We all know that Miley Cyrus is no stranger to nudity, which she has made very clear in the last few years. She is an advocate for the #FreeTheNipple campaign and open about her comfort with her own nudity, which we have seen on stage, on her Instagram, in her music videos, etc, etc.
The other day, when Kim Kardashian posted a nude selfie on Twitter, a few women spoke out criticizing her, which Miley attempted to shut down. Bette Midler snidely commented on it saying “If Kim wants us to see a part of her we’ve never seen, she’s gonna have to swallow the camera.” Additionally, Chloe Grace Mortez also commented on the incident, saying “I truly hope you realize how important setting goals are for young women, teaching them we have so much more to offer than bodies.” Kim responded to these Tweets aggressively, rightfully so, but not in the best taste. Both of these women’s comments were very critical of Kim showing her body, which is not so much in the spirit of International Women’s Day if you support women to do what they want with their bodies.
However, Miley doesn’t think that women should treat each other like this, and made a bold statement about it on Instagram. She claimed that they all were being “tacky AF” about the whole situation and that we ought to celebrate each other instead of tearing each other down: “can we all put the c***iness aside for one f***ing day and love/celebrate one another!”
However, Miley was not the only woman to defend Kim’s selfie; Ariel Winter, Rowan Blanchard and Emily Ratajkowski all made statements on Twitter about it. They echoed the idea that when a woman posts a nude or scandalous selfie, she is met with “sexist bullshit,” as Ratajkowski put it, but when a man does the same, there is an eerie lack of criticism. Bella Thorne even posted a nude selfie as well, saying, “And it’s not our place to tell them what they can and can’t do with their body #internationalwomensday.”
Kim also defended herself, writing a lengthy essay on her website. In her statement, she says, “I am empowered by my body. I am empowered by my sexuality. I am empowered by feeling comfortable in my skin. She also added that she shouldn’t be considered a “bad role model for being proud of my body.” Kim is someone who is an incredibly successful entrepreneur. While she has made much of her success on her looks, she should not be criticized for having confidence in her body, just as any other woman shouldn’t.
It’s good to see women coming to each other’s defense when it comes to a woman’s freedom to express herself in whatever way she chooses, and be modest or not if she doesn’t want to. Society is progressing towards a more positive attitude towards women’s sexuality. Let’s hope this continues.
