Elisa Tate, in “Challenging Women’s Digital Agency: The Frequency of Slut Shaming in Social Media,” writes that women who attempt to create their own digital personas are often the victims of belittlement by male audiences attempting to explain the ideal behavior and representation of women. Women are not only judged on their sexual activity, but also on the clothes they wear (Poole). Even though, as Tate writes, social media sites such as Instagram have provided a venue for women to express themselves beyond traditional gender roles, they often face vehement criticism for doing so. Leora Tanenbaum writes that the term “slut” has now become a descriptor for any woman who does not act as deemed appropriately by society in public spaces, such as online social media (Tanenbaum). On Instagram, women who dress in tight, revealing clothing are often victims of slut shaming. Amber Rose, American model, actress and fashion designer, knows this all too well. Her experience on Instagram is showcased in Tate’s article. Rose uses her presence on Instagram as a platform for the reinvention of the word “slut,” often through highlighting her involvement in feminist causes such as the Amber Rose Los Angeles Slut Walk. The pictures on her Instagram account range from her dressed in figure-hugging sheer dresses to depictions of her life as a mother. Rose is a frequent victim of online slut shaming, partly due to her previous work as a stripper. She has also faced harassment from her former partners, notably from rapper Kanye West. Through her Instagram presence, Rose often blurs the boundaries between her sexuality and her domestic obligations, thus showing that women can take equal part in both. Nevertheless, she still faces vehement criticism, and therefore the very spaces that feminists use to shatter perceptions of women as
Elisa Tate, in “Challenging Women’s Digital Agency: The Frequency of Slut Shaming in Social Media,” writes that women who attempt to create their own digital personas are often the victims of belittlement by male audiences attempting to explain the ideal behavior and representation of women. Women are not only judged on their sexual activity, but also on the clothes they wear (Poole). Even though, as Tate writes, social media sites such as Instagram have provided a venue for women to express themselves beyond traditional gender roles, they often face vehement criticism for doing so. Leora Tanenbaum writes that the term “slut” has now become a descriptor for any woman who does not act as deemed appropriately by society in public spaces, such as online social media (Tanenbaum). On Instagram, women who dress in tight, revealing clothing are often victims of slut shaming. Amber Rose, American model, actress and fashion designer, knows this all too well. Her experience on Instagram is showcased in Tate’s article. Rose uses her presence on Instagram as a platform for the reinvention of the word “slut,” often through highlighting her involvement in feminist causes such as the Amber Rose Los Angeles Slut Walk. The pictures on her Instagram account range from her dressed in figure-hugging sheer dresses to depictions of her life as a mother. Rose is a frequent victim of online slut shaming, partly due to her previous work as a stripper. She has also faced harassment from her former partners, notably from rapper Kanye West. Through her Instagram presence, Rose often blurs the boundaries between her sexuality and her domestic obligations, thus showing that women can take equal part in both. Nevertheless, she still faces vehement criticism, and therefore the very spaces that feminists use to shatter perceptions of women as