Actor/writer/storyteller Amy Salloway wrote a blog post telling the story of how a photo of her went viral and how she (or her in the glimpse of a moment captured by the candid photograph) was laughed at, fat shamed, and dehumanized in the process. She also explains the story behind the snap, and how it connects to a – not just personal – context of (fat) shaming and body negativity. I can highly recommend it: I Was Fat-Shamed When An Embarrassing Photo Of Me Went Viral.
Memes/trends like this rub me the wrong way, make me feel uneasy, precisely because we as spectators don’t know the story behind the snap. While others bawl over laughing, I oscillate between non-laughter and depression. Yes, some viral images are wonderfully hilarious (they more times than not involve cats) but sometimes the entertaining part comes from pointing and laughing at strangers, perfectly ordinary, innocent, unsuspecting – and therefore not consenting – civilians. So many people jump at the opportunity to pick on others to make themselves feel better. This is neither new nor limited to memes, but an aspect of some of the the primary structural problems of our societies.
By the way: Salloway mentions that Ellen Degeneres, new empress of daytime television and of being “kind to each other”, spread this image via her newsletter to all her fans. The most popular, powerful girl pointing out the loser on the Internet, the massive, global, relentless schoolyard. Eternal digital middle school. No matter how many cars you gift to veterans, JC Penney gift cards you hand out to poor moms, or animal videos you show: If you utilize humor based on vicarious embarrassment, finger pointing, like this, your entertainment is not kind at its core. You’re doing kind humor wrong.
Thoughts?