Oops, a member of the Kardashian family has done it again.
For approximately the 798th time, one of these reality stars has been accused of cultural appropriation.
This is the term commonly used to describe what happens when those who comprise a majority or dominant culture adopt elements of a minority culture.
More simply put, cultural appropriation takes place when someone takes something – a hairstyle, a piece of clothing, a manner of speaking – from a less powerful group, specifically one that has been oppressed, and uses it for personal gain or attention.
It is especially frowned upon when the guilty party does not give any credit or any acknowledgement to the oppressed group.
Past example would include:
– When Kim Kardashian posed with a geisha.
– When Kim Kardashian wore dreadlocks.
– When Kendall and Kylie Jenner exploited an Asian last name for profit.
Following along so far? Good.
This all brings us to the following photo of Kendall:
It was shared a few days ago on the official Vogue Instagram page; it features Jenner rocking an afro; and it was accompanied by a caption that reads:
Fifteen years and 150 finalists later, the @CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize has created global stars, local heroes, a must-watch New York Fashion Week, and, most important, a true sense of community among designers of all ages and backgrounds—all with differing aesthetic and commercial aspirations—who communicate, collaborate, and essentially care for one another through the fun and not-so-fun times.
But this is not how social media users interpreted Jenner’s pose.
They just looked at Jenner’s hairstyle (an afro, typically associated with the African-American community) and laid into her for, yes, appropriating someone else’s culture.
The backlash has grown so fierce that Vogue was forced to issue an apology/explanation.
This is what the publication wrote to E! News in a statement:
The image is meant to be an update of the romantic Edwardian/Gibson Girl hair which suits the period feel of the Brock Collection, and also the big hair of the ’60s and the early ’70s, that puffed-out, teased-out look of those eras.
We apologize if it came across differently than intended, and we certainly did not mean to offend anyone by it.
That’s probably true.
We believe that no malice was intended here.
But Jenner also has a history of racial insensivity in the eyes of many critics.
She may never live down last year’s infamous Pepsi commercial in which Kendall joined a group of protestors rallying against racial injustice…
… opened a can of the aforementioned beverage…
… and calmed tension between the civilians and the police by handing this can over to an officer.
The moment in the ad reminded many folks of a famous photo of protester Iesha Evans standing calmly as two Louisiana state troopers approach her in riot gear.
It was universally derided and Pepsi eventually issued this mea culpa:
Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue.
We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologize for putting Kendall Jenner in this position.
Check out the controversial commercial here: