Lifestyle
Remember that time two years ago, when Kim Kardashian posted a naked selfie where she narrowly avoided breaching Instagram's nudity guidelines by blocking out certain areas using black rectangles? Possibly not, because she's posted a ton of other risqué snaps on the platform since then.
But, at the time, the image caused quite a stir. Perhaps because it was one of the nudest of her nudes that she'd ever published online, but also because people are quick to judge and love scolding women for showing that they love their bodies.
One person that was quick to jump to Kim's defence, however, was none other than Emily Ratajkowski. Famous for starring (near-naked) in Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines video, and more famous still for her saucy Instagram account, the 26-year-old model helped recreate the naked selfie alongside Kim, this time with both of them flaunting their middle fingers.
And now, Emily has admitted that Kim is an "incredible feminist" who she looks up to immensely. Emily herself has always been open about body image, femininity, sexuality and how that all relates to feminism. While she posts sexy snaps of herself on Instagram (helping to garner her more than 17 million followers), she does so with perfect justification – simply because it makes her feel good and because she wants to.
In a recent interview with Elle Australia, Emily pointed out that women who are "comfortable" and confident generally make others feel uncomfortable, which leads to them being criticised.
"When a woman is comfortable with her sexuality and doesn't need validation from men, she kind of makes a lot of things irrelevant that people really care about, and it pisses people off." But for Emily, embracing her body, "makes me feel powerful. If people are that scared, then there must be something to be scared of."
This can explain why she stood up for Kim Kardashian after she posted her naked selfie back in 2016. Emily found it funny that as well as standing up for women's rights and political issues at large, she's also helping fight for women like Kim.
"But I kind of feel like they're the most important people, too. Like, don't differentiate, don't change your politics because you don't think a person with a sex tape deserves protection or you discount somebody because of their sexual history."
In fact, Emily says she really looks up to Kim, especially because she is "above it all":
"I think Kim Kardashian is actually an incredible feminist. I channel her when I'm having a bad day. I'm like, 'Here's someone who really doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks.' I would like to be that person who is above it all, and she is that way."
"No matter what we look like, all women are put into stereotypical boxes really quickly," she added, saying that many media outlets express "surprise" that she's smart, as well as sexy.
"I think it's really bad for women, this competition and 'judginess'," she went on. "I truly believe that no matter who looks at me and thinks, 'Oh God, she's wearing a tank top and look at her boobs, how sad that she's a victim of the patriarchy,' I'm thinking, 'Well, f*ck you, I feel great. And I like what I'm wearing, and I like how I look. That's more important than your idea about that.'"
Well, when it comes to feminism and sexuality, there's nothing more to it than that.