Nothing captures my attention like a good old-fashioned family drama, and as petty as it may be, "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" has managed to pull me in once again. There seems to be something so relatable in this seemingly out of this world family. While no one near me would describe their family as being similar to the Calabasas-based moguls, almost any normal family understands the Kardashian family dynamic.
Kris Jenner, the mother of all mothers, runs the show. She keeps everyone on schedule and pushes everyone to work hard and do their best. Most people know someone like this. Kris is that motivator who lights a fire under us all and transforms even the most normal family into an untouchable empire.
Kim Kardashian is the star. She may not be the funniest, cute or interesting. When Kris has a chance to thrust Kim into the spotlight she never wastes a second. It's because of this that the world was forced to watch Kim Kardashian's two-hour wedding special on E! Every family has a Kim.
Khloe is the underdog. She made a life for herself outside of the confines of the Kardashian palace when she married Lamar Odom, but she didn't get the privilege of a two-hour special. Poor Khloe. There's something so likeable about her though. You respect her for distancing herself from her family. Khloe's the person in the family who moved away.
Kourtney is the rational one. No line captures this more than her deadpan "Kim, people are dying," after Kim began weeping about her lost diamond earring. Her off-the-wall boyfriend Scott serves as comic relief for the rest of the high-strung family. Kourtney and Scott are the rock to this otherwise emotional rollercoaster of a family.
Rob Kardashian is the black sheep. He shacks up at Khloe and Lamar's place despite being a grown man and he never seems to hear the end of the endless string of teasing his older sisters unleash on him. Wildly insecure and tragically underworked, Rob has so much potential but he can't seem to do anything with his time but shop for hair loss products and get tattoos of Kris on his arm.
Father Bruce Jenner seems so out of place in this estrogen-filled environment. Watching him with his youngest daughters Kendall and Kylie just solidifies Bruce as the typical dad.
Your family may not be covered in eyeliner and pleather like the Kardashians, but everyone has a matriarch, a star, an underdog, a rock, a black sheep and a dopey dad. Maybe we're not that different from the Kardashians after all.
Contact Courtney Cox at ccox3@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
