Time to Stop Keeping Up With the Kardashians

With news that Kim Kardashian is divorcing her NBA boo after 72 days of marriage, Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams says the family’s 15 minutes are officially up. Yes, yes, the escapist entertainment they’ve provided has not been a complete waste of time. After all, “just because the other 99 percent of the country is losing sleep over mortgage payments and student loans doesn’t mean the fascination with excess goes away.” But staging a fake marriage to boost ratings crosses a line of cynicism that no reality-TV viewer should tolerate—especially after learning that the socialite dropped a reported $10 million on the ceremony. “Kim will no doubt keep the gifts,” Williams writes. “But one thing we can take back is our attention.”