There is something inherently disgusting about the media monitoring of women’s bodies. It seems as if entertainment journalists and self-proclaimed “fans” thrive off of speculating which celebrity is going to pop out a kid next.
While some defend these pregnancy speculations as a painless act with no intended ill-will, this aspect of “fan culture” is anything but harmless.
Recently, Kourtney Kardashian took to Instagram to post a ring-lit selfie in an orange one-piece sweater. This picture prompted self-declared fans to enter the comments with questions as blatantly as “Are you pregnant?” Kourtney responded, “No, I wish.”
And the award for most depressing celeb-fan interaction goes to Karsashian by a landslide. Her sad response is a important lesson. Although she’s a celebrity, Kourtney is just as human as the rest of us.
Women in the spotlight are still women who face the risks of miscarriages, body dysmorphia and postpartum depression. These women could even have faced the difficulties of abortion before and could potentially be sensitive to any pregnancy-related discussion.
Real fans should have the awareness to realize how unnecessary and inconsiderate this type of speculation is. Being able to empathize with the person behind the screen should be commonplace knowledge, especially now in the age of social media.
Pregnancy speculation goes hand in hand with the internet culture of body shaming. Unflattering angles or posture gives the stomach a round appearance, and all of a sudden you’re having twins.
You would think out of all places, the internet would be more progressive and against this sort of body shaming, right? Nope. Only last month, singer Lizzo had to end her presence on Twitter because of the harsh memes circulating about her weight.
Why must both younger and older women always be shown as mothers in the media? Motherhood is not the end game for every woman, especially those who would rather spend years honing their craft and success.
A perfect example of this is the constant gossip around Jennifer Anniston’s ticking biological clock. In a 2016 essay for the Huffington Post, Anniston wrote, “The sheer amount of resources being spent right now by the press trying to simply uncover whether or not I am pregnant points to the perpetuation of this notion that women are somehow incomplete, unsuccessful, or unhappy if they’re not married with children.”
Women are not selfish for not wanting to have children, and absolutely no one has the right to make them feel guilty with their own decision.
This begs the question, what does someone gain from being right in their assumption? Maybe temporary satisfaction is the desired outcome, but it’ll never stack up to the amount of harm their hypothesizing causes.
Women have a right to privacy when it comes to their own bodies, no matter how public their life may be.
Gabrielle Martinez is an 18-year-old mass communication freshman from Gonzales, Louisiana.