The E! channel has become nearly synonymous with the Kardashians, having now hosted the original "Keeping Up With..." program and the subsequent spin-offs, including the ill-fated matrimony special of middle Kardashian Kim.
Many have questioned - including Barbara Walters - how viewers could be so riveted to the antics of E!'s reality family, especially considering they're not displaying a particular talent. (The Kardashians themselves consider being able to live out their lives in a fashion that appeals to so many to be a talent in itself.)
The president of the E! channel, Suzanne Kolb, has another answer as to why the Kardashians are such mainstays.
"From every piece of research I've seen, people aspire to be them or to befriend them," she tells The Wrap. "In many ways when you look at the year ... there's obviously been a lot of major events in the Kardashian family's lives. It's just an incredibly fascinating drama that's played out. But at its core, you know that they're going to end up around that dinner table together. ... I think there's something emotionally aspirational around that family dynamic and visually aspirational about the way that family lives."
And although there's been a backlash to the Kardashians, with some even going so far as to petition E! and anyone else working with the family, Kolb says they never considered yanking the Kardashians off the air.
"We take every viewer comment seriously, but no," Kolb says. "We did not consider not being in business with the Kardashians."