HEY, CHECK OUT…Summer 2020 Edition
READING TIME: 10 minutes
1. RAYLY AQUINO
Deaf. Dominican. US immigrant. These labels and the negative preconceptions some people make once these words seep into their minds is a task Rayly is trying to vanquish. He had stated that people also assume because of his tattoos and buzzcut he is seen as unapproachable so because of this he has to initiate a conversation and the other participant is taken aback from his softer spoken delivery and willingness to be open. He advocates for a world where people can get closer to having equal access and opportunities no matter their background; coming from multiple marginalised groups from being an immigrant, Afro-Latino, LGBT and deaf, he understands how difficult the US systems and machismo from within his own culture are setup against him. Nevertheless his instagram account showcases the interviews and opportunities he seizes despite these ‘setbacks’ and it displays juxtaposing fashion pieces to combat today’s views on masculinity and American Sign Language videos to spread awareness of how to include individuals who have hearing disabilities into society more.
2. OBI VINCENT
The fun of fitness through bodybuilding can eventually stagnate; as a result of receptor desensitisation the same sense of achievement over time can make fitness feel more like a chore than fulfilment. Obi discusses on his channel and instagram account how he experienced that himself about how he realised how restrictive the activity placed his mind and body. So by alternating to CrossFit and implementing more mobility work this keeps his fitness goals more challenging and the risk of injuries decreases. He currently has an active Youtube channel with nearly 350K subscribers and an instagram account creeping up soon to a million followers. His videos offer nutritional and fitness advice which anyone can implement into their daily lives. To keep it interesting he shows unique styles of training from those American Footballers to Gymnastics follow to provide fitness experiences outside what we are familiar with. Recently, despite the challenges COVID-19 has placed upon personal trainers and the fitness industry in the UK, he is still showing his followers how we can adapt our workouts outside of the gym and outdoor park equipment. The impression his personality gives is that despite his stellar physique, he is not arrogant and instead comes across as a humble guy trying to expose and embrace fitness fanatics to other styles of working out. More-so the discourse he makes to his audience makes it actually feel like he’s speaking directly to you, and you are with him personally during his talks or workouts.
3. NORISBLACKBOOK
Sometime in the middle of the 2010s during the peak of Kardashian-West-Jenner fever, and Instagram’s presence in the world continued to climb, a parody account was born and has amassed more than three-quarters of a million followers to date. The account holder hides behind a virtual wall of anonymity whilst channeling the personality of North West, Kim Kardashian’s and Kanye West’s eldest child. The thoughts and antics on the account can provide the biggest fan to a complete hater of the family as entertainment. Even with the omnipresence and spamming of E!, Vogue, and DailyMail articles about the clan, this account can suffice keeping you up to date what happens in the family by putting “North’s” own spin on how the family stories play out - with always guaranteed shock and humour. The antagonistic qualities of the protagonist’s personality such as constant belittling of certain family members/friends and sarcasm, is the reason why users keep returning - but the delivery is always unexpected and keeps you on edge. Rather than see in reality what the family’s PR want you to know, why not check out this account’s witty commentaries instead.
4. MOSSY BOTTOM
Mossy Bottom is the name given to Daniel’s cottage he purchased that kickstarted his, and his fluffy companion’s, move from UK to the South of Ireland. He is kind enough to show the space, privacy and wild nature he is surrounded by on his channel. He purchased the cottage and land within 6 months and on the channel he discusses various housing issues he had before he made the purchase: the process of moving, why his lawyer advised against buying the property and house building DIY stories from wall plastering to building a chicken coup. The takeaway feeling from his channel is that he has established an overwhelming sense of purpose. Everybody, including himself, has an imperfect life and before, his was filled with everyday stress, deadlines, worries and responsibilities. This move had provided a newer and different kind of gratification - one free of chasing material wealth and possessions. His calm and collected personality matched with gripping stories filled with his reflections of daily life is an inspiration to us all to try and get the courage to really seek out what we truly want.
5. CHRIS GEORGE
A lot of people assume the mysterious lives of doctors are shrouded with dealing with death and pain regularly, battling pharmaceuticals and healthcare legislation and squeezing any extra hours to contribute to scientific research. The stereotype of a doctor gives off a superman/woman complex and while true to an extent (their passion for the demanding career is commendable), Chris George and many other millennial doctors, are documenting their ‘normal’ personal lives of being doctors. It’s helping to break down the barrier between healthcare professionals and the general public. By enabling more familiarity with our doctors other than a one off clinic appointment for 10 minutes, we can begin to understand each other more and understand that doctors are mortal and imperfect like everyone else. Chris is an NHS General Practitioner from London who promotes healthy nutrition, Crossfit and mental wellbeing on his account and also promotes to his followers to make time for yourself as he makes time to discovering the beauty of London when outside the clinic. He is also discussing some of the most important issues in healthcare today with other healthcare specialists through weekly IG-Live sessions and some of these include medical access for minority groups, dealing with obesity and cancer and showing how the NHS is combatting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
6. BROWNHISTORY
The South Asian diaspora is the largest immigrant community across the world. Yet it is incredibly difficult to trace back the history of its communities and their contributions to the world, both in their current country and their country of origin. The instagram historian, Ahsun Zafar, who setup ‘BrownHistory’ attempts to expose and celebrate the “forgotten” contributions the diaspora have made, which colonial erasure attempted to accomplish. These include setting up the British Black Panther Party to becoming Hollywood stars of the early 20th century. It’s become a global network for South Asians to connect and for followers of other backgrounds to share their identity. While Ahsun researches and provides his own gems of interest, followers can also submit their family historical photographs and the stories behind them which also helps instil a greater sense of familiarity and pride across the community. The account also helps to discuss the stigmas and taboos against and within South Asian cultures such as classism, anti-blackness, misogyny and religious intolerance. Albeit some posts and comments coast along the line of social justice warrior pandering, once you nagivate past these you can eventually discover the important deep rooted issues that still plague the community today and you can read the ways the millennial generation will try to decompress these oppressions moving forwards.
