I take it you saw the selfie. The nude one. Well, the sort-of-nude one that bared-all behind two strategically placed black bars. The one that broke the internet, again. The one that led to lots of vocal backlash, critical comments and debates.
Mistakes are inevitable, it is how you respond to them that matters most. Y'see, over a year and a half ago, I wrote a whole blog-post disapproving of Kim's Paper Magazine shoot. And now slightly older and wiser I regret the things I said, and didn't say. I thought, at the time, that I raised some valid points, on reflection it was a series of low-blows.
Armed with misplaced righteousness, I found myself, head first, in the middle of a clash between second and third wave feminists, caught up in this ongoing civil war when we are supposed to be fighting the patriarchy, not each other. I was unconsciously abhorring elements of male privilege and double standards. Where was my blog-post judging Tom Hardy, Justin Bieber or Adam Levine?
Putting the current situation in context, she posted a photograph that was taken over a year ago, presumably when she was in Paris. Kim is vain, she lives for being this bootylicious icon, and now after giving birth twice is most likely feeling incredibly insecure about her body. Seeking affirmation. That is relatable. Wanting to feel enough. We have all been there. This is not new found territory. So, if a photograph helps her liberate, empower, own what she has, then who the fuck am I to judge? You sometimes have to fight to hold on to who you are. Right now, I'm 95% okay with that provided she's not letting anyone but herself define her self-worth.
Feminism deals with removing barriers preventing women. Supporting the fact a person can do anything in the world they put their mind to, regardless of gender. Allowing choices, not demands. She has every right to choose to be nude or blatantly sexual. I respect that. She is free to rule her own world. If a female or male wants to show off their body, they should do so. That decision lies solely with the individual. I shouldn't disagree with her motives, she can present herself how she likes.
We need to stop telling grown adults what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Yes, we may not like that she's feeding into the sexist standards of beauty. Or this method of grabbing attention. But she's not asking us to adhere to her morals. That responsibility falls on herself. We are the problem if we think one celebrity is going to demean women to simply being pieces of meat and the sum of their body parts. The movement has taken too many steps in the right direction to be setback from the actions of one social media post. The humanity of all women is not undermined.
Of course, she's not exactly the most ideal mentor to young boys and girls, and will continue to objectify herself as a disposable sexual object for enterprise. We cannot stop her marketing savvy ways. Our place is to teach what is right and wrong. That these are not goals. That vanity is not a deal breaker, using your brain, your work ethic, your strengths is what builds your value. That we as humans are not solely skin deep.
So don't label or dismiss Kim, learn from my mistake by keeping the slut-shaming shark at bay. Because there is nothing more poisonous than swallowing self-resentment, somewhere down the line she might figure that out herself.
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