Interview Magazine’s September issue has two special cover girls: Kim Kardashian and North West. Interview declares Kim to be “America’s New First Lady,” and the photos are of Kim basically doing Jackie Kennedy drag. Personally, none of this offends me. I’d rather see Kim doing Jackie drag than exposing all of her bits and pieces. Plus, the styling strangely suits Kim – she should seriously consider wearing more of these kinds of mod, ‘60s silhouettes. North’s styling rocks too – she’s a beautiful little girl and it’s cute to see her in vintage-looking little dresses. As for calling Kim “America’s New First Lady”… come on, they’re trying to get a rise out of you. Personally, I think Kim is WAY better than poor old Melania, so I guess I’m probably the target audience for this.
As for the actual interview in Interview… Kim is interviewed by Janet Mock, trans activist, writer and all-around cool person. North is interviewed too! North says her momma is her best friend, and her favorite color is “rainbow” (precious). Some quotes from Kim:
Raising biracial children: “I’m very conscious of it. Kanye always has his family around and people who look like my daughter — that’s important to me.”
North’s hair: North is “obsessed with her curly hair,” noting that “if she finds someone who has the same hair, she runs to them and is like, ‘You have curly hair like me?’ And we get to talk about it.”
Penelope Disick is North’s real best friend: “She and North look really different, but they’re best friends and they’re together all the time.”
How she wants to raise her kids: “[We want to] raise our kids to be really aware… I think that’s all you can do. The more you talk about things and keep them out in the open, the more they won’t be taboo. Kids are already so open. They say anything. So if you educate them, they feel like they have this knowledge and then they feel empowered.”North’s normal life: “When I’m out and people call North’s name, that’s when it’s weird for me. She lives such a normal life, believe it or not, at home. I try to make sure we have set meals at home, to keep everything as normal as possible.”
She’s not lazy: “You can say a lot of things about me, but you cannot say I don’t work hard. I don’t sing. I don’t dance. I don’t act. But I am not lazy.”
“I’m very conscious of it. Kanye always has his family around and people who look like my daughter — that’s important to me.” I wish she would do and say more on this topic. Kim gets dragged a lot – much of it justified, some of it not so – for not doing and saying enough about racial issues. I tend to think that if Kanye was more involved, then Kim would be too – she would follow his lead, just as she’s following his lead now by not being too engaged. As her kids grow up, race is going to be a bigger part of the conversation of their individual identities. Kim and Kanye need to be prepared for those conversations.
PS… Some have commented that Kim’s skin looks darker than usual in these Interview photos. I think it’s a combination of darker makeup, a tan and the photography?
Photos courtesy of Interview.
No no no NOPE NO NOOOOO NOPE NO NO.
She is trying to be match her daughter’s skin tone and also going for the Jackie O look here. Can we please be done with this family?!?!
Wouldn’t that be the photographer and editorial staff’s jobs at Interview? Kim didn’t commission these photos. I doubt she was standing over the photoshop person saying, “Make me darker!” I think the photos are beautiful and I also think North is one of the prettiest little girls I’ve ever seen.
@Sherry – don’t you think she would have final say on the pictures and maybe say something about how they photoshopped her? She saw them and could have said no.
Perhaps this is in response to North having already posed the question, “Mummy, why don’t I look like you?”… On a totally shallow note (and I’ll kick my own self for it) her huge lips are very off-putting. She now looks like a wide-mouthed frog.
@Sherry North reminds me of how pretty Kim was before she started messing with her face.
She literally had this problem with her countour pics where she was made many shades darker than her real self. She apologised, and removed the pics…now THIS? C’mon dude. Stop.
So ridiculous. Go away!
There are not enough “No’s” on the planet for this sh*t.
She defended Jeffree Star and she’s a black culture vulture so yeah, byyyyyyye.
“if she finds someone who has the same hair, she runs to them and is like, ‘You have curly hair like me?’ And we get to talk about it.”
What does this even mean?
On a superficial note, North is stunning child.
@ Kitten Exactly. Why do I feel like this site gives her more & more of a pass? I don’t even know where to begin on how many ways their culture stealing ways are so pathetic.
Yes North is beautiful. She’s the best part of this mess.
And her stans are out in full force, I noticed.
“It’s just a tan!!!!!” might cut it if Kim and her family didn’t have a history of exploiting and misappropriating black culture as well as stealing designs from struggling African-American designers. She was just accused of blackface for the promotional photos of her makeup line mere MONTHS ago. She issued an apology afterwards claiming that she was now aware of the issue but typical Kim: she learned nothing at all.
Wouldn’t be surprised if it is the Swift thing. Granted, I think Swift is ACTUALLY an un-aware supervillian, despite pretending to be the opposite. But that doesn’t necessarily make her “enemies” much better. Katy Perry is an embarrassment, and so are Kimye.
Kim, before she messed up her face, was stunning and Kanye has always been a good-looking man when he isn’t running around in some stupid crap like those window-blinds shades. His mother was a handsome woman. So it’s not surprising that North is so pretty. But for all of Kim’s gushing about how Nori loves her curly hair… I don’t actually see North’s hair “free”, so to speak, all that often. You can have hairstyles for “African” textured curls that let them loose while also being neat — some of my friends with black and mixed race kids style their girls with some of the most adorable out-of-the-face afro styles (because kids cannot be trusted with totally non-contained hair. They WILL find a way to get gum or the equivalent in it. They ALWAYS find a way. And the snags and stickiness for curly hair is often much harder to handle). Tons of adorable headbands and clips. My favorite is one that the tomboy/punk rock loving tot got – a Mo-fro. A sort of fauxhawk/afro mix that is just amazing. Aside from a couple of top knots, I don’t see Nori’s curls out that often — not that there’s anything wrong with that necessarily. Like I said, little kids can’t be trusted with free-flowing hair, regardless of race, and there is a reason heavy braiding has always been such a mainstay. It’s a way of avoiding the nightly canola-oil gum/treesap/hardened play-dough extraction without having to chemically straighten your kid’s hair. But let’s not pretend Kim is some natural-curls-everywhere champ, either.
As for the skin-darkening, if this were anyone other than Kim Kardashian, I might buy the “lighting/tanning” excuse. In some of the shots, she’s still lighter than North, but in others… no. She was specifically photoshopped darker to “match” her daughter. Given the Karsashians’… shall we say… unfortunate history, it earns a side-eye from me. It wouldn’t shock me if Kim cluelessly decided it would be “kute” to “match” North more.
Why is it so unacceptable for her to encourage her daughter to appreciate and openly discuss the ethnic qualities that she shares with others? Seems like a healthy attitude to me. I think Kim is quite aware of the kind of environment her biracial children are being born into, and she’s being sensitive to that.
Creepy af.
+10000
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION.
NOT OKAY.
This cover literally makes me ill. Terrible move Interview Mag – f’ing awful.
I can’t believe my eyes – Kim Kardashian is USA 1st lady.
THIS IS THE END.
Baaarrrrrrf!
Hmmm, NO.
I don’t want to stir anything and I could be wrong but, really, you don’t think there’s a problem with her skin tone?!
Because I did a triple take the first time I saw the pics…
Yes there is. They darkened it to match her daughters and that really bothered me. Her obsession with being black and appropriating blackness is just too much. That whole families obsession I should say. So sick of them.
I wonder what Nori really thinks about her mother’s ever-changing face and skin color.
And this color is definitely not natural for Kim. Her mother is of pale Northern European ancestry and her father was Armenian (who are considered in the white category by themselves and others). Her natural coloring isn’t pale, but it’s not that dark either. She has never tanned to that color naturally. It’s all makeup. She is trying to match Nori’s coloring in this photo. But Nori’s coloring comes from a blend of her mother and father, so I don’t know why Kim feels the need not to be her relatively natural self. Will Nori feel the need to bleach or darken her skin when she gets older, to match whatever parent she is with?
It is really bad. She has no shame about repeatedly engaging in cultural appropriation.
This family just needs to be cancelled.
There’s definitely something wrong.
I agree, because when she said “having people around that look like her” my reactions was – but YOU look like her. Then I realized they photoshopped her darker.
Photoshop but also makeup. They missed some spots on her knees.
This was my first thought as well. Sigh.
It’s called a tan.
… maybe
@ Sara check out her recent Instagram photos. This isn’t “a tan”.
JUGIL1,
I just looked, and wow. That’s really bad.
Actually, I think it’s called black face.
White people don’t get that shade, no matter how much we tan. I’ve seen all shades of red and dark brown, but we don’t turn that color. Whether photo shopped or the result of make-up, it’s not real. It’s disgusting. And I doubt Jackie O would approve of any of this foolishness.
freewhitebaby –
I’m half white and half Indian and you better believe that I tan that dark. Kim has olive toned skin and it’s completely believable that she tans dark (I mean, seriously, this is not the first time she’s had a tan, despite what this comments section suggests). Her face matches her legs and arms and I can’t even believe I am defending her, but it is gross that people are legitimately policing her skin tone. Would you claim a black person to not really be black if their skin was pale? With so much to discuss about Kim, I can’t understand why this is a point to discuss. By the way, is Kim white? Am I? You know there is a lot of gray area in there for people who are mixed. Go monitor your fellow white people and get off my lawn.
Boobytrap- you can tan darker undoubtedly because of your Indian genetics. Kim’s parents are not in the same category. Her mother comes from pale people. Her father was Armenian, a bit darker than his wife. But he just didn’t have the genetics to pass on any that would let Kim tan that dark.
It really is weird that Kim is doing this, artificially coloring her skin so dark compared to her natural complexion. It does look like the infamous blackface. Her face matches her arms and legs because makeup was applied to everything that showed. Her natural skin color with or without a tan looks fine, so why deliberately go to such extremes? Does she think she has to for some reason? That her daughter won’t accept her otherwise? Or that her daughter won’t feel accepted herself? Where is she getting such ideas?
But jwoolman, you miss my point. My mom is Irish, blonde hair, blue eyes and arguably paler than Kris. Indians aren’t one colour of brown. We happen to come from the north, which is comparable to a spaniard or an armenian. The point was, you can’t call her skin colour artificial, when it is likely not. Am I deliberately going to extremes when I get too much sun? Ya’ll are reaching hard with this argument and it’s annoying.
Yeah, because North and Kim have ever been the same complexion…I’m so tired of her “darkening” herself when it’s convenient. Kanye always has his family around North? I didn’t know that he had family in Calabasas or Paris, because that’s pretty much where Kim goes.
Kanye’s aunt was shown several times escorting Baby Nori to get passport photos, go to the doctor, etc. I doubt that she has pulled away. Plus one of the very young “nannies” escorting toddler Nori was identified as a cousin on Kanye’s side. That was during those endless pap shots (when the kid had had enough of the paps and was telling them so; the nannies apparently were told to step aside to give the photographers a clear shot so she would be shown all by herself with a disturbed look on her face).
My bet is that his family is careful not to let Kanye’s kids be raised entirely by klueless Kardashians. The real problem will arise if Kim officially divorces Kanye at any point. I wouldn’t count on her sensitivity to racial matters to last very long after that. She probably has no choice but to accept his family at this point because that is what Kanye wants. Will she welcome their continued help after a divorce? Hard to say.
Hopefully Nori isn’t bummed out any more by cameras in her face. But my first thought was that Kim must be over all her trauma and decision to be more cautious. That poor kid’s face is so well known now as Kim’s prop. Doesn’t seem safe to me, either physically or emotionally. Kim still doesn’t seem to get basic security concepts.
I don’t think the pictures are that big of a deal. I know of social media people are all upset about her trying to be a “black Jackie O” but honestly I don’t really care, she does look nice in the 60s outfits and this is really just for people to talk more about her than Taylor swift.
The interview with North is really cute, Kim may not have started out as a great mum but now it seems like her relationship with North and Saint is great
She’s not black! That’s why people are pissed. Blackface (or something pretty damn close to it) is not okay, ever.
LOL like yeah…the “black Jackie O” (which is ridiculous in and of itself) should at the very least be black, no?
This^^^ both of you!
I dont see why people are so obsessed with a person’s skin tone especially if an individual is not trying to be offensive. I dont get the outrage….her lips though, now those offend me
Ethnicity isn’t a cool costume ffs.
Because she is purposely darkening her skin to look more ethnic. Or black. That is not a tan, they painted her up to look like she has dark skin like her mixed daughter. Because apparently, matching to your black accesory is ok in her mind. Her family make a living marketing wigs and weaves, things black women have been insulted for wearing. But apparently, it’s cool when a white person does it. I’m white, but I remember nasty people insulting black women by talking about their fake hair. But now, it’s cool cause the Kardashians do it. Can you imagine what a slap in the face that has to be for black women who have been insulted for wearing the same hairstyles? And then They’re family loves to date black men and have black babies, but have you ever heard they speak on black issues? This little fluff piece b.s. doesn’t count. This is Kim being the woke mom of mixed kids. But if she was really woke (aware of black issues), they would speak out on black people’s sides. But silence from them on every single thing that has happened. From cops killing black people to Charlottesville! Not a word. But hey, when it’s time to dress up your accessory and paint your skin darker to match, she’s down with it!
@cherrypie
If your mom was black and put on whiter makeup to match your skin tone, wouldn’t you think that was a little weird? Like she wanted to be white so bad, she wanted to look just like you?
Uhhhhh, I usually avoid stories on this nonesense but that photo makes me incredibly uncomfortable. She is NOT that dark naturally. That’s dangerous close to black face. She and her sisters have spent enough time appropriating from Black women.
It is a bit more than dangerously close.
Yeah… there’s a black and white photo on her Instagram, and it’s really, really bad.
@Shambles – saw that one… and stopped to look immediately. It’d distractingly awful.
Nah, I think this could be considered blackface.
Dear God, I also get a tan like this in the summer. Didn’t know I was supposed to stay inside to avoid ‘blackface’.
@Sara, But when you get a tan in the summer you’re not doing that specifically because you want to appear black, right?
Sara this is Kim’s (more or less, I’m sure she’s still tanned a little) natural skin tone from 2008: http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Kim+Kardashian/Fontainebleau+Miami+Beach+Grand+Opening/FeZkFCfGjLI
I don’t think that skin tone can naturally translate to what is in that photo above. It’s manipulation 100%
(as an aside she was so gorgeous then. If only she’d stopped there)
I love it. Interview is perfect for Kim as she’s a very Warholian kind of celeb. Good interview too.
Andy Warhol would have loved her. This is very true. Celebrity for celebrity sake.
We already have a Michelle Obama, Kim.
Exactly and Michelle Obama is a brilliant woman who never played famewhore games just for fame. Michelle Obama has actually contributed to society in a positive way and doesn’t play stupid games like this one wearing blackface.
+1,000
Michelle Obama is such an incredibly classy person. Love her. Can’t stand Kim but I have to say North is just gorgeous.
Educated classy beautiful person and super smart. That is MObama. She is bigger than Jackie O cos she has the voice.
And then there is Kkw. The opposite.
I find this photoshoot to be repulsive
and let’s be real, Michelle Obama is far above Jackie in terms of class. Jackie was beautiful and stylish but not much substance there. So Kris Jenner is straight out of the Jackie playbook – her mom raised her to find and marry rich men. Jackie got JFK, and when she lost him, she married an even older, even richer man. Let’s not pretend Jackie is above all this fame hungry, gold digging life Kim is about.
+1, lunchcoma.
I can’t believe she tried to pull this again.
Beautiful child.
(I’m stopping there deliberately)
yes. that child is truly sweet and beautiful. that is all.
I’m with you. Something is wrong but North is so right.
North is adorable. I love her in that little dress too, i think because its such a change from what she usually wears. I am excited to watch her grow into her own style and self.
I second both of these statements.
If she married Trump and became the First Lady it wouldn’t be the most shocking thing to have happened in past couple of years. I’d probably just take it in my stride at this point.
I kinda wondered if they were throwing some shade here, i mean Kim is exactly what Trump thinks a perfect women should be, all sexed up with very little to say.
She darkened herself. Possibly to have the same tone of skin as North. I also would be cautious about putting my daughter on a magazine cover, I don’t know, it feels like she is teaching her so much emphasis on looks.
She is teaching her that even without a cover. That is all she knows and all she has to pass on.
Ok but…the magazine did it? Not her. So why is she getting all the flak? We should be angry at the photographer/Interview magazine.
She had final approval of the cover, I’m sure.
North is gorgeous-that’s all I got.
The editorial choices here seem so cynical. Of course the Kennedy family image has been referenced in popular culture for decades now. And there is nothing necessarily wrong about that. But this just doesn’t work for me at all. It seems hopeless and sad for some reason–maybe because the pics of Jackie O and the kids alone references their life after Nov ’63? I am clearly overthinking this.
I’m with ya — to even infer that this fame-ho is in the same league as Jackie O disgusts me. Jackie was the epitome of class and discretion, two words that just can never be said about kim. and, please hear me, journalists: she is not this country’s first lady. I think we’re stretching it on the ‘lady’ definition.
Not a fan of hers, but I wish she would wear more classic cut things like this. I agree, this suits her (and anyone?) more than the skin tight, nude/pink shit she wears every day.
Me too, but she has no style or taste so it will never happen.
I’m stuck in the twilight zone. Trump as president & now kim k as the first lady. Terrifying!!!
I don’t find it offensive, exactly. That is far too strong a word.
But it does bother me. Kim Kardashian is the first lady of nothing else but crass, attention seeking greed. Styling her as Jackie O infers that she’s got some degree of style and mystique and she possesses neither.
That last picture is interesting – you can see her old face (circa 2007) peeking out.
I was thinking that too – it’s like she’s had another round of fillers and tweaking that have then brought parts of her face back to their original appearance!
They should just go ahead and change their last name, Kim and Kylie Dolezal. They’re no better than her, they need to be called out on this.
This pictures are so offensive. Jackie must be rolling over in her coffin. Jackie Kennedy Onassis was a classy refined upper class woman who would be horrified to be channeled by a famewhore like Kim.
Serious slow clap on this!! Jackie O was the epitome of class and she would have probably considered it an insult to have KK channel her. Kim is a beautiful woman in her own right (she paid for it) so why try to look like someone else? North is precious, even if she is Kanye’s kid.
Just because a lady is super into clothes, has the right background and marries the right husband, that does not make her “classy”. Must be rich people’s nostalgia. Jackie O is no different than Princess Diana: born with a silver spoon and famous for being famous. In that sense, Nicky Hilton is the closest modern version, if you REALLY think about it.
Why are we still celebrating a family of narcissistic Trump supporters?
Kim doesn’t support Trump; I’ll give her that. I think she’s the only one who openly supported Barack Obama; the rest are Republican even Kylie and Khloe.
I am casting a disappointed side-eye at Janet Mock.
I also don’t believe that Kim is sensitive to issues of race, etc. I think that she has been coached on how to respond after dragged on so many occasions for being tone-deaf and offensive. Remember, this is the woman who claimed to not be aware of racism until Kanye opened her eyes to it, in spite of the fact that she dated several Black men before him.
If she were sensitive to issues of race, she wouldn’t be photographed in blackface, which is what those pictures are.
Right! She’s been coached to say that, if she was so aware she wouldn’t still be working with Jeffrey star, and telling people to get over his bs. I don’t believe north or even Kim’s family hangs out with black people (except for some black celebs for photo ops).
I am curious, was this interview done before or after that issue with that make up artist? I can’t recall the artist’s name but he had made racist remarks and Kim said something along the line of ” people should get over it”
I’m sorry but she is totally black-facing. she’s shameless
I’ve seen other pictures where she was accused of this and I really just felt like it was contouring. But this one is very clearly obviously done to make her the same skin tone as her child. Which is disturbing.
Stop trying to steal my and my beautiful biracial and black brother and sister’s melanin Kim. I’m so over her and her Madame Tussaud’s museum of a family thinking she can borrow blackness when it’s convenient. My skin is not something you can borrow, neither is her daughter’s.
Just playing devil’s advocate, but is it possible that her skin tone is due to editing after the fact? I’m no Kim apologist, but it’s conceivable that she had nothing to do with it. It wouldn’t be the first time a magazine had darkened someone’s complexion ie: Newsweek’s cover of OJ’s mugshot.
Kim and her family have a terrible track record of using blackness whenever they feel like it and we all know Kim gets these shots before they’re published and wields enough power to ask for different editing. I won’t give the benefit of the doubt to someone who uses blackness and peels it off like a costume when convenient.
SHE HAS A TAN and THE PHOTOS HAVE A FILTER.
she will get dragged no matter what.
I choose to KEEP IT MOVING.
A normal tan does not darken a person’s skin this much.
What?? You can tan as dark as you like. There is no universal limit. 🙄
Yes it does.
She’s not some unknown model. She can and should negotiate for photo shoots that avoid this sort of filter, especially since this isn’t the first time she’s been called on blackface.
Why would she negotiate it when she clearly likes being tan??? Plus, there’s a filter on it. I dunno why you guys aren’t seeing that North’s skin is clearly not the same shade as Kim’s. You guys want to drag Kim for the dumbest shit; it takes away the validity from real criticisms.
I refuse to believe that she does not negotiate for editorial approval or whatever it’s called of every photo shoot in which she participates. She absolutely knew what these pix were going to look like, and she approved them.
Because using filters to achieve the effect of blackface is as bad as achieving the look by using makeup. If she likes being filtered in a way that evokes racist skits, that only speaks to her poor taste.
Yes, lunchcoma, yes!
Hmm.
Well, that was interesting.
What kills me is, she can’t just leave well enough alone. Surrounding North with people that look like her? Sure. Okay.
Following the statement up with, “Penelope & North look really different, but they’re really best friends…”
To phrase it like she did, it comes across as if it’s some sort of miracle two little kids clique- despite their massive differences they had to grapple with & overcome regarding how they look.
Wtf? Kids DGAF about that. She does though, which is why she (almost) went out of her way to say it- & why I think she digitally altered her complexion to look a little more like her kid.
+ 1
I was biting my tongue, but jeez, SHE is obsessed by the child’s blackness. Absolutely provide her with black role models, etc., but to obsess about it is not normal, either. My son is biracial and has cousins who are black and cousins who are white. I would never be like “he gets along so well with Cousin X, even though they look nothing alike.” What in the entire eff?
“he gets along so well with Cousin X, even though they look nothing alike.”
That comment was SO effin weird, like she has to make it a thing to point out that North gets along so well with her white cousin? Huh????
Awful. Really sad to pass this focus on to her kids, which, clearly is happening.
I really don’t believe North and Saint stand much of a chance. Kim has an odd focus on the colour of their skin tone.
!!!!!! wt effin’ f indeed.
She’s trying to show how cool she is. In her head
Yes, that was the dumbest thing she said and made me cringe for that child.
Her daughter is absolutely beautiful. That’s about the only nice thing I can say here.
OMG. What is this country coming to? First DTRump and now this? #notmypresident and #not the firstlady. This is a sad joke.
There is something really off with both their faces in the second pic. As for her skintone, it doesn’t look right but I think someone just messed with lighting and and possibly a filter. When you google paparazzi pics of her, her skintone varies wildly from light to really dark (fake tanned into oblivion). What’s definitely off here is the undertone which looks more green than her usual yellow. Although it’s hard to tell in these pics.
Ok in all fairness to Kim she does tan to a darker tone. There are pictures from 2000 that show this.
However, her history surrounding race is so problematic that it is hard not to side eye her or have doubts.
North is a sweet dumpling.
Klassy! I don’t know much about socialite fashion, but I think those are evening gloves, with a day dress, a combo which Jackie O would be unlikely to wear.
No. Just no. From every possible vantage point.
Thought they were going to keep their children from being exposed to the public like this. Guess that’s all out the window now. Yes, North is adorable.
Was she ever very pale? She’s always seemed to have a tan, but I don’t know if it was real or a spray tan. North gets cuter and prettier every day
Yes, she pretty pale under her use of self tanner. Just Google “Kim Kardashian no makeup pregnant” and the first photo there will show how pale her skintone is without the use of tanning lotions which I think she stopped using for a while when she was pregnant.
Why does the public continuously buy her products and watch that stupid show?
Kim – please stop trying to be something you are not, from a classy first lady to a woman of African American descent, you are neither…
North is adorable. The rest is a big NO.
She looks nice in these outfits but I don’t get it….the “new first lady”? What does that mean? It’s like when she got married (the first time) and I think People mag dubbed it “America’s royal wedding” (it was a few months after Will and Kate’s.)
Um, no. It was not a royal wedding, you are not America’s royalty, you are not our new first lady. None of it. Just stop.
She seems to do well for herself, and is certainly very successful at marketing herself, but in my opinion these kinds of gimmicks are just over the top and ludicrous.
Not blackface. Kim is obsessed with tanning and looking bronze. At what point do we consider tanning blackface?? Y’all can hate KK for being shallow but you can’t say she’s blackface when she very obviously gets tans all the time. Take 30 seconds to look at her Instagram.
I also think it’s think she’s always been this way. I’m a black woman, grew up by the coast, and always saw people on the beach tanning. It never crossed my mind that they were trying to darkening their skin to look like they’re black
She does not look bronze in those pictures. Bronze Kim is pictured on the thread with Kanye.
You are right. It just looks odd and unnatural. It is the tone of the color. It is more brown than tan. This woman…
If the photographer used a filter like some are stating then North would be darker than normal too.
Also, people don’t tan that evenly. Faces have peaks and plains. We don’t tan evenly. Her skin was selected in photoshop and the hue, saturation were adjusted along with a level or curve adjustment that changes lightness/darkness.
“People don’t tan that evenly” –> why is everyone here a tanning expert. Literally just look at her instagram for the past few weeks and you’ll notice that she’s very dark. She likes being tan.
Yeah I also tan like this. People are crazy, and all these ‘blackface’ allegations do is undermine actual racism.
Little North is indeed adorable.
She’s been doing that skin tone for AGES now, look back at her photos with Paris in the early 2000s. She loves a good tan. The only time she looked paler was when she was pregnant because she could not get into a tanning bed or be sprayed.
Thank you. When people collectively attack her for something that isn’t true, it really hurts the authenticity of any valid criticisms that we may have. People need to give a rest.
I don’t know how long Kim has been tanning but even when she was a young teenager (13/14) she would get pretty brown. I always thought Kim Kardashian was Mexican or half Latina; her father was also very swarthy.
Not the color shown here. That’s not how someone with her genetics tans. That’s makeup intended to make her look like her daughter.
Whites who tan want that bronze “glow” which signals “I’m really white but got a tan on the beach”, not to look African-American. If they walked around with that color, they would be taken for black and would quickly get tired of experiencing the joys of American racism first-hand.
In the US, skin color is typically the primary defining characteristic used to put people in different racial categories. Facial features are secondary. This is why Caucasians from India are so often treated as black, because despite their quintessentially Caucasian features – their skin color is often dark enough to put them in the black racial category here. It gets rather murky sometimes because we have so much variety and such diverse genetic blends here.
And yes, it’s all very weird.
I think people are upset because she (and her family) uses blackness as something she can take on and off as she pleases. So yes, it is shocking to see her with the same skin tone as her mixed race child, especially when it’s become more and more clear that the family thinks being black is a costume or something. Just because she’s been doing it a long time doesn’t necessarily make it okay, especially when a pattern has been established.
Tanning is fine but everything else clearly is not. The everything else makes her tanning suspect.
Okay, so she’s not allowed to tan anymore, like she has for the past 20 years of her life? She has always gotten dark (almost to the tone of her daughter). You guys realize Kim is already naturally darker than white, AND she likes to tan. You guys hold her to such ridiculous standards. Her entire makeup empire is based on her being “bronze”. Now that she a mixed race child, she has to be so politically correct that she can’t tan past the point of her daughter’s shade? We can criticize her for perpetuating an unrealistic body image (surgery + facetune). But when we jump on her throat for something as harmless as tanning, when do we lose credibility?
@Poop: I can’t reply to you directly but Kim is actually quite pale naturally. And you’ve ignored the fact that this is in conjunction with her using blackness in general. The tanning itself wouldn’t be problematic if there weren’t other problems with her and her family using blackness and black men to their advantage.
@poop
She’s trying to match her daughter’s skin tone, ie, look more ethnic. How do you not see this as an issue? And the whole ” I’m such a cool mom of mixed kids. ” Interview.. smh.. When has their family EVER spoken on black issues? Never. But they are perfectly happy making money selling wigs and weaves and being praised for it. But black women are insulted for it. She wants to be black when it’s convenient, THAT’S the problem. and I’m white, married to a black man. But I would never darken my skin to match my husband’s in pictures. That’s obviously what she is doing. I also know I’m white
The tone is wrong for a tan. She looks like a light black woman. Darkly tanned white people don’t look like light skinned black women. The more I look at it the cringe gets stronger.
there is no way that this person, who lives and dies by how she looks in the mirror, is actually tanning. she’s using tanning products, spray tans, and darker foundation.
Ugh to Kim. The Kartrashians strike again.
North is cute, though.
Janet Mock is a POS. Kim actually looks nice, this style suits her. North is adorable.
Didn’t Jackie Kennedy start a sun-kissed craze anyway. She was naturally swarthy because of her father Black Jack and since so many (white) women were obsessed with her maybe she got upper-class women away from the alabaster craze.
North West is best friends with Penelope even though they look different. I can’t even fathom the reasoning behind that statement.
She must love the smell of DHA.
Right? Surprised she hasn’t od’d on it
I’m so incredibly tired of looking at her face.
Can’t say I’m shocked by the cover headline. We are in the age of Trump after all. *Sigh*
“You can say a lot of things about me, but you cannot say I don’t work hard. I don’t sing. I don’t dance. I don’t act. But I am not lazy.”
Well.. I guess she’s right. Photoshopping every selfie she takes is hard work.
Oh and I do hope it’s makeup, because I don’t want to see all those ‘isnt she so brave?’ stories if (when?) she develops skin cancer.
The whole family is SO EXHAUSTING. Why aren’t we done with them? Why can’t we be done with them??? What’s taking so long for their 15 minutes to be up?!?!
I’ve heard the white person from a mixed couple joking that they are honorary brown, and their partner supported it.
So this weird – I married into a ethnic group, now I am that ethnic group thing, its not just isolated to Kim.
Ew all around.
Except for North, that is.
She’s the first lady of the current America, which is a joke that’s run by incompetent, ignorant, image obsessed, thin skinned people who will defend their racist peers and denounce every proof of blatant racisme as make believe. At the same time, they masquerade their own rascisme by surroundings itself with poc holding cardboards to acclaim a support of a community who despise them. That’s why she’s the first lady of America, because she’s complicit to racism, fame and money hungry, she looks out for her own being before anyone else.
Her remark shows me that she doesn’t understand or know how to raise her biracial kids, her daughter is showing signs of discomfort in her skin because she’s starting to notice surrounded by people that don’t look her and her mom doesn’t get it, she thinks that her daughter is just obsessed with her hair but it’s not that. That little girl will demand in a few years that we straighten her hair so she could have the same texture as her mom and her best friend. Daughters want to look like their female relatives and if the child is different than a parent than you should talk about that difference: race, why he has same sex parents or adoption. It’s important to approach the heavy subject with your kids, just like Pink did with her daughter. Plus show her women that look like her.
I think the silliest part of this woman is that she is going around being quoted as thinking other people think she is lazy…I don’t like the woman, but I’ve never thought she is lazy. With all the famewhoring she’s done basically her entire life, it’s obvious she isn’t ‘lazy’…but that’s not the issue, Kimmy.
That’s just not something people say as a negative about her. Shes a famewhore who has never had a real talent (and SORRYNOTSORRY NOT BEING LAZY IS NOT A TALENT).
She just made money on how bored some people are with their own lives, so she is paid to entertain them by living a ridiculous life and telling everyone it’s reality. It’s not, and it’s not a talent to have happened to have been willing to throw yourself out there the way she has at a time where there became a market for it.
Her hair looks like a Jackie parody and what is up with the dark skin tone?! Take a seat.
At this point, I’m getting very irritated when I see them. They’re trying to hold on to whatever miniscule amount of fame they have left, at the expense of black people.
And I’m also sick of this site always giving them a pass, it was evident during the Jeffree Star situation that an excuse shall always be given for Kim here. I know if I actually speak on Kim racist ways, it’ll probably get deleted too.
So for my mental health and as a black woman, I’m not commenting on these stories anymore.
No pass from me. And I agree with your post.
“So for my mental health and as a black woman, I’m not commenting on these stories anymore.”
+1
Could we please, please, please have a “thumb up” button on Celebitchy? Please? We don’t ever, ever need a “thumb down” button, but so many comments on here say everything I, and I’m sure others, would agree with, but cannot t add anything more to. 👍
That would be nice!
Scratch scratch, dusts Arlington dirt off. Oh no you don’t wear evening gloves with a day dress Kim Shady ( that’s JackieO)
Big fat no. And stop with the jumping jack twisted pretzel logic of oh I have a tan, am I wearing black face? You sound like a SNL skit.
KK is a vulgar woman who doesn’t really know who to dress her body but I cannot deny that those clothes really suit her. But maybe anyone would look good when wearing vintage clothing from that period. North is such a beautiful child😍She looks really adorable. Hope she doesn’t become as vulgar as all the KK sisters. It would be a shame to see such lovely child ending like Kylie 😩
Omg, just saw the pic and had to to the bathroom… (In my head I ran to the bathroom and puked lol). But absolutely N.F.W. No. No 1,000 times. If this were done under different circumstances the uproar would deafen, and we’d never hear the end of it. Hypocrisy is the devil and it appears to run rampant and is strongest among those loudest.
She actually looks better styled like this, way better. She once was a very beautiful woman naturally, but she ruined it with surgery. Can’t stand the Kardashians but she’s a better first lady than Melania. Can we have neither though?
As cute as North looks – although pretty sad/tired to me in the second pic – am I the only one who feels sickened by the fact that a child is presented on those covers purely for PR gain? Dressed up like a doll and paraded on a big international magazine cover. Not that it is surprising with this family, but I just can’t help and see past the cute and imagine which kind of (non) values and odd perspectives on life these children are being taught every day.
On this very site often celebrities are scolded for simple pap walks with their kids, but *this* is okay?
they’re giving her a huge pass out of spite for Taylor
Not all of us. I don’t know why some are so adamantly insisting this is just a tan, but the rest of us see it for what it is. KK is one of the most dishonest women known, who would do anything for publicity. Why anyone would want to stick up for this lying grifter is beyond me.
I’m with you, Lady D.
ITA, detta.
For a while I was actually delusional enough to have hope that she would shield her children from the spotlight but nah. I guess that’s just the Kardashian way…
There are more pictures and North looks so unhappy while Kim tries to wrangle her into keeping still while she does these stupid arched back poses. It’s sad honestly.
Nope, feel the same way. Commented above that her and Kanye were not going to let their children be used in this way – that didn’t last very long.
She wishes!
Poor kid doesn’t have a chance. Who interviews a four or five year old anyway? Guess it’s never too early to get them working. That just makes me sad, the kid doesn’t have a chance just like Aunt Kylie she will have to throw away her childhood.
Kim learned nothing from that robbery. Just business as usual.
I don’t even know where to start with how bad this picture of K K pisses me off.
The generous pass this truly awful vapid idiot and her equally awful vapid family gets on here will never not astound me.
In addition to agreeing with the comments about her darkening her skin, I noticed that her left hand (in the top photo) is blurred like it was caught moving… that is not professional photography…is it?
I know!! And that’s what they chose for the cover?? And North isn’t looking at the camera .. which would have made a better shot too, for a COVER anyway.
Weird!! Just all weird.
I noticed the blurred hand too! I’m sure they took tons of photos, they didn’t have a more professional looking one where her hand isn’t a blur? Kind of strange to me and it looks really budget. Kim probably said “well my face looks great so just use it”.
WHY DO PEOPLE THINK BLACKFACE IS STILL ACCEPTABLE IN THE YEAR 2017
HOW IS THIS NOT A GENERALLY ACCEPTED TABOO
Aside from Kim’s motivations, I suspect the magazine’s decision to run this editorial is shade thrown at Trump and his wife. The desecration of an institution, turning it into tabloid/reality show fodder. The comparisons between Jackie O., who is an icon of grace under the worst circumstances, and Kim who is rumored to be working as an escort for billionaires, as Melania was rumored to be escorting when she met Trump. It’s awful on purpose. It’s throwing a spotlight on how corrupt our culture and institutions are at the moment.
Geez, I really hope this isn’t them getting the public ready for Kanye’s presidential run in 2020. EEK.
North is so beautiful.
This not smart, not a role model reality tv star is America’s First Lady? This is why we got trump and why we can’t have nice things. Daughter is cute, please shield her from all your bs, Kim.
This is the world we live in today. Disgusting. She WISHES she had that class style and respect.
Of course it’s easier to cosplay class, much less work than exhibiting it yourself on the regular. I hate this family.
When I saw these pictures all I could do is roll my eyes. The Kardashians are some of the biggest trolls on the planet. They and magazine knew the reaction they would get. As far as her skin tone – she does the ridiculously bronzed look on purpose – again for attention. She knows how people will react and doesn’t care. On a positive note, North is a cutie. I wish her and brother best, especially since they have knuckle heads as parents.
Frankly I’m more concerned with the real First Lady and her wardrobe changes headed to a disaster area.
For those defending her “tanning,”you would have a different opinion if a black woman lightened her makeup to match her mixed daughter. You wouldn’t say, she like being pale. Let’s be real
Agreed. At first I thought it was partly that but nope. I can’t go with it. She may have tanned but then loads of brown was layered over it.
I am really annoyed by the skin commentary. She has olive toned skin, as I do, and it’s normal for the skin to toggle between pale and brown based on the time of year. Add lighting, makeup and clothing to that (she’s wearing white, which always makes the skin look darker) and I don’t think she is “trying to look black” or “messing with her skin tone”. It’s actually completely unfair for people to comment in this vein. Someone above even said that she is using a filter to achieve blackface. NO. There are many things to discuss and dissect about Kim K, but this is not one of them. No one has a right to police her skin tone.
For Interview, a magazine I didn’t know was still being published, they finally got what they wanted: free publicity.
Her immobile mouth creeps me out. What would happen if she actually smiled?
I wonder how Kim feels when she looks at her kid and sees her old face.
That’s the other thing that stood out in these pix–how messed up her face is after everything she’s done to it.
Yikes, it does not look good.
If you are getting paid a shit ton to be on the cover of a magazine, you don’t have final say on the images. Source – me. I’ve worked for high fashion magazines.
Do you guys think Armenians are Nordic or something!? Have you ever seen an ethnic Armenian? They tan like crazy! Ethnicity LITERALLY isn’t black and white.
You need to look up some pictures of her. Google Kim Kardashian no makeup pregnant. She is much lighter naturally.
I’m with Jona on this. And hey Snowflake, as someone with Kim’s exact colouring, I am so pale in the winter (or at times when I am not getting sun) and SO DARK in the summer (or on vacation). I always get the question “what are you?” when I am dark and people mistake me for white when I’m not. You can’t just simplify this. She is not “lighter naturally”. She has skin that changes it’s shade with sun exposure. Sit down.
Oh please that ain’t no ‘tan’. Girl stahp
Kim’s new cover for Harper’s Bazar Arabia PROVES she purposely darkened her skin for the Interview Cover and photos.
Unbelievably callous and sends a completely wrong message to her girl. Kim needs to HIGHLIGHT the color of her OWN skin and let North revel in HER skin color. It’s all good. Whether brown, light brown, crimson red or beige. By seriously darkening her skin tone, particularly for Jackie Kennedy, the archaic and insulting use of blackface takes over the message.
These new pics in Bazar are for the ARABIA version, and her skin tone is much much lighter.
WHY???????
Either Kim is clueless no matter how nice she may be or she just does not care.