Kim Kardashian Faces Backlash For Marilyn Monroe Met Gala Dress
Marilyn Monroe fans are not happy after The Kardashians star Kim Kardashian showed up to the 2022 Met Gala in Marilyn's iconic gold dress, which she wore to perform "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The 2022 Met Gala acted as a part 2 to the gala held in September 2021 after being postponed from its usual May date due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the gala, celebrities dressed for the theme, "Gilded Glamour," and the event was the first time all six Kar-Jenner women attended the event together. Even Kylie Jenner showed up for the event after laying low for the past few months after giving birth to her second child with boyfriend Travis Scott.
During the 2021 Met Gala, Kim made headlines in an all-black ensemble that included a black mask that covered her entire face. While many thought the outfit didn't fit the theme of "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," it did showcase how recognizable and prominent Kim is in American society. Despite her entire body being covered, aside from her long black ponytail, everyone was still able to discern the reality star from the shape of her silhouette. The star was dressed by Balenciaga and accompanied by sister Kendall Jenner and momager Kris Jenner.
At this year's Met Gala, the discussion around Kim's appearance was mostly negative as a lot of Twitter onlookers found it disrespectful for Kim to wear Marilyn's gown. In response to a tweet from Vogue, user @bigreputayfan wrote, "So disrespectful to a historical piece." Some other fans were getting extremely upset about the implication that Kim is the Marilyn of today. Many pointed out that Marilyn was an orphan who worked her way to the top, while The Kardashians star was born into wealth. They also pointed out that the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes actress was a highly talented actress and singer, while Kim and her family are notoriously untalented.
Kim's Met Gala look is not the first time the famous family has channeled the '50s actress. In 2019, Kylie dressed in Marilyn's iconic pink "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" gown for her annual Halloween party. The Kylie Cosmetics founder wore a matching blonde wig that looked uncanny to the actress' emblematic hairstyle. The youngest Kardashian sister Khloe has also worn her hair in a Marilyn-like style a few times in photos on social media. However, Kim borrowing the star's actual dress is what really set fans off. "Imagine being so unoriginal and completely lacking in talent that you have to steal someone else’s iconic moment," user @shellez tweeted.
While Kim may have been having an iconic pinch-me moment, it seems Marilyn lovers were not very pleased. Of course, if The Kardashians star felt confident about wearing the dress, then it's nobody else's business. Then again, some things are better left untouched on a mannequin in a museum to be viewed from afar. Either way, fans getting angry over celebrities' Met Gala looks has become something like an annual holiday, so at least Kim was keeping fashion fans entertained.
The Kardashians streams Thursdays on Hulu.
Sources: @bigreputayfan/Twitter, @shellez/Twitter