Instamums 3, 2.0

[blackmirror1]

Seeing as the original 3 got zapped.

Ps man do I want to reach out and give you a big hug @forgottencoffee xxx

Forgotten thank you for your post as I think it has helped get the thread back on track and raise awareness about why this discussion is so important.

The saddest thing of all, like I've said previously, is this form of advertising is almost devised to prey on people's insecurities. You aren't as good as the insta perfect mum's unless you have the same lifestyle that they seem to be able to sustain on a limited income. It is natural to compare and most ordinary people can't give their children the clothes, experiences and toys that these women can so they are going to feel like failures. Of course there are always going to be better off people around and I think most people know and accept that, but the difference here is that these instamums hide the source of their wealth and assets so it seems within reach of everyone. They then partner with brands and ordinary people on limited incomes try to replicate what they have because afterall there should be no reason why they can't have this stuff too.

Just a side note really, but if anyone is looking for a non materialistic and seemingly quite ethical family to follow then I can suggest the JHouse family. They are an American Mormon family with 5 kids who despite having a large following seem to be very ethical, modest and not at all materialistic. They recently went to Legoland and vlogged it on YouTube where they got hundreds of comments saying what a great time they seemed to have. They addressed these comments and othees about them being a perfect family etc by stating very clearly that they were showing you a carefully edited version of reality. They said they actively chose to not document the kids bad behaviour because it wasn't fair on the kids who were growing and developing and that actually the trip to Legoland was more fun to watch via YouTube than to actually experience. They speak at length about the balance between being honest whilst also being respectful of their own family's privacy.

Hi never posted here before but follow all the instamums. I'm a older and have studied the media, but I still find them weirdly addictive and I'm sure they do influence my expectations about life. I think what really grates is the co-opting of feminism for commercial purposes. All the stuff about sisterhood and body positivity is a cloak for rampant consumerism and selling stuff. (I don't include MP's campaign in this). They are all so keen to suggest they're doing something good, be it demystifying parent-hood or showing the 'reality' of life with small children, when in actual fact they're often doing exactly the opposite. At best what they present is a very limited neoliberal version of feminism which is all about the financial success of generally already privileged women. I think this is the problem MP has come up against with the Hello campaign and clearly it's made her feel really uncomfortable and question everything and that must be hard. There's a mismatch between this feminist persona and advertising (sometimes extremely grating as with MODs razor advert). I think if they could be more honest about a desire for money/fame rather than the desire to change the world 'help their local girl-gang' then people would feel less hostile. I think MP is pretty much alone in considering any of this stuff and most of them are oblivious to it all. In my view they are no different to women's magazines editorial paid for by advertising and so should be open to the same kind of deconstruction and criticism. Anyway none of this explains why I waste my time looking at their feeds, but I've always been a sucker for magazines too.

it is possible to use Instagram for what you do and not use your kids in every shot, Fearne Cotton for example, has written kids books, launched a kids clothing range, but never shows her kids faces on her insta feed.

Actual applause for steelpipes, who has summed up my feelings about the whole movement much more eloquently than I ever have.

@steelpipes 👏👏👏

they've become a tribe of insta-clones. Public school, London based, gucci loafer wearing, mini driving, Hello fresh cooking, Hush freebie wearing, house remodel etc. I don't know anyone who actually lives the reality they are claiming to show.

Brilliant that this thread is back on track. Also I have noticed a huge glut of dads that are aspiring to fod and putting out their kids on instagram in the hope that they too can soon rake in all the freebies and become part of this clique. I very clearly remember when they announced their Disney trip to the girls and Marnie squealed "I love you daddy" (I'm sure she loves him all the time anyway) but the message portrayed..... Buy a Disney holiday and the kids will love you...... I found that really quite horrid. You got it for free and those who would love to give their children these types of treats are just made to feel shitty because we would have to consider the value of a Disney holiday considering how expensive it is.

This thread has taken a sad turn..... And once again it will probably get taken down......censored once again

It's not being "censored", take your tin foil hat off. Just calling out the utter bitchiness on here!

Wow what happens at night on these threads! Calling someone’s profession into dispute?

I actually have to disagree MOD post before she went on this trip showed how greatfull she was and how luckily these opportunities are for her. I have seen ad on many of her posts and feel a lot more transparency in her feed

I meant the sad turn was the insults against mod and fod and their careers and work life.

@stellatartsitall I missed that but bizarrely found it somewhere else on the internet. I found it sad. The kids don't even realise they are being used. It wasn't we are lucky enough to have been given this opportunity, it was surprise we are taking you to Disney! 'I love you Daddy!'
I had somewhat foolishly assumed they had actually been open with the 10 year old at least that they were being given many of these opportunities.
CadyHeron there's far less bitchiness on here than Instagram.

@cadyheron those senseless posts attacking their professional working life were completely unfounded. And I stated that further upthread. They usually derail the thread and get them closed down that was the what I was referring to.

MOD was not grateful, MOD had realised after flack that she had to address the number of freebies she was getting to avoid more flack.
More transparency is a step in the right direction, but it's a reluctant step.

Agree with you mumofkids

Though there has been some bitching certainly I hope the very legitimate discussion has not been overshadowed by it. There is plenty of censorship over on Instagram with the deleting and blocking of reasonable comments and queries.

Im not wearing a tin foil hat by the way.... I'm sure a insta blogger got one free to to promote somewhere though.

Just a quick note here but apparently Matt my husband DID refer to us as “the Primark Beckhams”. (Oh Matt). The journalist on the piece was Alison Perry and want to ensure her journalistic name isn’t tarnished here.

That's nice of you MP, she didn't do any of you any favours in that article. #flexappeal

@badmotherpukka I assumed he was kind of joking! He doesn't seem to take himself to seriously! That's the trouble with print, text and tone. It's like the article Clemmie T referenced yesterday, it was mainly their words but lifted and put with some sarcasm and put downs and it looks very different.

@nipersvest They don’t drive Mini’s anymore, that’s long gone, it’s range rovers now!

@bucktoothed they all drive free Renaults lol

Anyone feel encouraged to buy a Renault by these ads?

@Stellastartsitall Not if they come filled with cameras! 😉

Well it does sound like an amusing comment knowing now that Matt said it, from my very brief sighting of his raised eyebrow IG persona. I misread it in the original piece as FOD saying it, off the back of MOD saying they wanted to/dreamt of working with Chanel, which seemed cringy.

I'm sure everybody realised fishfingergate was just silly. Just a slow news day.