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On August 26th it was confirmed via Instagram that Katy Perry had given birth to her first child, Daisy Dove Bloom. Five days later, Katy posted an Instagram Story showing herself wearing a breast pump bra and high waisted maternity underwear. Is Katy Perry’s latest Instagram Story proof that the days when celebrities were praised for being flawless on social media are coming to an end?
Not that long ago, celebrities and influencers alike strived to present themselves as perfect and as put together as possible. Now, Katy Perry’s strikingly real and vulnerable post was met with applause, but why? To put it bluntly: nobody’s perfect and people are sick and tired of celebrities pretending that they are. This shift in opinion means that instead of putting
influencers on a pedestal for living a perfect lifestyle, people are rolling their eyes.
It’s not just Katy Perry either. Actress Jameela Jamil is at the forefront of the movement. She has gained a lot of online attention for being incredibly vocal about her own eating disorder experience and for encouraging other celebrities to post un-photoshopped pictures of themselves. In March of this year, Jameela launched her own podcast, I Weigh, on which she challenges the notion that one’s weight determines their worth.
Today, the need for vulnerability and honesty has only been strengthened by COVID-19. During this time of uncertainty and loneliness, people need to know more than ever before that they’re not alone. People no longer want to know what new products celebrities are endorsing or what their McMansions look like. Rather, people want to know that celebrities are trying to get through this tough time, just like them.
Sure, at the end of the day it might all be a marketing ploy. By appearing real and authentic on social media celebrities are bound to get more followers. Some people might have viewed Katy Perry’s Instagram Story as nothing more than a promotion for her latest album, Smile, which was released only two days after her daughter was born. In fact, Perry included a song from the album in the Story. However, no matter the original intention of the Story, by posting it Katy Perry has associated herself with the vulnerability movement and shown others that it’s perfectly normal to be normal.
