Kim Kardashian
In March, Kim Kardashian West posted a nude selfie on Instagram. As has come to be expected whenever a woman (especially a high-profile woman) does something with her body, people had a lot to say about it. While general backlash was perhaps expected, however, the number of women who shamed Kardashian was surprising to many — and on International Women’s Day, of all days. From Bette Middler’s straight-up degradation to Chloe Grace Moretz’s (slightly) more subtle condescension and shaming, Kardashian’s lighthearted selfie quickly evolved into something much bigger: a debate about female sexuality and what constitutes “good” feminism.
What we say when we talk about female bodies is often not what we really mean. When people say that Kardashian shouldn’t pose naked, they’re implying that Kardashian, a wife and a mother of two, should not present herself as sexual. They perpetuate the idea that women who choose to present themselves in a sexual way are in some way less — less intelligent, less deserving of respect, etc. — than women who do not. They bolster the dangerous belief that nudity and empowerment, sexuality and feminism, sex and self-respect cannot coexist, when in fact they are deeply and vitally intertwined.
Feminism should ideally empower women to do exactly what they want with their bodies, when they want, and on their own terms, whether that means dressing modestly or posting nude selfies. Placing limits on what women should or should not do, dictating the acceptable ways for a woman represent herself and then shaming her when she falls outside of that is not feminist. It’s controlling, it’s rude, and it perpetuates the very constraints from which feminists fight so hard to free themselves.
We need to recognize that women are people, which means we’re dynamic and multifaceted. We can be both sexual and talented and brilliant. We can post nude selfies and run a successful empire and raise strong daughters. We can make sex tapes and still be worthy of respect and admiration. And as unique individuals, women are also empowered by myriad different things. If posting a nude selfie makes a woman feel sexy and confident, where’s the harm?
The most vital tenet of feminism, to me, is that women should be free to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives. We should celebrate the women who claim control over their bodies and portray themselves how they want — not shame them. Especially for someone like Kardashian, who is so often painted by the media in a negative way, posting a nude selfie just a few weeks after giving birth is an entirely revolutionary act.
I’ll let Kardashian herself have the last word. As she wrote in a open letter on her website: “I am empowered by my body. I am empowered by my sexuality. I am empowered by feeling comfortable in my own skin.” She concluded, “I am a mother. I am a wife, a sister, a daughter, an entrepreneur and I am allowed to be sexy.”