Why A Leaked Photo Is None Of Your Business (Even If It’s Of A Celebrity)
If you have been living under a rock, or you simply are not connected to much of anything on the Internet, then you have not heard about The Fappening. This ridiculous name is accredited to the recent leak of, allegedly, nearly 100 celebrities having their personal, private, risque photos leaked on the internet. Rumor has it that their iCloud accounts were compromised by people who take part in idol worship and seem to have to have no regard for other human beings. The most “notable” celebrity to get her private photos distributed amongst the denizens of the web is Jennifer Lawrence. She certainly is not the only one, but her public relations team immediately did their best to get in front the 8-ball and release a fantastic statement on the matter. Use Google.
As a man, this bothers me on many different levels. The double standard is still in effect, but that is not breaking news. We all knew that women are seen as second-rate citizens in this country. After all, what a woman does in her personal time cannot possibly be private if she has any sort of celebrity status or has gained public interest. Surely, if these photos were to get out to the public, there would be nothing more than chaos. How dare someone embrace their sexuality with their partner, or by themselves, in the privacy of their own quarters. For shame, celebrities. As idols that teenage girls and neckbeards worship, they should be far more cognizant of what they do when they are alone.
This is absolutely ridiculous.
The iCloud ‘hacking’ has been happening for a while. Apple has some of the laziest privacy countermeasures to ensure protection of your personal data. Some of you who are aware of this, or are reading this commentary will say something to the tune of, “if they did not want their photos everywhere, they should not have taken them.” Well, you are likely an asshole, and a hypocrite to some extent. Have you ever told someone something in confidence, only to find out that everyone and their mother knows about it the next day? Same concept. Try to keep up. To blame the ladies who have taken these photos for a very specific, private audience, for this humiliating clusterfuck, would be nothing short of “slut-shaming.”
Speaking of that, can we find a better name for it? Perhaps it is just me, but “slut-shaming” sounds terrible.
I am well aware that celebrities face a certain level of invasion on a regular basis for the simple fact they are famous for doing things on a public scale that others do not. Simple enough. That does not make them any less human beings. After learning of the list, I honestly had no clue who a good 90% of the women were. And while this also happens from time to time with men, we are not being paraded around like harlots who need to be hanged publicly in the courtyard. People have lives. People embrace their sexuality. This is completely fine. The world keeps turning. Heaven forbid you see your idol as, gasp, a normal human being who does the same things that you do.
What bothers me even more is how absolutely pathetic people are. Women who get their private photos leaked by scorned exes become trading cards. They lose their right to humanity because of, what, faulty Apple privacy settings? A breakdown in trust? How does that remotely seem fair to the victims? Why is this suddenly the price one must pay for having a personal life? What makes them any less deserving of this abuse or humiliation than a person who has little to no interaction of the sort? It should not, but our society is rather sick. After all, cops are murdering people in the street, almost at leisure, what’s a little “slut-shaming,” and open sharing of someone’s body, right?
The accountability should fall primarily on those so intent on disseminating this information. They are the ones perpetuating all of this. Get a Sprite and obey your damn thirst, netizens, or, you know, go to a free streaming porn site, or tumblr, or some other alternative that does not involve you piling on the mountain of shit to the initial humiliation that one already faces when their nudes get leaked.
Side note: for those of you in a relationship, how would you feel if your significant other no longer felt comfortable about their body enough to share it with you, or vice versa? Incidents like this cause people to be gun-shy about being who they are.
I would hope that, after all of this, these celebrities show some solidarity and develop the, ‘so the fuck what, it’s only nudity,’ attitudes. Because the real issue here is not nudity, it is the blatant violation of privacy and sheer disrespect for another’s well being. But why are we so obsessed with the idea that a naked woman should never be seen by anyone, at all, ever? I do not know for sure if such a defiant response to societal norms could soften the blow, but it would be a start. Take away your enemy’s ammunition and what can he shoot you with, right? Nonetheless, the outrage is twofold: invasion of privacy, and the audacity that grown women would ever embrace themselves as grown-ass women.
Respect others. Do not lose your humanity. Act like you have seen some damn titties before. Do not make people feel bad for what they do behind closed doors. This massive leak was not a publicity stunt. It was not a video sold to the highest bidder in an effort to jump start their careers. This was downright foul and I sincerely hope that the person who did this will be held accountable. More importantly, I hope this opens up the dialogue about respecting the privacy of other human beings in a world where everything is meant to be accessible. And most of all, I hope the western world stops losing their shit any time they see the boobs of people who the general public deems “should not” show their boobs. Enjoy your fapping and gossiping all you will, but find less invasive ways to get your rocks off.