The twelfth annual TIME 100 list of the world's most influential people dropped today. It's got all of the expected heavy-hitters: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elizabeth Warren, Malala Yousafzai, Narendra Modi, Angela Merkel, and Barack Obama. This year's list includes 40 women, including some of our favorite celebrities. Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, Emma Watson, and Taylor Swift are all on there, as is someone whose presence will probably stir up a little ire. Yes, Kim Kardashian made the list in the "Titan" section. Martha Stewart (of all people) wrote up Kim's mention.
"The first lady of #fame," it begins. Stewart then goes on to investigate why the world is so fascinated with Kim and her family. "The Kardashians are a totally modern construct. They are a blended family, of Armenian descent, with biracial pairings (Kim is married to Kanye West) and a reportedly transgender parent. They work hard, and they stick together through thick and thin. Despite the flamboyance, the self-aggrandizement and the self-promotion (Kim set out to break the Internet by baring her bum in an extraordinary photograph), Kim comes across as an enviable big sister in a clan where everyone seems to love one another. Are they indeed today’s Brady Bunch?"
Stewart also asks where Kim goes from here, given that "There seem to be very few barriers to further explosive success."
Elsewhere on the list, Elon Musk dubs Kim's husband Kanye West a "pop-culture juggernaut" who "fought for his place in the cultural pantheon with a purpose."
Like it or not, Kim and Kanye are cultural icons. Surrender to these influential overlords. They're here to take selfies and rap about it. How long until North West makes the list, though? (TIME)
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