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Paris Hilton / Kim Kardashian - Source: Reuters/BANG Showbiz -
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News broke yesterday that Kim Kardashian - the most famous but arguably least interesting of the Kardashian sisters - is engaged.
I use the term "news" loosely. For some people, receiving this information would have been met with a bewildered look and the simple question, "Who?"
But increasingly the middle Kardashian sister has been infiltrating mainstream media.
No longer relegated to pay TV and lads' mags, Kimmy K is becoming a genuine celebrity power house.
Last year she earned $NZ7.4 million and was named the highest earning reality TV star of 2011.
Not bad for a girl whose sole asset four years ago was her infamous derriere, as showcased - in all its glory - in an equally infamous sex with Ray J.
Before the Kardashians became reality royalty, the family's only real claim to fame was their father, Robert.
A highly sought after and extremely successful Hollywood defence lawyer, Robert K famously represented OJ Simpson during his murder trial.
Of course Kim K isn't the first Californian socialite to use her father's connections - and a "stolen" sex tape - to form a lucrative reality TV career.
In fact her background and career shares many of the same
hallmarks as Paris Hilton's:
Family money.
Sex tape.
Reality television.
Endorsement deals.
Short and ignominious forays into the music and film
industries.
More reality television.
But with yesterday's news, Kim K has cemented a fate that Paris has tried - and failed - multiple times to achieve.
She will officially become one half of a celebrity couple. Her nuptials to NBA player Kris Humphries (one of basketball's most valuable players, with an estimated net worth of $9.8 million) will see her celebrity stock soar.
Especially with her mother Kris managing the affair. Mama Kardashian knows how to broker a deal and all three of the Kardashian sisters have secured lucrative contracts under her guidance.
So for those waiting for the Kardashian fad to pass, or indeed weren't even aware it existed, hear this. Yesterday's announcement hailed a strengthening and cementing of the brand.
The Kardashians are here to stay. It's time you kept up with them.
Read more Joanna Hunkin entertainment opinion .
