Social Media and the Unhinged Woman
Image Courtesy: Know Your Meme
Instagram accounts responsible for creating and curating what have been referred to as “sh*tposts” or “chaos edits” by i-D and Vox are the latest trend amongst young women and the queer community. These sh*tposts often consist of text posts originating from the anonymous Whisper app or those made on Instagram’s Create function that feature topics ranging from mental health, pop culture, music, film, and more. These accounts are often run by multiple admins and post countless times a day, unafraid of the unwritten rules of Instagram and dedicated to making humorous content for their audiences.
Image Courtesy: Jayna O
User @on_a_downward_spiral is one of the most widely known sh*tposting accounts, racking up 483,000 followers since its creation in May of 2016. Other notable accounts include @joan.of.arca, @scenequeenmememachine, @botoxqueen1968, and the now-defunct @mybloodyvirginators. These accounts have even been acknowledged by alternative rock’s own Courtney Love on Instagram back in July of 2021, with Love going as far as to tag her favorite accounts in the caption. In her post, Love expresses her appreciation for Gen Z humor, calling them “funnier than any other generation” and stating although “Lot of people don’t understand Gen-Z,” she has “a lot of empathy/affinity for them.” Two days later,] in a now-iconic Instagram Stories post bashing popular female artists like Charli XCX, Lady Gaga, and Grimes, Azealia Banks negatively brands Love as an “on_a_downward_spiral follower”, furthering the account’s mainstream success and prominence in youth culture.
Image Courtesy: Strike FSU
Like Love said, Gen Z humor is often misunderstood, as it is usually nihilistic and surrealist. These traits, paired with the psyche of a young woman, are what create the “unhinged woman.” Whether it be references to Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne or The Virgin Suicides’ Lux Lisbon, the admins of these notorious Instagram accounts often share affinities for the same genres of film, music, and sense of humor. Many memes and text posts possess lighthearted misandrist jokes and express an appreciation for femininity and the unity between young women.
Image Courtesy: Jayna O
In addition to references to iconic unhinged female characters and alternative female artists like Fiona Apple, Mitski, and Phoebe Bridgers, queer culture is widely embraced in these communities and user-created content. Immaterial by queer pop artist SOPHIE is often used in the background of videos in addition to countless references to the queer electronic artist Arca.
Image Courtesy: Jayna O
Although these accounts are humorous and responsible for the popularization of terms such as “The yassification of _____”, or phrases like “Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss,” these pages also allow for the expression of traditionally taboo subjects. These posts include mental health issues and, for some, serve as a diary. Text posts and memes allow users and their followers to cope through humor, even inspiring others all over the world to create their own accounts, like Florida State University’s very own @nematodefsu, who posts FSU-centered content and memes. Dedicated users who continue to share “unhinged” content to their followers via Instagram stories, direct messaging, etc. only further the popularity and accessibility of these accounts that have ultimately spawned safe spaces in which to embrace femininity, queer culture, and chaos.
Strike Out,
Writer: Jayna O
Editor: Roxy Rico
Graphic Designer: Alex Rivero
Tallahassee