Content Creators on Body Shaming and Beauty Standards

Content creation comes with many perks, but it’s also a job that attracts criticism and judgment. “Netizens” sometimes bully content creators not just for their work, but also for their appearance. This reveals the unfortunate fact that, despite the progress brands and publications have made in terms of inclusivity, toxic beauty standards are still ingrained in our culture.

So, what is it really like being in the public eye as a beauty content creator? Here, three Filipinas who have experienced the best and the worst of the internet share how they've experienced online bullying, body shaming, and plain rudeness from strangers hiding behind the screen.

Thirty-one-year-old beauty content creator Christina Lauder A. Allí
(
@beautymommyph) posts videos of skincare product reviews and makeup tutorials, among others. Publications have listed her among Filipinas who are celebrating their unfiltered beauty, and therefore, inspiring others to do the same.

However, despite her positive impact on the local beauty scene, she still has her fair share of critics. Many of them, she reveals, are family and acquaintances – not strangers on the internet. “I get the crowd favorite ‘Ang tabamona.’ but I also get ‘Hindi bagay ‘to sa’yo’ when I post a new haircut or makeup look. I even got a ‘Wag mo kasi gawinyan para hindilawlaw boobs mo’ from a client one time. It was so out of the blue.”

Christina added, “What surprises me most is that these people aren’t strangers, they’re my (Facebook) friends and relatives who see what I post. They either comment on the post itself or in person when we meet. If it’s the latter, I ignore the person for the whole day. For comments online I just respond with a laughing emoji!”

“There’s no point in engaging. I won’t confront you about it, but I’ll let you wonder if something’s wrong,” Christina said. She’s aware that many content creators go through worse, but she also knows that it’s part of the territory.

“Take comfort in these two thoughts: 1. You have followers, fellow creators, and brands who support (and pay for) your content. 2. Bashing is engagement. Bashers take the time (and even create fake profiles) to engage in your content. To them, you’re worth all that hassle! That’s a win. You're not just posting pictures and videos; you're making people uncomfortable in the fact that you're proud of who you are. That bothers them, and that means you need to take up space even more.”

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Krish Catapang, 30, shares a wide range of lifestyle content on Instagram and TikTok (@krishcatapang). She’s heard comments from family and friends since she was young. Mostly they were about her weight and the fact that she didn’t smile a lot. “Hindi pa usoang resting bitch face noon. In high school, one guy told me I was perfect; it was my weight he had a problem with.”

“I was younger, so I didn’t know any better. I just remained quiet. It was true, I was on the bigger side, but I wish I had the confidence that I do now. More courage to speak up for myself. In college and at work, people were more accepting. I never heard comments about my weight. Comments from relatives in reunions are still there but they don’t bother me anymore,” Krish shared.

Krish gets the same comments now that she’s a content creator. “I struggle with this every day. There are just some days when I would think to myself ‘I’m not perfect and it’s okay!’”

When asked if she had any advice for women going through the same, she said, "I think I would tell my fellow content creators to just keep being the best version of themselves. Not everyone is going to like you, but their opinions don’t matter. What’s important is that you love and accept yourself. Empathy and kindness to others and yourself will get you through it.”

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Dinna Chan Vasquez, 60, uses the handle @dinnacv on Instagram and TikTok – but everyone in the beauty business knows her as an OG editor and hardcore beauty girl. Her boundless knowledge of skin care, hair care, and makeup is matched by her generosity towards younger content creators and beauty writers. Yet, even with this much credibility to her name, she’s not exempt from receiving harsh criticism online and offline.

“I was once told (on Twitter) that I looked like I had end-stage kidney disease. Probably because I have a round face? I have also been told so many times that I’m ugly. Growing up, my own relatives called me a pig because I was overweight. When my daughter found my old pictures and showed them to me, I realized that I wasn’t even overweight back when they called me a pig,” Dinna shared.

“I was also once called a wannabe beauty blogger.” Dinna added, “I am sure that beauty content creators have encountered criticism that’s as harsh or even harsher.” While she ignores criticism about her looks if they come from strangers, she doesn’t mince words if they come from relatives. “If someone says, ‘Ang tabamo,’ I reply with, ‘Ikaw nga ang laki ng tiyan mo.’ That usually stops them. I don’t regret doing these things. It makes me feel better.”

To new content creators who feel discouraged by hateful comments, this is what Dinna had to say: “This is what I think: We write/post/create beauty content because we have goals. Stay focused on your goals and what you’ve achieved so far. Your passion for beauty will dim the voices of those who criticize you.” She added, “I’m not saying you shouldn’t and won’t be affected because you will be, but remember that you have followers because they like what you do.”

Content creators are not emotionless bots who can just brush off comments and move on. But these Filipinas are proof that doing good, honest work can sometimes be enough to ward the negativity away. While they can’t control what people say, they can control how they react. And the class they – and many other public personalities – have shown in the face of harsh comments makes them even more beautiful.