One of my many nicknames is NNP – Nama No Pants. If you rock up to my house unexpectedly, you’ll be greeted by NNP. And my 10-year-old son who’s always naked. (It’s so cute. That naked butt of his is so damn cute.) I’m telling you this because I want to establish that I’m comfortable with states of undress. Nudity. The au naturale look. Birthday suits. And I’m also really comfortable at home with my kid.
Just like Kim Kardashian.
So when I saw Kim’s post of a photo that was taken by her four-year-old daughter, North West, displaying Kim with a bare back, I was unmoved. Accustomed to seeing her skin, my focus was on the caption:
“[camera emoji] by North.”
Aw. A #proudmummymoment. And fair enough – it’s an artsy shot. Especially considering that most of the time when pre-schoolers get your phone, they just take a gazillion photos of their chin or foot.
And even though I do think it was a #proudmummymoment for Kim, I realise her thought process was most likely something like this:
Omg, North is so talented, she can make my arse look perfect, the lighting is impeccable, I have a thigh-gap, my hair is on point, pity I just had to get that freaking bra off – but I guess that looks on brand, so it’ll make a great post for these leggings I’m hocking.
As soon as the post was up, much to precisely no one’s surprise, the internet went into meltdown, as they do with most things any Kardashian does.
The conservatives were all like, “Omg why are you having your daughter take risqué photos of you? “’Here, North, this is how you make money using your body.’”
(Just as side note, literally anyone who makes money uses their body to do so. If you didn’t have a body, you couldn’t make money.)
But I agree with the person who wrote, “People still bath with their kids at that age. The people kicking off are the weird ones.” It’s skin, people. Mother and daughter. Relax.
If you haven’t noticed, the Kardashian family likes to take photos of themselves, and each other. They have no problem with semi-nude selfies, and they are comfortable with intimacy. Like this photo, for example:
And let’s be realistic – there was no way North was ever going to avoid being part of the family empire. Matriarch and mastermind Kris Jenner has ensured that her family is a money-making machine, and everyone has to earn their keep.
They are a close family. If we think they overshare with the world, just imagine how much they overshare with each other when cameras aren’t rolling or flashing. So while it may not seem normal to many of us, it’s how they roll. And that’s fine. It’s not our lives. They’re not our children.
The other thing to consider is that even though a lot of people won’t admit it, they regularly get their kids to take their social media photos. That casual pic of some influencer lounging poolside on family vacay? Photo credit: oldest child who can handle a smartphone.
(Because nothing is sadder than an Instagram full of selfies. Like mine.)
Listen: Do the Kardashians have a right to ask for privacy? Post continues below.
I have a friend whose daughter pleads, “Mummy, record me dancing and put it on Instagram!” And at the end of the video, she always says, “Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel!” Even though there’s no channel; it’s just something she’s learnt from watching children testing toys on YouTube.
It’s the way of the world, people.
It’s simply about sharing moments in your life – and for the Kardashians, that includes ones that make money and where too-stringent Instagram rules on nudity are flouted by artistic/fluke shots by four-year-olds.