Jameela Jamil hits out at Kim Kardashian-West’s idea of beauty

Outspoken feminist Jamil has accused social media influencer Kardashian of being “deluded”.

Just last week, Jari Jones, an American plus-size model, and LGBTQIA+ activist became the first transgender black woman to be on a billboard in New York. This says a lot about how far we have come in terms of beauty and representation.

Then there was Kardashian who received backlash after an Instagram post which she shared.

Jamil spoke out against this post because of the particular beauty standards which it sets.

In the age of social media influencers, models, celebrities detailing their skincare routines and fashion trends coming in and out, it is very easy to follow a certain beauty routine.

Post-feminists have also encouraged women to love and be comfortable with their bodies. 

Jamil’s take

“If you know that it`s problematic, reductive, and irresponsible for her [Kardashian] to perpetuate such a heavily impossible beauty standard to her impressionable fans … then you’re empowered and conscious and don’t need me,” Jamil said on her Instagram post.

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I’ve received over 1000 DMs asking me to address this. The reason I didn’t jump on it immediately isn’t because I don’t think the post was damaging and disappointing. I do. It’s because the fact that you’re all messaging me about it, shows my work is done. I havent been trying to cancel Kim K. I was always trying to arm YOU with the knowledge to recognize for YOURSELVES that this is a bullshit expectation of women, developed by the patriarchy. If YOU know that it’s problematic, reductive and irresponsible for her to perpetuate such a heavily impossible beauty standard to her impressionable fans… then you’re empowered and conscious and don’t need me. Kim, like many of us, has had decades of body image issues and obsession. This has been HEAVILY perpetuated by how much the media scrutinized her and her sisters over their appearances. She isn’t actively trying to harm you. She’s just so harmed and deluded into thinking this is what SHE needs to look like to be special and beautiful and she’s spilling it out onto her following. Is this wrong? YES. But I’m not sure she realizes that she’s doing to others what her idols did to her, in making her think a tiny waist is the key to femininity and sex appeal. We grew up in the era of Heroin Chic, where we were told you HAD to look like an addict starving to death, so to go from that..to being bullied about your body by the world? This toxicity from someone who is smart and knows better, is a sign that this is harm she can’t stop doing. So there’s no point in screaming at her. The smart thing to do is to protect YOURSELF. YOU have the power. YOU control every Market. YOU choose what and who is trendy. Unfollow the people who tell you things that hurt your self esteem. Don’t let the debris of their damage spill out onto you. Unfollow people/brands that don’t make you feel powerful and happy and grateful for what you have. You’re the boss and none of them are shit without you. THE PATRIARCHY WANTS US TO FOCUS ON OUR WEIGHT INSTEAD OF POWER, EQUALITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FREEDOM. FUCK ANYONE WHO ENCOURAGES THIS. BLOCK. MUTE. DELETE. REPEAT. Follow activists, writers, artists and comedians instead❤️

A post shared by Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamilofficial) on Jun 24, 2020 at 10:49am PDT

 “She’s [Kardashian] just too harmed and deluded into thinking that this is what she needs to look like to be special and beautiful and she is spilling it out onto her following.”

Kardashian is a public figure who has people looking up to her. She also is not only known for her looks. She is pursuing a law degree after becoming involved in a case where she made it possible for the accused, Alice Johnson, to receive clemency for a drug trafficking charge. She also inspires women to take charge and to be empowered.

A lot of what Kardashian does has post-feminist connotations. However, Jamil and others believe it becomes problematic when Kardashian sets a patriarchal standard of beauty.

For years celebrities have been setting the bar for a particular sex appeal and femininity. The truth is, though, that not all women look like Kim Kardashian-West. Post-feminism says that women are no longer required to fight for equality, reproductive rights, and voting rights amongst others.  

The harmful idea

Jamil’s message is that Kardashian might not be actively trying to harm women or sell them dreams but she needs to know what message she is sending.

How can ordinary women be encouraged to feel empowered in their own bodies when she is selling her kind of body? There is an argument that in her current position, the influencer should be promoting all body types.

In other words, Kardashian should be encouraging women to dismantle this worn-out prescribed idea of beauty.

The media will continue with this perception of beauty, until social media influences change the narrative.

Set the bar for yourself!