Kim Kardashian says use of selfies can be empowering

Kim Kardashian. AP FILE PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO — Kim Kardashian says the large number of selfies she posts on social media empowers her to control her public image, but also contributes to her being viewed by some merely as a sexual object.

The reality TV star talked briefly about how women are portrayed in the media during a Tuesday night appearance in San Francisco hosted by the Commonwealth Club of California.

Kardashian allowed that while other people might regard her constant posing in front of a camera as degrading, it doesn’t matter as long as she is happy with the results.

During an hour-long Q&A before an adoring audience that was mostly young and female, she also revealed that her husband, rapper Kanye West, came up with the idea and title for her new book of selfies called “Selfish.”

Kardashian’s visit provoked minor controversy because the Commonwealth Club is known for tackling serious topics.