Why Kim Kardashian Is A Great Role Model

Why Kim Kardashian Is A Great Role Model
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This has been buzzing round my head for a while so I'm just going to come out and say it - Kim Kardashian is a great female role model.

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AP

Now, for all those who know me, don't panic, I haven't totally flipped my lid. Bear with me. Hear me out.

Yes, I know Kardashian hasn't exactly got Grade A feminist icon credentials. She shot to fame thanks to a sex tape. She posed nude for Playboy. She epitomises the hideous 'famous for being famous' culture.

So before you deafen me with your righteous wailing, I'm not saying that every young girl should aspire to become a reality TV star.

But there is a lot we and our daughters can learn from Mrs Kardashian West.

1. Tech is not just for boys

Kim Kardashian is co-creator of one of the most popular apps of the year – from which she earns $700,000 a day (that's around £430,000.) It's set to net her $200 million (£125 million) over the course of 2014. She's appeared at the prestigious Re/Code conference, and at a time when GamerGate has exposed huge amounts of sexism and misogyny in the gaming industry, we need people like her to stand up and be counted. The fact that she got so much abuse for appearing at Re/Code makes it even more vital that someone like her is standing up in front of these people, in the face of comments like "She shows her boobs, her humongous butt, dresses to the hilt and had porn movie... When all her lady charms are gone, she will be another cosmetic creature who looks hideous as she ages..." and "just another cow, with large udders... and a small brain..." A brain so small she makes almost a million dollars a day. Yeah.

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AP

2. You are your own brand

KK understands this very well - possibly better than anyone else on the planet. Like it or not, we are all our own brand in the digital age. We promote ourselves constantly to the world and how we manage that image is crucial to our job, life and love prospects. That's how she's turned a reality TV show into a massive brand – connecting with millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter.

3. Super-skinny is not the pinnacle of achievement

Ok, KK's body shape isn't exactly 'normal' and having an enormous arse isn't feasible for everybody. There have been plenty of rumours about plastic surgery, all of which have been denied. But at least she's not as emaciated as a Topshop mannequin. That's got to be good, right? Even if it does mean that news stories about her are always accompanied with BTL comments like "Is this hooker really relevant. She's a PIG with tits". Nice.

4. If you're going to have sex, use contraception

Kardashian revealed in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that she was encouraged to take the pill at the age of 14. The slut-shamers went beserk. Example: "She got her on birth control because she new her daughter would become a slut." Sure, it's not ideal to have sex at the age of 14, but lots of girls do it, and most of them are probably too terrified or anxious to discuss it with their parents, and seek help in obtaining contraception. And their parents are too terrified or anxious to talk to their children about it. That's how teenage pregnancy happens, folks. The other way is better.

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5. Change is always possible

We all make mistakes. In the digital age, it's hard to forget some of them. Specially when a pesky sex tape you made at the age of 22 gets circulated to the world. But Kim's moved on. She's an incredibly successful businesswoman and mother, married to an international superstar. Isn't it time we all moved on too? There's currently a petition being circulated by angry American mothers, decrying Babies R Us for launching a Kim Kardashian clothing line. The petition was launched by Amie Logan, who says: "I don't want my child to grow up to be a sex tape star." Do you want your child to grow up thinking that an unfortunate mistake, made at the age of 22 should never be forgotten? Or do you want to teach them forgiveness, charity and understanding? If you don't want to buy your child Kim Kardashian-branded clothes, guess what? Nobody's going to force you. Celebrities aren't perfect, as we well know now their entire lives are paraded before us in gruesome detail. Ask yourself - are you perfect?