Before I begin, I’d like to apologize in advance for the many times I’d contradict myself on this piece.
So, you may have already seen Kim Kardashian’s naked photo on Instagram. And you may have already read her response to the many comments the image received.
Truth be told, I’m still not sure about what I think of the whole thing. I’ve been trying to brush it off, but I’ve become rather invested. It’s just such a polarizing topic, and I don’t know which side of the fence I would like to stay on or if I actually want to pick a pole.
Kim said being comfortable with her naked body is empowering to her. I get that; I really do. For someone who’s not (yet) comfortable in her own skin, I find her confidence commendable — admirable even.
I feel like women have been told too long to keep our sexuality to ourselves. We have been conditioned to keep our bodies hidden. We’ve been so used to calling women who show their skin scandalous or loose.
Maybe I took offense at Kim’s photo because I could never do that. I would never do that. I could never subject myself to such scrutiny. I would never put naked photos of myself on the Internet. Maybe I envy her confidence. Maybe I got mad because it was something I know I couldn’t do, and there she was doing it like it was nothing. Maybe we, as a society, are just not used to seeing women who take charge of their bodies and their lives. Maybe we’re all mad because Kim doesn’t care what we think.
But then there’s a part of me that’s mad at Kim for making it look like it was more than just attention-seeking. Maybe I’m judging her harshly. But the sex tape she mentioned in her post, the one that catapulted her to stardom, was not put out by accident. And that, to me, is the reason why people (I) find it hard to believe that she has good intentions. It wasn’t like it got out and she made a good thing about something bad. It was deliberate.
A part of me, the one that finds marketing and branding fascinating, thinks it was a great call. The other part of me says she’ll always just be someone who wants to be talked about no matter what the reason is. And again — I know I’m contradicting myself — it’s great, in a way. She just doesn’t care what people think about her.
But maybe that’s the problem. Maybe she should care more.
I completely understand that people shouldn’t look up to celebrities as if they’re role models because that’s not part of their jobs. Actors get paid to act, and that’s the only thing they should care about. Their private lives should be out of the question. But Kim is not an actor, and her job entails… I don’t know… being herself? So, is it bad to expect a little more concern from her seeing that she makes her money off of peddling her life to people?
I don’t know. Maybe I just expect more than just photos of her bosom. But then again, maybe I shouldn’t be expecting anything from her because as we’ve established: she just doesn’t care.
Is the fault on our part then, because we allow people who are not good at anything and does not give positive contributions to society to become our role models for empowerment? Kim is there, sitting comfortably with hundreds of millions in her bank account, because we watch her every move. But is it really such a bad thing to admire someone who has made a name and fortune out of being herself (or well, a version of herself that sells)? Should it be commendable that she has, in a way, made something out of nothing? (Nothing as in no talent, nothing of value to give, etc.)
But is her success not commendable enough? Is it bad that we see past what she has accomplished as a business woman because of her image? Am I putting her down because she’s famous for nothing? I don’t know. I really am so confused.
Before I go on circles, I guess what I really want to say is: I appreciate that she’s confident with herself. I just wish she also speaks on other issues. With her clout, it really might affect change.
