Emily Ratajkowski Bares Her Body Lady Godiva Style To Protest ‘F—ed Up Ideals Of Beauty’

Emily Ratajkowski may not be familiar to everyone just yet. After all, the model only gained notoriety four years ago when she starred in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” music video. But her recent spread for Harper’s Bazaar is sure to raise interest and more than a few eyebrows. Emily chose to pose nude for the magazine, straddling a horse, much like Lady Godiva, who was also known for using her body to gain equality for her gender. In Ratajkowski’s case, however, she’s more interested in blurring the lines of gender equality in the bedroom and taking a stand against the current “slut shaming” trend. Check out the NSFW photos here and here.

Emily Ratajkowski Won’t Apologize For Being Beautiful

As Sports Illustrated reports on their look at Ms. Ratajkowski, life was difficult for her when she hit puberty, because it came at an early age and in the public eye. Emily was already exploring the Hollywood lifestyle and she says that those she communicated with regularly were the worst offenders, but even though comments weren’t meant as personal attacks, Ratajkowski took them to heart far too often.

“I understood that there are all these f***ed up ideals of beauty put on young women; that there was something to be scared about in the entertainment world,” says Ms. Ratajkowski. “But yet the people I knew in my everyday life, they [didn’t realize] their faux pas, their missteps, and since they knew me it was that much harder because the comments felt personal.”

Perhaps it has something to do with hitting puberty at a younger age, or maybe Emily Ratajkowski is the byproduct of a more enlightened age, but, whatever the reason, there’s no denying that she has a healthy and open attitude about human sexuality. In fact, in direct opposition to the expressions of many of today’s modern feminists, Emily says there’s nothing wrong with a man appreciating the nude female form. Emily resists the idea that a man admiring a woman in a short skirt is doing something inappropriate. Instead, she says it’s a normal part of sexuality and of human interaction.

Ratajkowski says the same types of “slut shaming” is applied to sexual relations.

“A woman talks about having sex, and it’s like, well, a guy got to have sex with you, so you’re stupid. You’ve given something up,” says Ratajkowski in speaking out against the double standard between genders.

Emily Ratajkowski Recognizes The Importance Of Social Media In Today’s Feminist Movement

Ms. Ratajkowski’s unique perspective isn’t limited to real life interactions. She also takes a higher road in dealing with the internet’s less savory types, even when it comes to sharing her own images. Emily tells Harper’s Bazaar that she posts sexy pictures of herself dressed in a bikini or a short skirt without regard to how those images might be used by others. Even more surprising, Ratajkowski says she doesn’t even concern herself with derogatory comments made on her public posts.

“It’s irrelevant,” says Emily. “When I post a selfie and someone comments, ‘Oh, sure, go ahead and reclaim your sexuality, I got my rocks off,’ that’s not my problem.”

While there are those in the online community who may never change their provincial attitudes towards women, Emily says social media can still be an important tool in reaching those who really are open to change. Ms. Ratajkowski says social media platforms give her an unparalleled opportunity for reaching the public in a direct forum.

“Social media is something women didn’t have 10 years ago, and that’s a big aspect in feminism today,” says Emily Ratajkowski. “I don’t have to be filtered by anyone. I choose.”

[Image by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]