There is no denying that famous celebrities influence the way we see ourselves. After all, we discuss Kylie Jenner's lips every time she posts a selfie. With the way that social media influences perceptions of beauty, it's no surprise that there is another celebrity inspired way making its rounds in the beauty world. Plastic surgery requests for a side bum are becoming increasingly popular, but the real question is what is side bum and where did it come from?
Side bum is apparently a trend that began via social media, because Instagram is a great way to make people feel like filtered images are actually attainable IRL. So what is side bum? The phenomenon is basically exactly what it sounds like. Side bum is when your butt extends not only from behind but also rounds out the side of the body as well. Some of the most common celebs for side bum inspo— yes, that hurt me a little to type— are ladies like Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, and Queen Bey. These ladies have perfected the art of the side bum, but can such a feature be manufactured?
The truth is that side bum isn't actually real. In fact, even when you see celebrity photos displaying the feature, it's typically just posture and angle. Clinical cosmetic expert Dr. Caroline Berry explains, "Side bum is mainly about an illusion trick and relies more on posture and positioning, than actually substance of tissue...[side bum] can only be created by sitting in a high-cut swimsuit or workout gear, this creates an illusion of more curve. If you actually had fat in these areas, you would have a very strange and extreme shape. God normally gives you a butt which is correct for your height and body shape."
What we're getting at here is that women are looking toward extreme procedures to measure up to celebrities. This isn't exactly ground breaking news, but it does raise questions of accountability. Are celebrities responsible for the extreme beauty desires they inspire? If you believe Dr. Berry is correct that we're born with proportionate features, how do we encourage acceptance in a world of such extravagant views of beauty? Maybe side bum isn't earth shattering news, but we can't underestimate or overlook the questions that our fixation on celebrity features raise.
Images: Beyonce/Instagram (2); Kim Kardashian West/Instagram
