Kim Kardashian’s 2024 Met Gala look was jaw-dropping for all of the wrong reasons.
The Big Picture
- Kim Kardashian faced backlash for her tiny waist at the Met Gala, raising concerns about unhealthy beauty standards.
- Corsets, popular with historical health risks, are making a comeback. Critics express worry over Kim’s influence.
- The Kardashians’ impact on beauty standards is significant. Surgical procedures have risen alongside their fame.
If there is one person who is not having a great start to May, it’s Kim Kardashian. She became the object of ridicule during The Roast of Tom Brady and was even booed when it was her turn to get up and roast the former football player. In fact, the roast felt more like a roast of the reality star than of Tom Brady. The controversial moment that led her name to be in the headlines over a decade ago was the sex tape between her and Ray J, combined with the revolving door of men coming in and out of her life, ultimately led to jokes being primarily sexual in nature, with one comedian even telling her to close her legs. She looked uncomfortable throughout the whole event to the point where many who didn’t particularly care for her could still empathize with her.
The Met Gala was likely an opportunity for her to feel better following the embarrassing event. Kim has become a mainstay at the big celebrity event, which is fundraising for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The gala itself has become a pop culture phenomenon, with the themes now leading to over-the-top fashion. This year’s theme was “Garden of Time,” leading to looks spanning from simple all the way to fantastical. Kim’s dress was no exception. The colors were beautiful, and the gown’s silhouette was great– with the exception of one glaring issue: her waist. The silver ensemble she wore, designed by John Galliano, was cinched at the waist by a corset, and this corset made her waist disturbingly small. Kim is no stranger to fashion risks and creative fashion choices, but did this one go too far?
The Kardashians
Follow the Kardashian family as they celebrate new ventures and navigate through their new normal: motherhood, relationships, and career goals.
- Release Date
- October 14, 2007
- Cast
- Khloe Kardashian , Kim Kardashian , Kourtney Kardashian , Kris Jenner
- Main Genre
- Reality TV
- Seasons
- 5
Kim Kardashian’s Teeny Tiny Waist Distracted From Her Overall Look
Kim was seen at John Galliano’s Margiela Artisanal fashion show, and one of the looks was striking enough for her to use as her look for this year’s Met Gala theme. The look itself is gorgeous. The silver lace skirt that wrapped around the corset was intricate and beautiful, and overall, many consider the look to be a knockout one. However, there were many others who could not help but notice just how tiny her waist was.
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Media Critic Monty J Wilder, who often makes pithy yet fun commentary about the looks worn by celebrities at major events like this, didn’t even offer some of his usual nicknames for Kim. His comment about her outfit was simply, “This CAN’T be healthy. It can’t! Where are your ORGANS, MA’AM?!” And his statement isn’t that crazy. There is nothing wrong with wearing a corset; however, the way Kim’s waist was cinched was incredibly unhealthy.
Historically, women did wear their corsets this tight at one point in time, and the results on their bodies proved to be life-threatening and extreme. Sure, they had to wear them on a daily basis, but the fact that these corsets forced these women’s digestive organs to be pushed down into their pelvis led many to early graves. According to this Forbes article, “One of the most well-known historical attempts at changing a woman’s body shape — corseting of the waist to make an hourglass figure — left lasting effects on the skeleton, deforming the ribs and misaligning the spine.” Women endured the pain of this to fit the societal standards set for women at that time. Corsets have come back in fashion in recent years, and wearing them for a short amount of time is perfectly fine. The way Kim Kardashian wore her corset is extremely problematic and sets a dangerous example for young women and femmes.
Kim Kardashian Has Become a Fashion Role Model, But at What Cost?
Societal beauty standards have shifted to the point of impossibility. The number of surgical and non-surgical procedures increased 22% between 2000 and 2020. The onslaught of imagery, thanks to social media, has shown a drastic increase in self-esteem issues in teenage girls. Psychologists studying these patterns shared that “nearly 3 in 5 (57 percent) U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021—double that of boys, representing a nearly 60 percent increase and the highest level reported over the past decade.” According to a 2021 study, girls’ self-esteem increased the more time they spent away from the internet.
The psychologist leading the study shared, “Social media can expose users to hundreds or even thousands of images and photos every day, including those of celebrities and fashion or fitness models, which we know leads to an internalization of beauty ideals that are unattainable for almost everyone, resulting in greater dissatisfaction with body weight and shape.” And while the Kardashians are not the sole reason for these changes, they are certainly major contributors.
They’ve been open about their body modifications and have done what they can to have bodies they were not genetically gifted with, like shapely posteriors and plump lips. Interestingly enough, the BBL, aka Brazilian butt lift procedures, have increased by 112% between 2000 and 2020, while lip augmentations have increased by 84%. The Kardashians star began to rise in 2007, so looking at these statistics, it is extremely difficult not to notice the correlation between the increase in surgeries and the Kardashian family’s fame. Their fixation on having a tiny waist is also incredibly problematic.
Kim has her own line of shapewear with SKIMS, and her focus on body image is beyond prevalent. For the 2022 Met Gala, Kim famously wore the same dress worn by Marilyn Monroe and even bragged about losing 16 pounds to ensure the dress fit her for the event. It was a controversial moment, as it was later discovered that she irrevocably damaged the dress. The 2024 Gala, however, has taken this fixation on having a tiny waist a step further. The unfortunate reality is the Kardashians have set the standard of beauty over the past several decades. Their style, ways of makeup, and keenness on surgically altering their bodies have created a generation that is determined to follow in their footsteps. Unfortunately, the self-esteem issues plaguing those impressionable minds that worship them are marching right alongside them.
Season 5 of The Kardashians premieres on May 23 on Hulu.
This article was originally published on collider.com