Journalist Maria Veitola parodies members of the Kardashian-Jenner clan with her photo series. For some, the message hit and sunk in – for others, not at all.
Maria Veitola wanted to present a more realistic image on social media. PASI LEISMA
Journalist and media personality Maria Veitola parodies the poses and styles of the Kardashians in his recent Instagram post. “Dad’s old heating layer” provides the function of tight and transparent clothing above Veitola.
With his photo series and his writing, Veitola takes a stand. He even describes the Kardashians as the royalty of this time.
– This did not happen by accident, but is the result of years of hard work and sacrifices. I’m not belittling, but I admire the amount of work or the meticulous PR strategy behind it all. I’ve been following them for years. I’m a bit obsessedas they would say on the other side of the rapako, Veitola writes.
– That’s exactly why I wanted to highlight the flip side of the Kardashian phenomenon: body and image editing, merciless appearance pressures and unrealistic beauty standards, which they use to make more money, he continues.
Veitola writes that he wants to raise the issue through humor, putting himself in the spotlight. He underlines that it is not easy for him to appear “shabby next to the Kardashians”.
– I still do it because we also need a more realistic image.
– Because of these funny pictures, I have been accused of misogyny. Not all criticism of women is misogyny. Women cannot rise above criticism just because they are women. One must also be able to criticize and highlight a phenomenon that affects almost all women’s self-esteem, Veitola writes.
The media person writes that the appearance pressures created by social media can affect some people, especially young people. He also stresses that although some people recognize photoshop and cosmetic surgery, not everyone does.
Veitola writes that “perhaps the world’s most influential wealthy family” has succeeded in turning the pressure of appearance into a billion-dollar business. That’s why you can also criticize his family – and have a little fun at their expense.
– Hate speech, smearing and misogyny are serious issues and a real safety risk for women appearing in public. You have to know how to recognize when it’s not about that, Veitola writes.
“Double-edged sword”
Despite the captions, comments on the picture also expressed outrage at Veitola’s publication.
For example, social media influencer and Onlyfans star Erika Helin has written in the comments that she just doesn’t understand the humor of the publication.
– It seems belittling to compare a picture taken at home in tights with a picture taken by a professional model, with a whole team of beauty professionals in the background. The message would certainly get through with a different implementation. And you yourself know that you are extremely amazing in such pictures where you have had a team to organize the set – and the Kardashians would also be just “ordinary people” if you wanted to take pictures of them. What about thinking that the Kardashians brought shapeliness and normal weight into fashion? I think it was positive, Helin writes.
– Joking and humor is ok, but putting another person down under the guise of humor and disguised as a social message quickly goes into the gray area, he continues.
Also a social media influencer Heljä-Tuulia Lapland has participated in the discussion. He describes Veitola’s publication as a double-edged sword.
– Could the topic be brought up in general without using the pictures of any individual person known to the public? This kind of posting in a certain way gives the impression that if a woman is put on, she would be worse than an “ordinary” woman, the social media influencer writes.
However, Veitola’s idea behind the publication has opened up to many.
– In my opinion, the idea and purpose immediately shines through in these. In particular, to highlight the fact that not all online images are authentic and real. There are filters, makeup and haircuts. And you don’t have to hate them either, but the point is that not everyone can reach the same class of results with completely different resources and starting points. I think it’s healthy to bring this up. And it’s exactly the same fine to be in their own tracksuits. It doesn’t make anyone worse, one writes.
Veitola’s publication has also been described as a “song of praise to femininity – ordinary wonderful femininity”.
Veitola has previously published a photo series parodying the Kardashians. Even then, the publication sparked a lively discussion.