Kylie Minogue Posts Photo of a Black Man Being Used as a Desk

Kylie Minogue came under fire today (Dec. 24) for posting a photo to Instagram that depicts herself using a black man's body as a desk. You can see the image here.

According to the caption, the shot is meant to be a behind-the-scenes look at her ‘Kiss Me Once’ television special set to air in the U.K. But considering the racial undertones and power dynamics that continue to exist today, the photo has proven to be uncomfortable for some fans. People have been commenting on Kylie’s Instagram photo, ranging from one user saying, “White woman controlling a black man — this is wrong. This imagery should not be projected by you. Disgusted. Really” to others defending Kylie: “Maybe people are reading more into this than needed. He may have been the only model on the day who could do this position. I didn’t even notice the colour. I just saw Kylie and a very fit guy."

Kylie’s ultimate intention is unknown, as she has not released a statement about the photo.

The image is reminiscent of the time, earlier this year, when a magazine published a photo of Russian businesswoman Dasha Zhukova posing in a chair that was built to look like a black woman. The image came under fire immediately, and Zhukova issued an apology thereafter.