Fake It Till You Make It
Influencers are faking their race for the gram and it needs to stop.
Instagram presents us with a whirlwind of influencer accounts to follow. Often we follow them to be entertained, because we share mutual passions, or because they inspire us. You may be thinking, where’s the harm in that?
Currently on Instagram racial ambiguity is at play, I would go further and deem it racism. Influencers are faking their ethnicities, to capitalise on product partnerships, sponsorship deals and to gain bulk likes.
As a woman of colour, I know I am not alone in saying that this is extremely frustrating. The features being exploited on social media are the same features which divide us into a different (often lower) ‘category’ to our European counterparts.
Let me explain to you the term known as ‘Blackfishing.’
I am sure you have heard of ‘catfishing,’ where someone fakes their identity on social media. Well, this is similar but the racially deceptive version.
Gaining momentum over the past year, the sister term Blackfishing first surfaced on Instagram in 2018. The Tab describes it as,
“an act commonly perpetrated by white women to appear of African or Arab ancestry. Some consider it the modern equivalent of blackface as it capitalises off the ‘exotic’ looks of historically oppressed minorities.”
Haven’t heard of it? Take Swedish model Emma Hallberg, and Polish influencer Alicja Brzotowska. They have two things in common, large Instagram followings and white backgrounds. Yet, they have changed their style to mimic the skin colour, hair, and aesthetic of people of black heritage for their carefully curated Instagram feeds. When questioned about her ethnicity, Hallberg explains she has never posed as a ‘coloured person’ and gets tanned ‘naturally.’ However, her images are re-posted on popular Instagram accounts which celebrate and empower ethnic women of colour. Does she correct these accounts on her true ethnicity? Most definitely not.
As a platform, Instagram is becoming increasingly commodified. Influencers are picking and choosing the ‘glamorous’ elements of black culture, transforming it into a commodity and generating profit from doing so. Their followers are also commodified, as a source of “material income and symbolic capital.” An article from Paper Magazine deems Instagram,
“a breeding ground for white women who wish to capitalize off of impersonating women of colour for monetary and social gain.”
This trend needs to stop.
It is extremely problematic when a trend like blackfishing gains popularity as social media can be a double-edged sword. Instagram facilitates consumption and participation. Users can engage like never before. While some of us unknowingly follow the trend, others have watched it unfold and are ready to take a stand. Amongst all the darkness (get it?), Instagram presents us with the opportunity to finally voice our opinions, with the hopes of being heard.
A term used to describe backlash online is known as ‘Cancel Culture.’ This term involves ‘calling out’ and publicly denouncing someone on social media for wrongdoings. Tarleton Gillespie in The Politics of Platforms summarises why cancel culture is so effective: social media platforms enable this form of speaking out “a progressive and egalitarian arrangement, promising to support those who stand upon it.”
While the term has had many negative connotations, I believe we can ‘call out’ the individual without spreading anger and hate. Unfollow these influencers, or comment on their posts, but do so with the intention to educate; let’s end this exploitation together.
Do we blame Instagram for facilitating this trend or its users?
I think it is simply unfair to blame the platform for the prevalence of this racist activity. Imagine if influencers used their platforms as a tool to inform their millions of followers on injustices and discrimination, to appreciate rather than appropriate the people and cultures they’re imitating.
We have seen Instagram play a mediator role in past online conflicts; yet, where are they when my ethnicity is used as a trend?
