Michelle McManus on Kim Kardashian's nude selfie and that Bette Midler feud

Of course there’s Emmeline Pankhurst, the British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. Florence Nightingale, a celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing and more recently there’s Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate.

The local Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school where she lived but Malala choose to continue with her studies which led to her being shot in the head on board her school bus. Miraculously she survived.

During this month we also celebrate International Women’s Day itself which was on Tuesday, a day that reality TV star Kim Kardashian (above) choose to upload a completely naked selfie of herself publicly on social media.

I’ve seen the picture and she does indeed look fantastic especially since she’s only given birth a few months ago and has obviously worked very hard to get her desired figure back.

This of course isn’t the only time Kim has done something like this in fact she owes a great deal of her career, success and wealth to pictures and videos of this very nature doing the rounds on the internet. Why should this time be any different? Kim Kardashian is a multi-millionairess and apparently a role model to many people around the world, so I’ve been reliably informed by her fans on Twitter.

I suppose I just find it kind of sad that young women and men will be looking at her in these pictures and thinking that’s the way they need to look to be successful and happy and that they need to publicly parade their bodies in this manner for all to see and judge.

I know, of course someone like me is going to have a problem with this right? I mean I’m overweight, my body is far from perfect, maybe even I’m jealous? Maybe that’s true, I’d like to think it’s not, but maybe that’s part of my problem with this. I honestly don’t know, but what I do know is that it truly upsets me to think that our young girls and women will feel inadequate about themselves after seeing pictures like this or feel extremely pressured to take pictures of themselves like this because that’s what they associate with success or attractiveness.

Legendary actress and singer Bette Midler (above) commented “Kim Kardashian tweeted a nude selfie today. If Kim wants us to see a part of her we’ve never seen, she’s gonna have to swallow the camera.”

This of course started an online exchange between the two resulting in Kim telling the world she’d just cashed an $80 million cheque in her account so I suppose that’s the message isn’t it? Have the perfect body, be willing to show the world your naked self and you too can be rich and famous just like Kim.

If you’re like me though, you can’t help but despair slightly for all of the women out there who truly believe that's the case.

GLASGOW St Patrick’s Festival and Tourism Ireland presents a day of family celebration with music, song and dance this Saturday from 12pm in the Merchant City.

It’s a free event that was attended by more than 6,000 people in 2015 and the Merchant Square is the perfect place for all the family to come along and enjoy the day.

I’ve had the pleasure of performing at the event a number of times. With a host of restaurants and bars as you enjoy a great atmosphere with live music and songs, Irish Ceili Dancing and face painting. For more information check out here

My lovely friend and colleague Karen MacKenzie is taking two weeks leave from work and travelling out to work with refugees in Lesvos, Greece.

Karen is paying for her own flight and is fundraising to raise money for food and essentials for the refugees. She is hoping to work in the kitchen to cook for 400-600 refugees per day and would be grateful for any donations you might be able to give. Best of luck Karen, we’re very proud of you. For more info, visit here