When Vogue magazine put (a fully clothed) Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on its cover earlier this year with the unwieldy hashtag #worldsmosttalkedaboutcouple, some accused the magazine of being desperate for buzz. (Never mind that the issue’s sales reportedly failed to meet expectations.)
But during a talk at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, Vogue editor Anna Wintour said being the #worldsmosttalkedaboutmagazine has always been the goal — while also suggesting that the two stars are not “deeply tasteful” people.
“I think if we just remain deeply tasteful and just put deeply tasteful people on the cover it would be a rather boring magazine,” Wintour said. (Is she unaware that, as far as Kim covers go, the Vogue appearance was about as tasteful as you can get? Did the Paper cover break the Internet at Condé Nast?) “Nobody would talk about us. It’s very important that people do talk about us.”
Wintour sounds like she’s throwing a lot of shade at the couple, but the rest of the editor’s comments appear to be complimentary. She said Estée Lauder’s decision to make Kardashian’s half-sister Kendall Jenner their new face was “fantastic,” and Wintour also said she has a long history of putting controversial celebrities (such as Madonna) on the cover of the magazine and helping make them “part of the establishment.”
“I hope another Kim Kardashian comes this year!” Wintour concluded. The Internet has been warned.
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Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com