Remember when Kim Kardashian presented herself as a beauty alternative to the skinny blonde models of the ’90s? Well, that time is definitely over. In classic Kardashian fashion, she appeared on the cover of Interview’s September issue, butt proudly on display courtesy of a jockstrap. But while a photo of her backside would have, at one time, broken the internet, it’s not the body part that has everyone looking. That honor goes to her bleached eyebrows.
Beyond the obvious fact that her eyebrows are not naturally white, there’s something here that is just not right. After all, this isn’t the first time she has gone for the bleached-brow look. But none of her previous attempts at light-colored brows have been as haunting as her eyebrows for Interview mag. And I think I know why: It’s the fluffiness. It’s hard to look at whatever’s happening here without seeing Santa Claus.
The vibe of the shoot doesn’t exactly help. Many of the photos feature Kardashian with Farrah Fawcett–esque blonde hair (another new addition to her look), wearing denim and standing in front of an American flag, styled by Interview editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg. It’s an all-American image if ever there were one and a distinctly different aesthetic from the look that made her famous — the one heavily inspired by Black culture, which led to her being accused of cultural appropriation time and time again. Critics on Twitter have definitely noted a shift into what entrepreneur Ashlee Ray called “Kim K’s white woman era.”
What exactly does “Kim K’s white woman era” entail? Well, to point to another section of this interview, it seems to involve using inordinate amounts of water during a statewide drought and flying private jets while insisting on the topic of climate change, “I do what I can, but you have to pick and choose what really works for you in your life.” Sounds American, all right.