Like her or not, Kim Kardashian remains one of today's most popular celebrities -- though it has become fashionable in Hollywood to rip on her and her family. Jeremy Renner was the lastest actor to voice his opinion, calling the Kardashians "ridiculous people with zero talent who spend their lives making sure everyone knows their name."
Renner, along with Jon Hamm, Daniel Craig and Jonah Hill, have all voiced the same sentiment of disgust that the Kardashians and their reality TV franchise now dominate popular culture and their shows are more watched than critically acclaimed programming such as "Mad Men."
In a new interview with V magazine, Kim Kardashian takes on her haters, explaining that she always finds it funny when people say she's famous for being famous.
"I think it’s fascinating, because it's still entertainment, you know? It’s fun to see the progression of that idea. I don’t take offense to it at all. I’m not naïve to the fact that I’m not a singer or an actress or anything like that. I’ve never claimed to be anything that I’m not. I think [reality] is still a new form of entertainment that was kind of an unexpected thing," she told the magazine, adding that it's not unlike the progression and acceptance of rap music.
"It reminds me of rap music. When rap music first came out, people were like, We don’t understand this, what is this, it’s just a fad. But rap music is definitely here to stay, and I think reality shows have proven they are as well. But when something is newer, people don’t really understand it," she theorized for the magazine.
It's likely that the 31-year-old, who just happens to be dating rapper Kanye West, will get some flak for that comparison, but she continued to defend reality TV and its place in the current pop culture lexicon.
"I think reality shows are taking over that genre, but I think the draw to our show is that we are relatable ... I think it’s just a new world with social media. The interaction I have with my fans and the access is so much fun to me. I love that connection," she explained.
Kardashian is well aware that she's not beloved by all, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have her goals to be remembered in the same way as television stars such as Lucille Ball or Susan Lucci:
“I think there was a quote where somebody said that reality stars will never get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So, of course I’m so competitive that I think that it would be a huge achievement and a goal that anyone would want. I would love to break that mold," she said
Whether or not Kim and the rest of the Kardashians will ever be able to achieve respect in Hollywood remains to be seen, but she and many other reality TV stars have their piles of money to wipe away their tears of rejection -- Forbes estimates that from May 2011 to May 2012 Kim earned $18 million and has a net worth of $38 million.
For more, click over to V magazine.
