INSTAGRAM VS REALITY
How a photo of Khloé Kardashian sparked a global debate FEATURE
Since the Kardashians hit our screens back in 2007, the face of the celebrity world has changed. Image is everything, largely thanks to this family, who have displayed unabashed vanity on a whole new level. We’ve been bombarded with pictures of the world-famous sisters for years – in newspapers, magazines, social media and even on toilet paper. And, after becoming accustomed to the impossibly smooth skin, whiter-than-white teeth and flawless figures in every image the family puts out, a recent leaked photo shook us out of that reverie.
A picture of 36-year-old Khloé – said to have been taken by MJ, the Kardashian sisters’ grandmother – emerged online around two weeks ago. The unedited image instantly hit the headlines for being exactly that – unedited. And while Khloé looked perfectly lovely, she immediately hired lawyers to have the photo scrubbed from the internet. Ironically, by taking such strong measures, Khloé ensured the whole world saw it. A debate started: was it her right to be able to have total control over her own image? What message was she sending out by going to these lengths to take it down, and just how much “reality” are we actually getting from these stars?
PRIVATE VS PUBLIC
Celebrities and influencers around the world reacted to the photo, some defending Khloé and
her right to privacy, and others expressing their dismay and frustration that she would try to extinguish the photo from existence.
Vicky Pattison weighed in on the debate with her own personal experience – sharing pictures that she had taken of herself a couple of years ago, alongside pap photos from the same day. Explaining that she had not long been single after her messy break-up with ex-fiancé John Noble, Vicky wrote, “Off the back of everything that I’d gone through, I was just so vulnerable and insecure, and the hardest thing for me to deal with – was not the invasion of privacy, was not even the heartbreak I felt over ruining my sister’s hen do – it was watching women tear me apart in comments sections and online.
Discussing my body, my shape and criticising me for the difference between my own pictures that I chose to post and the pap’s ones that were taken without my knowledge or consent.” Khloé herself posted a statement after her own situation blew up. She spoke about how constant criticism and the pressure to be perfect have weighed on her for her entire life, stating it was “almost unbearable, trying to live up to the impossible standards that the public have all set for me”.
Clearly, consent is one of the standout issues in this instance – Khloé didn’t want the photo to be posted online, and that should be her right. But the question was quickly raised of whether she should be sharing more unedited and unfiltered images, or at least disclosing if and when she retouches her images. In her statement, Khloé admitted to loving “a good filter, good lighting and an edit here and there”, and explained that she would continue to digitally alter her pictures “unapologetically”.
Actress Jameela Jamil – who has always been very vocal in her opposition of the Kardashians’ “impossible beauty standards” – told her followers this was the perfect time for Khloé to make a change. “She was bullied into this mind state,” she wrote. “But now is also a really good time to admit to surgeries, thinning photographs and videos, and to stop being part of the culture that makes girls like
her hate herself. No more diet products. No more ‘revenge’ body.”
REVEALING THE TRUTH
There has been a growing backlash against the polished Insta-glam crowd, with many celebrities and influencers actively choosing to show more of their “reality”. Georgie Clarke (@georgie.clarke), who appeared on reality dating show Survival Of The Fittest in 2018, is now on a mission to promote body positivity and self-love. Responding to the Khloé issue, she told her Instagram followers that she feels a huge responsibility to show “truthful real images of myself”, but she understands why someone like Khloé might not want to.
Questioning how much responsibility those with large followings have on social media, Georgie wrote, “I know that so many young girls must be growing up thinking that the images on Instagram are what influencers and celebs actually look like in real life, but they don’t. It sets off a horrible cycle in the viewer’s mind that they don’t look that way in everyday life. Therefore, not feeling worthy or good enough. There’s no disclosure that there’s filters, edits, perfect lighting, posed bodies. If you don’t know about any of those elements that go on behind the scenes of a perfect Instagram shot... then you are going to believe that’s real life. I would hate the thought my content is making any little girl out there feel she isn’t worthy, because she doesn’t look like my enhanced and manipulated highlight. And if I did only post content like that still... I’d be responsibility for contributing to the problem.”
‘We have to be mindful of what we consume’
LOVE YOURSELF
Personal trainer Georgina Cox (@georginacoxpersonal training), regularly shares inspiring images encouraging women to embrace their bodies. After fighting her own battles with her self-image, she now encourages her followers to learn to love themselves. She says, “When your worth is anchored in who you are, how you treat others and, most importantly, how you treat yourself, how you look doesn’t have the same hold over you any more,” she tells heat. She admits she was heartbroken to see how the Khloé situation unfolded, understanding how it must feel to have an image of herself pulled to pieces. “Our confidence should never come at the expense of someone else’s,” the 29 year old says. “Khloé didn’t choose to share that photo, and despite the comfort it might have brought some people, it’s important to be mindful she is a human being with insecurities and feelings, too.”
And while Georgina feels that brands and advertisers have a responsibility to show the, “natural realities of our amazing bodies”, she feels Khloé – or anyone – should have the authority over what they choose to share.“we have to be mindful of what we are consuming and the effect it’s having on us, because we cannot dictate the access we have to someone else’s insecurities,” Georgina tells heat. “We can’t control what other people post on social media, but our feeds will always be in our control. It’s vital we fill them with content that makes us feel good, inspires and motivates us, while removing accounts that make us feel bad.”
In a world where there is so much focus on looks, Georgina says we have a responsibility to seek out positive role models. The rise of influencers such as Georgina, Alex Light (@alexlight_ldn), and Georgie , as well as celebrities like Maya Jama, Vicky Pattison and Olivia Bowen – keen to show us both the glam and not-so-glam sides of their lives – can only be a positive step towards a future where we all have a little more love for ourselves. n