From spawning problematic labels such as “thirst traps” and “Insta-thots” to terms less suitable for print, the current state of modeling has continued to stir up discussions about topics ranging from body positivity to exactly what constitutes feminism.
The latest debate comes courtesy of comments made by Sharon Osbourne in response to a promotional photo Kim Kardashian posted in support of the upcoming book by photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.
Kardashian posted the image to her Instagram account earlier this week. The photo finds her perched atop a tree wearing only a pair of boots, while her shadow and a pair of superimposed stars cover her breasts and pubic area to adhere to Instagram’s policy of not allowing nudity.
During a recent interview with the Telegraph, Osbourne wasn’t particularly flattering of Kardashian and those of her ilk.
“Kim says she’s doing everything in the name of feminism, but that’s not feminism!” Osbourne said. “Those girls live off their bodies, half of L.A. has been through them and everything they do from the sex tape to the plastic see-through dresses and the gym wear is about sex, not female progress.”
It’s believed Osbourne’s mention of feminism was in reference to Kardashian’s recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, where she addressed whether or not she wanted to be labeled a feminist.
“I said once before that I’m not really a feminist,” Kardashian said. “But I feel I do a lot more than people that claim that they’re feminist. To clarify what I said before: I feel in my soul I’m a feminist. I just don’t need labels to make me feel or know what I am inside.”
Upon hearing about Osbourne’s remarks, Kim offered her reply.
“First of all, I think she said I said a quote about, ‘I post nude photos in the name of feminism’,” Kardashian told E! News. “Never said that. So I think when people misquote you and then comment, it just sounds ridiculous. I post nude photos because I like how I look and I feel proud when I’ve lost all this baby weight and I post it because I feel like posting it and I feel powerful.”
Now that both parties have spoken their piece, this back and forth may quietly go away. But given that Osbourne doubled down on her opinion in the above interview with Entertainment Tonight, and Kardashian has a reality show and access to multiple media platforms, things could also continue well into the fall.
