Don’t Blame Kim Kardashian For the Marilyn Monroe Dress Disaster at the Met Gala

References are available below the cut for this video, if you're curious! To forestall comments about Ripley’s being a private owner of Marilyn’s dress: Yes, they are. But maybe they shouldn’t be. As I tried to explain in the video, we as a society have a moral responsibility to preserve objects of historic value. Marilyn’s dress is that: a completely unique garment designed by an important designer, worn by a celebrity extremely important to American culture, and imbued with (often negative) messages about American society both then and now. If it wasn’t so important and special, Kim wearing it wouldn’t have been a problem. Yes, Ripley’s owns this and can do what they want with it. But this is the kind of garment that usually would be in the Smithsonian - or FIDM or LACMA or the Met or even a local historical society: i.e. an accredited institution with the ability to preserve it for future audiences, including the public, scholars, and designers who could learn from it.

In my opinion, she didn't wear a antique, she wore an artifact, and that's a HUGE difference.

For those who say "I'm sure Marilyn wouldn't mind her wearing this dress," Marilyn herself said that she wants it to be a "one of a kind dress that only Marilyn Monroe could wear." Ironically, Ripley's are the ones who published that quote 🤦‍♀️ Just so wrong on so many levels.

I do blame Kim. She doesn't have to be an expert or a rocket scientist to realize that it's tacky, disrespectful, entitled, and just, oh my God, the audacity. It's just gross.

Before, it was “worn only by Marilyn Monroe” now it’s “worn only by Marilyn Monroe & Kim kardashian” it’s absolutely disrespectful of Kim to ruin an iconic moment in Marilyn’s life. I’m surprised they managed to contain Kim’s massive ego in the dress without busting the seams 😒

What irks me the most is that Marilyn wanted to be the only one to ever wear it, and she said so. Wearing it (even the destruction aside) is SO disrespectful.

I thought the dress was unrecognizable as "the Marilyn Monroe dress" on Kim Kardashian. It didn't fit her like it did Marilyn Monroe. The bust line didn't have the same tailored fit on Kim Kardashian. I think the only way it was distinguishable as once having been worn by Marilyn Monroe was because we were told it was! 🙄

A replica could have looked so cool! Imagine a dress that was sewn to fit her curves and match her skin color. The whole effect of the original was lost because it was made for Marilyn and not Kim. I think a taylored replica could have been a great homage (eventhough it would still have been off theme)

No, blame her. It's about time we held the entire Kardashian family accountable for their evil actions

I think her wearing a properly made and fitted replica the whole time would've been more beautiful and such a lovely homage to Merilyn's dress. Seeing the hip seam strain makes me shudder. I hope the Met will release a statement and ban any future costumes of historical significance from being worn at their events.

Kim Kardashian missed an opportunity to directly benefit the Costume Institute. She spent the evening in a copy of the dress. She could have worn the copy on the red carpet and explained to the mass of reporters that wearing the original would have been wrong. She missed the opportunity to use her celebrity status to inform others of the importance of conservation and institutions such as the Costume Institute. True, she does not have the background, but others working with her did not consider this. I am stunned that the Costume Institute and the Met allowed her to do this.

Imagine being the person that reduced the value of Marilyn Monroe's dress in an effort to flaunt wealth. Kim's wealth reducing value of clothing is almost poetry

I am a Textile and Clothing Conservator and was beyond appalled when learning of Kim C wearing this dress. I actually audibly gasped when I saw the dress being pulled up in your video. That was an incredible amount of stress being put on the dress and there was no way of knowing whether the dressing process alone was going to cause damage. In fact, given that the dress is made of an inherently fragile silk fabric; it is a small miracle the dress was not irreparably damaged during dressing or wearing. Your comments were all spot on. It is true Kim was not responsible for this, but whatever possessed her to think that she should be so entitled?

The fact she didn’t wear just one of Marilyn’s dresses is what gets me… she also wore Marilyn’s green dress when she won her golden globe (she even tracked down and was carrying Marilyn’s golden globe!) I’m blaming Kim as much as everyone else. Clearly she also pushed to wear the dresses rather than get replicas of them. Complete and total disrespect

I think what’s so upsetting to me is that KK had a replica and still chose to risk even more damage for a photo op.

honestly, the whole situation was wrong on so many levels. marilyn’s dress had been disrespected for AGES. “ripley’s believe it or not” isn’t a prestigious museum, you can literally see the world’s smallest car there. the dress should not be held in a place where you can buy corn dogs. the dress should have been placed in a museum where it could be appreciated properly. that being said, marilyn’s dress was made for her and her ONLY. she had the dress sewn onto her body so that it would only fit her. marilyn’s wishes should have been taken seriously! the dress should not have been worn by kim kardashian, or anyone other then marilyn for that matter. i would be equally upset if any other celebrity wore it, whether it be taylor swift or joe exotic. it’s a historical piece and should not have been touched for ANY REASON. plus, we all know kim didn’t do it to “honor marilyn”, she did it for clout. she wears a stupid dress to the met gala EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. it gets people talking every time without fail and that’s exactly what she wants.

Kim Kardashian is at fault for this, because she feels entitled to wear this artifact. She “doesn’t know,” but certainly has the means and ability to find out. She chose not to, and has put a piece of history at risk to satiate her unbridled ego.

This whole situation reeks of entitlement. Just because Kim can afford to do things like this dosent mean she should. The fact she wore two of Marilyn’s dresses, posed with her golden globe award and was gifted a lock of her hair.. beyond disturbing. Marilyn is being exploited by the industry even in death. If Kim truly loved Marilyn and had respect for her, she wouldn’t have done ANY of this. Shame on everyone involved in this horror show, sigh.

The dress was made specifically to create a nude illusion on Marilyn Monroe. The fit and color were specific to Monroe, and do not create the same illusion on Kim Kardashian. The impact is therefore completely lost. It just looked like some random off-the-rack dress. When taken out of the context of Marilyn Monroe wearing it, the dress doesn't really offer much in the way of design. She should have just worn the replica, and they should have focused on making the replica create the same nude illusion. That would have been more impactful than wearing the actual dress. That said, it also has nothing to do with this year's Met Gala Theme, either.

Does Kim wearing that dress depreciate the value of the dress? The fact that it was one of a kind, only worn by Marilyn Monroe, the occasion it was worn for is what makes the dress valuable. I feel like the dress has lost its value because it lost its sentimental, historical values. The dress is now tainted by the Kardashians’ longing quest to seek the “wow factor”… so sad.