The internet blew up when Rob Kardashian decided to go after his former fiancee, Blac Chyna, in an Instagram attack that involved claims of her cheating followed by photos of her exposed genitalia. Four years ago California passed laws to prevent revenge porn from being used against an ex after websites continued to pop up where disgruntled lovers would send their exes nudes for revenge. Kardashian decided he was above this law. As soon as Instagram removed his explicit content, he turned to twitter, posting all of the same content there until he was shut down once again. The revenge porn laws are the same as those that prevent hate speech from being spread, because while we live in a world with free speech, there will be consequences for misbehavior. Almost immediately after the incident, fans of the Kardashian clan began to take sides in each camp. They claimed that Chyna was asking for it by cheating on Kardashian, or for posing for provocative photos, and even that it is her fault for sending the photos of her genitalia to begin with.
It's the same as saying in order to avoid pregnancy, stop having sex.
But there's a major difference in sending NSFW photos to someone you are in a relationship with, and giving consent for it, versus them using it as blackmail. There is a certain level of respect that must be earned and shared in personal relationships, and Chyna felt she had that with Kardashian. They share an 8 month old baby girl and were engaged. To send a fiance an explicit photo is not unheard of, in fact with Snapchat and other networkings, it's become quite common.
Which is where the revenge porn laws came into play.
This issue isn't just with Kardashian and Chyna, they are just the face of it right now with their popularity in the world of media. Truthfully there are men and women all over who suffer at the hands of their disgruntled ex lovers, and it needs to end.
Humans are sensitive, humans feel on such incredible levels, and for them to open up to one another takes a lot of strength. I think in a world that can become so detached from those feelings thanks to social networks, it's a key to remember. It's also important to remember how much words and actions sting. With a world of desensitizing from pussy grabbing, how I got away with raping, and she's bleeding from... wherever, a lot of people are underwhelmed by Kardashian's actions and shocked by the legal motions Chyna has already taken.
He is walking a thin line, with a temporary restraining order from Chyna and their daughter Dream, the inability to post anything about either of them on the internet, and the deletion of his personal Instagram. The threats of legal action are very real from Chyna's legal team, and it set's a precedence for not only celebrities but human beings.
The lines of consent are not blurred, the world of hate speech is not acceptable, and publicly shaming a woman who was in a committed relationship is atrocious. Every human who falls victim to revenge porn should speak out and fight back.
