When Body Positivity Becomes Body Negativity

For centeries women have been informed of what is the most aesthetically pleasing body shape tomaintain. For example, for many women of the nineteenth century, corsets were the accessory ofthe day in the hopes of their waists shrinking smaller and smaller to fit the relevant beauty standard.Over time variations of body positivity movements cropped up over time to fight the pressure to fitconventional beauty standards. The movement has seen a new lease of life in recent times, perhapsthanks to the ease of spreading a message on social media. However, with this new resurgencecomes new issues and it has the potential to become just as restrictive as the beauty standardswhich it vehemently challenges.Many people have taken issue with the commercialisation of the term ‘body positivity’ and in turnhow the roles ethnic women played in its originating state have been forgotten. Instead, many bodypositivity articles feature white women who have hourglass or pear-shaped figures but can still fitinto the accepted beauty standard. Perhaps it is these issues that should be at the forefront of thebody positivity discussion and critique.Instead, however, it feels that people are increasingly focusing on unnecessary issues based ontrends. The backlash to Kim Kardashian releasing body makeup is a prime example of when bodypositivity unwittingly becomes body negativity. There is no denying that the Kardashians are icons ofpop culture. Having survived over a decade in the infamously fickle show business industry, theirbusiness acumen and longevity must be recognised and even applauded, whether you agree withwhat they are selling or how they reached the height of fame. While they seem to be everywhere,from the fashion and beauty industry to our television screens, it is undoubtedly popular to hate onthe Kardashians. Hate current trends in fashion? Blame the Kardashians. Lament the rise in cosmeticsurgery? Blame the Kardashians. Hate the fact that Donald Trump was elected as President? Blamethe Kardashians, just as Chelsea Handler did.There is no denying that the Kardashians have made questionable choices and said even morequestionable things. Sometimes they’re very out of touch with the everyday public, but then againshould we really expect millionaires from LA to relate their life to Sandra from Ballincollig? Bodyimage is one area where the family faces the most heat. The Kylie lip fillers saga still plays out todaywhen discussions surrounding cosmetic surgery are had on television or radio. Kim’s infamous figurecontinues to be blamed for holding up an unrealistic body image standard. Rightfully, theKardashians are called out for promoting weight loss supplements and teas, which are known fortheir problematic nature. Whether we like it or not, the Kardashians are continually interlinked withour world of fashion and beauty, two industries which are perennially connected to our standards ofbeauty and body positivity.However, have we gotten to a point where we simply sit in wait for the Kardashians to promote theirlatest wares in the hopes that they will have some conflict of interest with the general idea of bodypositivity. But what happens when we are too quick to shout down the Kardashians with cries ofnegativity that negate from the body positivity movement, when the family has actually donesomething that will help many fans with their body confidence? In mid-2019, Kim released a range ofbody makeup. Despite the collection selling out in the days after its release, people were quick toproclaim that this was another example of a Kardashian not allowing people to love their naturalbodies and instead forcing another unrealistic body standard on their followers. One standoutresponse to the collection, was ardent Kardashian critic, actress and presenter, Jameela Jamil. Jamilwrote on Twitter, “Hard pass…I’d rather just make peace with my million stretch marks andeczema…give yourself a damn break”, in response to Kim’s launch of the products.Jamil continued saying, “I *refuse* to have these normal human marks weaponised against me”.Normally, many Twitter users will take any opportunity to agree with any form of backlash to theKardashians, but this time felt different. While many, like Jamil, felt Kim was forcing women to feelshame for natural marks, there were many who understood where Kim was coming from. Thereseemed to be a shift in people’s attitudes, as they took the time to consider the concept behindKardashian’s products rather than simply following the crowd and shouting it down as bodynegativity. Kim has spoken for years about her experience with the skin condition psoriasis. Speakingabout the products, she said that while she has learned to live with the condition, there are dayswhere she wishes to hide it for her own sense of confidence. It was the hope of her new bodymakeup to give that option to other people who perhaps have scars or skin conditions they wish tocover to make them feel less insecure.This is where body positivity can become negativity. The backlash Kim’s products received, asoutlined above, show the potential the body positivity movement has to become just as restrictiveas the beauty standards they challenge. Of course, encouraging everyone to love their natural bodiesis fantastic, and congratulations to anyone who is at peace with their bodies. However, the factremains that most people will find flaws in themselves that they would rather hide. In relation to thebody makeup, are we really going to attack the people who choose to use it? Just because you’recomfortable in your skin does not mean you have the right to talk down to someone who is notcomfortable with showing whatever ails their skin. No one should be shamed for using a productthat helps them find some peace with their body. Surely that is body positivity? Thankfully, Twitterwas inundated with people discussing how products such as Kardashian’s have given themconfidence to leave the house and embrace life with confidence.The fact is, that body makeup has been produced by other brands for years and Kardashian is notthe first to do so. However, given the family’s chequered past with body positivity, it is convenient toattack them when perhaps they are in fact bringing something positive to the table in the form ofbody makeup, especially given Kim’s own history with skin conditions. Have we gotten to a stagewhere we focus on nit-picking issues such as whether it is right for someone to want to hide their‘flaws’? The fact remains that not everything the Kardashians produce, or the beauty industrypromotes is inherently negative. We cannot simply equate body positivity to loving every inch ofourselves and berating those who find greater peace in covering certain parts of themselves.At the end of the day it is all about personal choice. We do not shame the many people who chooseto dye their hair or wear facial makeup, so let’s not shame those who choose to wear body makeup.If you are confident with or without products like body makeup, then great. It is all about findingpeace within yourself regardless of what others think, and for me, that is the crux of body positivity.So, lets focus on more pressing body positivity issues such as better representation for people of allskin colours within the movement, rather than crucifying those who simply want the chance to findsome level of confidence. Otherwise, our self-proclaimed body positivity will merely inflict negativityon others; thus, negating the aim of its name.