Kim Kardashian chats with Bari Weiss about 'ridiculous' cancel culture


Kim Kardashian doesn't buy into the idea of "cancel culture" — in fact, according to a new interview between the influencer and journalist Bari Weiss, she believes the concept to be "the most ridiculous thing."
When asked about instances of accusations of cultural appropriation, Kardashian first explained that "even if I know my intentions are good," she never wants to take such charges lightly, referencing as an example how she quickly changed the name of her shapewear company from Kimono to SKIMS following backlash.
"Still," she said, "if I worried about every last thing that someone said and I had to try to change it, then I would never be me. Anyone wouldn't be them!"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"That's why I think cancel culture is the most ridiculous thing," Kardashian told Weiss, who has also written extensively about the topic, "because I really do believe ... in rehabilitation and freedom of speech. I've never really been into cancel culture."
"If we cancel someone for something that they had done or said in their past, then we're not inviting them into the conversation to really understand," she continued, noting it, of course, "depends on the situation." In some instances, she explained, "I don't really care what people think about me, but there's some times where I say, 'OK, I completely understand how you would feel like this is disrespectful, and I will absolutely change this.'"
"I always own up to the mistakes that I make and I try not to make them again," the mogul added. "But I think if you don't have these conversations with people, how are they ever going to change something that isn't right?"
Read the full interview between Kardashian and Weiss here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
August 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky mission
Talking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogs
The Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play