Have you heard about the latest anti-body shaming campaign, the #DontJudgeChallenge?
It’s a social media campaign calling for an end to body shaming, and it may or may not have made things worse, depending on how you look at it.
In the past 2 weeks or so, the #DontJudgeChallenge hashtag has taken off across several social media platforms including Twitter and Instagram. Instagram, especially, has become quite a hub for the #DontJudgeChallenge videos, which users posting photos or videos (mostly photos, better effect) of themselves with drawn-on unibrows, moles, acne, or other physical features often the targets of body shaming.
After which, they “wipe off” their “flaws” to reveal what’s underneath:
https://instagram.com/p/5HjGjxwwaX/?taken-by=dontjudgeme.challengevideos
Are you totally confused? Well, take comfort in the fact that you’re probably not the only one.
While the origin of the hashtag is somewhat unclear, according to TIME, the #DontJudgeChallenge began to trend around the time beauty blogger Em Ford posted a viral video of herself removing makeup from her face, revealing her acne, and encouraging viewers to accept themselves rather than to feel ashamed.
You may remember the #YouLookDisgusting video:
Another recent viral video shows a South Korean fashion blogger removing makeup from only half her face, revealing a dramatic difference.
In contrast, #DontJudgeChallenge, to many observers, seems to be a parody, if not completely hypocritical. In fact, several videos feature the same scope of qualities that we’re supposed to think are “unattractive” such as glasses, acne, gap teeth, thick eyebrows, and facial hair. As such, the videos reinforce dehumanising and damaging beauty “ideals”, as though wearing glasses, having acne, and gap teeth is undesirable.
As such, people have taken to social media to call out #DontJudgeChallenge’s flaws, and replacing it with a more realistic, #BeautyInAllChallenge:
https://twitter.com/aidanjalexander/status/618163277437104128
THE DONT JUDGE CHALLENGE IS JUST MAKING FUN OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACNE & WHO WEARS GLASSES OR WHO HAS ONE EYEBROW ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY
— eva (@obviousmaloley) July 7, 2015
Am I the only one who thinks the don't judge challenge is stupid, mean, and pointless?
— Kendra Williams (@Ken_draster) July 7, 2015
The don't judge challenge is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. You are mocking people
— venus ✺ (@imurvenus) July 7, 2015
https://twitter.com/museturbation/status/618574037027942401/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Blueisqueeraf/status/618086081662038016
https://twitter.com/soulpnks/status/618135526391070720
What do you guys think? Yay or nay to the #DontJudgeChallenge and similarly, yay or nay to the #BeautyInAllChallenge? It could be the next #ALSIceBucketChallenge. But would you take it up?
Share your links/thoughts and your stories in the comments box below 🙂
