Star of Keeping Up With the Kardashians Kylie Jenner is serving up the sultry in the new Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion WAP music video, and Black Twitter isn’t having it. At all.
Cries of "cultural appropriation," particularly by anyone Kardashian-Jenner, along with memes and gifs mocking Jenner in the music video, registered Black Twitter’s annoyance at her cameo. Jenner’s inclusion as a special guest riled up Twitter users from outside Black Twitter too; so much so that Betty White started trending on Twitter, after the music video dropped. Users of the popular microblogging site indicated that the 98-year-old legendary actress would have been a better cameo choice. Other Twitter commenters said they await the video version with Jenner edited out. And a Change.org petition specifically championing her visual removal from the just-released music video, garnered more than 50,000 signatures as of Saturday afternoon.
In still pictures on TMZ’s website, Jenner is captured on set in a mansion, walking down a Tiffany-blue hallway. In the racy, yet whimsical and colorful video, which dropped at midnight on Friday, Stormi’s mom is filmed in moderate slow-motion, sashaying in rhythmic beat down the hallway, while serving up come-hither looks to the camera. As she caresses her long, deep chestnut mane seductively for the camera, she saunters to and fro, fashioned in animal print attire: thigh-high leopard print boots, body suit with a plunging neckline affixed with a long collar train and opera-length gloves, all made in the same fabric print that matches her boots. In addition to Jenner, the music video features other cameos by prominent chanteuses, including Normani, singer-songwriter Rosalía of Spain, as well as well-known performers from the rap community, Sukihana, Mulatto and Rubi Rose.
The Kardashian-Jenner women are no strangers to accusations of culturally appropriation. In 2018, Khloe Kardashian, during a trip to Dubai, wore a Niqab; Kim Kardashian West wore braids to her husband’s fashion show, in Paris this year; and Kylie Jenner has sported cornrows in the past. Most recently, Khloe wore light pink-colored cornrows, which is the hairstyle typically worn by people most associated with Black, Native American and Egyptian cultures.
So far, Cardi B. has not addressed the specific issue many people have with Jenner’s appearance in the video. Instead, the former stripper, who is married to Offset, of Migos fame and with whom she shares daughter Kulture, responded to the controversy indirectly through a Tweet. The singer-songwriter said she was pleased to be inclusive of powerful, prominent and strong women from myriad races and backgrounds, in the video. Jenner, on the other hand, is keeping mum about the controversy. She has only posted behind-the-scenes pictures of the music video production, on her Instagram. Let’s hope this latest Jenner controversy doesn’t stop her from getting an invitation to the cookout.
Source: TMZ, HipHopWired.com