MJ Corey's 'Dekonstructing the Kardashians' Analyzes Family as Postmodern Icons
In May, MJ Corey released 'Dekonstructing the Kardashians' through Penguin Random House, which explores the cultural impact of the Kardashian family through the lens of postmodern media theory. Corey initiated her Kardashian Kolloquium project on Instagram in 2018, later branching out to TikTok, Substack, and YouTube, and has contributed to The New Yorker. During a conversation with Alexis Haut from Design Observer, she outlined the book's structure, which includes a pantheon of American media icons and a timeline of the family's history. Although she writes under a pseudonym and refrains from purchasing Kardashian merchandise, she criticized Kylie Jenner's Meta Glasses campaign, facing backlash from TikTok users and media figures, while expressing mixed feelings about her involvement in Kardashian discourse.
Key facts
- MJ Corey published 'Dekonstructing the Kardashians' in May via Penguin Random House.
- Corey launched the Kardashian Kolloquium Instagram account in 2018 and joined TikTok in 2020.
- The book is divided into two parts: a pantheon of American media figures and a chronological family history.
- Corey said she was inspired by a three-edition encyclopedia of American icons from Marilyn Monroe to Mount Rushmore.
- She broke her non-moralizing rule to criticize Kylie Jenner's Meta Glasses campaign, calling it 'sickening.'
- A Skims representative previously asked her to remove an Instagram video, which she did.
- A Kardashian camp PR person contacted her about promoting Meta Glasses during her book rollout.
- Madame Tussauds initially offered Kardashian wax figures for her book party at Planet Hollywood before requiring $150,000 per figure.
Entities
Artists
- MJ Corey
- Alexis Haut
- Kris Jenner
- Kim Kardashian
- Kylie Jenner
- Kourtney Kardashian
- Khloe Kardashian
- Kendall Jenner
- Jean Baudrillard
- Michael Foucault
- Sam Sanders
- Gloria Allred
- Marilyn Monroe
- Mickey Mouse
Institutions
- Design Observer
- Penguin Random House
- The New Yorker
- Skims
- Good American
- Kardashian Kolloquium
- Substack
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Meta
- KCRW
- New York Times
- Madame Tussauds
- Planet Hollywood
- Thrive
- A24
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Mount Rushmore