, like all episodes, had several storylines; wisely, Kardashian shares the spotlight with her entire family.
Her mother, Kris-who is also known as the “momager,” since she manages the business affairs of every member of the family-is married to Bruce Jenner, the Olympic athlete. With her former husband, Robert Kardashian, who is best known for representing his friend O.J. Simpson at his trial for murder (its own kind of reality show), Kris had four children-Kourtney (31), Kim (29), Khloé (26), and Robert Jr. (23). With Jenner, who had four children from previous marriages, Kris had two more daughters- Kendall (14) and Kylie (13).
Kris took the idea for a reality show about her clan to Ryan Seacrest, who has a production deal at E! He said yes immediately, and within a week every family member had agreed and filming began. From the start, the storylines have combined the glossy and mundane with soap opera-like flourishes: Kim has a fight with her (now ex-) boyfriend, football star Reggie Bush, and a photo shoot in her bikini; although she’s not married, Kourtney becomes pregnant and has the baby; Khloé meets Lamar Odom, the sixth man on the Lakers, and marries him a month later. All of this-the birth, the wedding, the photo shoots, the fights, and, most of all, the invariably happy endings-are filmed for the show.
LipFusion is just one of her many endorsements. She (sometimes with her sisters) promotes a clothing line for QVC, a weight-loss supplement, Armenian-inspired jewelry, an online shoe business, “couture” lollipops, bathing suits, scented candles, and Kim Kardashian perfume. The show has made her a brand: The midpriced, mainstream-with-a-touch-of-sparkle products that she endorses are carefully chosen to reinforce her glam/regular girl image.
Read the full interview here - www.wmagazine.com/story/kim-k...
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Kim Kardashian West on Her eBay Obsession, Her First Job, and 'Snapped' | Screen Tests | W Magazine