How do people become social influencers? Or even WHY do WE NEED social influencers? Who are they, what do they do & WHY has the more recent spat between 2 of them become more than a “spat”

In the good old days we had adverts posted on cars, packs of cigarettes, walls, Advertising boards, sports centres, stadiums & so forth. The “Social Influencers” back then were Models wearing “haute couture” in magazines found at the dentist’s, doctor’s etc. We may have wanted something like they were wearing -and if it was a practical item we may have gone & got the pattern, material & made something along the same lines. When we wore these items out they in a very small way became a “Social Influence”. Time moves on

Today we see, hear & almost smell things that are “up for grabs” often things not really what is needed or even wanted are landed on our doorstep 36 hours after clicking the item on the internet. We have so much more to “influence” our minds & groups of people started to realise that if they brought things they used, or knew a famous person use/wear/like then they could “push” the somewhat sheepish mindset of the not very observant public into clicking, liking & if it worked – into buying that item. Reviews get posted online & suddenly there is a “Trend” So what happened last week with two SI’s that got them all caught up into something that became racial?

I am NOT a fan of either of these women – I personally think that both of them are making headlines for the wrong reasons & that is what is wrong with our “Media output” these days – we now only look for negatives instead of positives. There are at least two sides to every coin (I count three – head, tail & edge!) and we are all entitled to have our own view. It seems however, some people dont like that we have a different viewpoint from theirs & this is where things start to go wrong: 12 June 2020 extracts from BBC

A Canadian broadcaster has pulled the TV series of a fashion stylist who was accused of “white privilege” in a row with a black social media influencer. SE  had a dispute with JM over her (“lack of”) support for the anti-racism protests sweeping the US.

SE said the TV presenter, a close friend of MM threatened to damage her career. JM 40, has since apologised to SE, accepting she should have done more to speak out against racism. See below where I take the so called threat apart.

On Thursday, Canadian network CTV said JM’s reality TV show, I Do, Redo, had been removed with immediate effect. The network said the show – which saw couples redo weddings that had gone wrong – had been withdrawn from all its channels and platform because  JM’s conduct conflicted with its “commitment to diversity and equality”.

In a statement on Twitter, JM said she respected CTV’s decision and had decided to step back from professional life for the time being. The network’s announcement was made after SE recounted (so this was done after everything had happened, & SE “re-told her side of the argument thus making it more salacious) details of her argument with JM in a 12-minute-long video posted to her Instagram page.

What did SE say?

SE said JM “took offence” with SE’s statement that JM wasn’t promoting enough of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has spearheaded protests in response to the killing of George Floyd in police custody.

“What happened next was a series of very problematic behaviour and antics that ultimately resulted in her [JM] sending me a threat in writing last Wednesday,” SE said.

The social media influencer, who has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, said the threat was a textbook example of “white privilege”.

THIS IS THE START OF RAMPING UP SE’s ACTUAL racial slur!

SE Instagram: I’ve been silent. Not anymore!
I’m used to being so transparent on this platform. I think it’s the main reason why most of you follow me. Today, I’m opening up about something that has been haunting me for the last week. I have felt like a complete fraud fighting for racial equality and using my voice openly here, while letting a white woman silence mine behind closed doors. In sharing this very personal story, I know that I am risking a lot. Opening myself up to criticism, bullying and potential ramifications with my job in this space. However, I must speak my truth. Enough is enough. Hopefully my voice will be heard by many and help change things for the next generation and for my daughter Maxwell… because I will be dammed if my child ever has to deal with this level of ignorance. End of Instagram post by SE

In a message to SE, JM allegedly wrote: “I have also spoken to companies and people about the way you have treated me unfairly. You think your voice matters. Well, it only matters if you express it with kindness and without shaming people who are simply trying to learn. Good luck.”

Is this really threatening? Break it down – I have spoken to companies & people about the way you’ve treated me – i.e. friends in positions in companies she worked with, & other people. Their answer was obviously the next comment “You think your voice matters? Well it only matters if you express it with kindness & without shaming people who are trying to learn” – I actually DO NOT see this as a threat, just how JM obviously needed support from others on why SE was calling her a racist because JM wasn’t 100% BLM on her “platform”.

WHY SHOULD ANYONE BE 100% PRO anything because OTHER PEOPLE THINK IT’S IMPORTANT?

We all choose what we want to be important to us – can’t we? 

Is our right to have our own opinions still functioning?

The message, SE said, left her “paralysed in fear”. A GROWN -UP WOMAN WITH A HUSBAND & CHILD IS PARALYSED IN FEAR? WTF! Talk about going OTT!

“She is very well aware of her wealth, her perceived power and perceived privilege because of the colour of her skin and that, my friends, gave her the momentary confidence to come for my livelihood in writing,” she said. She also expressed disappointment that JM had not used her platform to support Black Lives Matter, despite being “very vocal” about other causes.

This is the CRUNCH of the entire “spat” & when it suddenly went into “Racism”

This was surprising, SE said, given JM’s friendship with “one of the most famous black women in the world”, referring to  Markle. – Hang ON a moment you cannot use this as a reason to charge a person as a racist because she doesn’t support your movement 100% on her personal platform. Why SHOULD SHE? OR ANYONE? ALM! (All Lives Matter)

What did JM say in response?

She has shown contrition in two separate statements she released on her Twitter and Instagram profiles.

“As some of you may have seen, SE and I had a disagreement,” she wrote, in a statement shared with her almost 400,000 Instagram followers on Thursday.

“She rightfully called me out for not doing enough when it came to engaging in the important and difficult conversation around race and injustice in our society. “I took it personally and that was wrong. I know I need to do better. Those of us with a platform must use it to speak out.” She apologised to SE, saying she did “not intend in any way to jeopardise” her career. Mrs. M she had “no intention of pursuing any legal action”, countering reports that SE had been “privately threatened with a law suit”.

SE– Instagram

It’s taken me a long time to jump back on here and share something on my feed. I admire all of you posting on your feeds either amplifying your own voice or amplifying black voices. I have found the last week incredibly exhausting. Trying to maintain my composure in this space witnesses optical allyship, gaslighting, media propaganda and just flat out ignorance. Having to stay strong and positive at home, fearing my energy will be absorbed by the most important person to me, my child.
Truthfully, I am also still incredibly shocked that I am witnessing a time where my people have been given the mic to finally speak our truth after being silenced for 400 years. With that comes a feeling of being overwhelmed…well for me anyways. I just told a friend this morning as I broke into tears, that it’s like I’ve had my lips sewn shut for 40 years and someone has just cut the thread, allowing me to finally speak about all I’ve witnessed and endured being a black female growing up in Canada and living in the US. Like where do I even start?
And now that the conversations are finally flowing, I think I can speak on behalf of other black women (and perhaps men as well) I am now realizing the amount of microaggression and racism I was exposed to throughout my life and expected to suppress. Can’t lie, I am so angry. Realizing that some of the shame I may have felt when I was younger wasn’t my fault, but the fault of people’s ignorant, privileged, problematic behaviour <insert long exasperated sigh here

I have a role. I have a voice…no matter how many people try and tell me I don’t. As the days and weeks pass, our timelines will inevitably drift back to more posts about our everyday lives and sponsored content, but I’m going to promise to not stop talking or sharing. We have come so far and we ain’t going back because #blacklivesmatter End of SE’s 2^nd Instagram Post

It is my personal feeling that we are entitled to our own amount of “support for other causes” when on our social media sites. There should NOT be an ALL WHITE or ALL BLACK definition which we have to conform to. No one should have the right to force another into changing what they believe or put up in support of anyone else.

In total honesty not one person on this planet is “White” or “Black” – we are all “coloured” just some more deeply than others. Think of how much money goes into less coloured folk trying to go darker in saloons, on the beach or in their homes with some weird stuff they slap on their legs, arms etc.

Whilst the world is still reeling from Covid-19’s first round, Riots have covered the globe with some of the most extreme violence towards others including pulling down or desecrating statues which are part of the UK’s history. I view history as this : History is where we look back & learn from, make better choices from & of course get that 20:20 vision called Hindsight. We then take what we have learned (I am assuming that the majority of people are doing this!) & use that to shape our future – Look back & Learn, Look forward to life.

I am not condoning bulling behaviour, nor am I being racist in my thoughts, there is a difference between your thoughts/words & racism. This post is neither racist or bullying – it is meant to be a reasonably logic based post for discussion.