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Kim Kardashian West: Just stop. Signed Black Culture
Kim Kardashian West wants to be a Black Woman. It’s been obvious for some time now. The specific body enhancement of her backside and the constant appropriation of African hairstyles supports the theory.
Not too long ago, Vogue published the article by Patricia Garcia “The Dawn of the Butt”, which has caused some major issues between communities of color and the publication. ( side note: if you want a good laugh, go on Twitter and type in #voguearticles…amazing.)
But even before that, CNN correspondent Dr. Anthony Youn stated back in February of 2013 that “Kim Kardashian is still the poster child for a large and shapely backside.”
Now, put this along side of the hundreds of years of Even Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” song begins with one White women grossly disgusted at the size and shape of a passing by Black black woman’s physique, ending with her tirade to Becky saying “She’s so…BLACK!”
We see tangible examples of this fascination and disgust over Black physiques in history. In the early 19th century, a kidnapped and enslaved woman by the name Saartjie (Sarah) Baartman was purchased as part of a circus sideshow. Born to a Khoisan family in South Africa, Saartjie had a genetic medical condition called steatopygia, a condition caused by concentrated amounts of fat in the buttocks and sometimes extends to the front of the thighs and knees, a genetic characteristic in the Khoisan and Bantu tribes of South Africa.
Sarrtjie was convinced in 1810 by a British doctor to travel to London, England where should become very wealthy due to her extravagant looks. She instead was paraded around as a freak show oddity, usually naked.
This humiliation lasted until public attention wore thin. She then went into prostitution which, it is said, led to her dying of syphilis in December of 1815.
Her exhibition continued even in death. Instead of being given a proper burial, Saartjie’s body was dissected, then put on display for over 150 years. Museum goers could view her brain, skeleton, and even her genitals before her remains were laid to rest. Interestingly enough, during this time, White Women had begun wearing “bustles” a device that mimicked a large, round backside. How ironic that the White…
