Kim Kardashian's photo on 'Paper' magazine's Winter 2014 cover went viral due to the reveal of her famous backside. Credit: Courtesy of 'Paper' magazine

Kim Kardashian’s photo on Paper magazine’s winter 2014 cover went viral because of the reveal of her famous backside.
Credit: Paper magazine

Kim Kardashian’s bodacious badonk has been blowing up the Internet, generating a host of memes, tweets and articles. And while a majority of the feedback surrounding the star’s upcoming Paper magazine cover has ranged from derisive humor to outright negativity, I’m handing major props to this shameless celeb.

Why?

Because we live in a society that shames nudity of any kind, automatically labeling it as tasteless pornography. We uphold our twisted taboos, hushing sensitive issues instead of discussing them like grown-ups. Our conservative past mandates that sex is dirty, nudity is filthy and our bodies should be properly covered. And Kim K. is fighting that outdated sentiment with a hefty dose of humor and approximately 25 pounds of unadulterated booty.

According to Paper magazine, the goal of the photo was to “break the Internet.” It features Kim sporting a wacky up-do, a pair of black gloves, and enough body oil to stir-fry dinner for a family of eight. Oh — and her totally bare behind. It’s an image that is as humorous as it is provocative. Appropriately tasteful, the photo is elegant in a way that is admittedly much more reserved than it could have been (in case anybody has forgotten the sex tape that fueled Kardashian’s rise to fame in the first place).

So did it work? Did Kim Kardashian’s derrière break the Internet? There might not have been a bandwidth shortage, but a quick Google search of the star’s name will tell you that, yes, it most certainly did. This isn’t the first time a celebrity’s backside went viral (I’m looking at you, Nicki Minaj), but it’s definitely the most notable.

Few people on Earth can stand up to the sheer star power of the Kardashian clan. The sisters are pop culture royalty, and Kim is their ringleader. Her incredible fame is the driving force behind the controversy of the image in question. And while the world is in uproar, a swift glance at her Twitter account reveals that Kim is laughing at the entire situation. She’s proud, and why shouldn’t she be? She’s sparked a worldwide discussion and all she had to do was lower the back side of her dress.

Though many will disagree, this is not pornography. It is not a naughty magazine clipping that should be shielded from virgin eyes, and it most certainly is not an instance of infidelity against her husband (as some celebrities have claimed). For Christ’s sake, the image more closely resembles a 99 cent doughnut special at Tim Horton’s than it does a dirty schoolboy fantasy. In short, it’s something to laugh at.

The fact that this magazine cover exists is a testament to the fact that times are changing. The fact that we can showcase a butt on the cover of a magazine isn’t a sign that we’ve lost our path. It isn’t a bad omen or a reason for concern. It’s a celebration of body acceptance. It’s a message that proclaims bodies are not secrets to be hidden, but rather beauties to be celebrated.

And it’s for exactly these reasons that Kardashian’s booty shot was an excellent idea.

I’m not advocating pornography of any kind. I’m not advocating public sex or nudism or perversion. But Kim Kardashian’s magazine cover is none of those things. It’s a butt. And like it or not, butts are funny. Butts are a part of life. Everybody has a butt, so why pretend that we don’t?

If you’ve yet to see the controversial magazine cover, simply search Kim Kardashian’s name and click on any of the most recent articles. The woman is everywhere, and fortunately, most news sites have decided not to censor the image — a fact that I find both pleasantly refreshing and delightfully progressive.