Kim Kardashian was "flour bombed" Thursday night -- that is, someone hurled a baggie of flour at her -- as she arrived on the red carpet to market the launch of her new fragrance.

The flour bomb assault on Kardashian could lead to new rules of engagement between the public and public figures. Hollywood and the tabloid machine relish images of celebs interacting with fans at red carpet events -- like Tom Cruise being close enough to grab a fan's camera and pose with it.

But such proximity can potentially be fraught with danger. It gives haters an opportunity to inject themselves into a celebrity's circle of gravity, and share the spotlight. It's a tactic that has been employed for years by animal rights activists who douse fur-wearing celebrities with red paint to signify the blood shed by the animal being worn as fashion.

It's not just Hollywood celebrities such as Kardashian who are under attack from a testy public.

"Glitter bombers" have been out in force during the Republican presidential campaign, believed to be the work of gay rights and Occupy activists.

Mitt Romney was the target of "glitter bombs" twice last month while on the campaign trail. One glitter bomb fell short. Another hit the candidate, but Romney brushed it off and later referred to it with a far more celebratory sounding label, "confetti."

The assault on Kardashian on Thursday night at the London Hotel in West Hollywood caused a momentary panic as those in attendance tried to figure out what the white substance was. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene, as did firefighters. They quickly determined that Kardashian was struck with common flour, nothing more serious.

The attacker's motive remains unclear. TMZ reports that she screamed "fur hag" at one point. She was taken into custody briefly, but Kardashian declined to press charges and she was released, TMZ also reported.

After she was powdered, Kardashian--the celebrity people love to hate and hate to love--was wisked to an anteroom where she removed her flour-doused coat. She brushed the flour out of her locks and then returned to the red carpet to promote the launch of her new fragrance, "True Reflection."

After all, this was Hollywood. The show must go on.

In later interviews, Kardashian laughed it all off. "That probably is the craziest, unexpected, weird thing that ever happened to me," Kardashian told E! online. "Like I said to my makeup artist, I wanted more powder and that's a whole lot of translucent powder right there." VIDEO LINK: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] SOURCE : [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]