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Commentary: What We Can Learn From Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose

Here's why the birthday girls deserve to be celebrated.

There are people all over rolling their eyes at this headline. How can anyone learn from Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose, right? They’re just two women who are famous for no reason!

Well. There’s the first lesson: develop and own your brand. There are many people who get their 15 minutes of fame. That doesn’t mean they were able to capitalize on it. Say what you want about Kim and Amber. Perhaps they didn’t become celebrities through traditional avenues. That does not change the fact that they now have a strong brand and loyal following.

Amber Rose continually racks up endorsement and media deals and when Muva speaks, her millions of social media followers listen. Meanwhile, thanks to her television shows, apps and endorsement deals, Kim is #33 on the latest Forbes Highest Paid Celebrities List. (Her husband didn’t make the list at all.)

We know the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Kim and Amber: drama. And yes, there has been lots of it. But the fast pace of the digital era means social media comments and posts can get buried or disappear. Perhaps that’s why Kim and Amber were able to bring their feud to a stalemate — in a jaw-dropping way.  

It’s hard to believe. But it was just earlier this year when Kim and Amber’s social media boxing match hit a shocking low.

After a vicious back-and-forth between Kim’s sister Khloé and Amber, Khloe mentioned that Amber had been a stripper at the age of 15, seemingly dismissing Amber for having a bad reputation.  

Amber fired at Khloé: I’ll be that whore to support my family like your sister is a whore to support hers.

Between Amber, her ex-husband, Wiz Khalifa, and her ex-boyfriend Kanye West, it was a few weeks of a pressurized news cycle.

And then — amazingly — there was a selfie with Amber and Kim. One picture that broke the internet. Checkmate.

Lesson here? Yes, there will be drama in your life. And yes, it can get very intense. But don’t let it become so overwhelming that it takes over your life or you can’t drop it and move on. Remember, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. And you need to keep your friends close and your Kardashians closer.

Interesting to note: Kim and Amber’s “feuds” never actually included any direct shots at each other. It was usually Kanye insulting Amber while feuding with Wiz Khalifa and then Amber insulting both Kanye and Kim in retaliation. Keep that in mind when you think you’re warring with someone. Who’s really throwing shots at you? And who’s just egging you on?

There’s no denying that Kim and Amber are also known for their physiques — and for the way they show them off. The clapback they’ve begun to give to their critics is a valuable lesson for all women. Maybe you don’t show off your body. Or maybe you’re near naked whenever you can be. The point is that both Kim and Amber support your right to own your body and how you want to present it.

“I encourage women to be open and honest about their sexuality,” says Kim. “And to embrace their beauty and their bodies.”

Say what you want about her nude selfies. Say what you want about her naked pictorials. Say what you want about whether or not her body is real. Do all the judging you want. What you can’t deny is that Kim is owning her body and her sexuality in a way that would be healthy for many women.

Amber Rose is even more committed to cause. Whether or not you agree with her SlutWalk, the lesson is clear. No woman should be judged and shamed because of the sexual choices she makes. Amber is absorbing a lot of name-calling and criticism on behalf of millions of women who don’t have a voice.

Both women have to navigate controversy. Both women are now mothers, Sebastian and North were born just four months apart. Both women actually run businesses. Both women are fiercely protective of their families.

Things are different in their lives now. And there’s another lesson. It’s OK to grow. It’s OK to gravitate toward new ideas and new people. It’s OK to switch up your goals and outlook. If you watch Amber and Kim — they’ve done it continually. Stagnation is unacceptable.

It makes perfect sense for Amber Rose and Kim Kardashian to have the same birthday. Of course, they share past and present relationships with Kanye West and have bodies that are both celebrated and criticized by the media. But as time goes on, they are beginning to become more alike than different. And both women are coming into their own—standing up for themselves against a society that attempts to put them in carefully labeled boxes.

A birthday present for Amber and Kim: Let’s stop focusing on how they got famous and instead respect the hustle — and the chess moves.

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