The first time I ever heard of the name Kardashian was in June of 1994 after the famous O.J. car chase. Robert Kardashian publicly read a letter written by O.J., which sparked off the beginning of one of the biggest media circus’ in American history. Kardashian became part of the “dream team” that allowed O.J. to walk free, although in Al Capone style, eventually end up in jail for a crime completely unrelated to the murders he committed. What I distinctly remember was that Kardashian was the man seen carrying Simpson’s garment bag the day Simpson flew back from Chicago. It was speculated that the bag may have contained Simpson’s bloody clothes and/or the murder weapon; however, by the time the bag was returned to the prosecutors, mysteriously, there was nothing incriminating.

A few years ago the Kardashian name cropped up again (Robert had passed in 2003). However, this time, the spotlight was on one of his four children, Kim, an attractive, petite, Armenian looking woman, who was part of the Hilton sisters’ crowd. The next thing I know there is a show on E! about the whole clan which includes Kim, her sisters Khloe and Kourtney, her brother Robert Jr. and her half-sisters who are in their early teens, Kylie and Kendall. The parents, and I use the term loosely, are Kris Jenner, who divorced Robert Sr. in 1989, and Bruce Jenner, a gold medal Olympic winner and an integral part of American sports history. Does this sound even remotely interesting? Well, if you said “no,” you are probably in the majority. However, if you said “yes,” you are in luck because they are on their fourth show in two years. (more…)

Is your TiVo programmed to record such timeless TV classics as: The Hills, America’s Next Top Model, For the Love of Ray-J, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Denise Richards: It’s Complicated, Rock of Love, Charm School, Daisy of Love, Bad Girls Club, The Tyra Banks Show, I Love Money 2,  The Real World, Dancing With the Stars, The Celebrity Apprentice, From G’s to Gents, The Girls of Hedsor Hall, Judge Judy, or the fourth hour of the Today Show? 

Neither is mine.

Fortunately Joel McHale & Co. monitor all of these fine programs-and countless others-on my behalf, identify their most absurd moments, then mock them mercilessly in an easy-to-swallow half hour of weekly television fun.  Welcome to The Soup, which airs Friday nights at 10pm ET on E! 

The show, which has existed in various iterations for years, has reached new comedic heights on McHale’s watch.  In a nutshell, it features 22 minutes of distilled television trash; the very worst of what American culture has to offer.  Degenerate attention-seekers looking for “true love?”  Check.  Startlingly self-absorbed celebrities padding their inflated egos?  Indeed.  Washed-up/cashed-strapped stars demeaning themselves for a paycheck?  Oh yes.  The Soup peddles in the lowest- common-denominator programming that’s beamed to cable boxes and satellite dishes from coast to coast every day.  (more…)