I'm sure by now we have all heard about the fiasco with the leaking of a bunch of celebrities naked selfies (otherwise known as a nude). It came as a shock to most of us that several of our favourite public personalities had, had their most intimate of photos shared for the world to see. I know it surprised me. I couldn't believe it. But I unlike others was not shocked because these celebrated people had taken a risky picture of their private bits, no I was shocked that some major douche bag had taken the liberty of leaking them.
Let's face it, many people have taken a nude. You may not think it sensible or 'tasteful' but people do it and it's not your place to judge them on it, or anything they do. It's not hurting you. They're not minors and they are fully capable of knowing what they're doing. Their life is their life, not yours. If you don't want to take a nude then don't. I know I'm not going to. But do I care if someone else does? No. I really don't. If they take one of me then yeah I'll probably beat them to death but that's not what they're doing. They are taking a photo of their body which they are entitled to do. And they are fully entitled to feel safe in the fact that other people aren't going to post them everywhere. That is the issue. We focus more on judging these girls rather than catching the pervy little loser who exposed them. Usually I don't call people pervy little losers but if you leak peoples private photos (especially when the said people are naked) then I'm sorry but you're going to have to deal with my loathing of you.
What this person did was wrong and essentially a sex crime. The hacker is now a sex offender. What they did was wrong not what the girls did. They, shockingly, were comfortable enough in their own bodies to take a picture of them and whether they want to use it for public or personal use they are allowed to do that. They are not a slut, a whore, a bimbo, a tramp, easy or trashy. They are just women who took photos of their bodies. Their is no such thing as a slut. It is not shameful to have lots of consensual sex. It is your business. What is shameful, and disgusting and outright wrong is hacking into people computers and phones and posting the photos on them for the world to see. That is a crime. The hacker is who needs to be punished, not these girls.
If you go and seek out those photos, then you too are violating these girls. They were never meant for your eyes and by taking even the tiniest of peaks you are participating in this crime. Do not feed your curiosity. Remind yourself that these are real people with feelings that are valid and they don't want you to look at them. It doesn't matter if they don't know that you did, because they won't. They won't put a face to the abuser but you will feel it in every fibre of your body that what you just did is wrong. At least I hope you will. Do not become one of the thousands that will think its harmless to look. Become a person that understands that to look at a photo not meant for you is a violation of their privacy, of their body and their well-being. Just because it was posted on TMZ and not a porn site doesn't mean its okay to look at. Don't make excuses for yourself. Do the easiest, most ethical thing possible and don't look. Don't even try.
This incident has reminded me of all the horrible people in the world and how quick they are to judge a person for their completely harmless actions, because they involve the female body, rather than the actual perpetrator. However it has also reminded me that there are people who do get the issue. While there have been a bunch of internet trolls hiding behind the safety of their computer screen calling the girls awful and untrue names there have also been many people who have taken the situation for what it is, a violation of privacy.
Lena Dunham, a great love of mine. Her TV show Girls is sublime and her sense of humour is like no other. She is someone I would be friends with in real life in a heartbeat. I wasn't surprised to see that she shared similar opinions to mine. Take a look at some of her tweets.
Lena Dunham oh how you make the world a better place with your hilarity and intellect. Thank you for understanding what needs to be said. You are my hero.
Next let's take Caitlin Stasey. I remember watching Miss Stasey as Rachel Kinski on Neighbours and loving her. When she left the show she played Ellie Linton in Tomorrow, When the War began and did an AMAZING job. Now she's an advocate of women's rights and a believer in the free the nipple movement. She's probably my favourite person in the world when it comes to this sort of stuff. She isn't afraid to vocalize her opinions and show women that your body isn't shameful and it is YOURS and if you wanna get nakey, THEN GET NAKEY. Let's take a look at her tweets about this awful happening and maybe you'll see why I love her so much.
And of course the lovely Emma Watson also put in her two cents. Emma Watson, thank you for being a good human being.
My point, in the end, is that what happened to these girls is awful. It's dreadful and makes me feel sick. As a fellow human and a fellow female I want to tell these women that I do not judge them, and the majority of the world thinks that what happened to you is horrible. I think taking a naked picture of yourself is the ultimate expression of body confidence and I applaud that, not shame it. Can we all please, just for once, as a population of living breathing humans who have gone through hardship as well acknowledge that a crime has been committed and it needs to be punished? Let's get these girls some justice and show people that they are not in the wrong, they have had their privacy violated but they are not sluts, they are not trashy and they are not in any way less of a person. They are still worthy. They are still human. They are still women.
I'd also like to say that whenever a leaking of a nude happens it isn't okay. Whether it's a celebrity or the girl down the road or Calum from 5 Seconds of Summer it's wrong. This incident has gotten the most attention because of the sheer number of people who had their privacy violated. However let's not forget that its not the first time this has happened. Don't not judge Jennifer Lawrence because you're her biggest fan but then go on to judge that girl in your class who sent a picture of her boobs to a boy in your class who then proceeded to leak them. That boy is the shameful one not the girl who sent the picture. Stand up for her rather than judge and don't forget that, that boy is a class A jerk for sharing her photo.
Xoxo Fangirl Out
