We Need To Talk About That Kim Kardashian Picture
Online exhibitionism is here to stay and preaching censorship isn’t dealing with the issue.
Kim Kardashian West set out to break the Internet once again - and succeed she did. The reality star shared a selfie on Twitter yesterday wearing… well… nowt but a pout really.
The picture that’s caused such a stir. [Photo: Instagram/Kim Kardashian]
The provocative photo caused a few disapproving members of the Twitterati to wade in with their tuppence worth.
Most notably Bette Midler…
…and American actress and model Chloe Grace Mortez:
But Kim’s latest offering is hardly controversial. We’ve already seen her in her birthday suit, so why the big hoo haa? Her body is basically her currency - what she does with it is, quite literally, her business. Some women feel empowered by getting naked, others by protesting but nobody has the moral high ground to tell the other what to do.
If we’re looking to set our children and young people good goals and healthy examples we need to look closer to home - starting with online safety. According to the Daily Mail, last year more than 60,000 naked teen selfies were removed by the Internet Watch Foundation.
The reality star’s since posted another nude photo on Instagram - no doubt to hit back at her critics. [Photo: Instagram/Kim Kardashian]
This is a woman who’s posed nude - or almost nude - numerous times. So why has this recent photo caused such drama? [Photo: Instagram/Kim Kardashian]
Is it because her latest snap isn’t as “arty” as some of her others? [Photo: Instagram/Kim Kardashian]
You don’t have to have a blue tick next to your name to have a selfie end up the subject of mockery, scorn or worse. It could be as innocent as a topless pic sent in confidence to a boyfriend being shared among friends or posted on social media and - worst case scenario - ending up on a site that could be accessed by paedophiles and perverts.
The reality is, professional oversharers aren’t going anywhere. Trying to censor them by mocking, shaming or otherwise isn’t treating the cause, it’s mollycoddling the symptoms of a culture that fetishises celebrities.
Whether egged on by their peers or influenced by the likes of Kim Kardashian West, the best we can do for our youth is accept the realities of the world around them and teach them to be smart about the way they handle themselves.
Bloody lovely bathroom though, Kim!
