A story making the rounds (and finally popping up in the UAE over at
Emirates 24/7
) indicates that Kim Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, may have faked a key "scene" in the Dubai episode of E!'s
Kourtney & Kim Take New York
. In it, the pair sit in a limo with blacked-out windows, with zero background sound, and have the world's most non-emotional conversation (BlackBerry checking included) about what in any other family would prompt screams if not physical violence: a daughter confessing to her mother that just weeks after her extremely expensive, big-deal wedding, she is having second thoughts. The "evidence" being presented online are papparazzi photos taken in December, showing the pair leaving a Los Angeles production studio separately, Kardashian wearing the exact same outfit and hair, Jenner's tell-tale purple tunic seen trailing behind her.
Anyone who watches this show (and yes, I am a recovering Kardashian addict who can proudly say I have just one
Kourtney & Kim Take New York
episode under my belt in 2012, the result of a momentary backslide) knows without a doubt that almost the entire thing is faked. Each sister wakes up in the morning and goes to bed at night in full theatrical make-up. The cast looks bad sometimes, but never too bad. Even their workouts don't seem like real workouts (again with the full make-up). Because they don't sweat. I am not even sure they eat real food on their shows.
Believe me, it's not the quality of these shows that are the draw. If I were to try to define what has been the draw for me, other than the sheer quantity on offer, I would blame a combination of utter inanity, wealth, strangely shiny black hair, a uniformly monotone familial manner of speaking, assorted crazy outfits and the enormously entertaining Scott Disick (the father of Kourtney's child) - who really should get his own show. And while I am sure there are
kernels
of truth in many of the episodes, it only requires a glance to see that most of the scenarios are entirely planned in advance. The following are just a few of the more obvious examples I have witnessed as a result of my previous Kardashian obsession:
•
Kris Jenner and her daughters going for a "power walk" in their neighbourhood, at what appeared to be an
actual
snail's pace, while the "momager" confessed she wanted to change her name back to Kardashian.
VERDICT
: waste of good Lululemon pants.
• Kim taking a far-too-advanced dance class after Prince kicked her off his concert stage, for just
standing there
, only to run out in shame at her inability to execute the moves.
VERDICT
: waste of good Lululemon pants.
• Kim going to visit her new husband Kris Humphries in Minnesota and coming out in a pair of his boxer shorts, saying that was "all she could find to wear".
VERDICT
: waste of the giant Louis Vuitton suitcase she is later shown packing.
• Kourtney visiting her in-laws' house and "cleaning up" for them while they were out, which involved tossing a bunch of their stuff in a pile outside the house, only to learn that her actions were not appreciated.
VERDICT
: fine, there may have been two or three KKTNY episodes in my 2012 so far, but definitely not more than that.
• In that same episode, a strange fight between Kourtney and Scott Disick that suggested he left her, when he really just met her at his parents' house for a weekend getaway.
VERDICT
: Scott Disick is
awesome.
In short, if you must watch these shows (and I understand, there are times when it really cannot be helped) just view any scene where anyone named "Kardashian" or "Jenner" are shopping, having a heartfelt or random conversation, going to sleep, waking up, having an argument with each other, or simply saying nothing at all, as watered-down, massively adjusted versions of what may or may not have happened in their real life. The only real thing about these episodes is the money this crew makes from them.
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%205%2C%201994%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jeff%20Bezos%20founds%20Cadabra%20Inc%2C%20which%20would%20later%20be%20renamed%20to%20Amazon.com%2C%20because%20his%20lawyer%20misheard%20the%20name%20as%20'cadaver'.%20In%20its%20earliest%20days%2C%20the%20bookstore%20operated%20out%20of%20a%20rented%20garage%20in%20Bellevue%2C%20Washington%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%2016%2C%201995%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20formally%20opens%20as%20an%20online%20bookseller.%20%3Cem%3EFluid%20Concepts%20and%20Creative%20Analogies%3A%20Computer%20Models%20of%20the%20Fundamental%20Mechanisms%20of%20Thought%3C%2Fem%3E%20becomes%20the%20first%20item%20sold%20on%20Amazon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E1997%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20goes%20public%20at%20%2418%20a%20share%2C%20which%20has%20grown%20about%201%2C000%20per%20cent%20at%20present.%20Its%20highest%20closing%20price%20was%20%24197.85%20on%20June%2027%2C%202024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E1998%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20acquires%20IMDb%2C%20its%20first%20major%20acquisition.%20It%20also%20starts%20selling%20CDs%20and%20DVDs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2000%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Marketplace%20opens%2C%20allowing%20people%20to%20sell%20items%20on%20the%20website%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2002%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20forms%20what%20would%20become%20Amazon%20Web%20Services%2C%20opening%20the%20Amazon.com%20platform%20to%20all%20developers.%20The%20cloud%20unit%20would%20follow%20in%202006%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2003%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20turns%20in%20an%20annual%20profit%20of%20%2475%20million%2C%20the%20first%20time%20it%20ended%20a%20year%20in%20the%20black%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2005%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Prime%20is%20introduced%2C%20its%20first-ever%20subscription%20service%20that%20offered%20US%20customers%20free%20two-day%20shipping%20for%20%2479%20a%20year%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2006%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Unbox%20is%20unveiled%2C%20the%20company's%20video%20service%20that%20would%20later%20morph%20into%20Amazon%20Instant%20Video%20and%2C%20ultimately%2C%20Amazon%20Video%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2007%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon's%20first%20hardware%20product%2C%20the%20Kindle%20e-reader%2C%20is%20introduced%3B%20the%20Fire%20TV%20and%20Fire%20Phone%20would%20come%20in%202014.%20Grocery%20service%20Amazon%20Fresh%20is%20also%20started%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2009%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20introduces%20Amazon%20Basics%2C%20its%20in-house%20label%20for%20a%20variety%20of%20products%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2010%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20foundations%20for%20Amazon%20Studios%20were%20laid.%20Its%20first%20original%20streaming%20content%20debuted%20in%202013%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2011%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Amazon%20Appstore%20for%20Google's%20Android%20is%20launched.%20It%20is%20still%20unavailable%20on%20Apple's%20iOS%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2014%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Amazon%20Echo%20is%20launched%2C%20a%20speaker%20that%20acts%20as%20a%20personal%20digital%20assistant%20powered%20by%20Alexa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2017%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20acquires%20Whole%20Foods%20for%20%2413.7%20billion%2C%20its%20biggest%20acquisition%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2018%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon's%20market%20cap%20briefly%20crosses%20the%20%241%20trillion%20mark%2C%20making%20it%2C%20at%20the%20time%2C%20only%20the%20third%20company%20to%20achieve%20that%20milestone%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
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EXPATS
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KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc