Photo credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock
If you haven’t already guessed, this post is inspired by Emma Watson’s recent Vanity Fair photo shoot. During her photo shoot, Watson sported a revealing top. It left very little to the imagination; her nipples barely covered by a tiny strip of cloth.
It didn’t take long for Internet trolls to take notice. Before long, the U.N. ambassador was under full-fledged verbal attack, with critics accusing her of being a feminist “hypocrite.” But Watson, being the strong woman that she is, immediately fired back:
“Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women.”
One more time for the people in the back, please! 👏
Feminism is about women having autonomy over their own bodies. It’s about respecting the different choices that women make.
If a woman wants to fully cover herself in a burqa, that’s fine because that’s her choice. If a woman wants to don some daisy dukes and a tank top, that’s fine because that’s her choice. And if Emma Watson wants to post a revealing picture of herself, that’s fine because that’s her choice.
But do you want to know what’s not fine? Bullying, degrading, and harassing a woman for her choices. Just because she’s a celebrity doesn’t mean she deserves to suffer cruel and demeaning remarks. If nudity is what makes her feel empowered, then good for her.
Empowerment can take on many different forms. What makes one woman feel strong and confident might make another woman feel weak and insecure. That’s why feminism is about respecting freedom of choice.
In the end, nobody has the right to dictate what Emma Watson does with her body. It’s her body—not yours, not the government’s, not her boyfriend’s. And if her breasts offend you that much, then do yourself a favor and look away.
