Final Project: The Highs and Lows of Following Ivanka Trump
Real talk, for this assignment I was going to talk about Reese Witherspoon. I love Reese Witherspoon, and her Instagram profile, but that’s not too exciting to write about. There’s no drama, no intrigue, no mystery to that story. So as I was scrolling through Instagram, I came across one of my guilty pleasure profiles that I like to follow. That’s when I knew I had my topic. So what profile am I talking about?
Ivanka Trump.
Please keep reading. I know this is startling, and maybe sad, but give me a chance. Hear me out. To begin, I don’t like Donald Trump. As a Liberal/Democratic person, I was, and still am, highly oppositional to Donald Trump and everyone in his White House. I was a Hillary supporter, and have major issues with the current administration.
But with that all being said, I love following Ivanka Trump. And this is literally something I struggle with, which may be one of the most #FirstWorldProblems I have ever had. Have internal conflict about following someone? Just don’t follow them, that simple. But it’s not. Because every time I go to unfollow her, something stops me.
I want to critically examine why I love to follow Ivanka, and what keeps me following, even though I have issues with the politics surrounding her and her profile.
Some specific tactics Ivanka uses on her Instagram to cultivate her persona:
- The Family Shots
You don’t have to scroll long to find Ivanka posting about her family. She is often posting photos of her playing with her kids, taking them to events, and going on family vacations. It’s an aspect of Ivanka’s personal brand — being the SuperMom. But you can’t forget about her husband, Jared Kushner. When not praising her kids, she’s praising him. And that’s a whole other Medium blog post.
2. The Outfits
Before the White House, Ivanka ran a clothing and accessories company aptly titled Ivanka Trump. Most of her Instagram provided free promotion for her own brand. She was often wearing and tagging items from her own line, even during the campaign trail. Her line was filled with classic cuts, floral patterns, and pointy toed shoes. Now that she’s in the White House, she still wears classic fashion, just not her own line. She keeps modest and conservative with her clothing choices, a strategic decision in branding her online profile.
3. The Political Stuff
In recent posts, Ivanka’s gotten political. Now that she’s officially in the White House, she’s using her social platform and her reach to influence her followers not just to buy products. She’s selling them policy. Most of her political posts are about women in the workplace, but maybe as time goes on we will see her expand her political positions.
The Good:
Ivanka Trump portrays this perfect life. I’m currently quite into the ‘preppy’ aesthetic, and Ivanka embodies that. Her outfits are carefully put together, always flattering and elegant. Her hair always seems impeccably in place, smooth and Goldilocks-blonde. When she does wear makeup, it’s always perfectly applied. When she doesn’t, her skin is smooth and bright and always looks like she’s gotten more than 8 hours of sleep.
Which brings me to her work/life balance. I don’t know Ivanka personally, obviously, but the appearance she gives on social media is that she has this whole work/life balance thing down pat. She posts photos of her playing with her kids, but then posts photos of her at White House events or sitting at the table with world leaders, all while maintaining that perfect hairstyle. That’s the kind of mother I want to be — one who works but also makes time for her kids. Looking back on my life, that’s what my Mom was to me. We were no Trump family, but my Mom worked full time, and got both me and my sister to all our dance classes, recitals, school plays, and helped with homework, all while always looking quite put together. I think Ivanka is the image of the traditional working mom — just on steroids. And whether that’s an accurate image of what working moms are like today or not, it’s the image she branded herself on, and that her followers buy into.
The Bad:
Ivanka claims to speak on women’s issues, although I’m not really sure which issues she’s talking about. One of the major issues facing women in the United States is the proposed defunding of Planned Parenthood, a major health care provider for women, especially present in low-income neighbourhoods. For her to not speak out on social media for such a vital, necessary resource for American women makes me mad. I’m an avid supporter of Planned Parenthood, and feel that although it doesn’t align with the Republican values, if she actually cared about women’s rights she would stand up for it. I feel like she kind of poses with the title of ‘Fighting for Women’s Rights’ on social media but isn’t actually fighting. I don’t see her out marching, or protesting, or visiting or donating to causes that help women. So while I love to see her perfect aesthetic on Instagram, I get frustrated that there’s so little on her social media that I align with politically.
I followed her website before she was in the White House, and I enjoyed it. It had content of being a working woman, and maintaining a social life. But, I think it’s exclusively for white, privileged women. It’s hard to say things like, ‘How to take a Work Outfit from Day to Night’ when you are barely making minimum wage and working more than one job. So maybe I can enjoy Ivanka’s content because I’m afforded the privilege of not having to worry about my next paycheck. (Checking my privilege right now). How could someone who worries about whether they’ll have enough money to make ends meet admire Ivanka’s appealingly-perfect Instagram feed? Ivanka probably has never had to walk in their shoes, of stressing over money, and family, and safety. I feel like Ivanka’s Instagram targets a certain kind of demographic — white, female, straight, upper class, Conservative. It’s seems hard if you don’t fit that mould to enjoy what she posts. Even I struggle at times to fully agree with what she posts. But, there’s something that keeps me hanging on to her profile.
So what is it then, if I don’t agree with half the things she posts, and don’t feel that her lifestyle is inclusionary for many, that I still follow Ivanka? I feel like her Instagram is a Pinterest board for me. It’s a goal of a lifestyle I’ll probably never be able to attain. The perfect husband, three beautiful kids, and a wealthy and luxurious life. I wouldn’t want the crazy Father, but there’s aspects of Ivanka’s life that are highly desirable to me. I want to be able to do it all, be it all, all while wearing a chic outfit and heels. I can’t be the only one that feels envious of her ability to have it all together, or at least present that she has it all together on her Instagram page.
I have many conflicted feelings about following Ivanka. But I can’t deny she’s strategically cultivated a following. She’s portraying an image that some people, including me, want to buy into. With the preppy classic aesthetic, the family focus, and new political positioning, there is definitely a target audience for Ivanka’s Instagram — white upper class women, the same audience her clothing brand once targeted. And now that she’s on an even higher stage in the world of politics, it’s unclear where her Instagram will go next. Can she continue to post and live a life on social media, even when she’s in the White House? How can she balance politics with what her viewers expect on her Instagram — photos of her in cute outfits with her family? So far, she’s still been posting quite frequently on Instagram.
So do I feel great about following Ivanka? No, not really. I get nervous that every time I like one of her photos, someone will see my like and confront me about it. Then I’ll get nervous and explain no, I don’t like Trump or his politics, but do I want to see Ivanka’s pretty outfit and glossy hair? Unfortunately, yes! This war is something that rages inside me when I scroll through her feed. The urge to peek into this supposedly pristine life is much stronger than my dislike of her father. And isn’t that what social media is, getting those little slivers of light into someone else’s world? I may never achieve that lifestyle, but I guess I can live vicariously through Ivanka’s Instagram feed.
It will be interesting to see what the next chapter of Ivanka Trump’s Instagram looks like. And I, for the time being, will continue to follow her to see what she posts. Will I follow her forever? Probably not. I think it’s important for me to continually revaluate who I follow. And in terms of Ivanka’s profile, I have to ask myself every once in a while, do I still support this? Do I feel okay liking and supporting something I don’t 100% agree with? For now, I feel okay with my choices. Maybe my opinion on Ivanka’s feed will change, but that’s the power of social media. You can always unfollow and follow at your discretion, you have that power.
