Tag: social media

Women “Supporting” Women.

In the same vain attempt to parade support (rather than actually support) for Black Lives Matter by posting a black square on one’s social media accounts, so, too, have we now been “given” the “opportunity” to show support for women as women by “nominating” them for the “challenge” of posting a flattering black and white photo of themselves on Instagram. While many don’t see the “harm” in sending “love” for the women in their life in this laughably inane fashion, all it serves to do is perpetuate the hollow vacuity behind every gesture of “activism” in the present epoch. Easy as 1, 2, 3, post a selfie. What’s more, the fact that women have long been written off by, shall we say, “the ones in charge,” as a result of their fixation on vanity and appearance, such a “phenomenon” isn’t really the best idea in terms of debunking the myth of female frivolousness by way of self-obsession when it comes to aesthetics. Making it all the more facile for patriarchal forces to laugh in her face when she tries to rally for more authority the way so few women have been able to (AOC being one of the rare exceptions, and who has also ironically been a part of the uptick in the trend) this far along in the twenty-first century.

The femmes who capitulated to posting a photo, trying to play it off as “all in good fun” and “why not,” don’t seem understand that the more women give in to meaningless gestures on social media–an entity whose power and weight people still don’t seem to fully grasp–the more they denigrate themselves in the long run. Open themselves up to the criticism that is tantamount to the modern equivalent of discrediting her because she’s a “dumb blonde.” A trope that is still difficult to avoid no matter what your hair or skin color is as a member of the “fairer sex.”

What’s more, the obvious lack of consequential support for other women through this method is evident in the fact that it was just another means to self-aggrandize via the showcasing of one’s highly altered physical appearance when presented on social media as a stylized black and white glamor shot. Being that women are always prattling on about dispensing a healthy image that closely aligns with reality so as not to give other women a complex about their own looks, the “exercise” fails automatically to support anyone in this sense by passing these photos off as “natural” or “candid” (when, in truth, it looks about as natural or candid as Taylor Swift walking through the woods in her own black and white cover art for Folklore).

And since women are the most sensitive about appearance, contributing further to the endless cycle of their fucked up body image is a bit head-scratching in terms of how this “challenge” is supposed to feel supportive. But no matter, everyone can pat themselves on the back for being a feminist now. Maybe next week, women can nominate each other for a similar “challenge” only this time with the caveat that it needs to be a belfie.

Women Who Say “Living My Best Life.”

“Women” do tend to say a lot of dumb shit, let’s be honest. Even despite the fact that they do so want to topple the patriarchy, it’s a bit difficult to achieve when you’re spouting heinous catchphrases tailor-made for hashtagging and captioning an Instagram post (since Facebook is evermore cancelled due to plummeting stock value, as if that’s going to stop the over twenty-five set from using a platform that has been indoctrinated into their daily lives for so long). To be sure, the most ironic thing about saying “living my best life” when referring to an image of an avocado toast or some such other basique fare is that the “woman” in question is very clearly living a waking nightmare.

Harkening back to that old cliche, “Are you living or just existing?,” the “living my best life” non-aphorism is contrarian to what it says right in the text: “living.” But no, it’s “existing in my mediocre life” that ought to be the phrase. These are the “women” who are so convinced that to spend money on bullshit (usually pertaining to food at overpriced New York restaurants) is to connote true happiness because it can be flaunted in a way that genuine, often intangible happiness cannot. Then, of course, there are the outdoor, nature-oriented, “activity” posts deemed worthy of the “living my best life” assignation. But, like everything else, the more you insist something is happening the less likely it probably is to be true. Because if you zoom in on the avocado spread closely enough, you can just make out the trace of a dead fly’s wing.

In any case, the only way for a “woman” to truly live her best life, evidently, is to proudly declare she’s been lobotomized by wielding this phrase so unabashedly.

Women Who Post Something on Instagram & Then Delete It.

Warren Beatty once goadingly asked Madonna in a scene of Truth or Dare, “Why would you say something if it’s off-camera? What point is there existing?” The sentiment has evolved in the twenty-first century to essentially mean constantly posting photos and videos of oneself for the sake of letting everyone you know (and many you don’t) that your life is simply better than theirs. Primarily, it is “women” guilty of putting on this performance–“men” just don’t have the patience it takes to undercuttingly compete with others in this manner. And yet, sometimes, a “woman” will renege almost as annoyingly as a “man” does on his promise to love you forever in abruptly deciding to delete an image she seemingly proudly touted only moments or hours before.

Who knows what event or line of reasoning might suddenly scandalize her over what she’s put out into that alternate universe called the internet? Only yesterday, Lana Del Rey had put up a video of herself wearing cherry earrings and typically dramatic eyeliner as she prepped for a show, only for the video to disappear. But it isn’t just celebrities outraging themselves over next to nothing, it’s the common folk too. For instance, a “girl” might post an image of “guy” that no one is familiar with, sparking intrigue and a fury of queries. This was no doubt the effect she wanted–at first. Maybe to make an ex or current flame jealous, maybe to prove to other “women” that she’s more desirable than they are. But then when too many questions start a-brewin’, the “woman” swiftly removes her content lest, apparently, she has to answer to someone for her showboating behavior. But what’s the point of showboating in the first place if you’re not really going to own up to it? Don’t be a little asshole and post something if you’re not going to stick to your social media guns. There is, after all, no point in living off camera. Like if a tree that’s a really selfie-worthy waif falls in the forest and no one’s there to make fun of her for it, did it even happen?