Kim Kardashian covers the latest issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. It’s a gorgeous editorial for the most part, although to be clear: Kim obviously looks like some kind of Cher-doll hybrid. The combination of Cher-like extensions, plastic surgery, fake eyelashes and Photoshop have really given Kim an almost alien-like visage. In the interview, Kim talks politics and how much she hates living in Trump’s America. Kim became more outspoken politically last year, donating to Hillary Clinton’s campaign and trying to talk more about reproductive rights and racial issues. Some highlights from the interview:
Careful about political conversations: “Sometimes I feel like I want to speak out more about political issues. You have to be really careful about what you say, because a lot of things can be taken in the wrong context and I always want to be respectful; I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”
On Donald Trump: “Anyone can run the U.S. better. My daughter [North West] would be better. We’ve worked so hard to get to where we were and to have so many things that we were so proud of in our country, to just literally revert backwards is the most frustrating thing. Every single day when you can’t really believe what’s going on, the next day it’s something else even more crazy and tragic. It’s really scary, the world that we’re living in now. And when you did feel safe at home, now with Trump in presidency, you just don’t feel safe any more.”
On feminism: “I said once before that I’m not really a feminist. But I feel I do a lot more than people that claim that they’re feminist. To clarify what I said before: I feel in my soul I’m a feminist. I just don’t need labels to make me feel or know what I am inside…Modern feminists are all the girls around us today. Every time you look on social media and there’s someone standing up for themselves, to me that’s a modern feminist. There’s such an amazing group of girls that empower each other.”
Fearful for her kids’ futures: “Life scares me, just thinking of all the things that can go wrong. When you’re a mom you turn into this maniac that just thinks anything and everything can go wrong. [Social media] doesn’t seem like the safest place. I have a pretty thick skin. But I feel bad for anyone that gets hate on social media. There’s so much cyber-bullying and negativity in comments to everyone. I think it’s so wrong. No matter what you do, you’re so judged and criticized on social media. I hope it changes. I hope people stop being so negative.”
Staying motivated:“When you have kids it keeps you motivated. I want to have something on my own. I feel good when I get up and go to work and am busy all day. That makes me happy. If I just, like, retire, I would definitely be more of a stay at home mom, but I want my kids to have a really strong work ethic and see how motivated mom and dad really are.”
I’ve said before that few things make me more grateful to be childfree than the Donald Trump presidency. I don’t know how you parents out there deal with this – how do you explain this orange monstrosity to your kids? Especially if you’re the mother or father of kids who are minorities, how do you make them feel safe in Trump’s America? Kim’s right – it’s like a nightmare every day, and I’m well into adulthood, so I can barely imagine how terrifying this must be for kids. That being said, I doubt North West would be a better president (but Kim would, sorry not sorry).
As for this: “I feel I do a lot more than people that claim that they’re feminist…” That could be about anybody. But I think I know who she’s talking about.
Photos courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia.
Nice sentiment, Kim, but considering the parents….uh…no. Thanks anyway.
While I appreciate Kim denouncing Trump as a bad president which is an understatement, I would not appreciate for her to be in the White House. Can you imagine the Kardashians installed in the White House, what kind of place would that be? Oh my God, the dresses they would wear! Agghhhh.
It would be an upgrade.
My cat would be a better president than Trump.
A pile of dog poop would be a better president!
#northforpresident
North’s ballerina dress would be a better president that the buffoon you currently have. Sorry. 💅🏼💅🏼
See, I don’t understand this. He hasn’t even been able to pass anything. How does it not feel safe? Are you that big of a baby that you can’t just go about your everyday life? In all honesty can someone please tell me how they’ve been negatively impacted (realistically not emotionally)?
At this point, I’d vote for Megan’s cat.
I also support Megan’s cat for president.
Another vote for Megan’s cat to replace Trump. Even if the cat is a Republican.
Moochie Purrington is pleased to accept your endorsement. And her fur can out floof Trump’s hair any day of the the week.
Moochie Purrington for President!!
I’m wonder she thinks she’s contributing that is more then someone like Brie who openly identifies as a feminist. Or heck Rowan who is 15 and a feminist. Or Amandla.
Nicole,
IKR? WTF? Feminism means different things to different people, but it universally says I’m not ashamed to expect equal credit for my contributions.
A pile of dog crap would be a better president than that Thing in the White House.
Pretty much.
Damn, I didn’t see your comment before I made mine up there. Great minds!
It’s very strange agreeing with Kim Kardashian on so many things.
It is a weird feeling, I agree.
I know. For me, as a mother, maybe it’s the legitimate fear for your children. She’s fake on so many levels, but I don’t see her as ignorant. She’s a smart businesswoman, which can’t be said about her sisters, she paved the way for their wealth. Can’t say any longer it was just the sex tape, a lot of Hollywood has done that without the success that came to her. Maybe I’m just in a mood, but she’s my age, loves her kids and is fearful of trump. Guess I don’t mind her as much as I thought I did.
Kim’s mother is a smart businesswoman, not Kim. Kris is the one who figured out how to profit from Kim’s sex tape and took it from there. Kim always wanted to be famous, but she was vague about what for. She would still be organizing closets and embezzling from clients’ credit cards if her mother hadn’t taken over.
Kris sets things up. Kim signs on for it. The empire would collapse if Kris died today. The only other one in the family with business knowledge and willingness to actually work is Kourtney, but she is much less likely to want to manage the whole family like Kris does. She can do well enough independently. Better, actually. But Kylie, Kim, and Khloe need Mama Ten Percent.
Even Kendall’s opportunities would evaporate without her mom and Kanye’s connections – she just isn’t that good a model. Kris pushed hard to get her and Kylie started, even taking them out of school to work as models. Kris had to sign off on all that plastic surgery for underage Kylie. Never underestimate Mama Ten Percent.
Kim thinks of herself as hard-working, but actually it’s more that she likes to be busy even if just sitting in a chair while somebody else does her hair and makeup etc. Her sisters called her out for laziness with regard to their original Dash store. She really comes across in the shows as a basically lazy person who likes to look busy. Other people are doing the real work.
In the beginning of her career, I agree Pimp Mama Kris was the catalyst. For example, when she landed Kim a cover on Playboy, but if Kim was an ordinary girl who happened to have a sex tape out there, she wouldn’t have gotten in the door. Kim had a new look and different body type which made her stand out from the usual bunnies….plus if u remember Kris had herself naked, wrapped in a flag for the same shoot. Seacrest was the producer of the show which burned Kris, he was the brains behind that train wreck. Ten years later, Kim doesn’t need Kris, she has Kanye, and has notoriety in her own right. She probably still pulls the reigns for Kylie, Kendall doesn’t need her anymore and the other two are just filler. So, yes in essence she got the ball rolling, but I don’t see her as relevant anymore…imo opinion anyway.
I know. I felt a little prickle of like. It is just a spark mind but I am surprised.
With Trump being the worst human being alive right now he elevates everyone else. If someone forced me to have dinner with Kim or Melania or the daughter. I would choose Kim easily.
Bible………….see I know stuff about the K sisters….lol
@Nancy lol You are a very wise woman. 🙂
She and Princess Complicit share the same surgical enhancer.
She is just using any name to get in the press. She said she might vote for him before elections.
True how quickly they forget she was on the fence about Trump, her words. Kanye met with him before the election. People who think that Kim is intelligent and different are full of it. First it was crazy pimp mom who made her famous and handles all of this. Kris is still her manager. This is her way to get publicity for herself and passive aggressively go after others to make her sound like a good mother and concerned citizen. Sorry, I don’t believe her act. She just wants the fame and fortune always has.
Somebody told her the latest poll results and so it’s safe now for her to criticize him. Maybe Kanye has changed his mind about Trump also and she is likely to take her lead in such things from him if they are ever together. She’s kind of chameleon-like that way with significant others. Her second husband was the odd exception, she was completely in control always with him and treated him like a prop.
I know! She said she might vote for him. Also Kanye said that if he had voted, he would have voted forTtrump (and met with him and tweeted the photos). I don’t know why Kim is getting a pass on this site for so many things that others would be pilloried for (blackface, the comments about North in the ‘first lady’ interview, not a feminist etc etc).
Even the frogs that were chirping so loudly last night not letting me sleep a wink, would be a better president than Trump
The plastic in her cheeks, lips, butt etc. would be a better president.
What is this “work” she always speaks of? She doesn’t do anything but get followed around by cameras and take pictures of herself all day.
Well, she’s monetized it. Which makes it “work”. I used to be one of those people who gave her sh*t for it, but when it comes down to it, a lot of people have tried to do what she’s doing. No one has succeeded like she has. It’s an awful version of a success story, but much like Trump, all of us in the celebrity watching/gossip world bear a little blame for it.
I would give North a shot in lieu of Trump. We probably all get free candy or something. I’ll take it. LOL
I don’t understand why so many women are reluctant to claim feminism. Are they not sure they deserve equality, safety and respect??? One thing the right wing has done well is demonize any moment that advocates for equality. It’s tragic.
I’m aboard the puppies and candy platform!
Fear makes women shy away from it.
Even though the definition is simple we are conditioned from birth to be afraid of our power. We are taught our bodies are only as worthy as our male society decides. Our happiness is only based on our relation to men. How successful you will be is determined by how much allowance men are willing to give. If you fail to be acceptable then you are useless.
The first male in our lives, in general, are our fathers. How imprinted we become by our patriarchal society begins there. Who our fathers are and how they treat us and value us is the beginning of our self-view.
When a woman says I am a feminist as most of us here do we understand we won’t be getting good girl points and that some men are going to feel threatened by our existence. There will be women who will feel even more threatened and feel the need to attack. It also means we have to step up and be willing to fight for it and be “masculine”. It isn’t passive.
Her life has been about nudity and self-promotion and at all cost capture the male gaze. She doesn’t understand at any time she can say I am a feminist and explore it. She doesn’t need anyone else’s approval. The only requirement, to me, is a willingness to learn and grow. How it is expressed is up to the individual.
“Her life has been about nudity…..she doesn’t understand at any time she can say I am a feminist and explore it, She doesn’t need anyone else’s approval.” That’s one of the many reasons why attempts to coerce women and girls (through exclusion, shaming, gaslighting, scapegoating, etc,) into the position of having to trade on what they don’t do with their bodies in order to ‘earn’ a place within a movement that’s about equality and human rights are counterproductive and harmful to feminism. When human rights, equality, and not being ‘an object’ get reduced to basically telling women to be more androgynous, keep their legs closed, cover up more, or in the case of hijab-wearing Muslim women, cover up less– that’s always a win for victim-blaming patriarchy (and more). There are plenty of women within the feminist movement who understand that and embrace the label anyway.
You articulated perfectly.
I have come believe the argument about Kim and feminism is stuck in the 2nd wave.
Feminism isn’t supposed to be exclusive using other problematic issues as an excuse to deem a woman unworthy to be part of the movement.
It is another dimension of not accepting that a woman can be a victim with major flaws but still a victim.
I have no trouble with Kim not wanting to use the label feminist for whatever reason. I’m more interested in what people do than in what they call themselves.
Feminist is a word that carries so much extra baggage way beyond the simple dictionary meaning for many people. I don’t use the label myself and would never ask someone if they were a feminist. Better to be more direct and just use the basic definition, which involves equality and equal opportunities. If you ask people that question, they will say yes with no hesitation. But labels bother people because they’re not sure whose version of feminism they would be signing on to. I know there are those who have no trouble with the label, but they all have a different framework on which they hang that label.
Besides, it’s a label that can especially make many men hesitate to apply it to themselves because of the form. That’s cultural. I don’t need men to call themselves feminists, I need them to live the ideas of equality and fairness and equal opportunities for everybody. Labels can really get in the way.
Anyway, many people have trouble with labels in general. I use very few labels for myself and none involve political leanings. It’s really better to focus on specific issues and events than to toss labels around in discussions. People are complicated and not as easy to label as cans of soup.
+1
“Feminist is a word that carries so much extra baggage way beyond the simple dictionary meaning for many people…. labels bother people because they’re not sure whose version of feminism they would be signing on to. ” All of this. There are definitely women and others who have more deplorable reasons for rejecting the feminist label, but there are also those who shy away from the label because of the reasons you described. There are those who just don’t like the way they’ve seen or heard about the movement treating different groups of people, (POC, sex workers, transgender women, people who aren’t from the west, sexually immodest women, women who aren’t androgynous enough, etc.) or think it means blind submission to some dubious, repressive, stereotypical ‘radfem’ agenda that would be forced and false to who they are.
@jwoolman
There is a lot of truth in that.
The focus can be on the label and not the meaning or actions behind it.
Ok, I had to look this up… Cher has Armenian ancestry. I fell down a deep rabbithole looking at Cher’s pics, especially from early in her career. I really didn’t know that about her heritage. I think it explains why a lot of her earliest pics look kind of like Kourtney. Cher was such a beautiful woman – Kim is too, just artificially.
Yeah, they share the almost exact same heritage mix: Armenian and North Western European. I think Cher has some (disputed IIRC) Native American heritage, but other than that they’re pretty much heritage twins. Cher was gorgeous, and I think she’d have aged beautifully if she hadn’t had those fillers done.
Thats interesting.
I find these photos to be very striking. Kim’s makeup is excellent.
She was very pretty before she went too far with the butchering of her face.
She stays problematic but she is still the least problematic person of that family and she’s getting better every year. I still have hope for Kim Kardashian.
And of course she would be a better président. Or first lady^^
I sometimes wonder why you’d ever need her to show up for a shoot to put her on a magazine’s cover. There’s soooo much photoshopping that you may as well start from any old photo of her and start altering from there, or put an oil painting on the cover or something.
To clarify what I said before: I feel in my soul I’m a feminist. I just don’t need labels to make me feel or know what I am inside…
Translation : There’s still a bunch of money to be made here, so I feel like not actually calling myself a feminist because like, I don’t believe in labels and stuff or whatever, I can play both sides without worrying about a dent in my revenue stream.
You are probably right.
But some people can also feel the need to distance themselves from that label for good reasons. In my country I feel feminism is used to bully muslim women. I still call myself a feminist but I understand those who don’t anymore.
Again, I don’t think Kim is in that kind of situation.
The cover is one of her better ones, definitely trying to channel Cher, but why is she wearing a figure skater costume?
That photoshoot (there are a few more images around online) seems to be an homage to one Cher did in the 70s, including a practically identical picture. When you compare the two photoshoots it really highlights how cartoonish the surgery she’s chosen makes Kim look. There’s a photo of Kim from this shoot, not included in the article above, where it looks like she’s squatting and she’s almost like Amanda Lepore there, not like Cher at all.
It was a weird “shock” to see it, I suppose because we see her all the time and don’t generally notice the constant modifications until BAM it just seems so overdone. It was really unsettling and jarring. If you can, try looking up the photos to compare and contrast (I can’t remember the name of the photoshoot, but googling “kim cher photoshoot 70s” brings up some photos of that shoot). It’s a real double take moment and not in a good way.
It’s horrible explaining Dump to your kids. He’s increasing bullying in schools and the workplace. I am a mom and a former teacher and I’m glad I’m at home and not teaching so I don’t have to pretend to be apolitical at school. He’s an abomination. What has Kim done to her face?!?!
Her children acutally have a pretty good chance of turning out like Trump.
@QueenB Her children won’t be like trump. They’re black kids. Black kids will never have the kind of privilege to rise up to be president with the past and the behavior of someone like trump. Never ever. Remember the class that was Obama? We have to be perfect.
umm…her husband is black, and he openly endorsed Trump….
He was in a manic state and what does it even have to do with sarah6 said? Genuine question.
How do you know he was in a manic state? Gossip blogs? Hes never stated he was unwell. I think his publicist said it was exhaustion? Never at any point since them has he made a statement or withdrawn his support, so as far as any of us are aware, he still supports Trump.
Perhaps if hes reconsidered and wants to withdraw his support for Donald Trump, he come out an admit he was wrong. Until he does, he is in the record as supporting and endorsing a white nationalist.
…because it was obvious, and you didn’t answer.
That isn’t an answer. I’d be careful about internet diagnosing total strangers, as you only see certain facets. Whether he is unwell or not, he came out in support of Trump. A famous black man supporting and endorsing Trump has all kinds of effects (look at how much people focus on the “Blacks for Trump” guy at his rallies). Kanye is welcome to come out publicly and withdraw his support for Trump. Until he does, he is on record as a Trump supporter.
And if you look up internet rule #32, you’ll see I have no obligation to explain myself to you or anyone else.
You also have no obligation to reply, you know. And isn’t your take on Kanye also a diagnosis? Well, to close this really exciting conversation, let’s agree with you and say Kanye had all his senses and is a real Trump supporter. What does it even have to do with what Sarah6 said?
Don’t feel pressured, it’s a rhetorical question now.
I can’t stand her preening and posing. Go away.
I really like her make up.
My 8 year old came home and told me she was voting for trump in their mock election.
The county I live in had the highest percentage of trump voters in the state. She was copying her friends which were copying their parents. I was horrified and told her that she shouldn’t vote for trump because he’s a bad man.
Honestly, that’s as far as I’ve gotten. I’m just trying to shield them as much as possible and hope he gets impeached.
Gah, I should probably get my head out of the sand. Got a long car ride today, so I guess I’ll start there.
Sure, North works. She’s certainly cuter and probably doesn’t have a Twitter. Because seriously, my reading lamp would make a better president. My scooby-doo pajamas.
I am frightened every single day for my babies. It keeps me up at night. I have developed sleep problems from anxiety about it.
My daughter saw the Nazis with the Tikki torches chanting Jews will not replace us on television at someone else’s house. I didn’t realize it until she was playing on my husband’s laptop and clicked on a news bookmark. She asked me about the parade but not just one question. Why are they saying that? Why do they look mean? Why are they doing a parade? We tried to explain but it was pretty lame.
Only my oldest seems to grasp it but only that our family does not support 45 (his name is not welcome in my home) because he is a bad man who does bad things that hurt innocent people. , So I named her friends from different groups and she got it. Why would 45 want to hurt my friend and his family? Because he is a bad man like the bad men who hurt our family in Europe.
She knows our history and in Hebrew school, they began to teach about it a little last year.
He has made life much more difficult in ways I never could have imagined. We have started making plans and rearranging our finances just in case.
If one more person tells me he wouldn’t hurt us because his daughter is Jewish I will scream.
Isn’t it horrible? My older kids see it and are horrified-I shield my 8 year old from a lot of it. I never thought in the United States in 2017 my children would actually have to deal with anti-semitism. And Ivanka infuriates me-as a Jewish woman who sends her children to Jewish day school-how in the world does she reconcile this??
How are they coping? What do you say to them?
I would have thought how we are feeling was ridiculous 2 years ago but I don’t know what to think anymore.
I am SO OVER 45, I would probably be all about a North West presidency.
Or maybe Doogie Houser, MD?
But what happened to her “tan”? LOL
Exactly!!! I guess she only “tans” to match her accessory! Oops, I mean north!
Okay but I agree with Kim here. North might not have a grasp of the issues but the Orange one doesn’t either and and at least North wouldn’t be going out of her way to be malicious like the Cheeto in Chief.
Her Insta is QQBeans I think.
I don’t know for certain but I suspect that a lot of our black commenters got tired of listening to us white women cry about Trump when POC are literally getting gunned down in the streets. Also, being forced to witness white supremacy take over the White House.
We’re all f*cked, but some of us are much MUCH more f*cked than others–it is far FAR worse for black people and other minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ community.
I follow several BLM leaders on social media–it is beyond repulsive the kind of racist hatred they get–but they are truly inspirational in the strength with which they endure and persist.
So again, this is just my suspicion but if true, I don’t blame them one bit.
That being said, I’m so thankful to have this forum to commiserate with y’all. Call me a snowflake but it’s great to have safe space to vent with such intelligent and thoughtful commenters.
There was an article on The Root about a biracial man and the end of his relationship with his white mother because she was a Trump supporter.
http://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/how-trump-ruined-my-relationship-with-my-white-mother-1797935049
The Root has some insightful articles.
http://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/how-bout-this-tina-fey-give-us-black-people-the-she-1797989932
It should be required reading.
+1 for The Root. It is excellent! Some great writing there about mental health as well.
There was also the dismissiveness of certain issues, the blatant bias/favoritism towards certain celebrities (case in point being Kim) leading to them being defended no matter what and deleting the comments that didn’t violate any of the rules, but don’t please the author….yeah that REALLY don’t make a person want to stay.
So you’ve noticed that here too? It’s a real shame that what used to be a cool space for thought provoking discussion has turned into a highly (thought -) policed space. If you have the balls to disagree with the Kauthor then your comment won’t get posted/approved at all. I’m almost certain this one will be no different and I’ll end up talking to myself again… fascism. It isn’t just for politicians anymore.
Yes, a thousand times this!!!!! I would SO rather have North West as President than Trump. God, please make this happen. A four-year old (North) beats a two-year old (Trump) in reasoning every time. I’d also prefer a Trader Joe presidency, even though he’s not a person.
Who’s face is that? Because it’s not hers.
A freaking polka dot on Zooey Deschanel’s dress would be a better president than Trump. We could play this game all year long.
yet still terrible
She is serving some Alyssa Edwards here….
Whatever. The Kardashians are on the short list of people who would be just as bad to have in the white house (if not worse) than the Trumps.