Unpacking the controversial 'mugshot challenge' makeup trend

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James Charles is going through backlash for taking part in a well-liked TikTok pattern that imitates mugshots.
The "mugshot problem" originated on TikTok, which started idealizing mugshots lengthy earlier than customers began mimicking them. In early March, customers posted movies of mugshots they thought had been engaging.
"Final woman appears like she is aware of how one can have a gooooood time," one person captioned their video, which now has 226,700 likes.
In one other video, the TikTok person added thirst emojis earlier than launching right into a slideshow of anonymous, incarcerated faces.
The pattern bore the mugshot problem, by which customers recorded themselves making use of smudged eyeliner and messing up their hair earlier than posing in entrance of clean, white partitions. Some took the pattern additional by including make-up to seem bruised and bloody. In one version, TikTok person nehvjones utilized a brief tattoo to her neck. In another, TikTok person thehumankind appeared scratched, including that she "aint happening and not using a combat."
Unpacking the controversial 'mugshot challenge' makeup trend
Picture: TikTok / thehumankind
Unpacking the controversial 'mugshot challenge' makeup trend
Picture: tiktok / nehvjones
TikTok creators additionally took the pattern to Twitter, the place they posted images of their makes an attempt on the problem.
The mugshot problem is massively problematic. It supplies a platform to flex make-up abilities, nevertheless it additionally glamorizes incarceration, which disproportionately affects Black and Latinx communities. Taking part within the problem is insensitive and ignorant, as marginalized communities are already subjected to racial profiling and police brutality. Glamorizing that injustice, even when others are doing it, is mistaken.
The TikTok customers becoming a member of the pattern with hashtags like #mugshot, which has 135.6 million views, and #mugshotchallenge, 72.7 million views. One other standard tag is #mugshotshawty, which has 9.eight million views. Individuals overwhelmingly seem like white.
Whereas the pattern is in poor style, it did not garner important criticism till magnificence vlogger James Charles jumped on the bandwagon. Charles, who's seen his fair share of controversy, tweeted side-by-side images of himself on Sunday with a bloodied nostril and bruised eye. He did not caption it.
Different Twitter customers referred to as him out for depicting violence and being insensitive. One fan expressed her discomfort, and in contrast it to surviving home violence.
"It isn't enjoyable having your face bruised and never having the ability to cowl them up," the fan responded to Charles' tweet. "Perhaps I am being too delicate however this made me actually uncomfortable as a result of I could not take mine off. It made me really feel dehumanized."
Charles defined that he was taking part in a TikTok pattern, and that it "has nothing to do with home violence in anyway."
One other Twitter person famous that even when Charles was taking part within the mugshot problem, there was nothing within the images indicating that it is a mugshot. With no caption or visible cues, it appeared like Charles had simply been crushed.
All through Monday, Twitter customers referred to as out everybody taking part within the mugshot problem for being privileged and out of contact with these most affected by incarceration.
It is value noting that most of the TikTok customers taking part within the problem are younger and might not be conscious of how injust the jail system actually is — however when influencers like Charles use their expansive platforms to hitch the mugshot problem, it provides legitimacy.
"It is a actuality that many brown and black folks should face, and to decrease this into some pattern is admittedly bizarre and gross," Twitter person yojogn mentioned.
Others identified simply how ridiculous the problem is.
The general public is very vexed with celebrities and influencers throughout this pandemic. A number of weeks in the past, a coalition of celebrities (just about) gathered to sing a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine." However as a substitute of inspiring the general public, they had been slammed for being naïve and privileged. Whereas 1000's of symptomatic persons are preventing to be examined for COVID-19, influencer Arielle Charnas was accused of utilizing her connections to entry testing. Different influencers had been accused of "milking the coronavirus for clout." Though the coronavirus pandemic has been known as "the nice equalizer," it evidently affects working class and low-income folks essentially the most.
So when a celeb like James Charles participated within the mugshot problem — which already has its barbs — the general public was lower than welcoming.
Charles, who deleted the tweet on Monday afternoon, issued a non-apology.
"Even though a whole bunch of different influencers and artists have performed one thing comparable, I deleted the mugshot pattern as a result of it was by no means my intention to set off anybody," he tweeted. "It is a waste of time attempting to have an open dialogue with individuals who hate me regardless."
He added a peace signal emoji.
After the backlash, streamer Corinna Kopf additionally quietly deleted her mugshot problem images from Twitter and Instagram. After her tweet was included in a round-up by Pop Crave, character Bianca Dayag made her account non-public.
Charles' supporters dismissed criticism, dismissing it as haters out to get him. And whereas Charles does obtain a fair proportion of criticism, he additionally has an enormous following. As a public determine, his actions will be criticized, particularly in the event that they're thoughtless of those that do not have the privilege he does.
Moreover, there are many other challenges to take part in that do not glamorize the prison justice system.
In the event you or somebody you understand has skilled home violence, name the Nationwide Home Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224. 


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