CW Star Publishes Nude Portraits in the Name of Feminism, People Don't Get It
Faith in humanity/humanity's reading comprehension: shaken.
Reign actress Caitlin Stasey recently launched Herself, a website of nude portraits and disarmingly frank interviews—like Into the Gloss if they covered masturbation, reproductive rights, and atheism—as "a gesture to women for women by women; a chance to witness the female form in all its honesty without the burden of the male gaze, without the burden of appealing to anyone."
Super, right? But even with such an explicit mission statement, people are totally, frustratingly, expectedly missing the point. Internet randos male and female alike are calling Stasey and the eight other women featured on the site "exhibitionists," "show-offs," and "attention whores," and willfully ignoring the cue to talk about female bodies in a not condescending or accusatory way. And, oh yeah, they're fixated on the nakedness like 12-year-old schoolboys standing in front of a Courbet.
Let's get this straight: Herself is about women presenting themselves as they want to be seen. It's about women baring their bodies as they bare their innermost fears and memories. And yes, it's about pride. All those things together—freedom, self-love, being able to choose for yourself—that's what makes this feminist.
"It comes at a greater cost to you to attack the women around you than it does to empower them," Stasey says in her own Q&A. Hear that, internet?
You should also check out:
15 Stunning Images Capture How Beauty Comes In All Different Sizes
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
These 26 Photos Show There's No One Way to Be Beautiful
Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at Marie Claire. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.
-
Katie Holmes Accessorizes Her Boyfriend Button-Up With a Birkin Look-alike
Her colorful wardrobe basics came with a new signature bag.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Netflix's New Christmas Movie 'Hot Frosty' Has Fans Wishing For Their Own Holiday Romance in Hope Springs
Here's everything we know about the winter wonderland the rom-com was shot in.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Denim Bags Are the Nostalgic Y2K Bag Trend to Reconsider
Sometimes, the classics are overrated.
By Emma Childs Published
-
36 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to Men
It's just one of the many ways women still aren't equal to men.
By Brooke Knappenberger Last updated
-
Her Love of Basketball Left Her Stateless
One athlete’s quest for freedom from Afghanistan, where the Taliban's restrictive and regressive policies on women's sports put her life in danger.
By Abigail Pesta Published
-
Education for Women and Girls Is Crucial for Climate Justice
In an excerpt from her new book, 'A Bigger Picture,' Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate discusses the impact educated African women and girls can have on solving the climate crisis.
By Vanessa Nakate Published
-
It’s Time to End Equal Pay Days and Pass the Equal Rights Amendment
The passage of the ERA is a chance for our country to prove it truly values women.
By Hala Ayala Published
-
EMILY's List President Laphonza Butler Has Big Plans for the Organization
Under Butler's leadership, the largest resource for women in politics aims to expand Black political power and become more accessible for candidates across the nation.
By Rachel Epstein Published
-
Anita Hill Believes We Can End Gender Violence
Three decades after her landmark testimony in the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, the esteemed professor and lawyer has a message for leaders: The time is now to prioritize anti-gender violence policies.
By Rachel Epstein Published
-
Want to Fight for Abortion Rights in Texas? Raise Your Voice to State Legislators
Emily Cain, executive director of EMILY's List and and former Minority Leader in Maine, says that to stop the assault on reproductive rights, we need to start demanding more from our state legislatures.
By Emily Cain Published
-
Your Abortion Questions, Answered
Here, MC debunks common abortion myths you may be increasingly hearing since Texas' near-total abortion ban went into effect.
By Rachel Epstein Published