Some people scoff at selfies, calling them self-indulgent or shallow. But women around the world are reclaiming their bodies and subverting the male gaze with their selfies.
What We Need To Learn
From slut shaming to body shaming, selfies have given people the ability to control their own sexual narrative.
When we take selfies, journalist Madelynn Esteb argues that we “engage in the art of ‘self-fashioning.’” Instead of letting other people control how the world sees you, the selfie-taker has complete control of their own image.
Inspiring Selfie Examples
- Jenna Kutcher used her platform to promote body positive and diversity. Her sexy selfies are about her showing that sexiness isn’t tied to size.
- Jamie Beck used art and photography to tell the story of her body changing from lean to curvy pregnant when she left New York for
- Molly Soda leaked her nude selfies online, rather than living in fear of her images.
- Rachel Simmons saw selfies as “a tiny pulse of girl pride—a shout-out to the self.”
Try This At Home
How can reclaim your body and subvert the male gaze with your selfies? Post a subversive selfie with the hashtag #MyBodyMySelfie and join our ongoing art exhibit. We will celebrate the stories our readers with their bodies as they take control of their own narratives.
The Afterglow
No matter what you think about selfies, we all need to celebrate the liberating power of this new art form. “For those of us who don’t fit into the white, cisgender, thin beauty standards that are all over the media, selfies can be a truly radical act,” concludes Esteb.