There is something seriously wrong in our world, and it has to do with the Kardashians. I’m not talking about Kim’s 72 day marriage and what to do with her wedding gifts, or Kris’s blatant exhibition of her ignorance towards politically correct terms for Native Americans. It has to do with Khloe, and her famous behind.
I’ll admit, I don’t know much about the Kardashians other than what I just mentioned. Like many people, I first heard of them when their father was the infamous attorney defending OJ back in the 1990s. I don’t watch reality TV, and never could figure out how someone could be famous for….just being famous. Like Paris Hilton. What did she ever do to be a celebrity? Eat at Carl’s Junior?
So when I saw the AP headline this morning “The price of fame: $10,000 for one tweet” I was intrigued. I tweet. I blog. I Facebook, Stumble, Tumbl and I want to get in on that deal! On a teacher’s salary, $10,000 could go a long way.
Turns out, Old Navy has paid Khloe Kardashian to tweet about her butt. I’m so disappointed. I actually like Old Navy. So to hear that Khloe is jamming the Twittersphere with pleas for us to find out “…how Old Navy makes your butt look scary good” really bummed me out. And to top it all off, she and other ‘celebs’ like her are making more money for that less-than-140 –character-phrase than many Americans are making from months of hard work. What is wrong with this picture?
And the list goes on. Charlie Sheen and his search for an ‘intern’. Snoop Dogg selling minivans? Lakers star Lamar Odom staying at two star motels? And my personal favorite, Lindsay Lohan tweeting about challenges facing college students. Excuse me?
Here’s the irony. These celebrities are tweeting at you. Me. Our families. At a rate of $71 per character. Why? Because they get retweeted by us, the consumers. Not because these people actually use these products, or visit these businesses. But because Lohan’s 2.6 million fans then send thousands of clicks to the website she is promoting, sending more cash into their pockets.
So the next time you see one of these tweets from ‘I’m famous for being famous’ celebrities, or athletes, musicians or spokespeople, think before you RT. That $10,000 salary they’re making could go a long way to educate our children, feed our hungry, or care for our sick. Tweet that.
Jennifer Wolfe
Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.
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