We’ve all chuckled once or twice at a funny meme or video on social media. While these harmless photos provide entertainment and laughter for most, they ridicule and shame those featured in the photos. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, taking pictures of others without their consent to create funny memes is cyber-bullying, and laughing and sharing these photos contribute to the growing epidemic. Here are the true stories behind five innocent people who were transformed into hurtful internet memes.
Alexis Carter:
16-year-old Alexis Carter was ridiculed on social media networks for emulating singer Rihanna’s red carpet look for her high school prom. Carter used her sewing skills to recreate the green, bat winged, Alexandre Vauthier jumpsuit the singer wore in 2010. While Carter confessed in an online article on Elle.com that “Everybody was saying, ‘Oh my god, I love it, it’s different,’” critics on social media felt otherwise about her unique prom attire.
After uploading her prized prom picture to Instagram, her picture went viral, but in a negative way. Hashtags such as #PromBat prompted the ruthless cycle of cyber-bullying from people around the world, including pop-star Rihanna. The Barbados rude gal certainly lived up to her nickname when she tweeted a picture of a comparison of her and Carter standing next to each other with the words “IG v/s Real Life” next to them. Then she tweeted another picture of Carter next to the recognizable Wutang symbol with the caption “She gets it.” Instead of taking the opportunity to show appreciation to her inspired fans, Rihanna mocked and ridiculed a teenage girl, and then proceeded to share the offensive post to millions of followers..
Kiesha Johnson:
You may not know the name, but you’ve certainly seen the face. One of the most popular memes on social media is the picture of Alabama native Kiesha Johnson. She is widely known for a picture of her in a confused pose with her neck extended and hand out. This meme, which is still used today, has served as a creative outlet for social media users and as a defamation of character for Johnson. Her picture can be seen on various social media sites with edited backgrounds and relatable captions.
While the memes aren’t necessarily taking jabs at her personal appearance, it is offensive to the true nature of Johnson’s appeal. The unflattering picture, taken by a friend, has gone viral, and Johnson has unwillingly been the butt of jokes for the last year. But the last laugh belongs to Johnson, who’s sued Instagram, the main proponent of the exposure, for defamation of character and settled outside of court for $10 million.
Martin Baker:
Pictured in a blue striped shirt and glasses, with a cell phone held to his ear, Martin Baker is another disinclined social media star. Baker’s picture was taken during the rally in Ferguson in favor of Officer Darren Wilson. He became a social media target because the he was one of the few African-Americans who supported the police during the race riots last year. Memes of Baker’s face with captions like, “Uncle Tom” and “Coon of the Week,” infiltrated social media sites, but it didn’t stop there. His face has been one of the most prominent figures on sites like Instagram and Twitter, for jocular purposes unrelated to race.
Mariah Anderson:
2-year-old South Carolina native, Mariah Anderson became the target of cyber bullies when her mother shared a picture of her on her birthday. Anderson suffers from Chromosome 2p duplication syndrome, which affects her development as well as her physical appearance. Many social media users reposted Anderson’s picture comparing her to a leprechaun or monster or insinuating that she’s fake because no child could be that ugly. Anderson’s mother, Kyra Pringle, told WCBD news channel that “[Mariah] has fought for her life since the day she was born ― she’s not a monster, she’s my child.” Pringle also mentioned that she never thought in a million years that this would be the way her daughter would be showcased to the world ― as a joke.
Lizzie Velasquez:
Hearing the phrase “The World’s Ugliest Woman” may come along with thoughts of physical appearances, but it really resides in the mentality of people who think this way. Lizzie Velasquez was 17 years old when she came across a video of herself on YouTube labeled “The World’s Ugliest Woman,” which today has more than nine million views.
Velasquez is blind in one eye and has a very frail frame of 64 pounds, due to her rare neonatal progeroid syndrome. While constant teasing impacted Velasquez greatly during her teenage years, her adult years proved to be a Cinderella story. Now Velasquez serves as a motivational speaker for young girl’s battlingimage issues. Her TEDx talk “How Do You Define Yourself?” helped gained the attention she once shied away from.
Celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, Hilary Duff, Chris Hemsworth and more have all come together to support Velasquez in her quest to stop cyber-bullying. The hashtag #ImWithLizzie has been a largely successful campaign and has allowed many people to express their struggles with their images and being bullied on social media sites.
Cyber-bullying is growing epidemic that affects innocent people throughout the world. While laughing at memes may seem harmless, they contribute to the insecurities all of us are afraid to admit we have.
