In Kim Kardashian’s most recent publicity stunt, she went full frontal nude for Paper magazine in an aim to “break the internet.”  The public instantly took to social media to question the authenticity of Kardashian’s body and to condemn her for her sexuality on display because she is a mother.

Regardless of what problem you find with the shoot, the thing I find most troubling is that society has put such a high value on Kardashian’s body — a much higher value than anything else she has accomplished.  There is far more to a woman that can be written about and discussed in the same amount of space that a nude photo spread takes up.  In Paper magazine’s interview with Kardashian, though there’s a brief mention of her career, it discusses very little besides the obvious: her looks.

“Imagine being filmed and photographed constantly, yet never saying anything seriously controversial or appearing unkempt. The effort involved seems torturous, impossible,” Amanda Fortini, Paper magazine reporter wrote, “And yet, though her life requires work of a sort — roughly two hours of hair and makeup each day, regular meetings for her assorted businesses, wardrobe fittings, photo shoots, 5:00 a.m. workouts — you don’t get the sense that she is hiding or suppressing her true, private self.”

The magazine seems to glorify Kardashian’s lifestyle of meticulously appearing perfect and never discussing controversial topics, as if this is the life women should aspire to.  Purely focusing on Kardashian’s physical beauty does her a disservice, as there is more to her than a pretty face.

Men are not nearly as objectified and sexualized as women are when it comes to the media and achieving success.  When men are attractive and successful, the looks appear to be an added bonus.  But for a woman, the beauty takes the spotlight and overshadows any other accomplishments.

Since her start with a sex tape, Kardashian has seen that banking in on her sexuality and developing it into a business model is achievable.  Kardashian posing nude is nothing new. The problem is that, especially in this article, she seems to condone the fact that women should be objectified despite other aspects of their success. But this is what we have taught not just Kardashian, but many women in American culture.  Women like Kardashian are using a social problem to their advantage.

One of the highest positions to be obtained is a beautiful object.  Women in power sometimes get less publicity and less followers than a woman who bares it all in a photo shoot.  But not putting themselves out there is not always seen as a viable path for women. Society has encouraged people like Kardashian to objectify themselves, because it can become lucrative career move.

Paper magazine’s extensive description of Kardashian’s features perpetuates this problem. “I notice that her skin, which is the golden color of whiskey, is free of wrinkles, crow’s feet, laugh lines, blemishes, freckles … or human flaws of any kind. It’s like she comes with a built-in filter of her own,” Paper magazine wrote in their feature, among many other paragraphs describing Kardashian’s appearance.

When magazines such as Paper can “break the internet” by talking as extensively about Kardashian’s accomplishments as they do her body and perfect complexion, maybe beauty won’t be held in higher regard than brains.

Julia Smith is a junior newspaper and online journalism and sociology dual major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @jcsmith711.

Published on November 18, 2014 at 12:01 am