How do you get 700,000 Instagram likes in your first hour of posting? Pioneer the concept of tween super-stardom, make poor choices that nearly destroy your career, ask for forgiveness on talk shows and Comedy Central, then get on a boat and take off your pants.
Being a naked celebrity is not a new concept. People have always been taking off their clothes to get attention, and haters are always going to hate on them. Michelangelo’s "The Last Judgement" was too promiscuous for the Sistine Chapel, so the nudes' genital areas had to be painted over with fig leaves. The 1900s American super-model Evelyn Nesbit was scandalous for her time, but her photos would be removed from Facebook pages even today. The sixties happened and hippies got tired of clothing. What we’re dealing with is not a new thing.
Evelyn Nesbit (1901) would've beat your selfie game any day.
So why is it perfectly fine to have Justin Bieber stand in his birthday suit and command you to “like” his rump on Instagram, while the comments section of female celebrities’ bodies must always be filled with hateful and demeaning words? The answer is simple: it’s impossible for a man to be naked.
Bieber has clarified, by Insta-cultural standards, that the only naked part of a man is just below the belt. Think about it. From a physical standpoint, that’s hardly five percent of the male body. Compare that to 80 percent of the female body that is deemed too “pornographic or sexually suggestive” to be on social media.
Yes, the Kardashians and Miley get to strut their stuff all the time on their personal accounts. However, something else is going on there. How much slut-shaming is voiced in public opinion on female celebrities? Whether you like them or not, is Miley recognized for her charity work or her scantily-clad twerking? Did the Internet break because Kim took her kids to Disneyland or because of a magazine cover? When someone does voice their dislike of these female celebrities, why is their body image attacked before anything else?
Ms. Cyrus's Instagram Comments from July 9, 2015
On the flip side, that’s not happening to Bieber. Sure, some of the comments are negative, but not because he’s “overly promiscuous." Amid the “Ew” and “Gross” comments that arise, there are a lot of “gayyyy” and homosexual insults as well. For the most part though, Justin is praised for showing off his God-given glutes.
At the end of the day, the life of celebrities in popular culture reflect our own values and tastes. When my little sister sees the cultural response of Rihanna’s butt, she’ll learn that women’s bodies are to be objectified, criticized, and always considered sexually promiscuous. A woman breastfeeding or a tasteful artistic statement can never be beautiful. Only sexual.
A boy will see Justin Bieber and understand that his male-ness is only to be praised. Sure, his body could get criticized. His beliefs, his passions, and his personality will all be taken into account first. A boy can never be too sexual. His body will always be normal.
