Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has endured as an icon of feminist literature, painting a picture of a dystopian future in which women are enslaved to produce children for high ranking families. The story has more recently been adapted for Hulu, winning critical acclaim as well as a few celebrity fans, including Kylie Jenner - who is currently facing heat for her extravagant themed viewing party.
To celebrate her close friend Anastasia ‘Stassie Baby’ Karanikolaou’s birthday, Jenner hosted a The Handmaid’s Tale-themed party which saw her transformed her lavish mansion into the Republic of Gilead. In a number of Instagram stories, guests were seen entering through blood red draped arches. They were greeted by women dressed as Marthas (domestic helpers for high ranking families) who murmured “praise be” as they passed.
Jenner met her guests at the front door dressed from head to toe in the red and white garb of a fictional handmaid.
Beyond the show, the costume has also been used as a symbol of protest for women fighting against restrictive reproductive legislation.
Jenner welcomed her guests by shouting, “Praise be, ladies! Welcome, welcome, we’re gonna watch the first episode.”
On Instagram, Jenner called the programme her “favourite show ever”. As the camera panned inside her home, the Republic of Gilead’s fictional flags were hung up alongside a rack of red handmaiden robes.
Jenner’s guests included the birthday girl Stassie herself, Jenner’s assistant Victoria Villaroel, makeup artist Ariel Tejada, Scott Disick’s girlfriend Sofia Richie and Tiffany Sorya, many of whom were pictured in the same red robes as Jenner.
Richie, who is also Lionel Richie's daughter, shared a picture of her "transition" to handmaiden on Instagram.
In other Instagram stories, it was revealed that Jenner’s dining room had been transformed with themed table settings which included swathes of red roses, black candles and red wine glasses which reportedly included the phrases “Praise be, b*tches” and “Blessed day”. Guests’ names were also included on personalised letters.
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Guests were also served cocktails by handmaidens which included “Praise be vodka” and “Under his eyes tequila”.
Given the charged nature of the show, Jenner’s viewing party quickly sparked debate on Twitter. Some felt that Jenner and her friends had missed the point of the dark drama.
As the United States is currently in the throes of a massive debate around reproductive rights, one user wrote, “With all of the serious reproductive rights fights that are going on, Kylie Jenner gave a ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ themed birthday. This entire family is tone-deaf due to privilege, and don’t you forget it.”
Another wrote, “Kylie Jenner is having a party themed after the Handmaid’s Tale.....so.....who’s gonna tell her that her party is literally celebrating female enslavement for their biological reproduction?? WHO IS GOING TO TELL HER”
Others found the entire encounter completely unsettling with one user tweeting, “the fact that kylie jenner actually threw a “handmaid’s tale” themed birthday party is so disturbing. i am actually dumbfounded.”
It appears that Jenner and Stassie didn’t dwell on The Handmaid’s Tale for much longer, as Stassie’s celebrations continued with the group swapping their handmaiden robes for hot pink bikinis.
Jenner posted a photo of herself with the birthday girl, writing, “It’s ya birthday it’s ya birthday bad b*tch contest you in first place”.
The new series of Handmaid's Tale will be released on Channel 4 within the UK on June 9.