Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 48 seconds.
So, Huffpost published an article titled "Let's Stop Pretending Kim Kardashian is a Feminist"
Some points I almost agreed with, but for different reasons than the author listed.
I took a section of the piece and broke down my reaction, sentence-by-sentence, below:
I took a section of the piece and broke down my reaction, sentence-by-sentence, below:
"What matters is not what she does, but how the rest of us talk about what she does. Is she really a feminist?"
That's not really for you to fucking decide. There's no Tribunal for Feminism where you have to prove you allegiance...
"Is she the kind of woman who should be given primetime slots at feminist-minded conferences?"
I think it's less about how KK is not "worthy", but rather that maybe there are other (lesser known) women who actually
blog who could have used that platform to amplify a marginalized voice. A trans woman of color blogger like Kat Blaque for instance.
"Does financial success alone merit such a huge platform?"
Does it negate such merit though? Can she no longer participate because she's part of a money making machine? Pfft. Tell that to Oprah, with your respectability politics
Does it negate such merit though? Can she no longer participate because she's part of a money making machine? Pfft. Tell that to Oprah, with your respectability politics
"Is every act of disrobing in and of itself some progressive stance on female sexuality?"
Her disrobing has nothing to do with whether or not she is a feminist.
Similar to the arguments I've heard about Nikki Minaj, KK may very well have been swallowed up by the system and spat out looking like a tan, long haired, brows-on-fucking-fleek goddess, but that makes her a product of her environment and doesn't strip her of the agency to choose a feminist lifestyle. This conference, going to it, speaking at it and therefore drawing attention to it, is a personal act she is taking. The personal is political, and her participation/support of the event shouldn't be discounted because some people are feeling slut shamey and victim blamey.
If KK uses her sex to conquer the system and get fucking paid and survive the deadly misogyny pervasive in our day to day lives? Then more fucking power to her.
Her disrobing has nothing to do with whether or not she is a feminist.
Similar to the arguments I've heard about Nikki Minaj, KK may very well have been swallowed up by the system and spat out looking like a tan, long haired, brows-on-fucking-fleek goddess, but that makes her a product of her environment and doesn't strip her of the agency to choose a feminist lifestyle. This conference, going to it, speaking at it and therefore drawing attention to it, is a personal act she is taking. The personal is political, and her participation/support of the event shouldn't be discounted because some people are feeling slut shamey and victim blamey.
If KK uses her sex to conquer the system and get fucking paid and survive the deadly misogyny pervasive in our day to day lives? Then more fucking power to her.
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If you're interested, here's a link to some of Kim Kardashian's comments at the BlogHer conference this past Friday in which she says she doesn't identify with the label "feminist", but that she does like to support women.
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