Kardashian Family Reality Show Finished? Fans 'Over It,' Critics Claim
The Kardashian family's pop culture empire is allegedly collapsing in the wake of the Lamar Odom scandal, industry experts claim.
Sisters Kim, Khloe and Kourtney have remained at the forefront of pop culture since rising to stardom in 2007 following the release of Kim's sex tape however showbiz experts predict that the Kardashian brand is declining. The reality TV family's "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" show contract reportedly ends in 2015 and critics predict that it will not be renewed particularly due to the drama surrounding Khloe's marriage to Odom, 33.
"People are starting to say, 'I think we're over it,'" Jennifer Pozner, author of "Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV" told RadarOnline.com.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"They knew at some point the show was gonna end all along! And I don't think the show ever had much credibility to begin with," Hollywood publicist Michael Levine explained.
In recent weeks Odom has been mired in controversy over drug use allegations and cheating claims, however the NBA star is yet to speak publicly regarding these rumors.
In March reports claimed Kim and Kourtney's E! spinoff show "Kourtney and Kim Take Miami" had suffered a drastic decline in ratings during the season three March 17 episode. One expert believes that if the family's reality TV show is not renewed in 2015, Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner may try and rebrand by drawing the focus onto her younger daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
"[After 2015], it's on to [Kendall and Kylie], the other acts that they've got coming up,' branding expert Rob Frankel explained. "[Kim, Khloe and Kourtney] were really a disposable property. They never had a strategy to keep that identity going for the long-term."
In April sources claimed the wealthy family began experiencing financial woes which they refused to make public.
"The Kardashians have serious financial issues. They do a great job of keeping it quiet — they are the ultimate fraudsters in that sense — but their burn rate is out of control, and so many of their businesses and endorsements have been failures," a source previously told Star magazine.
In April 2012 a TMZ.com report claimed the reality TV family had scored a $40 million deal with the E! network to film three new seasons of their famous shows. At that time critics estimated the Kardashian-Jenner empire to be worth $500 million, but a source now claims that their alleged excessive spending has jeopardized this.
"Kim is a shopaholic! She spends $350,000 a month on her credit cards," the source revealed.
"She pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for designers to custom-make clothes for her, and she spent millions on Louis Vuitton handbags to match each outfit," the source explained.
Kim, who gave birth to her first child in June, previously admitted that she is preparing to leave the world of reality TV. She claims that her boyfriend, Kanye West, has helped her appreciate her privacy and subsequently her priorities have changed.
"I think there's always an evolution of, you know, what you want to do in life, It's all about finding things that really excite you and motivate you and spark you all over again," Kardashian told Dujour magazine.
"My boyfriend has taught me a lot about privacy. I'm ready to be a little less open about some things, like my relationships. I'm realizing everyone doesn't need to know everything. I'm shifting my priorities," she added.
