
Kim K and Her Feminine Wiles: The Way Forward for Women in the New World Order?
Today, us women are constantly told that we are perceived and marketed as products or objects primed and ready for society to consume. Unfortunately for us, this sense of overt sexualization of our bodies is certainly not something new! In fact, it has existed since biblical times, and in this inherent tendency to objectify womanhood, our intelligence and intuitiveness have always been consistently underestimated. Instead, a woman’s self -worth and value has always been conferred upon her by taking her looks, submissiveness, caring and nurturing abilities into account. All these so-called ‘’ideals’’ have been considered from the beginning of time as the desired traits of a perfect woman and homemaker. For centuries, women have been forced to buy into the heteronormative gender roles, which have been imposed upon them by a patriarchal society. But in today’s context can this concept and theory still be held true? And is it a possibility that it ever was?
In her book, the ‘’Neo-Liberal Subject of Feminism’’, Johanna Oksala, asserts that women are ‘’constructed as subjects who are dependent on others’’.The weaker gender who must suppress their aggression, egoistical interest, and ambitions, and only demonstrate nurturing abilities. She furthers this statement with the opinion that women are subjugated by the normalization of this particular construction.
However, women like Kim Kardashian, accidental porn star turned business mogul and arguably one of the most influential A-listers in Hollywood, have effectively learned to use their circumstances as subjects and their existence in society not to suppress but to turn around the imposed conditions into qualities that will aid them in pursuing their own interests.
Instead of being timid, docile and useful as society demands women to be, today, the modern woman seems to understand the very conditions of her subjugation and actually used them to get ahead in life.
The wealthy Kardashian / Jenner clan is a top example of this concept. Here is a group of very good-looking women who sell their images and lavish lifestyles. From launching perfumes, clothing lines, shoe lines, makeup brands, emojis and even publishing a selfie book at whim, these women make lots of money. Let’s admit it, Kim K is perhaps one of the most slut shamed women ever in modern times for a sex tape which may have been leaked accidentally or maybe not. Kim, instead of letting it ruin her life, has unwittingly managed to turn that unfortunate circumstance into a massive profit. She is a prime example of a woman, who has successfully used her circumstantial existence in a sex-driven society to make money off exactly what today’s audience wants: her body!
Her total net worth currently is well over $ 85 million. She makes a cool $40,000 for every aired episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, and season 15 was just taped! That money and status alone as a pop culture icon give her the power and leverage in a very capitalistic society than a large majority of us will never have.
Here is something interesting, Kim constantly seems to exemplify and defy age-old traditional feminine roles. She is hated, lauded, worshiped in equal proportions. First for her sex appeal, beauty and now her roles as a wife and mother. All of which happen to be in accordance with the expectations placed on women by society, just as Oksala points out. Instead of oppressing her, it has brought her unbelievable power and wealth. As Oksala states, neo-liberal feminists do not need to feel worried about getting their hands dirty, because it is clear now more than ever, many good things can be built with dirty hands.
If you think it’s the Kim Kardashians of this world who make a profit from their femininity, then you may be very wrong. An increasing number of women especially in the corporate workplace are learning to capitalize on the feminine attributes that society demand they cultivate. Today, women can truly emphasize, their supposedly inherent pre-disposition to be able to solve conflicts with their nurturing abilities. Which possibly showcases the benefits, an employer will gain by hiring or promoting this woman in particular for the job!
Another simple example put forward by Oksala is, when she argues saying that women no longer have long manicured nails because their male partners find it pleasing, but because a good manicure is a sign of professional and financial success. This also holds true for cosmetic surgery hopefuls, one of the main reasons stated as to why they are willing to go under the knife is because a majority of them believe that it will be a strategic career move.
Let’s admit it, an overwhelming majority of women including me have benefited at one time or another from our femininity, be it an unfit mother being granted custody of her child or underage girls getting into a club.
Today as women, this consciousness brings us a choice, and those choices we make are invariably political whether we wish them to be or not. While we may have freedom in the existing world order to go where we will, dress however we want and work where we ever wish, vote and drive and all the good things that were fought for by brave women in the past, it does not mean that we have achieved complete autonomy. However, we may wish, our bodies will never be our own. We are still confined by those invisible barriers that a patriarchal society and modern -day media has caged us in. We are, after all, subjects who have been trained since the beginning of time to react and respond to our environments in certain ways.
So, ladies we have the choice of either embracing the gender norms or defying them while viewing that as a progressive political statement. But keep in mind that the paradigm is not broken. Should we transform ourselves to be the consumer and the consumed, simultaneously the subject and the object? Which begs the question, is this the way forward in the new world order?
