Viral Video: Influencer Sarah Sarosh has faced a lot of flak after her video post that merged beauty content with a serious news topic, leaving social media fuming. Meant to be a ‘Get Ready With Me’ Instagram Reel, the video shows Sarosh getting her face done and flaunting various beauty products as the voiceover in the background talks about the recent rape and killing of a doctor in Kolkata.
The Impact of the Controversy
The jarring contrast between Sarosh’s bright, cheerful makeup tutorial and the serious subject matter in the voiceover did not go unseen by viewers. Within minutes, users began to berate the video on social media, accusing it of insensitivity and being unconnected with reality. Many took to the lighthearted beauty content against the tragic and distressing news of the crime, finding the juxtaposition a trivialization of the horrific crime committed.
After the backlash, Sarosh deleted the video from her Instagram account. Despite having been taken down, the video has gone on to be shared and discussed widely on other platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter). X user DR. Rimpy Sharma posted that video.
Mixing Beauty Content with Serious News
Comments on Sarosh’s social media channels are riddled with people who are crying out against the video, calling it out of touch and in poor taste. Many said that this attempt to mix serious news with beauty content was inappropriate and disrespectful to the magnitude of the situation in Kolkata.
Once again, this incident puts into question the morality of content creation and the roles of influencers in treating sensitive issues with care. The point is, with influencer status comes an increasingly onerous burden: to create engaging content but have respect for serious subjects.