Kylie Jenner Blasted for Insensitive Photoshoot by Disability Activist
Kylie Jenner was criticized on social media for her recent photoshoot with Interview magazine that features the teen sitting in a wheelchair.
Ophelia Brown, a YouTuber and disability activist, called out the reality star for the insensitive nature of the Interview magazine photoshoot, taken by photographer Steven Klein, on her Twitter account.
"@KylieJenner wow being in a wheelchair is so fun and fashionable! #Ableism is the ultimate fashion statement!," Brown wrote on Twitter.
Brown's criticism didn't stop there. In an open letter to the famous teenager, published by MTV News, Brown explained why the photo is problematic and how it affects people with disabilities.
While she doesn't place all the blame on the 18-year-old Jenner, noting that her photographer and the magazine also found it okay for her to pose on a wheelchair, she does go on to express how seeing the photo made her feel angry, sad and even jealous.
"You could so easily get in and out of the chair whenever you liked. It made me think about all the times that I've been told 'handicapped people can't be beautiful' or that I was 'too sick to love.' There you were, on the cover of a magazine being published to a country that absolutely adores you. Here I was, completely invisible," Brown said.
Brown explained that she enjoyed reading what Jenner had to say in the article that accompanied the photos, but challenged the idea that the wheelchair somehow symbolized the "limitations" imposed upon Jenner because of fame.
"A wheelchair is, by definition, a mobility device," Brown said. "This means that it gives freedom and independence to the person who needs it, whereas your photo suggests a wheelchair represents limitations. You couldn't be more wrong."
Brown wasn't the only one who had something to say. Several other people who live with disabilities or have family members with disabilities spoke up.
As for Brown, she will stop talking about the photoshoot when Jenner acknowledges the problem.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!