Why ‘ugly’ is the new ‘beautiful’ on Insta

(and why that's actually quite nice)

Something is going on on Insta. I keep seeing double chins and cellulite popping up on my feed more and more often. That whole perfection? Mwah, that's a bit 2016. Self-acceptance and especially self-mockery is the new cool. And I like it.

When I think of realness on Inst, I immediately think of the ‘ugly’ alter ego of cool girl Vivian Hoorn. And yes, that's specially in quotation marks. Just like the headline by the way. Where Viv feels unflattering in the photo or feels like joking around a bit, comes Jaqueline Timemachine in the building. Being a bit #jaquelicious and meanwhile raking in 13,000 followers, it seems to work. Why? Humor is the glue that holds life together.

Because aren't we all a bit tired of those pumped-up faces on social? Those skins so silky and smooth that it almost becomes extraterrestrial? Those perfectly round butts on Insta? Go look in the mirror, man, who really has such a butt? Okay, Fajah Lourens. But Fajah works out seventeen times a week and has adjusted her entire lifestyle for that butt. For all those other people, you and me: everyone has a bad skin day sometimes. Closed eyes in a photo. A ‘bad’ photo angle or a little stretch mark here or there. And you know what, that's totally fine. Everyone also has a double chin. From a certain angle for sure. Mine is called Olga. She was off the radar for a while, but then I started vlogging while traveling and Olga started visiting daily. We crack up about her in the editorial office. Yes, we – me too. In a good mood, I let her dance to a song. I mean people, come on, does it really all have to be so serious?

For all the times you look at Instagram and think: ugh, a twinge of jealousy, I want a body like that too. Oh crap, why am I suddenly losing followers? And especially: why does she always look super gorgeous in photos and manages to create fifty thousand followers in half a year? For all those times, I would like to say: see Instagram mainly as a beautiful photo book of your life, not as a diary.

And, an absolute must: take a look at this account. An American chick who has made it a sport to prominently feature her double chin while on vacation. The uglier, the better. This is so effing brilliant that I wish Olga and I had thought of it ourselves. Always keep #chinning, baby… (here you hear the sound of a turkey). Laaaater!