Kim Kardashian and her BFF dressed up as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee…and no one got it

There’s a risk that comes with dressing as an iconic pop culture couple from 1999 at a 23-year-old’s birthday party…and Kim Kardashian experienced this first-hand on Wednesday, October 31st. The reality TV mogul went with her best friend Jonathan Cheban to Kendall Jenner’s Halloween birthday party, and the pair totally nailed their costume as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. The only problem? No one had any idea who they were.

For reference, here is the classic photo the pair were trying to recreate:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BplPgSKFl2X

And here is Kim’s spot-on ensemble:

She absolutely nailed it, from the fluffy pink hat, to the bustier, to the arm-band tattoo. Still, that didn’t help the youngins at the party, some of whom were born after the iconic photo took place.

"Okay, guys," Kim said on her Instagram Stories. "We are Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee. Nobody knows who we are here!" She turned the camera to Jaden Smith. "Jaden didn't know, nobody knew who we were."

In a hilariously relatable move, she then went around filming party-goers’ reactions to her costume, explaining it to them in-depth and showing them pictures for reference.

"You guys are all too f-king young," she said at one point (the melancholy was real). "This is so sad."

At least the night wasn’t a total wash: sister Kylie Jenner knew Kim’s costume instantly. “Pam Anderson!” she shouted when she saw her, and we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. “Oh my god,” Kim said. “You’re the only one that knows.”

Well, that isn’t entirely true: a pair dressed as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recognized Pam and Tommy as well, because, as Kim said, “They’re royalty.”

Niche costume-wearers everywhere are nodding in somber understanding. Hey, at least the Kardashian-Jenners’ Victoria’s Secret Angel costumes appealed to the Gen-Z crowd.