The Kardashians Are on Their Way to Film in Cuba

It turns out Kim Kardashian has been mentioned at least three times in Cuba's tightly censored newspapers, proving there is almost no media source in the world that can resist dropping her name. Indeed, a medical column published earlier this year in Juventude Rebelde, the Communist Party's official youth newspaper, dubbed her "one of the championships of the American way of life." (Jeez, even with thawing relations, the Cuban press never has anything nice to say about America.) 

However, bans on American television and a heavily restricted media might have meant that Cuba was one of the few places in the Western Hemisphere where the Kardashians were not a topic of daily discussion. 

Well, no more. The Kardashians are headed to Cuba this week to film scenes for their TV series Keeping Up With the Kardashians. According to People, the klassic Kardashian lineup of Kourtney, Khloé, and Kim will make the trip. Though other assorted Kardashian-Jenners may join them. 

By law, Americans who travel to Cuba must do so under the guidelines of one of 12 categories. 

Dramatically discussing Blac Chyna over brunch, fighting about their latest app release date, or crying about losing an earring in the Gulf de Batabanó isn't necessarily covered under any of those categories, so the sisters will have to engage in something like a humanitarian or educational activity to excuse the trip. 

Cuba will receive the Kardashians the same week that the first American cruise ship and first major international fashion show visited the island. However, Keeping Up With the Kardashians will not be the first American entertainment show to film in Cuba. Conan O'Brien beat them to the punch by about a year, and Discovery Channel's completely Cuba-set reality show, Cuban Crome, will begin airing in July. 

Cuban exile hardliners have long worried that celebrities traveling to Cuba may be used in propaganda to prop up the legitimacy of the Castro regime. In this case, however, we worry the Kardashians may be used in propaganda to attack the legitimacy of American culture. They are already "championships of the American way of life" in the Cuban press after all.