Take a look at a music videos by any famous pop star and 9 times out of 10, they will be wearing little to no clothing. Should we be offended? Probably not–especially since it is their bodies and they are free to do as they wish (or the record labels are free to make whatever decision they see fit *cough cough*). A famous pop star group that sought to embody female empowerment was The Pussy Cat Dolls, a group of talented female singers and dancers whose personas were built on being sexually provocative. Though they claimed their platform was one of female empowerment, many would say that being empowered has nothing to do with wearing booty shorts and singing songs about teasing men. Though on one hand, these things should have NOTHING to do with female empowerment, their message was that by a woman owning her sexuality, she can take charge of her life–or can exude more confidence at the least.
If a woman does not have the kind of aesthetic of a Pussycat Doll, can’t dance nor sing, she can still have her own kind of beauty and need not act like a sexy pop star. A woman can own her own sexiness or choose to embrace other traits, such as intelligence. The main idea is that what empowers one woman may not empower another. Some people feel powerful in suits while others feel powerful in the nude and we should not judge people based on what makes them feel the most confident.
A few months ago, there was a huge online debacle between reality TV star Kim Kardashian and a young, accomplished actress named named Chloe Grace Moretz. Moretz wrote a post to Kardashian about how she should set a better example for women after posted an all nude photo in a bathroom with her private parts blacked out. This is how she responded.
Though it seemed as though Moretz was voicing a valid concern, Kardashian sought to put her down. I know what you’re thinking–isn’t this contradictory!? Can’t Kim K be naked if she wants!? Well, of course she can. Moretz’ concern seemed more focused on the fact that Kim K has such a large following and her whole business is based off her body (her celebrity status took off after a porn tape release), it was received as an attack.
The bottom line: Women should help one another. If you want to be naked in a photo, that’s great. However, not all people may understand and it’s not our jobs to make them understand what makes you feel your best. All women should acknowledge that there are so many ways to feel confident and there is no one is one size fits all!
Petite Activist 