Who exactly is Kim Kardashian? Why is her family famous?

I know Bruce Jenner is famous for being an olympian but seriously...why is Kim Kardashian and her family famous? To me, it looks like E! was hard up for a reality show and Ryan Seacrest had a crush on Kim, so then BAM!...they now have a show. It happens to be the worst show on television but that's not the point. Why have we (as a society) made heiresses like Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and their tag-along wanna-be friends famous (i.e. Kim Kardashian)? Does anyone else agree that famed celebrities have taken a nose dive in recent years? Seriously, who cares about Heidi Montag and Lauren Conrad? We've let the "B" list become the "A" list just because of cat fights and big es. Thoughts please!