Body Shaming is a huge deal

[Esthalia]

I've recently been thinking about the topic of body shaming due to some recent events in my life, and I wanted to share this with Iwaku to see how everyone else feels about it.

Apparently there are people who are attempting to blackmail me over some pictures on the internet right now (not on Iwaku). I'm putting this out there to not only share, but empower anyone else who might have ever gone through this.

1) These are pictures I took for fun, if you've never done that before then you are lying to everyone and yourself. When you go ...through a change like I have, it feels really good to see yourself like that and it's a confidence booster to see yourself like that, especially after feeling as if you had lost a part of your sexuality due to depression and obesity.

2) I never intended for those photos to be public, but photobucket backed up to the internet from my phone. Internet/ technology snafoo, what can I say? It happens. I deleted them as soon as it came to my attention that they were there because I felt embarrassed. Now that people are actually threatening me with them, I've been brought to #3.

3) I will NEVER be ashamed of myself or of my body. People can say what they want or do what they want, but I will never put myself down over my own self confidence or my own beauty. The fact that these individuals are attempting to blackmail me or shake me up is the most pathetic thing i've ever encountered from another human being. I would like to actually thank these people for being horrendous human beings because all they're doing is empowering me.

4) It's a hand-bra pictures, I've seen worse things in pg-13 movies. Grow the hell up and get over it.
To anyone that this might offend, I am not going to apologize. My body is beautiful and glorious and I will not allow myself to feel one ounce of shame for having fun and taking pictures of myself for my own benefit. I do regret that they were leaked to the internet, but I do not regret taking them. Those pictures push my progress to new heights. I'm only going to get better and better from here.

To those who have ever been forced to be ashamed or scared or uncomfortable with your own body, I can only say:

YOU ARE GORGEOUS AND NEVER LET ANYONE ELSE DICTATE YOUR OWN SELF WORTH.

 

[AetherDream]

You've already heard what I've got to say about the yellow (cowardly) scum who tried to pull this, so I won't go over it again.

Body shaming just seems to keep on getting worse and oddly enough, more accepted in popular culture. I find it curious that it seems to shift back and forth and when it's done towards the thin, it's acceptable. Now, I am by no means thin, but I don't think that anyone should be made to feel bad about the way they look. Our shape, our muscles, our curves, our lovely lumps only last for so long. The mind is the most beautiful thing we've got, it's everything we truly are and everything we can aspire to cultivate. One day, maybe not in our life, this truth will become Truth.

 

[Diana]

LET THEM POST THOSE PICTURES. NAKED PEOPLE ARE AWESOME!


Body shaming SUCKS. Girls especially have it bad. ;__; I have been body shamed by my own grandma and mother since been a tiny Diana. It was always SOMETHING. I was either too skinny or too fat or too young to have cellulite or would look prettier with makeup.It really kills your self esteem as you grow up. >< I am STILL fighting through self image issues.


But I would still walk around naked all the time if I could get away with it. >>

 

[Dervish]

I take a huge issue with image sharing sites automatically being set to public display. I have a Imgur account and didn't realize that other people could see the pictures until I noticed the view count. Nothing really personal is in there, but the option should have been there right as you sign up if you want your pictures to be private instead of having to dig through the settings afterwards. Just because we live in a culture of oversharing and attention whoring doesn't mean that I want to opt into it.

It leads to cases like yourself where you never intended those images to go public and you have some jackwad from the internet feeling like he's entitled to judge you and act like an amoral asshat because clearly anytime you see a woman on the internet, the first thing you have to do is comment on her appearance, right? It's a mentality I'd personally like to slap the shit out of people. It would be kind of nice if every guy who immediately went to rating girls' appearances in totally unjustified or inappropriate circumstances (like the other day I saw a news article about a girl who was killed in a car crash, and sure enough in the comments...) would have a lynch mob of people just go into all of their personal pictures and just leave derogatory comments about their appearance for like a solid month.

Jesus, people. Respect really isn't a hard concept. I admire a woman's appearance all the time, but it doesn't mean I have to comment on it and leave remarks like I'm critiquing something. There isn't nearly enough backlash against this kind of shit. People shouldn't be thrown under a microscope by total strangers every time they post something on the internet, especially if it's not meant for them.

 

[Esthalia]

I think it's really funny because this is what he (i'm assuming it's a he. It's actually a fake name with a pic of Nicholas Cage) said to me.
"I have your naughty pics ;) (nice boobs btw). So, message me back, and if you don't, or you block me, I'll show everyone :) "

To that, I responded:

"Hey, I totally think your attempt to blackmail me is awesome and everything, but everyone has already seen them. They've been public for a long time. I'm not ashamed of my body and I certianly don't care what a random person on the internet happens to think or say about them"


I'm so empowered right now, I could be Beyonce.

 

[AetherDream]

Prffft, Beyonce wishes she could be you.

 

[Brovo]

YOU ARE GORGEOUS AND NEVER LET ANYONE ELSE DICTATE YOUR OWN SELF WORTH.

Yeah, pretty much. Just be happy with who you are. If you don't like who you are, either learn to accept yourself, or change yourself and become what it is you wish to be.

Also, I admit confusion about the obsession people have with disrobed human flesh. "Oh no! My boobs!" This is the Internet. There are millions of boobs: Small boobs, big boobs, wide boobs, narrow boobs, melon boobs, apple boobs, three boobs, one boob--boobs of all shapes and sizes. Sure, it's embarrassing, but who cares? The entirety of the porn industry exists. "What about my friends?" Those who mind don't matter, those who matter don't mind. Embarrassment passes, and there are assholes everywhere, who will harass you for anything you enjoy. Just the nature of humanity.

 

[Windsong]

Here's how I see it..

If you didn't want anyone to see it. You wouldn't have taken it in the first place. Mostly got to thinking about it again after the Fappening2014 with J-Law.

Years ago my (current then, now)ex was sending pictures of herself (full nudity) to me over e-mail, phone, etc. Uploading them to Photobucket and some other stuff. Needless to say someone tried the whole blackmail thing against her for some sexual favors. His face wasn't too giddy and happy anymore when she got out in the bikini like he asked followed by me.

Best part? His grandmother watched me beat the snot out of him after I explained what he did. Even brought me his PC and a crowbar. Such a sweet woman..

@Brovo , sure there are millions of bosoms across the internet. 2-D boobs, 3-D boobs, surely some 4-D somewhere. Sometimes knowing who's tits they belong to is the biggest thing. J-Law didn't have an amazing rack, Miley Cyrus chest isn't much to gawk at. But it's the woman who they're attached to that matters more.

 

[fatalrendezvous]

Rock that shit, girl. <3

And to anyone else struggling with body image issues, I say this:

Confidence is sexier than surface-level. I know it's hard with all the shit that gets shoveled into our faces by the media and by the cynical and the skeptics. But when you love yourself for who you are and for all the good you bring to people regardless what you look like, the world can't help but notice.

 

[Brovo]

@Brovo , sure there are millions of bosoms across the internet. 2-D boobs, 3-D boobs, surely some 4-D somewhere. Sometimes knowing who's tits they belong to is the biggest thing. J-Law didn't have an amazing rack, Miley Cyrus chest isn't much to gawk at. But it's the woman who they're attached to that matters more.

They're also multimillionaires. They have bucket-loads of fame and fortune. Assholes will flock to them every time there is any kind of screw-up, including those who are attracted to them solely because of their fame. There are assholes who will stalk out naked pictures of random women for the same reason: Because they either want more, or they want to mock and deride said women for it. However, there will never be a shortage of assholes, there will never be a shortage of controversies, there will never be a shortage of boobs leaked to the Internet in one way or another.

I'm not saying that it's particularly right or wrong. I always attempt to avoid arguing moral ambiguity: To me it's wrong, but I'm sure others would disagree and try (perhaps successfully even) to levy arguments to support their point of view. What I can argue is this: That people on the Internet only have as much power as you give them.

This is going to probably be an unpopular opinion, but here goes: Esthalia's phone ended up putting her pictures onto Photobucket. Not intentionally, but that means her phone was connected to Photobucket in the first place. Because of a human error, her naked photos ended up on a public image sharing site and some douchebag grabbed them. Said douchebag has threatened her, and she made the best possible response.

"Hey, I totally think your attempt to blackmail me is awesome and everything, but everyone has already seen them. They've been public for a long time. I'm not ashamed of my body and I certianly don't care what a random person on the internet happens to think or say about them"

She doesn't give a fuck.

Not a one. Not a single fuck was given. The fuck train ran straight into the station, and tragically exploded, leaving the entire town of Esthalia without a single fuck to give. This person who wanted to blackmail her and shame her has been, completely, and totally, disarmed. Any threat he might have posed to her is completely fucking gone.

In short: Esthalia made a mistake, an asshole capitalized on the mistake, Esthalia refused to let that mistake rule over her life.

Which, yes, probably means Esthalia's boobs will be leaked out onto the Internet to try and shame her. Along with thousands upon thousands of other boobs uploaded for various reasons every day, of every week, of every month, of every year. Whether it is right or wrong is irrelevant, because people who don't care will continue to be assholes: The only person you can control in this situation is yourself. And Esthalia did the most empowering thing she could given the circumstances: Who cares if people see Esthalia's boobs. You said it yourself: The person matters, not the breasts. The person.

As for those who really care, who feel as though their relationship with Esthalia will be damaged in some way because of realizing that she posted boobs on the Internet...

"Those who mind don't matter, those who matter don't mind."

 

[Esthalia]

Brovo, that was so well put- I could cry from how wonderful it is.


I do feel the need to point out something though. It was a hand bra picture. Meaning that there wasn't even any "nudity" at all. There was a provocitive pose, sure, but no actual nudity. The desperation of this person to go after me for such things is what truly astonishes me. Not just the fact that they decided to blackmail me over pictures, but the fact that he decided to blackmail me over pictures that aren't even R rated.

I've seen people in sears magazines wearing less than I was. And I was wearing my hands.

 

[Hellis]

People be dicks. PEople love to shame other to make themself feel better. Rock what ever booty you have, do you and nobody else.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

 

[SlamifiedBuddafied]

Body shaming sound like an oxymoron.

How can somebody be ashamed of something which you shouldn't feel any shame for? Could care less if half of the state much less half of the country can see my belly or genitals. Or anything for that matter. Now it may seem a silly reason to you guys, but I don't care if anyone sees. Why? I can belly dance that shit.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

How can somebody be ashamed of something which you shouldn't feel any shame for?

Key part = Shouldn't

Just because one shouldn't be hurt doesn't mean it won't happen.
Humans are emotional, not rationale creatures by nature. They typically operate on a very "Act/feel first, think later (hopefully)" mentality.
And even the most logical of us either slip up time to time or have pet peeves, boundries and limits.

It's the same reason stuff like Mob Mentality, Bias and Hypocrisy are things.
None of them are logical, none of them are things people should be doing, but it's something people are guilty off all the time.

 

[SlamifiedBuddafied]

Key part = Shouldn't

Just because one shouldn't be hurt doesn't mean it won't happen.
Humans are emotional, not rationale creatures by nature. They typically operate on a very "Act/feel first, think later (hopefully)" mentality.
And even the most logical of us either slip up time to time or have pet peeves, boundries and limits.

It's the same reason stuff like Mob Mentality, Bias and Hypocrisy are things.
None of them are logical, none of them are things people should be doing, but it's something people are guilty off all the time.

There is no denying this. I'm guilty of being a nuisance, difference is people don't tell me that, they just ignore me instead of confronting it. But this situation is a bit different than a typical nuisance with all the potential sexual scandals which could come out of having revealing pictures online. I suppose I'm attempting to compare similar experience with something that isn't similar at all.

 

[Brovo]

How can somebody be ashamed of something which you shouldn't feel any shame for?

Because human beings are strange animals.

 

[Esthalia]

Well, It's official. My friends and I are going to make a Hand-Bra Body Shaming Awareness Calendar. It's going to be epic. I'm gonna need peoples hand bra pics to put on the pages. I'm so thrilled right now!!

Probably going to start a go fund me or something for it. stay posted!!

 

[Razilin]

I've recently been thinking about the topic of body shaming due to some recent events in my life, and I wanted to share this with Iwaku to see how everyone else feels about it.

Apparently there are people who are attempting to blackmail me over some pictures on the internet right now (not on Iwaku). I'm putting this out there to not only share, but empower anyone else who might have ever gone through this.

1) These are pictures I took for fun, if you've never done that before then you are lying to everyone and yourself. When you go ...through a change like I have, it feels really good to see yourself like that and it's a confidence booster to see yourself like that, especially after feeling as if you had lost a part of your sexuality due to depression and obesity.

2) I never intended for those photos to be public, but photobucket backed up to the internet from my phone. Internet/ technology snafoo, what can I say? It happens. I deleted them as soon as it came to my attention that they were there because I felt embarrassed. Now that people are actually threatening me with them, I've been brought to #3.

3) I will NEVER be ashamed of myself or of my body. People can say what they want or do what they want, but I will never put myself down over my own self confidence or my own beauty. The fact that these individuals are attempting to blackmail me or shake me up is the most pathetic thing i've ever encountered from another human being. I would like to actually thank these people for being horrendous human beings because all they're doing is empowering me.

4) It's a hand-bra pictures, I've seen worse things in pg-13 movies. Grow the hell up and get over it.
To anyone that this might offend, I am not going to apologize. My body is beautiful and glorious and I will not allow myself to feel one ounce of shame for having fun and taking pictures of myself for my own benefit. I do regret that they were leaked to the internet, but I do not regret taking them. Those pictures push my progress to new heights. I'm only going to get better and better from here.

To those who have ever been forced to be ashamed or scared or uncomfortable with your own body, I can only say:

YOU ARE GORGEOUS AND NEVER LET ANYONE ELSE DICTATE YOUR OWN SELF WORTH.

3) if you're not ashamed of your body, why did you remove the perhensile tail and extra set of arms? you could have played chess, poker, gotten iwaku, and eaten lunch all at the same time! WHY ESTHALIA! WHY DO YOU HATE THE EXTRA ARMS!? WHYYYYYYYY!

;)

 

[Esthalia]

3) if you're not ashamed of your body, why did you remove the perhensile tail and extra set of arms? you could have played chess, poker, gotten iwaku, and eaten lunch all at the same time! WHY ESTHALIA! WHY DO YOU HATE THE EXTRA ARMS!? WHYYYYYYYY!

;)

Razilin, the love I have for you is simply gargantuon. You're such a ham <3