A photo of Scott Disick and his daughter Penelope sparked criticism from people on social media.
The American TV personality became famous on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. He appeared on the show alongside his former long-term partner, Kourtney Kardashian Barker.
Scott and Kourtney share three children, Mason, Penelope and Reign. The children were born during their on-off relationship, which lasted from 2006 to 2015. Fans of the reality series often supported Scott and Kourtney’s relationship.
Their relationship ended after Scott’s ongoing struggles with substance abuse. Despite the split, Scott remained close to the Kardashian family. He has said Kris Jenner is the closest thing he has to real family, outside his children.
Kris promised to keep Scott close after the separation. The 42-year-old also maintained a close relationship with Khloe Kardashian. The pair had not got along well when Scott first began dating Kourtney.
Kourtney later found a relationship with long-time friend and neighbor Travis Barker. The Blink-182 drummer married Kourtney in May 2022. Their wedding took place during a lavish ceremony in Portofino, Italy.
Scott and Kourtney continue co-parenting
Kourtney and Scott remain in each other’s lives because they share children together. Kourtney previously addressed their co-parenting relationship during an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. She said their connection would continue regardless of their romantic status.
“Scott and I, we’re going to be in each other’s lives forever. We are soulmates, in a sense. No matter what, whether we’re ever together or not.”
Both Scott and Kourtney still appear on the family’s newer Hulu series, The Kardashians. Outside parenting and television, Kourtney’s main focus is her wellness brand, Lemme. Scott has continued working in real estate and flipping homes.
Scott has also built a large following on Instagram. He has more than 28 million followers on the platform. However, one post with Penelope appeared to upset some of his followers.
“It’s a parent’s responsibility to teach a kid to do the right thing,” one person commented.
Another added: “Ignorance at its finest.”
A third wrote: “All that wealth, you’d think some would go towards education on ignorance and cultural sensitivity.”
The backlash followed other online criticism involving posts of Scott and Kourtney’s children. Kourtney previously posted photos of Reign giving the middle finger. At the time, Reign was eight years old.
Previous posts also caused backlash
The Reign photos drew criticism after they appeared online several years apart. Some followers said the images showed bad behaviour. Others criticised Kourtney’s parenting after seeing the posts.
“I don’t think it’s hilarious! Bad behavior,” one follower said.
Another declared: “Kourtney doesn’t know how to parent, every time I see her kids they’re always doing something bad.”
Kourtney also faced criticism after filming Penelope and Reign in the back of Travis Barker’s vintage Chevrolet convertible. The children were riding without modern cross-strap seat belts. That clip also prompted concern from people watching online.
The latest criticism centred on Scott’s photo with Penelope. Some social media users said the image appeared to reference offensive racial stereotypes. The concern focused on gestures that mock the eye shape of East Asian people.
In East Asian countries, a common eye feature is epicanthic folds, also called monolid eyes. This is where the upper eyelid meets the inner corner of the eye. Some people make racist gestures by pulling their eyes with their fingers.
The slant-eyes stereotype is considered a racist slur against East Asian people. It originated in 19th-century Western propaganda. Asian immigrants were often depicted with yellow skin, buck teeth and slit eyes.
Social media users debated the image
In Scott’s post, Penelope appeared to be pulling her eyelids up. There was no suggestion she understood what she was doing. There was also no suggestion she understood the offence the gesture could cause.
The setting added to the criticism from some social media users. Scott and Penelope were eating at an Asian restaurant. Chopsticks were visible on the table as they smiled for the photo.
Many commenters believed Penelope was making the Asian slant-eyes gesture because of the restaurant setting. One person questioned: “Why the F is his daughter doing that? Eating Asian food and being racist??”
Other commenters took a more sympathetic view of the photo. They suggested Penelope may have simply been making a funny face. Some defended her because she is still a child.
“You people are disgusting talking about a child being racist because she made a funny face?” one fan wrote.
Another commented: “How is that racist? I see a little child making a silly face.”
A third added: “I’m Chinese. If you mock Asian eyes, you pull OUT not UP.”
Featured image credit: @letthelordbewithyou/Instagram
