When the Princess Katherine was photographed sun bathing topless and the photos were then placed in a five-page spread by the French Magazine “Closer,” in 2012, this was assault. This same assault has happened to Prince Harry when his nude photos were “leaked.” When the same happened to Vanessa Hudgens in 2007 she was shamed by Disney and millions of people for her assault. Most recently, with the stolen photos of multiple celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, being shared on the internet and spread by millions, we again witness assault.
These assaults are often referred to as “leaks” or “scandal,” but we need to recognize them for what they are, assault and robbery. This type of assault is akin to a “Peeping Tom” taking a picture under a woman’s skirt. In the cases of those who were under 18-years-old in their stolen pictures, well, it’s child pornography. Whether the person happens to be a child or adult, man or woman, it’s disgusting.
Our society seems to accept and celebrate these assaults with 250 million views accumulating on Reddit’s r/TheFappening subreddit before it was pulled down by Reddit. The photos were originally exposed through 4chan.
According to “The Guardian,” “More than 400 pictures of over 100 celebrities were posted to the 4chan website, apparently as part of an effort by one member of a gang that regularly hijacked iCloud accounts (to which iPhone pictures are backed up) to cash in on them. Apple said in a statement on Tuesday that ‘we have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the internet’ and that ‘we are continuing to work with law enforcement to help identify the criminals involved.’”
Sociologist Joe R. Feagin defined women as being “open persons” or those who are particularly vulnerable targets for harassment that violates the rules of public courtesy. I think Feagin would agree when I say that celebrity women are extremely open persons and often face levels of harassment that women not in their positions will likely never know.
To this many would claim: “Well they’re celebrities. They’re in the public eye. They’re supposed to be role models. They’ve already put themselves out there.” To this I say get your head out of the clouds and realize that these women, and men, are people too. They are not below or above the rest of us in terms of personhood, and they deserve to be assaulted no more than a Girl Scout does. They do not need to and should not be expected to apologize for their assault or the robbery against them.
As Forbes contributor Scott Mendelson said, ““The burden of moral guilt is on the people who stole said property and on those who chose to consume said stolen property for titillation and/or gratification.”
I am frustrated when I hear anyone try to condemn those assaulted or praise the theft through consumption. I am especially saddened when I hear other women do it to their fellow sisters. Women need to stand by other women not tear them down and treat them as the rest of society does.
As Feagin points out, particularly for women, they are far more likely to be harassed in a public space than are men who typically are the harassers. This is not to say that all men are going to harass a women, but the reality is that women face untold types of harassment and assault on a daily basis.
Whether from being catcalled or told to smile, to being groped or raped, women do not receive the same respect as men. They are objectified and considered second-class citizens, somehow not quite as human as men are. When women are seen this way it makes it more justifiable and acceptable to harass and assault them.
It makes it justifiable to give them lower pay for equal work. It makes it acceptable to slut-shame. It makes it more justifiable to blame them for the assault against them. It makes it difficult to report their attack and seek justice for it – effectively denying equal protection under the law.
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Follow Breanna Grigsby on Twitter: @Bre_Louise
