Although most of us watching the viral moment could sense this was more than a starlet pushing the limits of proprietyâitâs hard not to factor in Censoriâs unknowable nature, her vacant expression and wide eyesâwe still stared at and shared the images. Thatâs something that we should probably examine.
Itâs true that, when it comes to the internet, our usual mode of operation is to share first, ask questions later. We see a major moment from a big event and our first instinct is to weigh in. No matter if weâre commenting on an outfit, making a meme, or expressing our annoyance on who won what award, speed is the currency by which we feel we must operate. And so, within minutes of Censoriâs disrobing, photos of her naked body were everywhere, from Instagram to TikTok to text messages to nearly every news website. No matter where you went, the same images followed. An expressionless woman, fully exposed, as her fully-clothed husband stood stone-faced next to her.
By Monday morning, though, the instinct began to curdle. Many of us were left feeling strange and wondering why we were so quick to share these photos. Glamour, it should be noted, chose to delete the photo we used of Censori from our coverage upon reflection after the awards show. The truth is, none of us have any idea about West and his wifeâs relationship, although itâs hard to deny that their public dynamic feels exploitative, if not possibly abusive, at its core.
Sure, there are endless sources chattering to the tabloid that this was maybe an homage to one of Westâs album covers or a master plan by West to troll the world and get attention, one that Censori cosigns. The couple, these âsourcesâ say, is not performing shock and awe for just the male gaze but for the internet gaze, creating a spectacle we canât help but take part in.
According to Page Six, shortly before she disrobed West whispered to her: âMake a scene.â Itâs a twisted version of his ex-wife (and mother of his four children) Kim Kardashianâs now-iconic âbreak the internetâ moment, and raises questions about what exactly we are cosigning. Not only is this giving at least West what he wants, but given that we have never heard directly from Censori, itâs possible that weâre robotically sharing pornographic images of a woman taken under coercive control or duress.
In the end, we can discuss and dissect Bianca Censoriâs Grammys outfit and debate about what exactly Censori is thinking, what she feels, and what she wants. But we should not ignore the pit in our stomachs when we look at the images and their explosion across the web.
Because no matter the context from which we are sharing the image, Westâa man with a history of humiliating womenâwins. He doesnât care if weâre sharing the image gleefully, with indifference just to get likes, or with a message of admonishment or concern. He probably just wants our attention, to control the news cycle and to power the outrage machine by using the body and sexuality of his wife for his own reasons. And in the case of so many instances of misogyny via digital manipulation, many of us fell for it without even realizing what we were doing.
