DEKONSTRUCTING THE KARDASHIANS

Since 2007, Kim Kardashian and her extended family have mesmerised - and scandalised - the American public. We've been immersed in their social lives, controversies and reality TV exploits, while witnessing the staggering ascent of their multibillion-dollar fashion, beauty and media empire. But the central question remains: why are the Kardashians so famous? And what does their enduring relevance tell us about the media systems that shaped - and were shaped by - them?