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'Billboard' Covers Up Their Sexualization of North West by Being Sexist

Someone should be fired.

Last night, in an effort to get some clicks, Billboard tweeted this:

Sickened? You should be. Let’s finally acknowledge that every pop culture media outlet continues to rake in the coins by poking at Kim Kardashian. Having a tough traffic day? Put up a Kim post. Low ratings on your TV show? Throw in a paparazzi stalker vid of Kim buying a bagel and say she can't stop eating. I understand other feminists who don’t see Kim as a role model, but I’m also over the criticism of her for making that damn sex tape.

But this isn’t about Kim and what she did 12 years ago. It's about her daughter, North, who's barely out of diapers. By linking her to her mother's sexual persona, Billboard sexualized a 2-year-old. That's classless and gross.

Some people have commented that you have to read the article… That it's about North telling the paps, no pictures. To those people I say this: Don’t be naive and convince yourself that the author of that tweet was misunderstood. That word and photo choice was intended to imply that this child is already headed down the same pornographic path as her mom.

I’m speaking as a professional who's worked in media for years. There are a million other pics of North. Why choose this one unless you want people to jeer and click? You have to be dumb not to recognize that this troll at Billboard was sexualizing a toddler.

Moments after the tweet was sent out, a shit storm ensued. The Internet was so enraged, the rag went into CYA (cover your ass) mode and rewrote the tweet to this:

So… Billboard… you don't want to look pervy, but you're OK with being sexist? Please explain why it's okay to call a little girl “sassy"? We never use that adjective for little boys. Besides, what's sassy about not wanting to be harassed by strangers? I guess that's just a woman's burden...even at age 2.

Whoever wrote that tweet should be disciplined, fired, something. I hope they don't let it slide. And if you have friends who think this is harmless, make new friends.