Lamar Odom Just Couldn't Keep Up With The Kardashians

Being a celebrity is one thing, being a Kardashian is quite another. In a family that has made millions doing very little of importance, Lamar Odom could not get a foothold, at least not a solid one. Tuesday afternoon, Odom was rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious in his room at a Nevada brothel after going on a 4-day prostitute binge. At this very moment, Odom is in a coma with friends and family at his side. It's not been easy for Lamar. Odom's mother died when he was only 12, his father was a cocaine addict and he lost a six-month old child to sudden death syndrome. However, he helped win two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and was, in 2011, named the NBA's Sixth Man Of The Year. Sadly, he is now clinging to life. What changed for him over the last few years? Well, he married a Kardashian. This isn't a direct shot at the Kardashians. They've created their fame and we are all complicit in continuing the circus. Odom is collateral damage and we are all responsible. After only a 30-day courtship, Odom married Khloe in September 2009 on an episode of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians." Even his wedding proposal, normally a personal affair, was broadcasted on the show. Months later, the spin-off "Khloe & Lamar" was created. At first, Odom ate it up. But when filming hit 18 hours a day, 7 days a week for months on end, Odom began to fray. "They want you to be at your wit’s end and tired," explained Khloe, "I think he (Lamar) thought we could send the cameras away whenever you want, but you can’t." Of course, the drama hungry audience becomes even more insatiable when someone is at the end of their tether. The cameras caught Odom becoming increasingly stressed and his game suffered. In 2012, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. The downward spiral became even more steep. He was arrested for a DUI, did a stint in rehab, was caught on tape admitting infidelity, was divorced by Khole, saw the cancellation of "Khloe & Lamar" and his basketball career was more or less over. That would be too much for any man, let alone one living his life in the public domain. Odom said, "I don’t do Twitter, I don’t Instagram. I don’t believe in following people around. It just came with it. Me and that girl fell in love." But of course, this isn't entirely true. Odom actively participated in and pursued this reality television fame. The problem with it is that you have to expose yourself to do so. You have to let the world see your worst, most unattractive and wounded parts. And like Pandora's box, once you open the lid, it is impossible to contain. You become public property. Everywhere you go, people know your business. They think they know you. Only they don't. We don't know Odom. We know the man who married Khloe and had a meltdown. We know the man who went from a champion to being found on the floor of a brothel after taking herbal Viagra. We know the worst parts of Lamar Odom. You would have to be a narcissist to the nth degree to escape that level of invasive scrutiny unscathed. You'd have to be a Kardashian. However, we don't really know any of them either. We know the social media obsessed selves they choose to present. But each and every one of them has made a career out of cultivating and curating their personas. It is what they do. It is how they earn a living. And we, as consumers, eat it right up. We gave Lamar fame and adoration, then turned on him like jackals. Just two months ago, Odom raged at TMZ, "To everybody that supports me: I’m sorry but the dog has to fight back. Y’all won, y’all beat me down, degraded me, said.. I’m a womanizer, a f**ing drug addict, everything. I probably couldn’t even get f***ing hired by Home Depot right now because of how people look at me." Perhaps if he had returned to basketball with the fervor he once had, he may have been able to pull himself out. Now, he's fighting for his life. As Piers Morgan so aptly stated, Lamar Odom "couldn't keep up with the Kardashians. And he never should have tried." What do you think? Was marrying into the Kardashian clan what set these tragic events in motion or would he have found his way there all on his own? Weigh in with your comments! Source: Daily Mail Do you follow us on Instagram? [caption id="attachment_113520" align="alignnone" width="100"] @BodyRockTV[/caption]