Kim Kardashian as the face of globalized markets
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
[In the last two decades, celebrity beauty has undergone a dramatic transformation. The faces that dominate popular culture today are no longer distinctly Western, Asian, or Latin American; they are a composite of all three and more. This emerging ‘ethnically ambiguous’ look represents not diversity, but the commodification of it. Through the forces of global capitalism, beauty has become a curated blend of traits drawn from every corner of the world: almond-shaped eyes, full lips, tan skin—picture Kim Kardashian. What was once a celebration of cultural difference has been re-engineered into a marketable product, a look that can sell everywhere and offend no one.]