Kylie Jenner's 'Interview' Shoot Is Controversial

The Kardashian family is the la creme de la creme of "breaking the Internet." However, this time it's causing some controversy. Kylie Jenner covers Interview magazine for the December/January issue, and, as with everything she does, the shoot has been getting a whole lot of attention. The picture making the biggest splash, however, features Jenner in a golden wheelchair. Unsurprisingly, many people are speaking out against the image on Twitter, calling it ableist.

Photographer Steven Klein is known for his satirical, robotic, and surrealist work. He uses props like wooden coffins, silver platters, and shoes on hands. But this might be his most statement-making shoot yet. In a recent exclusive interview with E!, Interview explained the motives behind the aesthetic of the photos, specifically the choice to use a wheelchair:

At Interview, we are proud of our tradition of working with great artists and empowering them to realize their distinct and often bold visions. The Kylie Jenner cover by Steven Klein, which references the British artist Allen Jones, is a part of this tradition, placing Kylie in a variety of positions of power and control and exploring her image as an object of vast media scrutiny."

Wheelchairs and crutches have been used in fashion shoots before. Several outlets have likened these images to a shoot in the 1995 issue of Vogue, where Helmut Newton showed Nadja Auermann being pushed in a wheelchair holding binoculars. However, twenty years later, one might think that using an able-bodied teenager in a wheelchair may no longer be PC. This year we have seen disabled models like Rebekah Marine and Madeline Stuart hit the runway at NYFW. Additionally, people with disabilities are a little better represented in the media nowadays — but only a little better.

Many readers have taken to social media to argue that the image is offensive, rather than solely provocative, and have given their own personal takes:

In the Interview article, Jenner opens up about being bullied when she was younger. The piece comes shortly after she used the hashtag #IAmMoreThan on an Instagram photo in which she called attention to a woman in a wheelchair.

In light of the negative reactions, Interview assured E! that the wheelchair was no more than a symbolic prop used for artistic expression. "Our intention was to create a powerful set of pictures that get people thinking about image and creative expression, including the set with the wheelchair. But our intention was certainly not to offend anyone."

Interview told Bustle via email that the quotes on Jenner in the wheelchair were exclusively released to E! but did not provide further comment.