People say America doesn't have a monarchy. They're wrong.

About this episode

The episode explores the cultural parallels between the Kennedy family and the Kardashians as American dynasties.

The Kennedys are the first family that comes to mind when Americans consider homegrown, pseudo-royal dynasties. From Joe to John and Jackie, they have been elevated to a mythical cultural status. But is it possible that they share more in common with another prominent American family, the Kardashians? Today, Brittany is joined by MJ Corey, author of Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto , to find out how these two American 'royal' families share a cultural Krown. Want more about famous families and the narratives they spin? Check out these episodes: Inside the Michael Jackson legacy industrial complex Melania Trump’s multi-million dollar “infomercial” Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Brittany

Guest: MJ Corey

Topics covered

• American dynasties
• cultural status
• media influence
• celebrity culture
• family narratives

Keywords

• Kennedy
• Kardashians
• celebrity
• dynasty
• media
• cultural status
• family

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Books & works: Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto

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