It appears as though American Olympic broadcaster NBC have not been the only ones to make a fool of themselves with connection to the name ‘Kardashian’ over the past few months, after 2012 swimming gold medalist Ryan Lochte described reality TV personality Kim Kardashian as a person he wants to be able to emulate.
While such a claim could be taken out of context due to Lochte currently promoting new reality show What Would Ryan Lochte Do? on E! (the same network which airs Keeping Up with the Kardashians), he is now on the record with claims that that he wishes to ‘emulate’ the socialite’s ‘career path’.
28-year-old Lochte (who won 2012 Olympic medals in the 400m medley, 4 x 200m freestyle (both gold), 200m medley, 4 x 100m freestyle (both silver), and 200m backstroke (bronze)) will through his new show allow fans to follow his attempts to train and qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games, as well as offering some insight into his personal life.
However, while discussing his new show through The Hollywood Reporter, Lochte made comments which could alienate him a little with fans who followed him beforehand, as he claimed to ‘greatly admire’ Kim Kardashian and her ability to become established as a reality TV ‘brand’. He noted: “Kim started from pretty much nothing, and now everyone everywhere knows who she is. That’s what I want to do. I’ve seen what E! has done in the past with reality shows like hers. Today, she’s huge.”
To increase his chances of achieving such an emulation, Lochte has announced that he is considering moving cross-country to Los Angeles, the city where the Kardashians made their name through the family reality show. He added of the city’s appeal to him: “It’s a perfect environment. During the days, it’s so sunny and I can go to the beach, and night it gets cold so I can bundle up in those covers. And I’m not going to lie, I like the nightlife. I like to party and dance. I like having a good time.”
Premiering on 19 April, What Would Ryan Lochte Do? might on paper have the potential to be an intriguing show that offers a more extended look behind-the-scenes of a well-known athlete, but some of that effect is probably lost considering its network and what its star aspires to be like.
While the swimmer is entitled to his own opinion, and the Kardashian sisters have obviously had plenty of success in their field that can be admired in its own way, they are the sort of personalities that many parents wouldn’t want their young daughters wanting to become, let alone a decorated Olympian… if he carries on at this rate he’ll probably be seen in a lower light than Lance Armstrong:
