Self-professed feminist figure Caitlin Stasey took to Instagram today to slam Kylie Jenner’s recent editorial for Interview, throwing serious shade at the reality star for partaking in yet another questionable and controversial shoot.
“Can we please stop validating the whims of a talentless appropriator?” Caitlin wrote, drawing attention to both Kylie’s blacklight shoot earlier this year as well as the recent wheelchair shot. “Be famous. Be famous for the sake of being famous. Create an empire that sits atop the gaping void that is your fame, but marginalisation is not an accessory.”
It’s not hard to see why the Interview shoot has sparked attention since its release overnight, and we’re not talking about the 18-year-old’s noticeable sexualisation. The star has received backlash from the wheelchair shot in particular, with one offended Twitter user writing, “Oh I see! When I’m in a wheelchair noone can look me in the eye but when Kylie Jenner sits in a wheelchair its FASHION. Silly me.”
Oh I see! When I’m in my wheelchair noone can look me in the eye but when Kylie Jenner sits in a wheelchair it’s FASHION. silly me.
— Amelia (@amysgotmilk) December 1, 2015
The associate director of the Paul. K Longmore Institute of Disability, Emily Beitiks, also noted a problem, recognising the images as “deeply disturbing”. She told CNN that “People with disabilities are already seen as powerless, and this just reinforces that.”
So disabled models can’t get work or advance in the fashion industry but Kylie jenner can use a wheelchair and be classed as edgy
— Beth (@Bendy_Mermaid) December 1, 2015
Interview has defended itself against the backlash, telling E! News that the shoot explores Kylie’s “image as an object of vast media scrutiny”. The magazine explained, “Our intention was to create a powerful set of pictures that get people thinking about image and creative expression, including the set with the wheelchair. But our intention was certainly not to offend anyone.”
This isn’t the first instance where Kylie’s public escapades have come under fire, though, with the Lip Kit by Kylie creator accused of wearing Blackface during a photo-shoot after sharing an image outtake on her Instagram account. She sported a noticeably darker skin tone with her trademark manufactured pout, prompting social media users to label her as “fake” and “untrue to herself.”
Whether these photographs are offensive or not, copious members of the disabled community are requesting a public apology from Kylie, addressing her raunchy photos. We know that in Kardashian-Jenner land they’re all about the attention, but surely this isn’t a case of all publicity is good publicity, right?
