Tracee Ellis Ross’ Topless Selfie Exposes Selective Outrage

efore we knew it, the good comments outweighed the bad, with people reminding the masses that sexiness has no expiration date.

Selective outrage hinders self-expression

Comments that highlight the “Grown-ish” actress’s age as a reason why she shouldn’t take selfies of this nature are problematic and highlight the ageism and misogyny women often face. Halle Berry, 57, posts topless selfies and rarely receives this level of criticism. In fact, the actress celebrated the 20-year anniversary of Cat Woman with a photo of herself in black underwear with two cats strategically covering her breasts. Fans praised her in the comments, with fans joking that they’re jealous of the cats that had the opportunity to be her special props.

Selective outrage usually targets women who are childless, single, or deemed too old to act in a way that is confident, sexually liberating, or racy. But it also applies to women who are married, have children, or have a seemingly angelic image in the media. Ciara, a married mother of 4, was criticized for wearing a sheer dress at a Vanity Fair party. Fans expressed their disdain for her dress, reminding her she has a husband and children at home, so she should be covered up.

Then there’s Chloe Bailey, a 26-year-old single woman with no children. She is often criticized for her sexiness, with people saying it’s forced or inauthentic. In her recent cover story with HelloBeautiful, the singer challenges the idea that she can’t be sexy because of her sweet-girl image. “Who says, we just have to be one thing? None of us are just one thing. So when people try to get those viral tweets by saying, ‘Chloe’s sex appeal is contrived because she’s this sweet, nerdy girl,’ why can’t I be both? And it just kind of makes me giggle to myself because I’m like, you have no idea because you don’t know who I am as a person,” she expressed.

Megan Thee Stallion, 29, can pose topless, twerk on stage, and more, but selective outrage doesn’t affect her because those actions align with the Houston Hottie’s brand. The thing is, there is more to women than our limited perception of them. You might think someone is too young, too old, too big, too small, or too whatever to pose topless, but consider this: maybe it’s not our place to speak about other people and how they choose to present themselves. Maybe our job is to mind the business that pays us and allow people to exist exactly how they want to.

When will we stop telling women how to operate in their bodies?