WTF Is Amber Rose Activism?

Over the weekend Amber Rose posted a strikingly scandalous photo (that I specifically linked instead of posting so that none of you would get in trouble for reading my blog at work 😉) that was later removed by Instagram- but not before it had started a conversation on social media. 

Let’s get something straight- women are allowed to do what they want with their bodies and their lives, but “equality” isn’t just Free The Nipple campaigns and asking for raises at work. It’s equal opportunity to be criticized. It means answering for your actions with more than lame ass reductionist logic. It means being called out when you’re claiming to do something in the name of a cause you believe in when you’re really just using it as a shameless ploy for attention.

I’m no feminist, but if I was, I’d be distancing myself from Amber Rose and women like her at all costs. Not because I have a problem with women embracing their sexuality or vanity, but because it cheapens a cause I believe in. If Tomi Lahren and Lauren Southern went streaking in the name of America and secure borders, it would be sure to garner nationwide attention and dominate news cycles for at least a few days. But what would that actually accomplish in terms of policy or progress? 

Which begs the question- what does Amber Rose feminism accomplish? As much as we all love to hate the Kardashian-Jenner empire, at the end of the day they’re still an empire. As much as we can criticize Kim for how she rose to fame, no average thot can turn their thirst for attention into the millions upon millions that Kim did. It’s an incredible feat. When Kim Kardashian posts a butt selfie, sure it’s for attention. But more importantly it’s part of an intricate, premeditated scheme to keep them relevant, rich, and at the center the center of attention. Everything they do plays into their multiple business plans, and whether or not you respect the hustle you have to admit that it’s pretty damn impressive. 

But what happens when Amber Rose posts a picture showcasing her pubes? What does she or the women she claims to fight for stand to gain? What issue is addressed? What purpose is served? 

Based on her subsequent Instagram posts, I’m guessing this was a promotional stunt for the feminist conference she’s planning for fall of this year and her 3rd annual slut walk. So if it’s just risky marketing, what’s the issue? 

My issue is that there’s a difference between seeking attention as a business practice and pseudo activism to pursue attention in and of itself.

As someone that appreciates the entrepreneurial spirit and just wants to see people succeed, I’m impressed by Amber. As someone able to sense bullshit miles away, I’m not. She has a polished, beautifully branded website for her foundation, her march and her conference yet they all lack the same thing:

Substance.

This isn’t about the fact that I disagree with her at an ideological level. It’s about the fact that very little of the language makes sense in terms of basic English. It’s about the recycled use of buzzwords with no real explanation. It’s about the fact that she called Piers Morgan a misogynistic asshole for telling her to “put it (her vagina/bush) away” when I’m almost positive he would have been no more accepting of men posing the way that she did. It’s about every criticism being dismissed with a feminist catchphrase and the rejection of responsible, civil discourse.

If this is activism, I don’t understand it. You can absolutely advocate on behalf of causes you believe in while promoting yourself. You can promote yourself unconventionally. But you can’t show me poorly executed PR initiatives with your face slapped all over them and sell it to me as activism. It’s hard taking Amber Rose or her work seriously when more thought seems to be put into promotion than what she’s promoting. Her walk and conference aren’t for several months, and she has plenty of time to prove me and the rest of her skeptics wrong. But in the mean time, feminists should ask for more of the people that claim to represent them.