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Chris Graham: Keeping up with the Kardashians … at Sears?

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So I’m watching TV tonight, and I see the Kardashians on a commercial. Excuse me, a k-ommercial. (Got to keep up with them.) The commercial, er, kommercial, was advertising the reality divas’ Sears line, which I assume is new.

stopthepresses-newNot new. I do a quick web search, and I find an article dated Sept. 30 saying that Sears has already begun slashing prices on the overhyped Kardashian Kollection. Then I find another that says the Kollection was a flop on Black Friday in 2011.

(Two years ago? Really?)

So now I’m a year behind the times, not only just knowing that the Kardashians had a clothing line at Sears, but with my observations about the Kardashians having a clothing line at Sears.

I want to make a snarky comment about how a Kardashian wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere near a Sears, which ought to take the starch out of any potential for success for the Kardashian Kollection campaign.

But then, maybe that’s the point. The Kardashian brand, such as it is, would seem to appeal to the kind of people who shop at Sears, i.e. people without a lot of extra cash, but who otherwise aspire to look at least like they keep up with fashion.

So while it should work, here’s maybe why it doesn’t … if you’re trying to keep up with not just fashion, but the Kardashians, I mean, come on, Sears? Nothing against Sears, but seriously, it’s Sears. Nothing there is even $99.99. And not that what fashionistas spend on clothing and accessories is made better because they spend thousands of dollars on it, but, you know, people like the Kardashians spend thousands of dollars on stuff that shouldn’t cost more than $99.99.

Keeping up with the Kardashians is precisely about conspicuous spending. The most conspicuous thing about the Kardashian Kollection at Sears is that it looks like it’s trying to be something that it’s not, which ironically is conspicuous.

In short, the Kardashian Kollection is almost a good idea.

Next column: Do you believe that Martha Stewart being at Kmart? I just saw this commercial, and …

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