Continuing the discussion around instagram influencers and ethics

[bawbles]

Continued from old thread

Oh Bakingnovice, you'll wait a long time for any of them to address child exploitation. How can they? Those children are their commercial golden geese - they can wrap it any way they like, tell any story they need and maybe try and convince themselves but, deep down, I do believe they know they are flogging their kids for money. The ones who really earn my contempt are the ones who say "well we give them the choice" - right, cos they're 8 and you're a fucking grown up. Own it you greedy merchandiser.

I'm at the allegations over Chris Ingram

I've just googled him and I feel about his hair.

@arumdo 'own it you greedy merchandiser' did make me chuckle.

I wish Chris Ingham would just embrace his ginger instead of colouring his hair and eyebrows dark mahogany. And wish he'd get a hair cut appropriate to his age.

But he's a prat who has finally got himself into trouble. One needs to be really careful when your core followers are pre/teen girls!

@waggymama I have no idea what he does or is, but was astounded to read he was 30! He looks about 10 years older at least with that hairdo. Generally I really don't care what people do but it's a very teenage look!

It's all got quite worrying now

Not too sure what to think really....

Erica_davies latest ad is very transparent and explains all the reasons behind it. But if that shot was a ‘fluke’ and not staged I’ll drink my ethically sourced, organic ingrediented, pomelo onion cleaning drops

It was certainly very convenient!

I trust her more that it wasn’t staged as she generally avoids using her DC in adverts but every time anyone does I do find it really leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

I think even if it wasn’t staged as such, I mean lots of kids help their parents clean at the end of a meal - mine do, but the angle and focus of the bottle is totally staged. It’s a good photo, protects her dc identity/no face, but definitely set up.

I think Mrs Meldrum only declares adverts when she's paid to do it - as we know, it's a grey area and being gifted products, experiences and holidays are (in my eyes at least) as good as being paid and should be declared in some way. Another poster confirmed on here (via an ASA response) that the most recent Neilson holiday wasn't paid for. I can't imagine the other recent ones being paid for either.

I did wonder about that fridge too! And therein lies the brand damage for them - we know they're not transparent about gifts so you doubt the legitimacy of everything they post.

Generation wealth: how the modern world fell in love with money

www.theguardian.com/global/2018/jul/08/generation-wealth-how-the-modern-world-fell-in-love-with-money?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard An interesting article from the Guardian over the weekend. Obviously in a different league but the same trickle down message. Money is God and the need to share/ flaunt it is rife on Instagram. Not enough to have 3,4 more holidays a year - they have to be shared to have any real worth. I am lucky enough to live a comfortable life ........ just can't get the need to share it with complete strangers. We live in strange times although, admittedly, I am a fair bit older than many of these IGers.

In terms of exploitation of children I think the Meldrums are absolutely one of the worst offenders.

On their free/gifted Neilson holiday, they were using the baby to advertise Sainsbury's processed baby food whilst being on a free holiday that they were advertising...talk about a double whammy!!

They have definitely upped things since mr meldrum stopped working and it does feel a lot more grabby.

It is all just so fake, she is standing in a Sainsbury's dress which she is obviously being paid to advertise and getting loads of comments about how 'gorgeous' she is and all the girl fans seem completely oblivious to the fact that she is being paid to ADVERTISE IT .

As for how the kids are being used to make money, I think in 5 years time we will look back in horror at this phase in internet history.

I really hope people will realise that these children are being used as marketing tools and having their childhoods sold for their parents greed and benefit. It gets dressed up and brushed over because they are wealthy to begin with or 'middle class' but the truth is they are just reality stars craving fame and money.

Avril from A Life To Style has an interesting blog up today. She thanks M&S for their continued support, despite the fact that she won't allow her children to be photographed face on. She says she loses business because of this stance but has a clear philosophy regarding her children. Clear that The Meldrums and the MOFODs have no such qualms about flogging their kids for a quick buck. Wannabe slebs they certainly are!

Yes, The Meldrums and MOFOD just have zero shame when it comes to using their kids to flog stuff. The thing is, they must have thought about it, considered the negative aspect it would have on their children, and then decided that the money was worth it. Its just so fake, I don't know how they live their lives on such a weird stage.

As an aside, what it with MODs awful 'book reviews'? Wow, Eleanor Oliphant is a 'slightly odd character', what an original analysis!

I'm so baffled by her popularity, she doesn't have anything new or interesting to say, just browsing swimming costumes for her next holiday or tagging 'small brands' for free stuff.

I have never read any of MoD's book reviews that have ever convinced me she has ever read the book in question and then she launches into "mirroring" comments, to deflect from showing any real opinion on the book.

@moonkissedlegs I think that's exactly why she is so popular. She's so normal in so many ways. Other people think they stand a chance at the instafame too. Her book reviews are not 'high brow' or analysing, they are literally Clemmie's view on this book. Yes she looked great in her swimsuit but she also looked like a normal woman. She's pretty and I think it's that relatability that makes her so popular, despite the fact the reality is they are incredibly well off to begin with and clearly choosing this fame over very good jobs.
FOD is a far worse offender for using children. His whole account is his kids. What was all that potty nonsense about before? The kids are in nappies everywhere. He just makes stuff up for the likes.

MoD has branded herself as a caring person and that same care should extend to protecting her own children. Standing by and watching FoD monetise her children makes her every bit as guilty as him. I imagine that, behind the scenes, it is a well orchestrated campaign where he gets to play the bad parent and she concentrates on being the caring one. Yuck!

I'm sick of the influencers using mental health as the latest buzz word to drum up likes but completely shutting down any form of discussion.
The last straw for me was a couple of people I follow have combined #ad with "heartfelt" posts about their struggles. One post was along the lines of how hard it is to go on several press trips abroad and that when they suffer with anxiety they carve out time to sit on the beach and drink a cup of their favourite #spon tea.
Another posted about how hard it is to keep working full time when you feel exhausted during pregnancy and sometimes the only thing to do is call it a day, go home and curl up to watch Netflix and ordering (#spon) takeaway.

Both posts had comments from readers saying that it was great they were open to talking about mental health but that these posts weren't opening a meaningful discussion as most people can't decide to take the day off for naps and Netflix or make time to sit on the beach with a cup of herbal tea. Someone even commented that they were glad that mental health was being discussed until they saw it was part of an advert. The army of fans then arrives to tell the influencer to "ignore the haters"

It feels so insulting to pair a post about mental health with an advert for a BS product and then shut down anyone who dares to respond with anything other than glowing praise and congratulations that they are being so "brave" and "inspirational".

Sadly as mental health has become less taboo to talk about (which is great) it’s also become open to exploitation. Using it to sell tea or whatever is despicable.

Really? Using mental health to flog tea? Just when you thought it couldn't get any lower!

Fairly impressed by the Meldrums a few months ago constantly asking for hay fever advice resulted in an expensive air purifying system which 2 months on they can flog!! Good work.
These influencer just sit there asking for advice from their minions who try to helpfully comment and advise, but what they want is an expensive freebie they can then flog to the minions.