Instagram, women, shaving and censorship.

Type in ‘offensive instagram images’ to Google and this is what comes back, top of the pile (well it did when this post was written):

The land of milk and honey © http://instagram.com/syrianpresidency#

However despite that ‘offensive’ definition (well at least in so far as it is defined by google searches) this image and many others like it, are not censored on the Assad account by Instagram.

Nor is this censored by Instagram, so I guess the portrayal of violence against women is ok:

And neither is this censored:

And slightly off-topic but useful to include so that you get a broader understanding of how far the boundaries of ‘good taste’ extend on Instagram, this is not censored either, apparently, so I guess racism is ok as well.

© stay_sic2013

So…..what actually is censored on Instagram?

Well this is.

Image © Petra Collins

I guess body hair is really offensive. But maybe only on women?  (the hirsute Borat made it through)

As censored author Petra Collins remarks:

“I’m used to being told by society that I must regulate my body to fit the norm. I’m used to the fact that images of unaltered women are seen as unacceptable. I’ve taught myself to ignore it (as much as I can) and through the Internet (via sites like ROOKIE) and social media platforms (like Instagram and Facebook) I’ve been able to freely share images and start discussions about these issues. Recently I had my Instagram account deleted. I did nothing that violated the terms of use. No nudity, violence, pornography, unlawful, hateful, or infringing imagery. What I did have was an image of MY body that didn’t meet society’s standard of “femininity”. The image I posted was from the waist down wearing a bathing suit bottom in front of a sparkly backdrop. Unlike the 5,883,628 (this is how many images are tagged #bikini) bathing suit images on Instagram (see here and here) mine depicted my own unaltered state – an unshaven bikini line. Up until this moment I had obviously seen and felt the pressure to regulate my body but never thought I would literally experience it”

Whats also quite telling is that Google Ads has thoughtfully targeted viewers of one blog which carries an article about this particular issue with a message considered ‘appropriate’ regarding staying thin and watching what you’re eating. And if you find that of interest you’ll certainly find this intriguing too. Surprising (and inspired), but……well, not surprising.

Bikini line © Petra Collins

I guess we can all learn a lesson from Instagram’s morality barometer about life as a modern woman, and how to better oneself whilst avoiding the censor, as usefully demonstrated by role model Asma al-Assad: stay in the kitchen, don’t offend the bearded guys, and shave appropriately.

Now you know.