Is it a coincidence that Kim Kardashian and Jessica Simpson both suffered the scrutiny of reality television shows — MTV’s reality series, “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” and the infamous train wreck of “Courtney and Kim Take New York” — and then watched their sham marriages fizzle away in the wake of the media frenzy of so-called eternal love?
When you spell love with the tune of a seven-figure contract to film your “intimate” wedding and commercialize your vows, there is barely time to unpack the china and crystal (much less have a normal new marriage). However, it begs the question: do these celebrities have anything to lose by these “quick and dirty” matrimonial missteps in the public square?
Hardly; in fact, their empires profit! Kardashian stock is up even in this market — never mind that the IPO was just 72 days fresh. While Humphries seeks annulment and Kardashian wants a simple divorce, it is unclear who is the pawn: the audience, the soon-to-be ex-spouses … or the institution of marriage.
