There is a Sense of Entitlement Among People Writing Hurtful Comments
Meet Gayathri Iyengar, a content creator, who makes a statement with her beauty, style and skills. She is a known for her get ready with me reels, which inspires her followers.
Her recent reel, an unfiltered take on self-love, embracing imperfections sends out a great message to all the young girls who brimming with insecurities about their body.
In an exclusive interview with Sakshi Post, Gayathri tells Reshmi AR about what made her turn into a creator and her journey so far.
What made you choose body positivity as your subject?
The many roles as a content creator includes striking important conversations and one of the conversations I am very passionate about is the relationship we have with our bodies. Oh, I love that so much! As a generation, we have been doing such a great job at bringing important conversations to the table. We expect people to bring their real selves on social media, we call out people for preaching the wrong things and that is, really the gift of social media. But just like a coin, this has a flipside too. We see so many talented creators post a piece of their heart about body positivity and how loving themselves has changed the game for them, but the moment you open their comments, there are so many people trashing them. Why do we have to put someone down? I think a lot of these thoughts and comments come from their own insecurities and what we can do instead try and learn about the other person’s experience with an open heart.
Can you recall any instance from your growing up years when somebody looked down upon you because of your appearance?
Growing up, it has been difficult to accept myself the way I am. I was once called a ‘bear’ by a relative for having body hair. I have been told to pinch my nose so I can make it thinner and sharper. I have been told my eyebrows look like the demons that come in cartoons. Part of this problem arises from the media and their showcase of characters.
Now that you have chosen to be battle the issue head-on, are there moments of self-doubt even now?
And as a content creator, It is so difficult because it’s a job where you continuously look at yourself on camera and there have been many days when I have shot a video and felt that “I do not look good today, there is no glow on my face, I should’ve gotten my eyebrows threaded and that is the reason the video hasn’t turned out the way that I want”. I have had a fair share of people comment about my looks in the comments, about my teeth, about my body hair and you know those comments which say ‘women’ for absolutely no apparent reason, yes that too!
There will always be scrutiny in some way or the other, some of that might as well come from a good place and some blatantly rude
Do you think followers have a right to criticize public figures/influencers because they put themselves out there?
I believe that at the end of the day, one must put themselves first even as creators. There will always be scrutiny in some way or the other, some of that might as well come from a good place and some blatantly rude. Honestly, there is a sense of entitlement that people might feel in writing hurtful comments, they think this comes with being an influencer and that if we have put ourselves on this platform, with love we also deserve hate. There is some truth in this statement. However, there is a fine line between hurting the other person and suggesting to them a change they can make. But that suggestion shouldn't be unsolicited in my opinion, especially comments about one’s body.
What kind of impact do you want your page to have?
I want my page to reflect acceptance and joy and to also create a safe haven for my audience. It was an intentional choice to post it, I wanted people to know that they can about their struggles and their relationship with their bodies openly with me as a friend and a sister. Opening up for me on such a massive platform for so many people to watch was difficult. I felt every ounce of nervousness in doing so but there was a sense of comfort in doing that too. The reassurance that there will be someone that understands my point of view and hopefully feel the same comfort that I did.
Even when I wanted to start an Instagram page, I was very clear about the direction I wanted to take it in, a feeling of ease is what I wanted my audience to have when they visited my page. And I hope to keep doing so to the best of my ability, after all, it is our true selves that garner a sense of connection with each other and my only goal is to show what is really behind the camera while creatively expressing myself through fashion and lifestyle content.
Inspired much? Have a look at one of her reels
