Kim Kardashian - good for women's body image or not?

[CheersMedea]

Look at this picture of Kim Kardashian:

www.mailonsunday.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2839141/Lady-latex-Kim-Kardashian-squeezes-famous-figure-pink-PVC-dress-launch-perfume-Melbourne.html

I can't make up my mind whether:

1. she looks good and we are over conditioned to seeing thin women.
2. she looks fat but over comes that to look good because of her self-confidence in her body.
3. she looks fat, dresses like a chav and does not look good.

Maybe fat isn't the right word - excessively broad in the beam?

Anyway - is it a good thing for women's body image for her to be pictured in the media so much or a bad thing?

Does she look good or not? I fluctuate between the two and can't make up my mind.

Am I wrong in thinking that her bum is the result of plastic surgery?

It is indeed, whereas mine is the result of KitKats.

She is a result of plastic surgery on her boobs & bum as a bare minimum, so I can't think of a worse role model.

At least you can look like Kate Moss without needing plastic surgery - apart from her face, but we are talking bodies here.

This thread is really making me

She's clearly used plastic surgery of some description to completely change her body.. No way is her arse natural, she is completely different to how she was years ago.. It's not real folks!!!!

So with that in mind - how CAN she be projecting a good image?

I'm not very clued in these days but the only other well known person I can think of with a comparable figure is Jessica Rabbit. And she wasn't real which might give me an indication for how much likely it is that I'd achieve that without significant surgical assistance!!

If you are looking at someone with a beautiful curvy figure then Christina Hendricks is so much more attractive than KK.

I think my main problem with KK is that she is deliberately creating situations where we are all invited to scrutinise and comment on her body, that is what is so super damaging.

Other than that whether natural or not her body shape is very rare and so she is still peddling an unobatianable look to young people.

Zara - my sentiments entirely....in an ideal world, sadly. But why do so may lambast Barbie and yet we applaud KK?

I don't understand why women struggle to form opinions on her.

She is beautiful - or not, according to some - she loves the attention, men fancy the pants off her and so she is all over the media.

How are we meant to respond? With jealousy, hatred, insults, calling her 'not real' etc? Not cool.

I don't think she is trying to be a told model, I think she's just doing her thing. It's a particularly female thing, to take every attractive woman in the spotlight so personally. Look at her body or analyse her life choices - whatever, but don't conflate her into a package - she's a real woman whether you like it or not. She might be fun in real life! I know the image I project at work is very different to my own personality. Don't mix up her body and her soul.

I've seen her being interviewed, she's pretty boring. I suspect her soul may be quite dull too.

I didn't think she was just doing her thing, I thought she does what Kanye tells her to do.

She's not fat. I like that she portrays a different shape; I've said this before but I have a large bum and growing up had nothing but the then ideal body type shoved down my throat- tall with long, skinny legs and arms.
Although Kim may sometimes look cartoonish at least she, Beyonce, Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj etc are showing that -cosmetically enhanced or not- women with bigger thighs and bums can be sexy and dress well (or outrageously, if they want to) and generally be as desirable as other body types.
I realised at 10 that my legs were bigger then the other girls- I horse rode a lot and i'm naturally pear shaped anyway- and i was mortified I didn't have thin, twiglet legs like my peers and the women in all the magazines.
I still struggle with my body type even after losing six stone. Its the same bloody shape- just smaller.
Now I would like to see more sporty body types portrayed in the media, it seems women with even a hint of muscle are taboo.

I think the fact she isn't ashamed of her body is a good thing but I don't really know if I'd call her a role model, or look up to her as one. It's very damaging for any single body shape, size or type to be the only desired and celebrated one. Making room for all shapes, sizes and types in the media would be the most welcome thing that could be done instead of everything being focused on what is 'the right shape/type/size' to like and aspire to

Look at Amber Rose for a natural KK type body.

"She is not fat at all. She is very thin."

Erm. She is not very thin. She is curvy.

Horrendous role model! She's plastic!

A role model? She's shallow, superficial, thick as mince and the worst example of today's damaging body-conscious 'celebrity' I can think of.

What has she done?
Why us she famous?
Can anyone think of anything positive she has done, for herself or wider womankind?
What 's the point of her?

What's her brain like, her mind, her imagination? So much more important to me than all the superficial looks stuff.

What Carpaccio said. She's a very beautiful woman, she's always been very beautiful. But, five or so years ago most of it was natural. She's slowly turning into a caricature which is bloody sad. According to the gossip rags she spends hours in the gym each day getting keeping the slim bits slim, then spends thousands of dollars sticking plastic and collagen in the bits that she doesn't want deflating so much. It's no more attainable than Kate Moss' physique.

Yeah it's great that bums are back in, I am large of arse so it's been good for my ego. But it's all cyclical. In a few years we'll be back looking at the heroin chic models of the 1990's, or the lollipop headed celebs of the early 2000's.

She's stunning but what's the point of her fame exactly? I find it depressing that this is the most publicised female role model of our current time.

She's beautiful but looks totally vacant. I think she has had her brain replaced with botox. She looks good until she turns to the side and then her butt looks like a freak show. I never know what to say when my DD asks me how KK got famous.........er for a sex tape that her mother than cashed in on. Horrific. She's not good for women at all nor is her crazy mother.

I've only ever seen KK on the front of magazines. She appears to have ridiculously opulent weddings with lots of drama, have a child with a weird name and wear incredibly unattractive dresses. Oh and have sisters all with 'K' names.

I see absolutely nothing to aspire to there, so how can she possibly be a role model?

Figure wise, she doesn't look especially extraordinary to me. The main thing that struck me about that picture (apart from the really horrible dress - what a nasty colour!) was how awkwardly she was standing.

I dont think she's good for body image.

That body isn't natural. She's all out of proportion and her dress is to small so doesn't even enhance her figure in a good way.

It's her body and she can do as she wishes and not makes no difference to me. The confidence is something to aspire to however the rest isn't.

Sara ramirez on the other hand. Pretty, curvy and talented. now she's good for body image

She looks like she's wearing a condom but she has a nice figure.

Where's her minge gone?

Brilliant Tina Fey quote, MrsMogwi.