Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Kim Kardashian explains why she doesn't 'label' herself a feminist at Commonwealth club talk

The reality TV star discussed racism, objectification, selfies and feminism during her hotly anticipated appearance

Heather Saul
Wednesday 01 July 2015 09:53 EDT
Comments
Kim Kardashian has recently 'written' a book about her life in selfies
Kim Kardashian has recently 'written' a book about her life in selfies (Getty )

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Kim Kardashain West has explained why she does not "label" herself as a feminist during a discussion on women in the media at the prestigious Commonwealth Club of California.

The reality TV star appeared in San Francisco to discuss the objectification of women in the media; a subject she only touched briefly on. Instead, Kardashian tackled issues such as racism, feminism, sexism, and her celebrity status, even teaching a judge how to take the perfect selfie (don’t use filters).

Kardashian spoke in front of an audience of mostly young and female audience as she was interviewed by Judge LaDoris Cordell, according to the Associated Press, who asked the star if she would consider herself a feminist.

The 34-year-old was hesitant to identify as such. “I guess people call me a feminist,” she replied, “but I don’t like to put labels. I do what makes me feel comfortable. I never think what I say is the right thing, but I believe you should do what makes you feel comfortable.”

Judge Cordell spoke of raising two African-American children and asked how Kardashian, who is married to the rapper Kanye West, would deal with the moment when “racism inevitably rears its ugly head?”.

“We’ll talk to our kids the way my father spoke to us," she said. "I think that when I was a teenager, my father knew or somehow put together that I was going to inevitably end up with a black guy and would make sure to tell me story after story about racial difficulties and how he always fought for the better."

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West on the front row of the Balmain fashion show in Paris, September 2014
Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West on the front row of the Balmain fashion show in Paris, September 2014

Some of the more unsurprising revelations from her talk included that her husband devised the name of her selfie book, “Selfish”, and her admission that she will sometimes take 30 selfies before deciding on the perfect one.

Kardashian did briefly address the objectification of women, asserting that women are "absolutely" objectified by the media. She claimed her selfies are empowering because they allow her to convey her own self-image.

"I’ve taken them. I've chosen to put them out there. I like them. I'm proud of them. I think there’s power in that," she said. "Even if it’s objectifying myself, I’m okay with that."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in