This 2015 cover of Interview, a fashion, art, and entertainment magazine, features able-bodied socialite and reality television celebrity Kylie Jenner posing in a wheelchair wearing a black leather bodysuit, choker, and heels.

discussion

Why is it a problem that able-bodied Kylie Jenner is using a wheelchair as a prop to portray an image of edginess and sexiness in this magazine cover photo?

What multiple privileges does Kylie Jenner have that people with disabilities do not? How is she appropriating this mobility device, much in the same way that people appropriate other people’s cultures?

How are disabled people represented in the media? Are they visible? How is their attractiveness and sexuality portrayed? Why does a range of representation and visibility of disabled people matter?

In movies, television shows, and ads, why is it important to feature, hire, and celebrate the stories and experiences of actual disabled people, as opposed to only celebrating able-bodied actors portraying disability?