Love her or loathe her, you can’t help but notice Kim Kardashian. She is on our T.V’s, our computers, our newspapers and our newsfeeds daily and whether we like it or not she is a household name worldwide and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock recently, I am very sure that you have read about her armed robbery in France and I am more than sure that each of you have your own opinion on this.

Was this a set-up? Did she ask for it? Did her boasting of wealth make her vulnerable? Did her penchant for ‘flashing the flesh’ make her an easy target?

Those are the kinds of things that I have been reading on social media of late, albeit a lot less censored and in many cases much more aggressive. Many keyboard warriors have been brandishing profanities across their various accounts and whilst I, a blogger, am all too aware of the dangers of putting yourself “out there” and the risk of putting yourself in the firing line of abuse… I began to ask myself some serious questions about the society that we live in today and I have to say, it worried me… for myself, my future daughter if I am ever blessed with one and indeed the women of our world.

I don’t doubt that many of you will read this and still remain on the same wavelengths as before but I felt compelled to write as I was deeply disturbed by the aggression with which many have come out in force to abuse Kim in the wake of this incident.

Ok, none of us know if this was a publicity stunt… and if it was… well it was a damn smart business move on her behalf because – as the man says “no publicity is bad publicity” and she sure as hell has got us all talking… but for the sake of this blog post, lets presume she didn’t set it up… Lets presume she was there alone, faced with five armed robbers and terrified for her life…

The thought of a mother leaving two babies behind, of her family coming home to find her maybe shot and killed, her husband being in a different country unable to help her…

Thats a very terrifying situation to imagine yourself in and if, as we are giving the benefit of the doubt to believe, this is true… then my heart breaks for Kim the human… not Kim the celebrity.

Kim Kardashian is a lady of questionable morals, her rise to fame following a seedy sex tape is a bone of contention for many. Her desire to flaunt her naked body, whilst seen as empowering by few, is seen as trashy by most and I would worry that this is what role models are becoming in this messed up world that we live in… that being said… did all of the above mean that she deserved this attack? I very much think not!

I guess this led me to think of the ongoing debate and fight against rape in the world. The age old question of “did she deserve it?” – “did her clothing mean she was asking for it” – can our dress choice mean that we as women deserve to be violated?

This issue is one that effects women and indeed men across the world but all too often the people of the world are responsible for “Victim Blaming” instead of looking to the real perpetrator – the rapist.

I have often read articles or seen pictures in which women talk of those moments and they are questioned by outsiders… police, hospitals etc. and they are always asked things like… what were you wearing? The sad reality is that the women are then led to question themselves and doubt their actions rather than being allowed to feel anger towards the person really responsible, to grieve, to heal.

I know that Kim wasn’t raped but it scared me to see her interview where she said she feared she could have been and that people reacted by saying she “should” have been… that to me is simply shocking.

Celebrities, especially reality TV stars, give us a voyeuristic view of most areas of their lives and that is their own choice, as is it ours to follow. They know the amazing perks that come with that and they are also very aware of the negatives. It is all part and parcel of the game they are in, but I wonder when we crossed the line of judgement, which was already paper thin in the first place, to view them as objects rather than people.

This is a Woman, An incredibly savvy business woman at that, a Mother, A Daughter, A Sister, A Wife… not that any of those labels define her, but just think of any one of those people in your own life, think of the choices they have made, the mistakes, the decisions and then try to tell me that she deserved it because of her own choices or the life she leads?

She is someone who means the whole world to many people… more than just being a picture in a magazine, more than just being a page on a newspaper, more than just being a person at the end of a media hype… she was the person at the end of a gun, her privacy and her safety sacrificed.
She lost so much more than material goods, but lets just think about those for a second… her engagement ring… a piece that many treasure was snatched from her posession. Yes its ridiculously flamboyant that her ring was over 4million dollars but so what? it was and I am sure she loved it and treasured it the same as women whose rings were 100 dollars. For a sentimental piece such as an engagement ring, money isn’t the issue, its the meaning behind it and I am sure that hurt her very much to have it taken away.

Again I know the response most have had to that… she shouldn’t have flaunted the ring, she shouldn’t flaunt her wealth… they can well afford to replace it, I’m quite sure she can but I ask any of you ladies who are engaged, married, widowed, divorced, would a replacement mean the same? No.

I guess my point is that I have no idea when we as a society, as a population decided it was ok to ravage someone in trouble? Whether they put themselves in the firing line (“scuse the pun) or otherwise. When did it become ok to hide behind your computer and lash abuse on someone in a vulnerable situation? and when did we become so dehumanised? When did we stop caring?

If you have read up until this point and still feel that she deserved it, let me ask you this, if she didn’t have so much money, if she was poor, struggling to put food on the table, would she have deserved it then? Or would your many posts online be of sympathy rather than aggression?

If she wasn’t famous, would she have deserved it? If she hadn’t had a sex tape or appeared in naked photoshoots, would you have felt sorry for her then? Would your hatred have turned to pity perhaps?

Then ask yourself if all of those things make it ok… if your answer is yes and you think that they do, then I am petrified for the future of our world, the future of our women and the future of anyone who is in any kind of vulnerable position in this life – because it is the people committing these savage crimes that we should be chasing and chastising and not “victim blaming” – enough is enough!

And if you are really sick of reading about the Kardashians… then don’t… don’t click into the articles, don’t watch the show, change the channel, X out of the page… it really is that simple.
Nicola x