Kim Kardashian & Alice Marie Johnson are interviewed together on ‘Today’

I actually have a controversial comparison to make regarding Kim Kardashian. This month, Kim Kardashian met with Donald Trump at the White House. This meeting was actually the product of months of conversations and negotiations between Kim and Jared Kushner. Kushner’s pet issue is prison reform, sentencing reform, and pardoning or commuting the sentences of nonviolent mandatory-minimum offenders. Kim had gotten involved with the case of Alice Marie Johnson, a woman who had been in prison for 21 years of a life sentence for a nonviolent drug crime. Kim chose to advocate on Alice’s behalf, and it worked: within a matter of days, Donald Trump commuted Alice’s sentence and Alice became a free woman. Many of Kim’s doubters had to begrudgingly give her some respect, myself included.

So here’s the comparison I’m going to make: this reminds me a lot of when Kim Snapchatted the conversation between Taylor Swift and Kanye West. Kim knew she had the receipts for months. She thought about her plan of attack. She previewed it. She didn’t listen to criticism. She executed her plan and dropped the receipts and then walked away. Later, we realized the key to it: Kim Kardashian had nothing to lose. People already think the worst of her. She might as well do what she likes. This time, she chose to put her personal politics aside so a woman could go free. Imagine what else Kim could do if she put her mind to it.

Anyway, Kim and Alice have finally met now that Alice has been freed. They sat down for a joint interview with NBC:

Kim says that she wants to “open up this conversation” about prison and sentencing reform and she hopes Alice’s commutation is the first of many to be freed. But yes, Kim does say some dumb sh-t about Donald Trump and how he has “compassion” for the plight of these incarcerated people. She’s helping to legitimize him every time she strokes his ego. But I also think… she’s stroking Trump’s ego on purpose, so he’ll commute and pardon more people. It’s f–ked up that it has to happen this way, but I think Kim is truly trying to get more people freed.

trump kardashian

Photos courtesy of Kim’s IG, Twitter, Backgrid.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

39 Responses to “Kim Kardashian & Alice Marie Johnson are interviewed together on ‘Today’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. me says:

    Of course she did a sit down interview ! Where are all the other hard working and dedicated people who worked on Alice’s case for the past few years? Why does Kim get all the credit? She made a phone call, did a tweet, and took a pic with Trump. There were so many more people who actually did the hard work and we don’t even know their names. This is not right. Also, how crazy would it be if she does “help” pardon others and one of them goes and commits some horrible crime. Prison doesn’t always rehabilitate you. Some people come out worse than they went in. Maybe Kim could use her OWN money to give the people she wants to pardon some counselling?

    • Valerie says:

      Well said. She didn’t do this single-handedly. I’m tired of people giving the Kardashians tons of credit in general. Kim and her sisters are not self-made businesswomen, as so many people like to claim. They come from a monied family. Nothing has ever been denied them. They have finite resources. It’s not hard to see how they were able to build their empire.

    • KL says:

      I bet Alice Marie Johnson’s legal team would agree the MOST (if not the ONLY) important thing in this story is that Ms. Johnson is a free woman. I’m sure they’re celebrating and thankful that Kim’s advocacy gave their hard work the extra push they needed to achieve the collective goal.

      Also, you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth with that weird, irrelevant side note on rehabilitation. That’s exactly the backwards logic that keeps innocent people locked up for decades.

      • me says:

        It would be nice if we got to see or at least know the names of the many people who worked so hard to help Alice. Kim should not get all the praise.

        Secondly, how is my comment “weird” or “irrelevant”. I work in the criminal justice system. Rehab is a very important part of it. You can’t just have a woman leave prison after 21 years and think she can go on her merry way and adjust to society. She will need counselling and help to re-adjust. Not to mention the mental toll prison probably had on her. She has to re-integrate into society and re-build family relationships…and get back in the work force (which will be hard due to her criminal record). You can’t just have someone leave prison and expect them to go back to “normal”. It takes time and HELP otherwise A LOT of criminals do end up re-offending. I have good hopes for Alice though.

    • PPP says:

      Wow. Just going above and beyond to hate on Kim. She knows how to play this game, and her ability to play her celebrity MADE THIS HAPPEN. What you are complaining about is HOW SHE GOT THIS DONE. Of course plenty of other people deserve the credit, but how is who a news outlet’s choice to ignore that Kim’s fault? Is she supposed to step out of the spotlight? Is that supposed to help her get other NON-VIOLENT offenders out (which is why we don’t have to worry much about them committing other horrible crimes).

      And let me address that last bit of hysterically-toned concern, because THAT is exactly the kind of irrational, fear-based thinking about crime that drives voters to elect tough-on-crime politicians that push horrible mandatory minimum sentencing policy in the first place.

      But no, let’s hate on Kim.

      • me says:

        Please stop using the word “hating”. I’m not hating on her at all. I think Kim SHOULD have mentioned all the other people who worked on this case. Now’s the time to shine a light on all the hard working and dedicated people who do this for a job EVERY DAY.

        Secondly, what “irrational fear” are you talking about? I am very glad Alice got out of prison and want to congratulate ALL who got her out. She should never have gotten a life sentence in the first place. Ughh why can’t people just read my comment properly? Once someone is out of prison, they need A LOT of help. I hope Kim or someone is going to help Alice get re-adjusted into society. If these ex-prisoners got the support they needed through programming/services they are MUCH less likely to re-offend. I hope Kim continues to keep in touch with Alice and help her with maybe finding a job or housing. OK I’m done.

      • PPP says:

        @me:

        Her focus is clearly on getting these people out of prison. She knows that neither the public nor Trump cares about the people who did all the legwork. She knows she needs to present her case in cartoon-simple terms. And I don’t think those people do their jobs for recognition.

        I mean this woman did successfully free a non-violent offender. And you choose to focus on the fact that she didn’t mention everyone working on the case by name. You see a worthy action and find something worth condemning. That is hateful.

        Here’s your irrational fear:

        “Also, how crazy would it be if she does “help” pardon others and one of them goes and commits some horrible crime. Prison doesn’t always rehabilitate you.”

        I mean she is targeting non-violent offenders. The craziest thing that’s going to happen is they’re going to have substance abuse problems.

      • me says:

        Ok I had to come back to this.

        You can call it “hate” but it clearly is not. No they don’t do it for recognition but it’s nice to have your hard work recognized sometimes isn’t it? Do you know how tiring it is to work in the legal field?

        Non-violent offenders CAN and sometimes do become violent offenders once released from prison. The reason for this is because society and the government doesn’t give a crap about them once they are released. A lot can’t find work…end up robbing, etc. It’s horrible. Substance abuse is NOT the only problem that can happen. These people need support, they need to know society cares about them and that they are not a “lost cause”. You aren’t even trying to understand…so forget it. Have a great day.

  2. anna222 says:

    Well, we’re living in crazy times and if she wants to actually use her voice to help people instead of just selling things…
    I hate that her voice has sway in Washington because of President Crazypants, but if she can use it for good then go for it.

  3. Ali says:

    Holy crap, she does not look human in that photo. Scary!

  4. mela says:

    she used to be so pretty

  5. Veronica S. says:

    Anyone who thinks this woman is stupid hasn’t been paying attention to her career for the past ten years. Vapid, yes, but not at all dumb. I’m not going to sh*t on her for using her celebrity to save somebody jail time, and if she wants to move toward more meaningful goals for her life – I mean, go for it, please – but it will always have the air of calculation to me. She didn’t get to where she is by accident.

    • me says:

      Her mother has played a huge role in her career. I don’t think Kim and her sisters would be as rich or famous had it not been for their mother.

    • Artemis says:

      I think she’s stupid. That whole family is not that smart and that’s their brand. They provide drama and artificial beauty, if people are eating it up, it doesn’t make that family smart. It makes their audience just as stupid but with less money and no fame.
      Some of the things she’s said and done highlight her stupidity and are downright toxic and dangerous but she’s excused a lot of times because of her ‘beauty’ and ‘business skills’. And because her mother is worse in comparison.

      When you have a Cheeto for a president, it underlines how gullible American people are. Nobody would say that Trump is smart despite having dabbled in various successful business ventures and being a fixture in American media so why would the Kardashians be smart? They’re just a reflection of American values and ‘dreams’.

      Also the danger of celebrities inserting themselves in places where they don’t belong is exactly the reason why Cheeto is in power and why some many celebs are saying or are asked to go into politics (The Rock, Oprah, Kanye). KK has no business in politics but there is a reason why she’s the FACE of Johnson’s success despite it being a team effort. Nobody really cares about reform, certainly not the president and not her fans. If people cared, real career activists would have a voice in cases like these. They would be given a platform and meetings with the president. They would be celebrated in the media. But this is not happening. People rather watch famous people do politics (KK with a dose of stupidity, extra tanned and extra pouty for maximum effect!). This whole charade however legitimizes KK and gives people something to validate her existence beyond popculture. Famous people can evoke actual change (see AJ actually INFORMING people of her experience with the BRCA gene and the effect it had on research and testing). I don’t see thinkpieces on KK’s activism? I doubt we’ll see any tangible effect on prison reform either in the years to come.

      The fact that 2 incompetent people discussed prison reform is a sad reflection of American politics. The fact that she brought up her sister’s stint on The Apprentice immediately highlights the type of bond they share. TV. Nobody would have thought Cheeto would become president yet now we’re discussion how great it is that KK got a woman out of jail and people are honestly not seeing how KK is trying to legitimize herself beyond reality TV? It’s like she doggone got the key from the warden ha self and freed this black woman from the broken American prison system! Halleluja?

      She is friends with Komplicit Ivanka and has connections in media, fashion and politics. She’s like a vapid Wendi Deng at this point. I will not be surprised if a few years from now KK is a fixture in American politics and I shudder at the thought. American people truly fall into the same traps with their eyes wide open.

      • Harryg says:

        Thank you Artemis. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

      • Anika says:

        Wonderfully said, Artemis! Anyone who thinks this self centered, vapid, fame whoring woman has had a change of heart or mind, and is now actually interested in prison reform/wrongly incarcerated prisoners, is simply a Kim FAN, and as stupid and superficial as she is. For Kim, this is as always ALL about Kim: relevance, personal praise, political “importance,” and increased, positive public exposure. That she credits no one else with a woman’s liberation tells me all I need to know: for Kim, the “cause” behind this all was Kim’s own reputation, not the freeing of Alice Johnson. Anyone who believes otherwise is naïve.

  6. Slowsnow says:

    There is an intrinsic ambivalence about this. It proves that Trump can be swayed by rich people, beautiful women and that he can basically do as much evil as he can do good because he does not have a brain. Kim is more savvy albeit basic but her heart is in a good place. She used her strength to help Alice’s cause otherwise all those hardworking people @me mentions above would never have succeeded in helping this poor woman. This follows up on Ava du Vernay’s film 13th and raises issues that are so important in the USA but also in the black community. I don’t hate Kim K for this and I hope she educates herself about these issues even further and continues to raise awareness and press the powerful.

  7. Swack says:

    And how long will this crusade of hers last? Probably as long as it gets her publicity.

  8. BooRadley says:

    this is the darkest timeline.

  9. Lynnie says:

    🙄🙄🙄.

    All of this means nothing when Sessions is over there moving us into the dark ages of prison sentencing as we speak. In addition, trump is easily swayed, and will frequently make decisions based on who was the last person to have his ear. Kim can have all the sit down dinners and praise sessions she wants to, but as long as his chief of staff/big financial donors say otherwise it’s all for naught. Also, Kushner talks and makes deals under the condition that he gets something in return. Always. Kim too, so besides good publicity I would like to see what they offered each other.

    Idek what to say about this new policy by flattery approach because it makes me sO angry and ultimately it accomplishes nothing with the ignoramus we have as president. (See NK meeting and Macron trying to woo and change his mind on the Iran deal as two of the more recent examples.) I wish people would stop saying that it works smh

    • Slowsnow says:

      I agree with you. This is not politics. It’s the beautiful princess trying to sway the tyrant kind of situation. It’s what happens in authoritarian regimes.
      On Kim K’s side, well, she might have done this to assuage her husband’s bad press or any other impure motive. But I don’t believe in purity and as long as she promotes awareness and raises the issue long and hard enough for Cheeto-in-command to listen, good.

  10. courtney says:

    nothing she does is selfless or altruistic. every move is towards self promotion. people worked FOR YEARS behind the scenes to get this woman freed and K takes all the credit. is it good this woman is free? of course, but to look to kim k as a saint or woman of the people? hell no. woman has zero integrity. last week she was pushing diet lollipops to teenage girls, she’s trash. the whole family is all about fame and $$$$ they would sell their souls for it. and everyone saying how smart she is? what is the bar? they are good at promoting themselves, but none of them are intellectual giants, lets be real. just watch her interview with van jones, too dumb to even recognize her role and critical thinking is way out of her skill set.

    • Aaliyah says:

      You’re absolutely right. Kim now has her own personal black prop that she can use to deflect from her many problematic ventures. This poor woman may be out of prison but her work has only just began. The fact that anyone views this as altruistic in any fashion is the reason why Trump can be re-elected in 2020 — if Mueller doesn’t get him first. Short attention spans coupled with new shiny objects to ogle at is a strategy that works everytime. LOL

      • pk says:

        Did any of you read the letter Alice wrote to Kim thanking her? Alice compared Kim to Rosa Parks ! I couldn’t believe it. That is insane.

  11. cora says:

    She did the work. She gave a human being her life back. just read so many comments of her face or why did she get all the credit?…BECAUSE she did what none of the others could. For me, it made me emotional and cry. Compassion has many faces, including botoxed ones ….

  12. diane says:

    I have always help out hope for Kim. You go girl.

  13. Dee Kay says:

    I am in Kim K’s korner on this one. She did the right thing. She saw an opportunity to advance a cause she believed in and it worked. Good for her. Yes there are all kinds of problematic things — a reality TV celebrity can get another reality TV celebrity WHO IS PRESIDENT to do things that the regular channels of governmental power and influence cannot get him to do. And I also see the argument that this is only one case and there are many many wrongly incarcerated people who need structural reform. All that said, Kim K saved this woman and as the Jewish proverb goes, She who saves one life, saves the world entire (learned that from Schindler’s List).

  14. Shannon says:

    I can’t see the Taylor Swift comparison at all, but the hate-ons here for her are so big it’s ridiculous. Look, Kim did a good thing and I’m happy it had a good result. But let’s be real: she tweeted. She made some phone calls. We went to a photo op with Trump. That’s something literally any celebrity would probably be able to pull off – that doesn’t make her some kind of saint or negate any of the more problematic aspects of her. She chose one person and made that person her cause, so that’s great – for that one person. But what does this have to do with actual prison reform or sentencing reform? Nothing. I’m pretty convinced she did it to show how ‘woke’ she is to distract from Kanye’s BS. The reason doesn’t matter to the woman who is freed, but I bet there are a lot of inmates feeling like this is good news for them and spoiler: it’s not.

  15. AnotherDirtyMartini says:

    Trump is only doing this so he can pardon Jared Kushner’s daddy & the rest of Trump’s cronies once they’re thrown in the slammer and OF COURSE, TRUMP IS PRACTICING FIR WHEN HE PARDONS HIMSELF 😂

  16. TherealdealDavid says:

    Will someone tell this woman she is not black. Very disturbing with the way she alters her look to look like something she is not. It’s difficult to focus on the story.