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Hi friends,
As some of you know, I have spent almost the past two months working in New York City at INSIDER making those food videos that your friends will tag you in. And if you're reading this, 9.7 times out of 10 you know who I am because of the Instagram connected to this blog. So, it's not hard for one to connect the dots to the fact that I am surrounded by food almost constantly. Honestly sometimes in my dreams a bagel or slice of pizza will make an appearance. I am looking at food, reading about food, and of course, actually eating food at all times. I guess it's a good thing I really like food. People literally associate me with food now it's insane. However, there are sometimes small bumps in the road that I will encounter on the subject of food: whether it's a negative comment on a video I made, a comment about a posting on my Instagram, or in this case, an entire article dedicated to the people that run food Instagrams.
Eater published this lovely (insert sarcastic tone here) opinion article yesterday morning titled, "Instagram Food Is a Sad, Sparkly Lie" in which the author 1. generalizes a group of people and does not post a disclaimer saying that they are not talking about every single person that has a food Instagram 2. uses little to zero factual evidence to her thoughts and generalizations and 3. claims that food Instagrams = a sole method of only posting food and not eating it, and if you're not a skinny young female just fucking leave. Clearly, I had a problem with this. I took a break from posting to Hungrygrl for the day because I needed to get my spirits back as to WHY I even post in the first place. Reading and seeing things like this is discouraging and honestly makes me question why I keep up with something that can cause so much controversy and negativity, as claimed by the author of this article.
Below reads what I originally posted to Facebook yesterday along with the article:
"Though there is some truth to this article in some regards, in ways this is shallow and offensive. I built an Instagram following on food I grew up eating, on food I am lucky to have experienced while studying abroad, on food I drunk ate with my friends. Essentially, the love for food I developed way before Instagram was born is the reason I have a food Instagram in the first place; to document every dish that I love with others. Simple as that. Not spending my life "eating for the gram." I've partnered with non-profits, I've raised awareness and money for charities, and I've learned the stories behind small businesses that have a passion for making food that makes other as happy it makes them. But most importantly, I have a food Instagram in hopes to show you can live a balanced life and eat food you want to eat without "lying" to my followers or playing into a stereotype of being skinny, because that is not a word I use to describe myself. I show "healthy" meals I make after the gym, I show greasy bagel sandwiches I eat when I'm hungover, all in the same weekend. But anyone that follows me knows all of these things already because I tell them. Though some food-focused accounts do play into what this article is claiming, this is not always the case."
Fair enough, right? I am the last person to care about what people think of me, especially in the digital world (trust me, the hate comments are real), however having over 25,500 people following something I'm in charge of is a big fucking deal to me, for a lack of a more appropriate vocabulary. So, I need to get some things off my chest:
DISCLAIMER (THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE LACKED ONE OF THESE): These are my own thoughts and my own interpretations of what was written as it pertains to myself and the Instagram page I have had for over 2 years. In no way is this something related to my career or the Instagram pages of people I follow. I am not talking about a group of people with my statements, just my singular self.
The article starts with this paragraph:
"There are rules for being an Instagram influencer. First of all, be famous, or at least related to someone famous, and if you can’t be famous, at least have the decency to be rich. Second, as in most public-attention-based endeavors, be young, female, and conventionally attractive. Third, you’ve got to go on vacation. No one needs to know why, or what you’re vacationing from, you’ve just go to go on vacation all the time. Fourth, you are obligated to, at some point, post pictures of food."
1. Once I met Kim Kardashian at the mall in high school and she was really rude so I lost my opportunity of ever being famous or befriending someone famous (I have a pic if you would like to see). I am not rich. I am an intern. I got a job and started two weeks after I graduated. I was a college student on a budget. Now I have the blessed opportunity to save rent and live with my family and work to save money to hopefully one day move out (it's weird coming home at 2 AM a little tipsy with my mom waiting up for me you know?). Also, for every person that says I don't have a real job, get lost because I'm not going to apologize for having the opportunity to make a career out of something that I love.
2. I am young (though my hair has some grey's and I'm freaking out), I am female, and I think I am very attractive but that's not a crime.
3. "WORK SO HARD I FORGOT HOW TO VACATION" - Post Malone. It's July 7th and I have yet to make it to the Jersey shore... send Surf Taco and a Summer Friday please.
4. OKAY? IF YOU SAY SO? SORRY I'M GOOD AT THAT? (I'm not really sorry though.)
So I guess you can say that the the article was already off to a bad start with that one. Not to mention the title... but I digress because I've probably written some corny and weird article titles too in my lifetime. All joking aside, I honestly could probably write a book at every single frustration I have with this article. But, for timing reasons, I'm going to focus on just a few main points.
From the article: "Over-the-top, intensely trend-driven, and visually arresting, Instagram food is almost always something to be obtained, rather than cooked or created. It’s elusive and aspirational, something instantly recognizable yet only minimally available, the product of a long line (a ramen burger or matcha croissant) or a trans-continental flight (going all the way to Tokyo for a Gudetama waffle). Its appearance in your timeline signals status: You went to the place. You got the thing. You’re the kind of person who lives that kind of life."
From my head: 10/10 would post a picture of the eggs and toast I made post-spin class over a Gudetama waffle because I have zero idea what the fuck that is. When I have the time to cook, I will share those pictures of things that I make. Bless my Jewish-turned-Italian-by-nature mother for making the best Eggplant Parm I have ever had and for letting me take a million pictures of it so I can post it. Being in the kitchen and experimenting with recipes is so fun and de-stressing and that's why I love sharing ideas with all of you, especially when I have the time to. It's both mentally calming for me, healthy for my body, and a story that I get excited about telling all of you.
From the article: "Instagram food has almost nothing to do with consumption as a gastronomic endeavor; instead, consuming Instagram food means acquiring it, and sharing proof of your acquisition. This flattens it out from a sensory experience into an aesthetic one; for the hungry audiences of the thin, conventionally attractive women whose hundreds of thousands of followers net them hefty checks, whatever’s being photographed is rendered calorie-neutral. It’s a visual-only binge."
From my head: If I had a dollar for every picture I had of me eating what I post, I swear I could open my own art gallery of them. If these are pictures you would like to see more of, please let me know. I can also send them to you privately. But my main point is: I have NEVER posted a picture of something that I did not eat UNLESS there is photo credit to someone else, which is something that I try to not do as often anymore just so I can post more original content. However, when people send me food pictures and they get excited when I repost them, that is why I will do what I do. I would disown anyone that buys bagels with no intention of eating them because that's not chill. Also, it is so much easier said than done to get paid for this whole Instagram thing; however, I never did and I still don't do what I do for the money. Seeing my posts help the small business and companies I work with gain more popularity is the most rewarding thing and has helped me grow as a writer, a human, and as someone with a large platform to post to.
From the article: "As far as I can tell, it’s nearly impossible be popular in the world of Instagram food maximalism if you actually look like a person who eats the things you post; otherwise, your probably fat hand might appear in (and ruin?) a photo of an ice cream cone held out in front of a brick wall."
From my head: This line hit me like a brick wall. I'm not going to sit here and discuss the issues I have had with my body because I've already written about them, but in NO way do I consider myself "skinny." I am curvy, I have no ass, a large chest, small waist, big hips, LOVE HANDLES, and I TRULY believe in a life of balance. I describe myself this way because this is what I am and I feel ZERO need to change my body to appear a certain way on social media. Truthfully, I think I'm awesome and my body is beautiful. In NO WAY is it what society portrays as "beautiful." I will eat bagels and pizza and go to the gym and eat some fruit sometimes because that is what I like to do. Skinny is a useless word to me and how dare anyone so hatefully judge people by their size. I do not hope to promote looking a certain way through my Instagram; my page is here to tell the stories of the things I eat, the food I write about for work, the food I eat to celebrate things, the food I drunk ate at school for four years (thank you McDonald's for being open 24 hours), the food I CELEBRATE because I believe life and food should be celebrated. I grew up on Sunday Gravy and Saturday Morning bagels, and these are things I will do until I can't anymore.
This article is probably the longest thing I have written since college, so I'm going to wrap it up and add a few more lines:
1. If I do get paid for anything or I receive products or food for free, I will always provide a #spon or #ad hashtag.
2. I have not and will not post about a product, brand, restaurant, or food I do not 100% stand behind.
3. Please don't ever hesitate to DM me any questions or concerns. I take pride in the fact that people trust my food opinions and will reach out to me for food advice and suggestions and for partnerships. These are things I do not take lightly.
4. I try to keep it real and honest with my captions because I have been told I am relatable. I do not glam things up for the Instagram and I really do eat at least a bagel a week.
Thank you to people that come up to me on the street, in class, at restaurants, in text messages, even in bar bathrooms to tell me that you follow my Instagram and love following it. You are all the reason I do what I do. I do not consider myself "famous" and I truly try to use my large following to promote only positivity, awareness, and show food that I really do eat, have eaten, or what others are excited to eat.
XO,
Hungrygrl