Naked celebrities: a new social statement?

[Matthew Jabour]

Recently, Chelsea Handler and Kiera Knightley both posted topless photos to make a statement. That statement, of course, was, 'Look at me!'

No, seriously, Handler posted hers to complain that Instagram is sexist for not allowing female nudity (?), while Knightley did so because she was sick of being photoshopped all the time.

Now, no matter the cause, I think we can all agree that, of all the ways for female celebrities to attract attention to themselves, getting naked and taking pictures of themselves is certainly a mutually beneficial one. So perhaps this could become a new thing?

Think about it. Whenever a celebrity wants to make a point, instead of waiting for hackers to find their naked selfies, they can just upload them straight to the Huffington Post with the caption: 'This is about global warming,' or something of that ilk. If more celebrities can do that, I guarantee the world's eyes will be on them. (The world's hands, of course, will be on something completely different.)

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

They should be free to do so if they so wish, yes, but it shouldn't be encouraged either. It's a pretty raw precedent to set that woman should solve problems by getting their tits out. Pretty objectifying and, dare I say it, almost dehumanising. As long as they feel that's their only option, of course.

So if a woman wants to achieve something by getting her tits out, that's fine. Anyone who'd oppose her is a **** in my mind. But no woman should feel as if that's the only way, or the best way, at achieving things.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, no, sticking "think about it" in front of an awful idea doesn't stop it being an awful idea.

And "instead of waiting for hackers to find their naked selfies"? Seriously?

 

[Itdoesthatsometimes]

If you have become aware of the issues, then yep everybody wins. I am not a woman or a celebrity, but I am tempted to post a pic of me without a top to bring awareness to your issues. I've got one of me in my underwear from a different post. Would you like that one?

 

[Itdoesthatsometimes]

Why would people photoshop Keira Knightley if there are perfectly fine topless recordings of her out of a movie? And there it has actual aesthetic and is pleasant to look at (well, in my twisted mind. I like spankings...)

On Topic: Yeah. Social statements can be done this way. People are still somehow shocked to see female breasts, why not use that shock?

The photoshoping she was referring to was the touch ups that publications (magazines) do before releasing photos. The social statement was about the fictional representation of what beauty is.

 

[Itdoesthatsometimes]

The photoshoping she was referring to was the touch ups that publications (magazines) do before releasing photos. The social statement was about the fictional representation of what beauty is.

Thanks for the clarifications. Sadly, OP lacked in this department and I don't follow anything around this issue. Frankly, I only know about the movie because I saw it *durr* and I have a theory regarding nudity, famous actors and origin of the movie.

No problem, I thought it was that type of photoshopping too when I first read that sentence.

 

[OneCatch]

Think about it. Whenever a celebrity wants to make a point, instead of waiting for hackers to find their naked selfies, they can just upload them straight to the Huffington Post with the caption: 'This is about global warming,' or something of that ilk. If more celebrities can do that, I guarantee the world's eyes will be on them.

I might take this idea seriously if you were to post some naked pics of yourself in support of it!

Obviously it's up to people what they publish, nude or otherwise. But I'm not sure that, were it to become a trend, naked pictures are going to be a particularly useful campaigning tool outside of feminist or gender related campaigns based directly around clothing, modesty, or similar (public breastfeeding, the whole Slutwalk thing, etc).
And as someone else posted, relegating female protest to "Show us your tits" probably isn't a great idea.

 

[Lilani]

No, seriously, Handler posted hers to complain that Instagram is sexist for not allowing female nudity (?), while Knightley did so because she was sick of being photoshopped all the time.

Er...you realize these are both legitimate issues, right? The embargo on female toplessness has been a social issue for decades now. And photoshopping is something that happens to celebrities, but due to the nature of photo shoots is completely out of their hands (basically, once they do the shoot the photos belong to whomever is given permission to use them, and they can do nearly whatever they want from there).

And, as Pluvia said...

Wow.

Hopefully you realise how sexist it is to suggest women should get their tits out if they want people to listen to them.

Emma Watson has made some very profound statements on feminism recently. She did not, however, do that with her tits, because that would not have been appropriate for the audience she had been given to speak to. Chelsea Handler's statement was about a ban of female "nudity" and her audience was Twitter, so that was appropriate. And Kiera Knightley's statement was about images of her body being altered and her audience was also the online world, so that was also appropriate. This also takes advantage of how viral such photos are on the Internet.

Whether or not a celebrity shows their tits and for whatever reasons should be completely on their terms. When Jennifer Lawrence's nudes were stolen and released on the Internet, she said to distribute and view these private photos was essentially a form of sexual assault. And I kind of agree with her. People say "you shouldn't put things online if you don't want them to be seen," however the same could literally be said of anything that has ever been stolen. "If you didn't want it stolen, you shouldn't have put it someplace where it could have been stolen." Well basically any place but a bank vault is "a place it could have been stolen," so it's a rather unreasonable expectation for everybody to go that far for every little thing they don't want made public. Which means that whole line of logic is just victim blaming.

And to say "they should just post nudes themselves instead of waiting for hackers to get them" is like saying a person with an expensive house should just open it up to hoodlums as opposed to waiting for them to break in. If somebody wants to do that, good for them, but if they don't then the expectation shouldn't be there and the blame shouldn't be placed at their feet if something happens. Or to put it more dramatically, it's like saying a woman at a party should make sure she hooks up with a man consensually as soon as possible so she doesn't get raped later.

 

[Lokis Maliki]

No, seriously, Handler posted hers to complain that Instagram is sexist for not allowing female nudity (?), while Knightley did so because she was sick of being photoshopped all the time.

Er...you realize these are both legitimate issues, right? The embargo on female toplessness has been a social issue for decades now. And photoshopping is something that happens to celebrities, but due to the nature of photo shoots is completely out of their hands (basically, once they do the shoot the photos belong to whomever is given permission to use them, and they can do nearly whatever they want from there).

And, as Pluvia said...

Wow.

Hopefully you realise how sexist it is to suggest women should get their tits out if they want people to listen to them.

Emma Watson has made some very profound statements on feminism recently. She did not, however, do that with her tits, because that would not have been appropriate for the audience she had been given to speak to. Chelsea Handler's statement was about a ban of female "nudity" and her audience was Twitter, so that was appropriate. And Kiera Knightley's statement was about images of her body being altered and her audience was also the online world, so that was also appropriate. This also takes advantage of how viral such photos are on the Internet.

Whether or not a celebrity shows their tits and for whatever reasons should be completely on their terms. When Jennifer Lawrence's nudes were stolen and released on the Internet, she said to distribute and view these private photos was essentially a form of sexual assault. And I kind of agree with her. People say "you shouldn't put things online if you don't want them to be seen," however the same could literally be said of anything that has ever been stolen. "If you didn't want it stolen, you shouldn't have put it someplace where it could have been stolen." Well basically any place but a bank vault is "a place it could have been stolen," so it's a rather unreasonable expectation for everybody to go that far for every little thing they don't want made public. Which means that whole line of logic is just victim blaming.

And to say "they should just post nudes themselves instead of waiting for hackers to get them" is like saying a person with an expensive house should just open it up to hoodlums as opposed to waiting for them to break in. If somebody wants to do that, good for them, but if they don't then the expectation shouldn't be there and the blame shouldn't be placed at their feet if something happens. Or to put it more dramatically, it's like saying a woman at a party should make sure she hooks up with a man consensually as soon as possible so she doesn't get raped later.

agreed. there have been a couple of videos out recently. one shot in new york and the other in new zealand, and both involved models walking the street. how women are treated in public in each video is dramatically different. there is a serious issue with women and their right to their bodies and mental space in the public sphere.

culture sexualizes women and then uses laws to control woman's sexuality. stores sell costumes for four year olds that are sexualized. look up male and female anything in that age range. media reinforces cultural norms towards beauty and helplessness (see godzilla etc). public dialogue about how women are treated are often attacked through the use of 'boys will be boys' etc. taking back that control of their image in society is a worthwhile goal. brave of them both to do so.