Playboy Claudia Conway is latest gal to think getting naked is a feminist act

Claudia Conway is getting racy — for herself.

That’s what the 18-year-old daughter of Republican political powerhouse Kellyanne Conway and attorney George Conway said when she announced last month that she had become a Playboy bunny.

It was, she wrote on Twitter, to “reclaim” her “womanhood and femininity” after she was “exploited by the media, preyed upon, and was forced into portraying myself as something i wasn’t” as a 15- and 16-year-old.

“I am putting myself out there in a way that is MY OWN and no one else’s. I have full control of my body and my voice,” she declared.

She then added this sage bit of wisdom: “Don’t let someone capitalize off of your vulnerabilities — reclaim them.”

I have great sympathy for Conway: She didn’t choose high-profile parents and the scrutiny that followed. But, her logic doesn’t track.

The media was never really exploiting her body, but rather her position as the daughter of a Trump adviser. She was a pawn — underage partisan roadkill.

Claudia Conway is monetizing her sexuality on a subscription platform. claudiamconway/Instagram

In 2020, she became the darling of some unscrupulous Trump resistance members masquerading as reporters when she started essentially livestreaming the domestic strife in her politically mixed family. In 2021, she was a contestant on “American Idol.

This latest move shows just how much social media and society has convinced young women that monetizing their sexuality for the web is somehow a gateway to emancipation and happiness.

Sexy subscription sites such as Playboy and OnlyFans and even platforms such as TikTok promise fame, financial freedom and girlboss status — if you’re willing to get naked.

Claudia Conway says going on Playboy is a way to reclaim her body. claudiamconway/Instagram

All one needs is good lighting, a bikini (if one’s feeling modest) and a filter downloaded from the App Store to iron out any flaws.

But just because pretty young things control the means of production doesn’t mean they’re in control.

Women are still at the mercy of the customer base. Except now both their self-worth and their net worth are directly tied to how others rate their aesthetic attributes. Do other people like their body? Do they want to pay to look?

Conway with her Republican powerhouse mother, Kellyanne Conway.tiktok

It’s a very tough place if you don’t yet truly know yourself.

Social media is filled with celebrities, influencers and wannabe influencers showing off their private bits and attaching a message of self-fulfillment and autonomy — the unbridled joy of expressing your femininity on your own terms.

There are also many plus-sized women like Lizzo and Tess Holliday who show off their bodies as an act of defiance and a middle finger to traditional beauty standards.

Conway shows off her ample assets in a cutout black dress.claudiamconway/claudiamconway

But ultimately all of these women are conflating nakedness with empowerment.

If you really feel pretty and fulfilled, you don’t need to incessantly post pictures for likes and validation.

It’s quite the opposite.

That’s not to argue for mandatory turtlenecks or burqas.

Kellyanne Conway with her daughter Claudia, who she shares with her now ex, George Conway. KellyannePolls/Twitter

Women should feel free to express their sexuality, accentuate their assets and unapologetically lean into their sensuality. And if that’s their chosen field, they should be compensated for it.

But stripping down is not a magical shortcut to empowerment — especially when it’s wrapped in feminist platitudes.