In defence of the indefensible: The Belfie.

Yesterday morning, singer Ricki-Lee Coulter caused a social media meltdown when she posted a cheeky picture of her bum on Instagram.

For sure, it was some grade-A booty shooting game from the the 29-year-old former Australian Idol contestant, but let’s be honest, she is not the first celeb to bring it.

Kim K does it. Nikki Minaj does it. Rihanna does it. In fact, the belfie – aka the bum selfie – is becoming a social media staple for any bootilicious celebrity with a smart phone.

But what I am here to tell you, is that the belfie is not just for the rich and famous.

Nor is it just for narcissists and the self-obsessed.

The belfie is for you. It’s for me. It’s for everyone.

(Don’t roll your eyes…. Stick with me here…)

Hey there, the Internet. I have a confession: I’ve recently become addicted to taking pictures of my backside.

Yesterday, there was an important technological advance for the world of amateur belfie taking. The Belfie stick. Enter a titanium steel stick with an extendible arm to reach around and take that perfect booty shot. Game. Changer.

The Age declared it the final clinching proof that the world is completely mad, while over at News Limited it was described as the ultimate tool for narcissism.

I politely but respectfully disagree.

For me, taking a killer belfie is not about being obsessed with myself or clocking up likes on Instagram. In fact, most of my belfies never see the light of day. They’re just slowly filling my photo booth, hoping to be secretly shared online or if they’re lucky to be sent out as a cheeky sext.

I used to be self-concious about my bum. I saw it as nothing more than a big, white, dimply obstacle that stood between me and getting my jeans done up in the morning. And then I discovered the power of the belfie.

It happened a few months ago when a friend of mine posted hers in a private Facebook group and called on others to do the same. The belfies flowed and they were f*cking amazing. No butts about it.

I was inspired to try it myself and you know what I found out? My bum is also f*cking amazing. Thank you very much.

Here’s a picture of it.

I call it the “working from home” belfie.

In writing this post, I reached out to the same group of friends and asked them to tell me what they love about taking pictures of their bums. Here’s what they had to say (forgive the typos and Gen Y text language):

“The belfie rules because it’s a photo of a part of my body that I literally cannot see because it is behind me and when I see a photo from someone else’s view, it’s a pleasant surprise and makes me realise why some people think I’m sexehhhhh.”

“The world can be a shitty place full of reminders of how inadequate and unsexy and imperfect we are. When I take a Belfie I forget about the rest of the world and am reminded that if nothing else, I still got dat ass. It’s me reclaiming my body in all of its sexiness just for me. It’s like my second middle finger.”

“I hate my a$$ most of the time cos it’s huge so I hide it under baggy dresses, but isolated in belfie form I gain a little appreciation for it and all of the good, hard work it does for me (sitting, cycling, walking and, most importantly, shoving people out of my way on the dance floor).”

“I always thought my butt was way bigger than anyone else’s and that I was a whale…although I am not ready to take a belfie, seeing everyone else’s helps me realise that everyone’s butts are like mine! And that mine isn’t as big as I had thought it always was.”

“Cellulite was one of the first thing I got out of puberty (still waiting on boobs), and my butt is my least favourite body part. Feeling like I could wear short skirts or a bikini in public, so that people won’t see my shameful behind played on my mind every summer. My bum doesn’t look like anyone else’s, my bum is an outcast bum. Then came the belfie. Butts of all shapes and sizes on display, loved and shown off by their possessors, full of pride. No two butts look the same. Little butts are hot. Big butts are babin’. Butts in between are damn fine. The belfie allowed me to see that my bum doesn’t have to look like others to be beautiful. Ps. I’m bikini central this summer.”

“Perhaps when we take a belfie, we are not asking what the world thinks of our butt, but what our butt thinks of the world.”

And now I’ll let their bums do the talking.

The “I just snuck into the toilet at work to take this belfie” belfie.

The “get ready to #throwdown” belfie.

The #nomakeupbelfie.

A Butt With A View (2014)

Bums are great. They ought to be celebrated in all their shapes and sizes – not just in the perfectly sculpted too-good-to-be-true celebrity variety.

Sadly though, the Belfie stick has yet to reach the Aussie market. But do not despair, I’ve put together a step-by-step guide to get that ultimate belfie. Move over Ricki-Lee.

1. Find a quiet place – preferably with a mirror – where you will not be disturbed. Your bedroom is ideal, but if you are out and about may I suggest a public toilet or a changing room.

2. Take off you pants. This is not strictly necessary, but I prefer a nude/semi-nude belfie where possible.

3. Assume the position. Either set that self -timer or reach around to the mirror and grab that over the shoulder mirror shot with you smart phone.

4. Step back and admire that belfie.

So, if you’re feeling a little glum or a little down on yourself, I challenge you to go somewhere quiet, get nekkid and take a picture of your f*cking amazing bum.

If you still need further inspiration check out our gallery below (FYI: there’s more than one member of the MM team in there).