*This article does not represent the views of Her Campus FSU
Women have been shamed for expressing their sexuality, showing their bodies and claiming that they are comfortable in their own skin. Sl*t shaming is not a new topic and unfortunately it continues to permeate and infect our societies’ mindset, which further perpetuates rape culture and violence towards women. I find this a topic most necessary to address because of the recent Twitter hate directed at Kim Kardashian’s naked photo posted on International Women’s Day.
Of course, as soon as the photo was posted, the Twitter community and nearly every pop-culture media site had something to say about it. The responses she received from her photo were not all bad, but they were definitely not all good either. Ample amounts of commenters on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram began attacking Kim for posting the photo and some even questioned her ability to effectively raise her children.
There is a major problem with this. First of all, different people are empowered in different ways. Kim Kardashian obviously feels empowered when she shows her body to the world, and it’s not her problem if there are people out there in the Twitter community who don’t. The beautiful thing about feminism and empowerment is that each and every woman gets to decide what she finds empowering and what makes her feel like the queen she is. Some women feel beautiful when they are covered up and other women feel beautiful when they wear nothing. It’s a personal preference.
Courtesy: Twitter
Secondly, attacking Kim Kardashian’s abilities as a mother solely on her posting a nude photo is absurd. Yes, she has children, but that doesn’t mean she has to compromise what makes her feel empowered. Some commenters even mentioned how her children would be ashamed of her. My question to those commenters would be: why should women be ashamed of their naked body? Why is it that if a woman embraces her sexuality and body she is sl*t shamed, but if her body is sexualized by society or the media it is completely fine? This is a double standard that continues to infest our culture, and it is evident that it exists through the degradation and hate projected at women like Kim Kardashian.
So, Collegiettes, you must understand that you are in charge of what makes you feel awesome about yourself. It is never a fun thing to see a woman attacked on social media for embracing her body, but since we are in the middle of Women’s History Month it seems like the perfect time to address this issue and start discussions about how women embrace their sexuality and feel empowered. Society will always have their opinion on what women should wear and how they should present themselves, but it is important to remember that it is your decision and your preferences that matter – not theirs. There are girls that walk around FSU in cardigans and jeans and there are also girls who walk around in Free the Nipple shirts or revealing tank tops. Even though they may look different, you know what they have in common? They both make decisions about their body for themselves. Don’t let society dictate your expression and remember that your opinion is the only one that matters when it comes to your body.