Part 1: Cultural Appropriation for the Nation

Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner is one of my favourite plays. It was as glorious to read back over recently, as it was to see it at The Royal Court Theatre when it had its debut last summer.

It’s a wonderfully fearless creation. One in which playwright Jasmine Lee-Jones touches upon an array of topics: race, appropriation, colourism, queerness, racial fetishism, imposed beauty standards (shout out Disney), consent, social media anonymity, Black acceptance and more. Each theme contributing to the timeliness of the performance. Each theme deserving of its own individual feature on Sips Tea. In fact, it occurs to me as I write this that certain issues might just need to have their minute of glory and so, we’ll call this part 1 of many: A segment exploring the appropriation of the Black female body.

But, before we dive in, let me tell you a little bit more about this Lee-Jones masterpiece and its relevance.

Following a Forbes article in which Kylie Jenner is crowned the world’s ‘youngest self-made billionaire ever’ Cleo, a 21-year-old Black Woman, shuts herself off from the outside world. Ignoring all forms of communication, she airs 21 Whatsapps from Kara, her Black mixed-race friend, who finds Cleo holed up in her room following the news.

Despite Cleo’s reluctance to engage with real life, she remains determined for her voice to be heard and so, like many keyboard warriors, turns to the Twittersphere.

Here, under the pseudonym @INCOGNEGRO, Cleo lets the internet know exactly what she thinks of the youngest member of the Kardashian clan, not only refuting her title, but doing exactly what the name of the play would suggest: explaining the seven methods upon which she thinks Kylie Jenner should die.

Now I won’t lie to you, the methods are dark. At first appearing as an irrational outburst of aggression by @INCOGNEGRO, those who reply laugh at her posts, as if her use of knife emojis and ‘kyliejennerfidead’ hashtags were a mindless joke. 🔪 However, as the play progresses her intent deepens. Each new method more graphic than the last. Each new method revealing the depth of Cleo’s frustration.

Outside of the Twittersphere, Cleo and Kara engage in a series of conversations, lingering on one topic in particular: colourism. As discussions progress you begin to see just how aware Cleo is of her and Kara’s difference.

She describes her friend as having ‘lightie-itis’, better understood as a light-skinned individual who isn’t fully aware of their privilege. Kara, on the other hand, is quick to remind Cleo that despite their tonal difference, she too is Black and that Cleo alone cannot hold the rights to oppression.

Amidst the back and forth and varied discussion, the two Women repeatedly circle back to the methods and thus, back to the root of Cleo’s rage (which, for the record, goes way beyond the appropriation of Black female bodies).

Let’s talk about the Kardashian-Jenner Women for a second. Famous for their exaggerated curves and desired aesthetic, the group of sisters are often praised for having the ideal figure, ideal features and ideal skin tone.

The group are also known for monetising their assets; building a multimillion dollar empire made up of clothing brands, make-up lines, fitness reality TV shows and more.

Now, when you list it off like that, it all sounds relatively unproblematic. Almost as if there was no need for Lee-Jones to dream up the Seven Methods. But, she knew what much of society tend to ignore: that there’s a much darker side to their success. That hidden beneath the floorboards of the Kardashian-Jenner fortune lies the pillaged body of the Black Woman.

It’s no surprise that Black is trending (again) and it has been for years now; our stereotypical features once shunned, now desired. We’re in the age of big bums, thick thighs and full lips and many non-Black Women want to indulge, the mogul family included.

One could argue that there is no harm in yearning for these attributes as a non-Black Woman. After all, we’re all allowed to want what we want. But here lies the issue: Black Women have had today’s desired traits since the beginning of time. However, before this era we weren’t being praised for our figure or rewarded for our aesthetic.

Instead, we were called fat, our thighs thunder and our lips too big to kiss.

We were called dark, our skin ‘blick’ and our complexion too Black for beauty.

We were called ugly, pretty for a Black Woman at best, but never as aesthetically pleasing as our lighter counterparts.

Even today, as society lusts after the qualities of a Black Woman, it still does not lust after us. And that’s the problem.

Society accepting anything, but the Black Woman. Any colour, but hers.

Okay Cleo, you vent it out baby because there’s a lot to be mad about.

Kylie Jenner, a 21-year-old White Woman, injects lips fillers to give herself that now-desired ‘drop lip’. She then launches a ‘lip kit’ make up line, which goes on to become a multimillion dollar cooperation and, in turn, leads to her being labelled the world’s ‘youngest self-made billionaire ever’. Only for her to later get bored of her plumped lip appearance and gradually reduce her lip fillers.

Appropriation, people. It looks like taking an idea, attribute, custom or style from a group or culture that you are not a member of and using it for yourself. i.e. It looks like Kylie Jenner’s lip kits.

As the play progresses and conversations deepen you begin to see beneath the guise of Cleo’s murderous tendencies. Gradually, what was once an enraged and ‘jealous’ Black Woman melts to reveal a palpable pain. A young Women filled with overwhelming emotion because sometimes that’s actually what it feels like: the love of Black Women being smudged into oblivion.

There are many moments within the play when Lee-Jones causes the audience to pause, one being a scene in which Cleo reminds Kara of a party they attended five years prior. It transpires that Cleo was taunted by a group of boys, one of them pulling off her wig and mocking her for her ‘drop lip’.

“I’ve never felt so ugly in my life”, Cleo explains.

It’s in moments like this throughout the play that you begin to understand that it’s not just cultural appropriation at the root of Cleo’s pain, but more so the general disregard for Black Women. And not just our bodies, but our existence. Western society is inherently violent towards the Black Woman and misogynoir ensures that we’re not only oppressed by appropriating Women, but also by Men.

If I’m honest, I don’t find irritation in the Woman who appropriated me nearly as much as I do for the person who praised her for it. The truth is, the Kardashian-Jenner clan wouldn’t be where they are today if members of Black society hadn’t embraced them.

The family are famous for dating an array of Black Men who, much like wider society have looked past the negative effect the growth of their empire has had on Black Women. And their significant others aren’t the only ones.

I’ve sat in rooms full of Black Men and watched as they marvelled over Women who are guilty of skinning the bodies of my sisters.

I’ve watched as they glorified thick thighs, their preferred model light in complexion.

I’ve listened as they fetishized Mixed-Race Women. Nodded as they agreed that their light skin was the ‘best of both’. Excited as they attempted to guess where she was from; the ‘little somethin’ somethin’ in her’ allowing them to claim Black love while never truly showing it.

I’ve shrunk as they listed off the reasons why they no longer wanted to date Black because of stereotypical things like aggression or an attitude. Because they’ve bought into society’s definition of beauty being light skin and loose curls and a Black Woman with a hidden afro just won’t do.

I’ve sat in rooms full of Black Men and watched as they didn’t see me. Listened as they declared that ‘White Women are the future’ and raged as they scrambled to explain that their preference wasn’t a reflection of how they viewed me, but a preference that they, nonetheless, couldn’t really explain.

I look back on those conversations every time I go to tell someone about the Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner.  It’s true Lee-Jones made Cleo’s methods dark, but I understood her.

Though, I note that’s not to say we should all go about plotting to murder every single influencer that dares to wear our skin like a costume. Of course not! (Though, if you’re down, I’m down, just say the word…  👀)

But yeah, I get her.

As I said, sometimes it feels like the love of the Black Woman is being smudged into oblivion, society accepting anything, but the Black Woman. Any colour, but hers.

Anyway, let me bring this to a close, though I could really write a dissertation on this play because there is so much more to talk about and explore it further we shall, so stayed tuned.

P.S. Just so you know, I wasn’t paid to write this; but if I stick the amazon link below Jeff will pay me, right? 👀 *Sips Tea*