2014 has undoubtedly been the year of the arse. From J-Lo and Iggy Azalea's oil drenched booties - to Beyonce's thong clad buttocks - to Nicki Minaj's Anaconda - to Megan Trainor's base - to those photos of Kim Kardashian - big butts (and ''bigger'' ladies) have ''reigned supreme'' in the media this year. Is this a positive thing? I think so. But the point is becoming moot.
It's all well and good to appreciate curves. In fact, it makes a welcome change to seeing nothing but women who wear a size 6 and have no signs of wear and tear whatsoever - which let's face it, doesn't represent real life in the slightest. (There are ladies out there who are naturally slim, tall and generally look ''flawless''. They exist. They are real. However, not every single woman on planet earth looks this way.) But, we need to be careful that through our growing appreciation for ''fuller figures'', we don't end up doing exactly what the fashion industry has been doing for years; excluding and putting people down. I saw a picture of Taylor Swift yesterday lovingly accompanied by the caption ''no anaconda for you boo.'' Is this really the direction we want to be moving in? It seems as though we are becoming so obsessed with overly exaggerated curves (which of course, some women do naturally posses) that we find it acceptable and necessary to shame those who don't have this sort of could-I-BE-any-more-of-a-woman? body type.
Isn't the whole point of showcasing larger than life backsides to give a middle finger to anyone who's ever told you that your sitting apparatus is ''too big'' and to welcome in the wonderful world of body diversity? Of course, it could be argued that we are still in the grip of a feminist issue where a woman has to be willing to show her body (which must conform to the conjured up image of ''perfection'') in order to be successful, but that's really a different issue. From a confidence perspective, as a fellow ''curvy girl'', whenever I see a woman with, shall we say, a round bottom, who isn't afraid to show it off, I feel a rush of empowerment. I feel the need to raise my fist in sheer womanly power with a defiant grin upon my face whilst roaring ''go on yersel!'' However, these emotions are starting to deplete. A fog is clouding over and it's beginning to feel like women are being pressured into obtaining bulging backsides and ravishing racks in order to do well in their chosen field. This simultaneously pushing the naturally slim to the back of the queue. Not cool.
Is this the way that are body insecurities are going to go? One minute we're subliminally told that our bum is too big and needs to be disguised - the next we need to completely blow it out of proportion to the rest of our body? No wonder we have a problem with yo-yo dieting in this country. No matter what we have, it just isn't good enough.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with appreciating the astonishing curves of Ms Minaj. There just isn't. But what IS wrong is expecting to walk down the street and see nothing but women with buns as big as hers. It just isn't going to happen! Female bodies come in many different forms. Black, white, mixed race, tall, mid-height, short, scars, no scars, disfigurement, understated curves and curves that could practically knock you out. Everyone finds different things attractive. That's just human nature. Life would be so boring if we all looked the same and found the same things appealing. So why are we bombarded with a very select body type in the media? If they didn't give us something to feel insecure about, they wouldn't have any way of making money now, would they.
Whoever and whatever is taking over the headlines - just remember that your bum is perfect for your body. And you are fabulous, exactly as you are.