Chances are you’ve heard about the leaked nude photos of around 100 female celebrities.
An unidentified hacker accessed the iCloud accounts of Jennifer Lawrence, Victoria Justice, Ariana Grande, Kate Upton and others and posted private nude photographs of the female actresses on the Web.
While some may frantically scour the Web for these pictures, it may be shocking to know that what this hacker did is very much illegal. And don’t forget they were a violation of these women’s privacy. That’s a biggie.
By illicitly obtaining and then posting these photos online, this hacker committed what should be considered a sex crime.
It is a blatant disregard for the privacy of these women. And anyone who followed along and actively chose to view and share these photos with others is guilty, too.
Yet, it is these young women who are getting blamed. I sometimes wonder why misogyny still exists, and then things like this happen.
Some have made the feeble argument that if a woman does not want her nude photo to be seen, she shouldn’t have taken it in the first place.
So just like a woman was “asking for it” when getting heckled on the street for wearing a short skirt, these celebrities are also “asking for it” when their personal photos are distributed without their consent.
The same rules should apply when it comes to sharing nude photos just as it would in getting a woman’s consent to have sex.
It’s her body and her choice of with whom she chooses to share it. It’s that simple.
With unclear and often ineffectual laws, we blame the victim instead of the culprit.
A woman’s body is not public domain, no matter who she is.
Even on the rare occasion when a male celebrity’s nude photo is leaked, it does not receive nearly the same reaction or attention from the media.
Yes, it makes news, but the male victim is never blamed. At most, jokes are made and then we move on.
The word “scandal” itself implies that the person posing for a photo naked should be shamed, not the person stealing and spreading it. Naturally.
This is also not just an issue with celebrities.
Revenge porn, sexual harassment, rape and even simple catcalling are all still very real problems non-famous women face.
Instead of perpetuating the issue, speak up about the injustices you see.
This hacker needs to be brought to justice and these victims, famous or not, need to be left alone.
nrowthor@indiana.edu
