Kim Kardashian

Once again Kim Kardashian proves she doesn't know what's going on and is only good for taking her cloths off.

Last night, social media was flooded with images of Paper Magazine’s Winter 2014 cover featuring Kim Kardashian’s glistening posterior. The response was both explosive and polarizing. Some rolled their eyes and complained “I’m so tired of seeing her naked. She’s a mother! Put some clothes on” while others applauded her boldness and sex appeal.

Regardless of how you felt about the spread or the Kardashians in general, one thing was very clear: Paper Magazine set out to break the internet, a fact they proudly declared from the jump. And they may have very well succeeded, but at what cost?

First off, those of you declaring that these pictures are “history-making” need to chill out. There is nothing new or even original about this spread. Renowned French photographer Jean-Paul Goude just dug into his archives, pulled out some of his old favorites and recreated them with reality TV’s reigning It Girl.

That’s it.

At best, these pictures are recycled art, and at worst, they are lazy sensationalism — but innovative they are not.

On the flip side – those of you saying that Kim Kardashian needs to put on some clothes simply because she is a mother also need to sip a big champagne glass of “Girl, Bye!” Because this antiquated idea that mothers are not allowed to celebrate their sexuality is ridiculous and naive. How exactly do you think women become mothers? Immaculate conception? I’ve never been a fan of policing other women’s bodies, and I’m not about to start now. Ya’ll can have that.

So last night while everyone else was arguing over Kim’s K’s right to show her butt, my focus was on something else entirely. When I looked at the spread all I saw was a not so subtle reincarnation of Saartjie Baartman – imagery that is steeped in centuries of racism, oppression and misogyny. For those who don’t know who she is, here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:

"Sarah “Saartjie” Baartman (before 1790 – 29 December 1815 (also spelled Bartman, Bartmann, Baartmen) was the most famous of at least two Khoikhoi women who were exhibited as freak show attractions in 19th-century Europe under the name Hottentot Venus—”Hottentot” as the then-current name for the Khoi people, now considered an offensive term, and “Venus” in reference to the Roman goddess of love."

Saartjie was a woman whose large buttocks brought her questionable fame and caused her to spend much of her life being poked and prodded as a sexual object in a freak show. 

Sound Familiar? 

But something tells me Kim probably has no clue about the cultural and historic significance of what she’s done. Instead, she probably just thought it would be cool to do an edgy photo shoot with famous photographer. And many of you have fallen for that oversimplified stance as well.

I’m the first to admit that some of the work that Jean-Paul Goude has done over the past 30 years has become iconic, particularly his work with his (then-girlfriend) Grace Jones. But the one he chose to recreate for Paper Magazine is problematic for several reasons.

The original shot is of a black woman standing in front of a blue wall while she pops champagne into a glass placed on her rear end. And it’s from a book entitled: Jungle Fever.

Let that soak in for a second. Jungle. Fever.

According to a People Magazine article written about the couple in 1979:

Jean-Paul has been fascinated with women like Grace since his youth. The son of a French engineer and an American-born dancer, he grew up in a Paris suburb. From the moment he saw West Side Story and the Alvin Ailey dance troupe, he found himself captivated by “ethnic minorities—black girls, PRs. I had jungle fever.” He now says, “Blacks are the premise of my work.”

This is a man who boldly told news reporters that his black girlfriend was a “schizo… outrageous bitch” and that at times he would get hysterical and explode in violence during their arguments.

Back in 1982 (before shows like Law & Order: SVU taught folks how to identify the subtleties of abuse), when this book came out, many were dazzled by his pictures of Grace Jones and, since she and Goude were lovers, assumed that when he took shots of her in a cage, on all fours bearing her teeth like a caged animal – it was ok.

Because lovers don’t ever disrespect each other right?

All of a sudden, my correlation between these images and Saartjie’s treatment as a sideshow animal don’t seem so far-fetched, do they? The parallels are so literal and un-nuanced you’d have to willfully ignore what’s right in front of your face. This idea that “black equals erotic” is fetishism in its purest form; it mocks “otherness” while pretending to celebrate it and defines human beings by their genitals instead of seeing them as whole people.

Yes – I recognize that Kim Kardashian has found a way to work the system and quite literally use what her mama gave her to build an empire – but in this instance, she’s being pimped by a paradigm much larger than anything she or her momager Kris Jenner could ever fathom. Kim herself has admitted that until she gave birth to a black child, she never even gave much thought to race or what it means to be a person of color in this world.

This came out of her own mouth. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I wanted to, folks.

In a cultural landscape that continues to appropriate all things black, it looks like Mrs. West has just Columbused several hundred years of black female exploitation and most likely has no friggin idea.

The joke is on her – and anyone else who thinks this is just a sexy picture on the cover of a magazine.

If only it were really that simple.

Author’s note: I encourage you all to look up the life and times of Saartjie Baartman and draw your own conclusions. This mess runs deep.

Blue Telusma is a freelance writer based out of Washington, DC. 

 

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Source: http://thegrio.com/2014/11/12/kim-kardashi...

Kim Kardashian Feels more comfrotable wearing nature


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who's afraid of a little elephant? Kim Kardashian, that's who. 

The reality-TV star has been touring Southeast Asia with her family, taping for "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and of course posting pics of their exploits. A couple of shots even have Kim dressing demurely -- shoulders covered, longer skirt, no exploding cleavage -- as she visits a temple.

But it was a baby elephant who got the best of the fame queen Friday in Thailand. She was trying to take a selfie with the critter when it moved toward her, blowing at her hair through its trunk and completely freaking her out. Those pics are not available on Twitter or Instagram, but can be seen in the video above.

Score one for the pachyderm, 'cause it's rare that any Kardashian runs away from a photo op.

Not shying away from the camera was sister Kendall Jenner, who on Monday posted a snap of "just me and my coconut." And that caption was no lie. There's a lot of backside on display in this bikini shot

VIA LA TIMES



Is Kanye West a vampire? The Internet has more fun w/ April Fools Vogue

April Fools Vogue Cover keeps giving and giving.....

Is Kanye West a vampire? The Twitterverse certainly thinks so. BuzzFeed editor Katherine Miller was one of the first to notice that a photo from Vogue’s spread on West, Kim Kardashian and baby North seemed to show that the rapper has no reflection.

n the photo, Kardashian and her baby are standing in front of a mirror taking a selfie with her iPhone. West stands in front of them, taking another photo of the pair with his iPad. The problem is, the entire family seems to vanish in the mirror. It’s plausible that Kardashian is blocking her own reflection, but then what happened to West, and what’s more, the photographer?

Moreover, as many eagle-eyed commenters on Jezebel pointed out, the photo on West’s iPad doesn’t even match the angle from where he’s standing, and it’s unlikely the photo of the screen would be that sharp. It’s clear that there has been some heavy photo-editing on the photo, which led a few users on Twitter to make their own amendments.

 Via Metro

Anna Wintour Hates Vogue

More HERE

Kim Kardashian "This is such a dream come true!!! Thank you @VogueMagazine for this cover! O M GGGGGG!!! I can't even… http://instagram.com/p/lz_TfSuSwa/ "

Proving Vanity Has No Limits Rob "Least Profitable" Kardashian Won't Go to The Wedding Because He's Fat

And no one will notice.............

It will be the wedding of the year, but there’s one Kardashian who’s isn’t excited about the nuptials between Kim and Kanye West: The E! reality star’s younger brother, Rob, is said to be feeling “down in the dumps” about his changing physical appearance and has said he doesn’t even want to attend the “I do’s” in Paris, RadarOnline.com has been told.

A source said: “Rob is upset about his changing shape and truly feels like the black sheep of the family.”

The family insider added that even though the 26-year-old is “very close” to father-of-one West, “he has no desire to go to France” for what is destined to be an over-the-top wedding.

“Of course, that could change. Kim is his sister. He loves her. But he knows this will be all about Kim and as usual, Rob feels he would be like the third wheel,” revealed one Kardashian spy.

“The reality of their situation is that Kim and Rob haven’t been that close in years.

“Deep down, she thinks he is a total slacker and it’s very hurtful to Rob. Out of all the Kardashian kids, Rob is the most down to earth and level headed. But he is just trying to find his way in the world.”

As we previously reported, the annual Jenner-Kardashian Christmas card didn’t include Rob last year and plans were secretly made with “no input or thoughts from Rob.”

Therefore, he “decided not to be a part of it,” an insider said at the time.

Proving just how strained things are between Rob and his siblings, he recently deleted all entries on his Twitter profile and dumped all but two pictures on his Instagram account.

Khloe’s divorce to Lamar has also been hard on Rob because they had been like blood brothers,” said the insider.

“Rob would proudly tell anyone that Lamar was the brother he always wanted. It’s hard growing up in a family with five sisters and being the only male. His voice was rarely heard.”

VIA Radar