Love her or hate her, one thing’s for sure: there is no escaping Kim Kardashian. She is all over traditional and new media. The reality TV star proves just how powerful new media can be, bringing new heights to the term ‘self-absorbed’ when she recently announced the release of her upcoming book, ‘Selfish’, which will consist only of her selfies.
Today, the 33yr old self proclaimed American television and social media personality, socialite, fashion designer, businesswoman, model, and actress made headlines again, when she was named the Woman of the Year 2014 by British men’s magazine GQ, unveiling a racy photoshoot with the magazine which showcases her curves, and leaves very little to the imagination. (and many people asking, ‘why?!’)
Yes, Ms Kardashian is a media whore who thrives on attention, and probably a whole lot less talented than many other celebrities out there, but looking past all that, there is one large contribution she has made to pop culture, which I feel deserves special mention – embracing her curves.
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| Canadian model Alana Zimmer |
Not too long ago, being waif thin was the gold standard of beauty. The fashion runways were under siege by stick thin models who looked like they could be swept away by the wind. Magazine covers went the same way, selecting thin models. Soon after, women all over the world followed suit, thinking that being thin was beautiful. It was a pandemic of body dismorphism, where the new standard of beauty was looking unhealthy, 2-dimensional thin, and devoid of femininity. Eating Disorders like Anorexia Nervosa were on the rise. I personally know people who have lost their lives to the terrible disease, where the sufferer never feels thin enough until they literally starve themselves to death.
Then there were the ‘Barbie Dolls’ who followed suit – celebrities who were still thin, but with disproportionately large chests, made possible with surgical breast augmentation, as plastic surgical procedures becoming more and more commonplace. Until today, many view the ideal female figure as being thin waisted, and large breasted.
Kim Kardashian, along with others like Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez, belong to a new group of celebrities, who are proud to show off their curves. They have full chests, curvy bottoms, and just the right amount of adipose around the waist – they look like goddesses, oozing with femininity.
In a world where the young can easily be influenced through social media, it is very important that celebrities like Kim embrace their curves, and show women around the world that you do not have to be thin to be beautiful. Curvy is just as beautiful, if not, better. Although she has her insecurities (she recently said she felt insecure and wanted to diet after standing next to Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell at Riccardo Tisci’s star-studded birthday party in Ibiza.) like any man or woman, most of the time, she embraces her figure, and loves her curves (as evidenced by all the selfies on her Instagram)
So, while many of the things Kim Kardashian does makes us roll our eyes, we cannot discount her positive impact, on promoting the right self image of women all over the world. Congratulations to Kim for winning the GQ Woman of the Year Award!
