Kim Kardashian has decided to face the response to her blackface images head-on.
You’ll remember the images were part of a new campaign to promote her beauty line KKW in which Kardashian West appeared several shades darker than she actually is (you can read our response here).
And while the Kardashian/Jenner clan usually lets comments like these roll off their backs, Kim has decided to address the controversy. She said,
“I would obviously never want to offend anyone. I used an amazing photographer and a team of people. I was really tan when we shot the images, and it might be that the contrast was off. But I showed the image to many people in the business. No one brought that to our attention. No one mentioned it.”
She added,
“Of course, I have the utmost respect for why people might feel the way they did. But we made the necessary changes to that photo and the rest of the photos. We saw the problem, and we adapted and changed right away. Definitely, I have learned from it.”
This is what we call “a fake apology.” Never does she say the word “sorry,” never does she say the words “I was wrong.” In fact, it’s more of a defense than an apology. The big take away from her statement is “well, we got the go-ahead and we didn’t see anything wrong with it.”
The issue is that Kardashian hasn’t actually addressed what has offended everyone. It’s not merely about photo editing or getting a tan. It’s about the fact that she’s monetizing another group’s culture for your own gain.
Yes, your husband is black and your children are half black. But you yourself are not black. And you do not have a right to present yourself as such, especially when a whole group of people have been historically marginalized and discriminated against for their skin tone. And now you don’t get to benefit.
