Culture

Kim Kardashian vs Jennifer Lawrence: Are We All Hypocrites?

Ashleigh Rolle

Is Kim Kardashian less than Jennifer Lawrence?

It is a question that I figure should definitely be asked as most of the headlines on my newsfeed are along the lines of “Don’t You Dare Click that Photo of J-Law! Here are 19 Photos to View Instead”

Before we go further let me just state that I’m a massive fan of Jennifer Lawrence. I also think that what has happened to her was more than just wrong, it was a gross invasion of privacy. With that being said though, where was the massive rush to defend Kim Kardashian and her honour?

In 2007 when that video was published words like ‘whore’, ‘slut’, ‘bitch’ and ‘hoe’ were attached to Kardashian’s name.  Today when I see the trend of the conversation as it relates to Jennifer Lawrence I see words like ‘talented’, ‘graceful’, ‘beautiful’, and ‘strong’. What makes Kim less of a martyr than Jennifer?

What message are we sending to young women exactly? When is it appropriate to be labeled as a victim? I’m sure Kim Kardashian is laughing all the way to the bank as far as that video is concerned but it still leaves me confused.

On several occasions a few of my friends have asked me why I’m vehemently bringing up this topic and it took me a while to understand the reason behind it.  For me it simply boils down to the blatant hypocrisy of the so called “new age media outlets” not tabloid rags or gossip columns but the legitimate hierarchy of the so called millennial news source.

Is it ok to slut shame one woman and offer a shoulder to cry on to the other? Both women suffered from a disregard to privacy but only one is benefiting from actual human compassion.

Was Kim Kardashian perceived as less of a woman? Yes. At least that’s the rhetoric that society has followed over and over again.

When that video of Kim Kardashian was released no one rushed to defend her. No one shunned the people responsible for it. Links were shared and puns were dropped.  Now we have Jennifer Lawrence who is roughly the same age that Kim was when it all went downhill (or uphill depending on your perspective) and the same people that threw Kim under the bus are the same people that dare tell me that I shouldn’t look at those photos.

By sharing articles that insist that we don’t look at the J-Law photos we’re almost as bad as the people that leaked the photos in the first place if not worse. I may have been young but I remember the way in which people talked about Kim during that time and we’re now perpetuating the reality that one woman was definitely better than the other in turn making us a society of hypocrites.

Here’s your high horse. Get off of it.