Keller @ Large: Why Money Isn't Everything

BOSTON (CBS) - I know I sort of promised Tuesday to shun year-in-review stories.

But this headline on a USA Today piece demands a response: "No Kardashians: 7 stories from 2014 that matter most."

"No Kardashians"?

I understand the sentiment. To say the least, the Kardashians are overexposed – in more ways than one.

But as a frequent viewer of their various programs – purely in the name of sociological research – I am here to tell you the Kardashians DO matter, for what their dysfunction tells us about the world we live in.

Let's start with the most famous Kardashian, Kim, the reigning queen of being "famous for being famous."

Her TV series unsparingly portrays her extreme narcissism. Her struggles to care about anything beyond her own immediate gratification are painful to watch.

If other budding narcissists come to look on Kim with pity, and thus reverse their own trajectory, maybe there's hope for us to become a more compassionate society.

Sister Kourtney Kardashian seems a little less confused than Kim, but her treatment of longtime boy toy Scott Disick feels like an allegory for the collapse of the marriage rate. Scott is like a pet horse, useful for occasional companionship; beyond that, she treats him like dirt, berating him for his drinking without any apparent awareness of her own starring role in his addictive behavior.

Maybe marriage might compel Kourtney to treat Scott more like a human, or embolden him to insist on it.

About mother Kris Jenner, let's just say all mothers-in-training should watch her closely for tips on how not to proceed.

Don't tell me the Kardashians are not a story.

They remind us why money isn't everything.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

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