Troll Or Truth Teller? Chatting With Every Influencer's Worst Nightmare: An Instagram Critic

Call out culture is nothing new in the world of social media. People have been using the comments section to throw shade, shed light, and demand to know where you got those shoes you didn't tag for years. And when it comes to the exceptionally annoyed fan - perhaps even a fan turned stan gone awry - creating an account devoted entirely to highlighting an influencer's faults is a popular option as well.

There are plenty of examples where you might say that this should be considered bullying. And in many of those examples, you might be totally correct. But, there is something that people often forget to factor in, which is that if you create a public Instagram, you are one in way or another asking for people to look at you, and giving them the permission to say what they think. And as is to be expected, what they think's not always going to be the most validating thing to hear.

In an attempt to dive a little deeper, we chatted with @WePhotoshoppedWhat2, an Instagram account devoted to "✨ calling out danielle bernstein’s photoshop fails ✨." For those of you who are unaware, Danielle Bernstein is more widely known as @WeWoreWhat, a handle which I personally will never understand (Is this the royal we? Or is she secretly a twin with a sister also named Danielle, who she's conveniently never been photographed with? Doesn't not sound reasonable, because someone needs to take the photos after all, right?). 

Anyhoo, one scroll through the critical account might have you thinking that its end goal is to have Danielle cancelled. You might look at the side-by-side photo comparisons of Danielle on Instagram versus real life as typical troll behavior. But, as is always the case, the story is more complex than just that.

Have you ever met Danielle?
No, I’ve never met her, but I would like to if given the chance!

Are you in any way shape or form a fan of hers?
I definitely started off as a fan. Her consistent posting of her outfits everyday provided me with inspiration for the ways I wanted to dress myself. I really did (and still do, for the most part) love her style! I respect her for following her dreams and building her brand from the bottom up. From the amount of times she posts in a day to the number of projects she takes on, it’s no doubt she works hard.

What made you decide to make this account?
I began to notice strange inconsistencies with her body from post to post, and exaggerated Photoshopping, such as some posts where her head is bigger than her waist, which is anatomically impossible. I did a quick Google search to find that it was well known that she Photoshopped her images. There was an account called @wephotoshoppedwhat that used to post side by sides, exposing her. I was shocked, and felt a little deceived. This was about a year ago. 

When Covid-19 hit, and I found myself with a lot more time at home, I decided to re-explore this topic. I found that with a simple Google search, you could find real photos of Danielle from event she had attended. Thus began the process of pairing the event pictures up with ones she posted on her Instagram. It took a few hours but I finally had enough posts for content for the account. I wanted to pick up where the last account left off, and thus named it @wephotoshoppedwhat2.

Do you think that she knows about this account?
She does! She blocked me probably a week in, before I even made it to 200 followers.

At this moment in time, with the body positivity movement being such a big thing, do you think that Danielle and influencers like her Photoshop their photos more for their followers, to meet their expectations, or for themselves, to look the way that they personally want you to think they look?
I would say it’s both! I think as a result of social expectations drilled into our minds through exposure to the media, we are naturally drawn to the 'skinny, fit' people who fit the molds of ‘perfection’ we’ve been taught. I believe it is for this reason that we follow people on social media - those who fit the ‘ideal’ or aspirational body image, lifestyle, clothes, cars etc. And the more followers that an influencer has, the more they are able to earn in partnership deals and ads. At some point I would imagine that their entire worth is based off their outward appearance to their audience since this is what sells, and it then becomes about meeting the expectations they set for themselves. 

I don’t think followers set the expectations because they have no control over how clear an influencer edits their skin to be, how much cellulite or stretch marks they wipe away, how their abs are made defined,  etc. It’s a vicious cycle because once you start editing, it's hard to go back without admitting that you were indeed Photoshopping the entire time. There are some girls (ex. Taylor Hill) that post unedited photos, flaws and all, and she is celebrated for that. Unlike a lot of women, she is probably quite secure within herself to be able to post such photos.

What are the biggest giveaways that a photo has been edited?
Oh, there are so many! Straight lines that end up being curved, blurred lines around body parts, missing lines.. but my personal favourite (when applicable) is event photos vs. posts. It’s the most apparent when you put the two side by side.

Do you think that a majority of people still don’t realize how heavily Photoshopped most Instagram photos are?
While I’m not sure what the majority know, I have gotten several messages from girls saying they had no idea Danielle Photoshopped her images. I’m not personally satisfied until every girl who thinks less of herself because of what they see online is aware of the truth.

What do you hope comes out of this account?
I want to create a community of confident girls (and guys!) that can all enjoy some banter at Danielle’s expense, so long as she continues being inauthentic with her audience. I never expected this to happen, but the account is now run by everyone who sends me DMs of Photoshopping they spot! All I do is post. It’s good to know so many people see it too.

What would you say to someone who thinks that you're trolling her?
If this is their belief, then they think Photoshopping is okay, and they’re complacent in allowing impressionable girls to be lied to. The effects aren’t nothing – body dysmorphia and eating disorders as a result of following influencers is real. Girls who follow this account feel a sense of comfort knowing that Danielle doesn't actually look the way she looks. It's sad and I wish it weren't this way, but they feel a bit more validated in not being a size 0 in knowing Danielle isn't either.

Would you personally ever want to be an influencer?
Absolutely not. The last thing the world needs is another influencer. I have unfollowed all influencers on my personal account because they don’t do anything except promote products they’re paid to and make me feel less about my appearance. Now, I only follow my friends, artists, meme pages and Diet Prada. I do have respect for celebrities such as Selena Gomez though, who uses all her 181 million followers to bring awareness to various causes, rather than herself.

What's one thing you'd say to Danielle if you had the chance?
Although I’d love to tell her that she’s absolutely gorgeous in her natural body, I’d mostly like to bring to her attention the harmful effect she has on so many girls. I feel like she is so disconnected that she truly has no idea.

Who are your favorite influencers to follow?
I do follow one, @Carodaur. From what I can tell, she doesn’t Photoshop at all and promotes an active lifestyle while wearing the most enviable outfits. I have done her workout videos a lot during quarantine and they’re no joke! Her 6 pack is totally goals.

[Photo via @wephotoshoppedwhat2]