Author: Patrick Ruehle

Welcome to the Historical Society of Wyoming’s digital content page for the Official 2099 Morekashian-Best Family Mansion Tour Companion. Following the Social Media Purge of 2049, almost all of Iamde and Whim’s work was lost. However, our expert team of cyber researchers have been able to recover three priceless artifacts, which we are proud to display here.

The first artifact is a performance by Iamde Best on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” a television show very popular in its time. Performing a song from his first album, you can see the groundbreaking talent Iamde had even early on in his career.

The second artifact is the only remaining clip of “Staying in Touch with the Morekashians” still in existence. Fittingly, it portrays Iamde and Whim’s wedding rehearsal. It is an incredibly rare gift to have this insight into one of the happiest times in their relationship.

Our last artifact is a genuine Iamde “music video.” Whim appears in the video alongside Iamde, making it a truly rare find. The song’s lyrics are an honest look at their relationship from Iamde’s perspective and the video displays their passion for each other. The strength of their relationship at this point adds to the tragedy of its sudden end. We warn any sensitive viewers: the song contains explicit lyrics and the video is sexually graphic in parts.

My work focuses on the space between the “reality” presented on social media and the physical reality of human lives. I think human society is in a state of flux as it grapples with the increasing influence of social media. Social media creates a culture of reward-seeking behavior, with an economy where the currency is attention in the form of clicks. The “realities” presented on the pages of the biggest influencers are tailored to attract as much attention as possible without questioning the means by which it is attracted. My work takes a critical view of social media and asks of it: For what? Where will it lead? How does it benefit future generations”?

This project takes the form of a fictional floor plan portfolio distributed by a historical society to participants on a tour of the “Morekashian-Best” family mansion. I parodied the Kardashian-West family because I believe they are an excellent case study for examining the space between real life and the way it is presented on social media. Taking the perspective of a historical society describing the history of the family’s home allows me to explore the question of social media’s impact on future generations.

I owe my inspiration for this project to several sources. First, to Chris Ware’s Building Stories, which showed me how a person’s life can be examined by looking at the space where they live. Second, to the Winchester House for the actual floor plans I used, which serve as a great parallel for social media’s pursuit of gratification without purpose. Thirdly, to the lives of Kim Kardashian-West and Kanye West for providing an incredible pool of material for me to draw from in shaping the content of my project.

The voice of the my project’s written parts is intentionally humorous because I believe audiences are more receptive when they are being entertained. Through humor, I hope to provoke thought in my audience about the growing influence of social media in our lives and whether it is worth the time and attention we give it.