Cultural appropriation can be a pretty thorny concept.
There's a fine line between being paying tribute to a culture other than your own and stealing customs and traditions that rightfully belong to others.
But while there's not always a clear consensus as to what constitutes cultural appropriation, we can all agree that Kim Kardashian's latest stunt is some flat-out bullsh-t.
Kim announced this week that she's launching a line of Spanx-like products called Kimono Solutionwear.
"Kimono" in this case is a pun on Kim's name, and "Solutionwear" is a word designed to ensure that you immediately sink into a deep depression every time you see the label.
Of course, "kimono" is also the name of a Japanese style of robe that's existed for thousands of years.
Which is why so many are appalled by the news that Kim has trademarked the name.
“Finally I can share with you guys this project that I have been developing for the last year," the mother of four wrote on Instagram Tuesday.
"I’ve been passionate about this for 15 years. Kimono is my take on shapewear and solutions for women that actually work,” she added.
Kim went on to state that she was inspired to create her own line of shapewear after becoming frustrated by the products that are currently available:
“I would always cut up my shapewear to make my own styles, and there have also been so many times I couldn’t find a shapeware [sic] color that blended with my skin tone so we needed a solution for all of this," she wrote.
Kim's post touts the inclusive nature of the line, noting that it's available in a wide variety of sizes and shades.
But not surprisingly, however, many of her followers fixated on the fact that she decided to claim a Japanese word as her own intellectual property.
“Rih would never. Bey would never. Anyone with a working brain would never,” Twitter user stylevoguette remarked.
"Probably is a good product but the name.... I hear it as ‘Kim, oh NO!’” Leisha_17 tweeted.
Making matters worse is the fact that Kim has a looooong history of racially insensitive behavior.
Kim has been accused of blackface as well the as appropriation of black culture through the use of microbraids and other hairstyles commonly associated with women of color.
Kim has yet to respond to the backlash, but it's safe to assume she won't be backing down.
The rollout for her shapewear line has already begun, and according to the Los Angeles Times, “Kimono,” “Kimono Body,” “Kimono Intimates” and “Kimono World” are among the words and phrases that are currently awaiting trademark review.
Not the kind of media attention one typically looks for launching a new product.
Then again, the maxim "there's no such thing as bad press" has served Kim well throughout her career.