I’m Tired of YouTube Beauty Drama Aren’t You?

From faulty highlighters to lip filler, the beauty industry is creating a culture that is at least questionable. Big players like Jaclyn Hill, Laura Lee, and James Charles are how the YouTube community have completely taken over of the industry. Oh, and are at the ends of every person’s fingertips via the internet. 

Cancel Culture

So, what’s the issue? Aren’t they just teaching people how to put makeup on? Well, if you aren’t into the beauty community you wouldn’t know that of these three people, there has been scandal after scandal placing them in a bad light. 

In the past couple years, Jaclyn Hill had released lipsticks that had foreign materials in it, Laura Lee posted racist tweets, and James Charles was accused of coercing straight men for sex. Are these the types of people that we should be supporting and watching? Apparently not since they all have since been boycotted for their wrongdoings. 

To be honest, what happened to people’s compassion? Or at least mercy? Of these three they all have culminated over thousands of hate comments and have been labelled “cancelled” on all social media platforms. This usually results in the droppage of followers or subscribers. 

Now, in no way am I saying that these three don’t deserve a boycott. Maybe it will teach them a lesson or two. But what I am saying that as a community that welcomes all people of color, LGBTQ+ identities, and humans of all abilities shouldn’t we be lifting each other up rather than dragging each other down? Can we not identify that this community is progressive and whole hearted and that “cancelling” is damaging the unity? Again, not saying that these people didn’t deserve what they got. 

I wonder what would happen if tomorrow my best friend told me that she thought gay people were the devil. Would I cut off our friendship? Would I ignore the issue I see in her ideology even though I think so strongly against it? 

Body Image

Among many influencers in the sphere of social media they have all had plastic surgery of some kind. Most likely, lip fillers, breast enlargements, and butt implants. With these influencers posting daily about beauty products and how to enhance beauty they are creating this unachievable standard by their physical alterations. The questions that arise are often, are my lips full enough? Are my boobs too small? Will I ever look like that? 

The acceptance of the come as you are type is very low in this community. An example of this was youtuber Morgan Adams when she went on a brand trip in Hawaii. The people in this community were ruthless, all about their image and their status and not about lifting other women up regardless of who they are and what they looked like. 

This seems to be the case for a lot of entertainment and social platforms. Just this past year there was a lot of buzz around the Victoria Secret fashion show being non-inclusive of all body types and it may or may not have been cancelled for this reason. The same goes with the typical actresses you see on the screen; they are all what America classifies as typical beauty. 

Preach Acceptance and Forgiveness

So what do we do now? As people who have the access to the social sphere how about we accept everyone? How about we not be so quick to drag the people we once looked up to down so far? Did they make really bad decision yes. As functioning humans in this society lets acknowledge problems within ourselves and others, identify consequences and move along. Remember that all people are people and we love each and every type of human no matter how they identify, what they look like, and how they live their life. 

Rant. Over. 

@afemmestheatrics