My Body, My Choice

A recent “scandal” has been taking place involving actress and feminist Emma Watson, who was criticized for her topless photo in the “Vanity Fair” cover. More specifically, people called into question Watson’s legitimacy when it comes being a “real feminist”. In many people’s perspectives, Watson’s photoshoot was a way of her giving into the issue which a lot of women fight against- being sexualized and objectified for the male gaze. The actress responded by stating, “I really don’t know what my t — s have to do with it. It’s very confusing”. Although this situation took place recently, the arguments have been around for years. Many feminists believe that freeing their bodies includes being able to show body parts that have been censored by society for centuries. On the opposing side, some feminists, again, believe that women exposing their bodies only feed into the objectification and sexuality imposed on us by men. So, which is it? Can a female be a feminist and show off her body as she pleases, or should she cover up to avoid being sexualized by men? The simple answer I would like to give here is that women should have the right to do whatever the hell they want without neither men or other women having a say. The point is not to simply walk around naked all the time, it is to have the choice to be able to love and show one’s body without having to worry about the people who say, “you need to cover up”. Women are fighting for the right to cover up, but that should not mean that women should be restricted on what they show. Men should most definitely not have a say regarding what a woman chooses to do with her body because he does not own her- that is what feminism fights against. The bigger issue here is that it is other women, even worse feminists, who are doing the “slut-shaming” that feminists are supposed to be against in the first place. “Free the Nipple” was supposed to be a movement where women fought to stop having breasts sexualized, because they are not a sexual organ, and they wanted to have equal rights to their own bodies, as men do with their own. However, who gets to act on this? Not people like Kim Kardashian who is constantly slut shamed, and told to have “no use” besides showing her body and being famous for a sex tape. She has never given any reason for people to believe she does not support feminism, she simply celebrates her own body, but she does not meet the criteria to be allowed to do that, and apparently neither does Emma Watson. A woman should not have to identify as a feminist to be able to show her body if she desires, but that cannot even be the argument because Emma Watson is publicly known for being a devoted feminist and she still is not allowed to show her freaking under-boob/side-boob. So, who can? What does it take for women to be able to express their femininity in whatever way they choose? We fight for pro-choice because we think no one should control our bodies but ourselves, which is one hundred percent true, but is there a limit to that? When does it stop being your body that you control and when does it become a threat to feminism and “giving in” to the male gaze? What is downright ridiculous is that we are fighting against each other, we are oppressing each other, we are bullying each other. As author Bell Hooks argues, women have got to stop fighting and secluding themselves from each other and focus on the real issues; there needs to be a legitimate sisterhood to help empower ALL women, not selected women who qualify. She makes the argument that women are, “taught that we’re “natural enemies”, so that solidarity will never exist between us because we do not, should not, and cannot bond with one another”, and I completely agree. We are taught to compete with one another, fight one another, degrade one another, and criticize/judge one another. All this accomplishes is keeping us distracted enough so that we do not fight against the system that has us oppressed in the first place. If we are busy thinking other women of different ideas, class, and race are the enemies, then the real enemy will simply sit back, watch, point and say, “see?”. So, I would say screw the male gaze, and screw those who think women who are not completely covered are “immoral” and “not decent”, women as a whole need to acknowledge that we own our own body, not each other’s, and we need to stop making decisions based off men, when we are the ones who will actually be affected.