Kim Kardashian West is in some hot water (again). The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star had a recent photoshoot for 7HOLLYWOOD, wherein she wore Elizabeth Taylor's signature black sequined dress paired with a glamorous brunette bob evocative of old-Hollywood glam. The photos were NOT well-received as many fans thought Kim was "blackfishing," aka darkening her complexion and hair to pretend to be of African-American descent for social media purposes.
Since Keeping Up with the Kardashians aired in 2007, Kim was shot into stardom and has been entertaining the reality TV audiences ever since. The beauty mogul married rapper Kanye West in 2014. The two currently have four children - North, 6, Saint, 4, followed by daughter Chicago, 23-months, and seven-month-old Psalm. This isn't the first time Kardashian West has been accused of cultural appropriation. Her line of shapewear, SKIMS, was originally called Kimono. After receiving a letter from a Japanese mayor, Kardashian West quickly understood the breadth of the situation and made immediate changes before the line launched. She was also accused of using blackface in 2017 when she launched her makeup brand, KKW Beauty.
In this situation, Kardashian West referred to the photoshoot as a "dream," which showcased designer Thierry Mugler's clothing, but many of West's followers were disappointed in the appearance of her skin. Kardashian West was accused of "blackfishing." Twitter users took feverishly to the comments, calling Kardashian West out for cultural appropriation. Many fans stepped up to defend the beauty mogul, drawing comparisons to Hollywood beauties like Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor. Others were less enthusiastic, accusing West of mimicking black actresses like Angela Bassett, Eartha Kitt, and even Beyoncé in her Dream Girls performance. Check out Kim's original tweet below:
Other followers were more vocal in their disapproval, leaving comments like, "BLACKFISH!! I had to take a good 3 looks to realize it was you." Even internet personality Jerome Trammel chose to respond: "You helped get some Black people out of jail & you thought we were going to let this slide? Nah!" West also shared the shoot on Instagram, where aggravated fans continued to share their opinions. While Kardashian West has yet to respond to the backlash, a source close to the family claimed it was the lighting that made her appear darker in the shoot. Page Six also quoted the source as stating "People are so quick to find the negative in everything and also often forget that she is of Armenian descent.”
It's disappointing to see comments like this, but it comes with the territory of being a famed influencer. In a world where everyone is free to express their opinions, there's always going to be someone that's unhappy with what's posted on social media. Those living under the microscope that is the world of reality television have to deal with the brunt of it, constantly on the defense, as we see in cases like this one. It's clear that many fans are divided about Kardashian West's recent photoshoot, but it's almost certain that the famous Keeping Up with the Kardashians star will find a way to stay relevant.
Source: Kim Kardashian West, Page Six