Even though Frida Kahlo had the selfie game on lock decades ago, their usefulness has been called into question in recent months. The most popular critique is that they epitmoize the self-indulgence at the heart of our social media-driven culture. But here’s another way to look at them: they’re opportunities to celebrate people whose bodies aren’t usually seen in the mainstream. As Hyperallergic put it: "The selfie is an aesthetic with radical potential for bringing visibility to people and bodies that are othered."

The whole thing started when folks objected to Jezebel’s claim that all selfies were a cry for help. Jamie Nesbitt Golden (@thewayoftheid) and Kate Averett (@convergecollide) started the #feministselfie hashtag took off on Twitter and Hyperallergic pulled out a few examples of people’s radical use of selfies. 

* This post has been updated.