Ask a random person if they have heard of Kim Kardashian and the answer will probably be yes. But ask the same person why she is famous and you will most probably get a confused look. In our oversaturated social media age, Kardashian’s unquestionable celebrity doesn’t have a clear foundation. She is famous because she is famous. Her constant posting on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat boost her fame with glimpses into her life.
It makes perfect sense then that we are captivated by the news of Kardashian being robbed in Paris this week. Not only did the robbers steal millions of dollars in jewels, but the episode highlights our fear of violent crime. Robbers reportedly dressed as police tricked their way into her hotel room, tied up Kardashian in the bathroom and stole her valuables.
Kardashian experienced a violent crime that millions around the world have suffered. The trauma will haunt the star for sometime, especially considering the apparent failure of her high-profile bodyguards and reports that the assailants were able to track her location by looking at her social media posts. The pessimists among us bemoan the attention that Kardashian is receiving over the robbery. They point to the fact that the dire news from Syria or Afghanistan is drowned out by Kardashian’s robbery and Angelina Jolie’s separation from Brad Pitt.
The lives of celebrities consume us in a manner that other world events don’t. We project our fears and insecurities onto their lives. We see echoes of ourselves in Pitt and Jolie’s divorce. We feel violated by Kardashian’s robbery (or angry that she is receiving so much attention).
The best outcome from this sad event would be for Kardashian to use her social media reach for good and speak about the robbery. She could publicly support charities that deal with trauma and bring light to the situation that others face. She could use social media for good , not just the promotion of a career that has no clear provenance.
