Cultural gatekeepers long insulated high fashion from reality TV’s commercial logic

Evidence

Yet two particular domains remained stubbornly distinct: high fashion and reality TV. Despite reality TV’s popularity, cultural gatekeepers shunned its stars. Paris Hilton never graced Vogue’s cover and often had to crash the front row of fashion shows. Even as Keeping Up with the Kardashians became a ratings juggernaut, Kim wasn’t considered a credible candidate as a cover model. Her nude appearance on the front of W magazine in 2011 was understood as an ironic statement by its artist, Barbara Kruger. Designers dismissed her curves as unflattering to their creations, and her family’s ventures into cheap clothing lines further tarnished her reputation among tastemakers. While the commercial logic of merging reality TV and high fashion was undeniable, gatekeepers like Anna Wintour staunchly resisted the idea. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 359

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: The elitist gatekeeper resistance echoess the status-signaling theme, comparing how gatekeeping insulated high culture until the omnivore collapse.