Honestly, it feels like a lifetime ago, but it’s actually been over ten years. November 2014. That was the month Kim Kardashian West (as she was known then) decided to officially try and "break the internet."
She didn't just try. She did it.
The image of her bare, oiled-up backside on the cover of Paper magazine didn't just trend; it became a permanent fixture in the hall of fame for viral marketing. Even now, in 2026, we’re still talking about it. Why? Because it wasn't just a photo of a celebrity. It was a calculated, artistic, and deeply controversial moment that shifted how we think about fame, digital influence, and the ethics of photography.
The Story Behind the Shot
Most people remember the "butt cover," but there were actually two versions. The one that arguably required more physics was the "Champagne Incident." You know the one: Kim is in a black sequined gown, wearing evening gloves, with a champagne glass balanced perfectly on her lower back while a bottle of bubbly sprays in a perfect arc over her head, landing right in the glass.
It looks impossible. Because it kinda was.
The photographer was Jean-Paul Goude, a legendary French artist and graphic designer. Goude is famous for his "illusory" style—a technique he calls "the French Correction." Long before AI or even sophisticated Photoshop was the norm, he was cutting and splicing negatives to create "impossible" human proportions.
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The champagne photo was actually a recreation of his own work. In 1976, he shot a nearly identical image featuring a model named Carolina Beaumont. When Paper’s Chief Creative Officer, Drew Elliott, and editor Mickey Boardman pitched the "Break the Internet" concept, they knew they needed someone who could bridge the gap between high art and tabloid fodder.
It Wasn't Just About the Nudity
If you think this was just Kim being "naked for attention," you’re missing the bigger picture. This was a survival tactic for a dying medium.
Back in 2014, print magazines were already gasping for air. Paper was a relatively small-circulation indie mag based in New York. By putting the world’s most famous woman on the cover in her most provocative state, they turned a $10 physical object into a global digital event.
The numbers were staggering:
- Paper’s website saw over 50 million hits in the days following the release.
- The "butt cover" was retweeted 70,000 times within two hours of Kanye West posting it.
- Google searches for "Kim Kardashian Paper magazine" hit over 5.5 million in less than a day.
It proved that a physical magazine could still dictate the digital conversation. It was sweet revenge for ink and paper.
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The Part People Usually Get Wrong
Here is where the conversation gets a bit uncomfortable, and it's the part that many fans ignore. While the internet was busy making memes (the ones where her butt was photoshopped into a Krispy Kreme donut or a Thanksgiving turkey), scholars and activists were pointing out something much darker.
Jean-Paul Goude’s career was built on the fetishization of Black women. His 1982 book, Jungle Fever, featured his then-partner Grace Jones in highly stylized, often animalistic poses.
Critics pointed out that Kim's poses—specifically the emphasis on her proportions—were eerily similar to the historical caricatures of Saartjie Baartman, also known as the "Hottentot Venus." Baartman was a South African woman who was exhibited in European freak shows in the 19th century because of her body type.
For many, the Paper magazine cover wasn't just a fun "internet-breaking" moment. It was a white-passing woman profiting from an aesthetic and a history of exploitation that Black women had suffered through for centuries. It’s a nuanced argument that Kim herself didn’t really address at the time, but it remains the primary reason the cover is studied in media classes today.
Was it Real?
The short answer: No.
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Editor Kim Hastreiter eventually admitted what we all suspected: "Of course it was Photoshopped." In an industry where "raw" and "unfiltered" photos are now the trend, the Paper cover was the peak of the "perfected" aesthetic. The skin was smoothed to the texture of whiskey-colored marble. The proportions were dialed up to eleven.
Kim’s skin was slathered in enough body oil to make her look like a sculpture. She even joked later on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about how much work went into the "Champagne Incident" shot, noting that her back was "hurting for about a week" after the shoot.
What This Taught Us About Fame
Looking back, the Paper magazine cover Kim K moment was the blueprint for modern celebrity. It taught us that:
- Virality isn't an accident. It’s a campaign. Paper added extra servers weeks in advance because they knew exactly what was coming.
- Controversy is currency. The magazine didn't care if you loved it or hated it; they just needed you to look at it.
- The medium doesn't matter as much as the moment. A print mag can become a digital wildfire if the spark is bright enough.
How to Apply These Insights Today
If you're a creator or a marketer, there are actually a few "pro" takeaways from this 2014 chaos:
- Iterate on Icons: Don't be afraid to reference historical art. Goude used his 1976 work to create a 2014 masterpiece. Nostalgia + Modern Context = Viral Gold.
- Commit to the Bit: If you’re going to do something bold, go all the way. Half-measures don't break the internet. Kim went full frontal (in the inside spreads) and full "outrageous" on the cover.
- Prepare for the Backlash: If you’re pushing boundaries, have a plan for the criticism. The "Hottentot Venus" comparisons were a significant part of the discourse; being aware of the cultural baggage of your "vibe" is essential in a modern landscape.
To really understand the impact, look at Kim’s 10-year anniversary "throwback" post in late 2024. She recreated the vibe, and it still pulled millions of likes. It's a reminder that while the internet is fast, truly iconic images have a very, very long shelf life.
For the most authentic experience, try tracking down an original physical copy of the Winter 2014 issue. Seeing the matte paper and the $10 price tag makes you realize just how much heavy lifting that single piece of print media did for the entire Kardashian empire.