Nudes are not a big deal.
No really, they aren’t. Literally everyone has been naked. Most, if not all, people have seen a naked person or had sex with one. In an age when human interaction tends to be mediated through social media or instant messaging, it’s no surprise that sharing nude pictures and sexting have become the norm. In fact, most of you reading this have probably sent nudes or risqué messages, or at least seen some.
So, no, nudes aren’t a big deal.
Invasion of privacy is.
Two days ago in a massive breach of privacy, a hacker leaked nude pictures of several famous actresses, including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Scarlett Johansson. In a public statement, Jennifer Lawrence’s rep instead emphasized the repercussions against the hacker who leaked them, calling it a “flagrant violation of privacy.”
While there has been backlash against the actresses for taking them in the first place, most of the public reaction has been supportive of the actresses and disapproving of the hacker and his invasion of privacy. The targeted celebrities are taking legal action against both the hacker and any people who share the photos. On social media, people used hashtags such as #IfMyPhoneGotHacked, which was a more playful reaction to the nude leaks than backlash, and #LeaksforJLaw, which involved people leaking their own nudes to show solidarity with the actress. While the nude photos have made major headlines, it’s been coupled with conversation on the invasion of privacy that provided these photos.
It’s been argued in the past that celebrities shouldn’t take nude photos at all because they will likely get leaked. If they do get leaked, the general attitude is that it comes with the territory of being famous.
Ideally, this shouldn’t be the case. Just because someone is a celebrity doesn’t mean they aren’t entitled to a private side of life. Invasion of privacy shouldn’t be a stipulation for a person’s career of choice. People have the right to take whatever pictures they want. People do not, however, have the right to hack them.
Sadly, until the people who tend to release and circulate nude photos realize how morally wrong this is, celebrities will have to be careful about anything they do that could tarnish their reputation. While many people have taken nude photos without repercussions, the impact of Jennifer Lawrence’s nudes are probably greater than any of ours.