Models Are Fighting Over Whether It’s Chill To Influence For Saudi Arabia
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On Thursday, Saudi Arabia paid dozens of celebrity models and DJs to attend the MDL Beast festival in the country as part of its attempts to rehabilitate the nation’s image– and the Instagram world is split over whether it was ethical to go.
According to Insider, You may have noticed your Instagram feed this weekend was crammed with shots of various celebrities dune-buggying in the desert and dancing at a Riyadh festival. Attendees included Armie Hammer, Ed Westwick, Steve Aoki, Luka Sabbat, Winnie Harlow, Alessandra Ambrosio, Stella Maxwell, Sofia Richie and Scott Disick. Performers at the festival included Rick Ross, Simi Haze and J Balvin.
I’ve been too busy working to realize that a raft of influencers were just paid (again) to fly to Saudi to brighten MBS’s image. Seeing the caption “Saudi girls” is especially grating when I think of Saudi women’s rights activists jailed or exiled for pushing for basic freedoms. pic.twitter.com/lPd8YjrQVN
— Gissou Nia/ گیسو نیا (@GissouNia) December 21, 2019
Supermodel and actress Emily Ratajkowski revealed how she declined an appearance in the country out of principle, posting, “I have always wanted to visit Saudi Arabia, but when a recent opportunity came to me involving making and promoting an appearance there, I had to decline.”
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
“It is very important to me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community, freedom of expression and the right to a free press. I hope coming forward on this brings more attention to the injustices happening there,” she continued.
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) December 21, 2019
Model Martha Hunt wrote, “I stand in solidarity with the repressed people of Saudi Arabia and refuse to be used as a campaign to cover up those suffering from injustice. I encourage other influencers to make informed decisions based on social conscience and integrity.”
— Martha Hunt (@MarthaHunt) December 22, 2019
Transgender model Teddy Quinlivan remarked in an Instagram story, “If you’re an influencer and you’re promoting tourism to a place to [sic] openly kills journalists and LGBTQ people as well a list of other horrible and archaic laws and politics: You’re a fucking SELL OUT.”
Karen Attiah, the editor of late Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was murdered and dismembered by the Saudi Arabian regime in 2018, allegedly on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, also condemned the celebrities in an Instagram comment, stating, “Jamal believed in social media to be used for good. It’s shameful that many of Saudi Arabia’s own influencers and activists have been jailed under Mohammed bin Salman… I’m disgusted.”
On Twitter, Attiah called out Glamour magazine for promoting the festival,” and remarked, “What good is your platform if you overlook Saudi regime’s murder and torture for a few bucks? These influencers are just for-hire human billboards.”
The dark side of influencer culture is that it really is the ultimate expression of capitalism.
Money over human lives.
What good is your platform if you overlook Saudi regime’s murder and torture for a few bucks?
These influencers are just for-hire human billboards.
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) December 22, 2019
The money and resources that influencers and @GlamourMagUK take from Saudi Arabia.. same money and resources that go towards bots and trolls that attack and harass anyone online that criticize Saudi Arabia.
Jamal Khashoggi used to call them “flies”
It’s all propaganda.
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) December 22, 2019
Some attendees even claimed to have fallen victim to sexual harassment and assault during the festival.
Model and musician Kristina Bazan, however, defended the situation in a comment on Diet Prada’s account.
“One month ago the Visa law in Saudi was changed, the government of Saudi is trying to bring new energy and dynamic : social media has social resonance. How can we evolve as a globalized world and change things by boycotting areas that need the coming of fresh minds and ideas?” she wrote. “If my country, Belarus for example was in this position, would it keep me away from going there? With all the terrible things happening in the U.S we still engage with the commerce and culture there and many other countries who destroy the economic system by creating a bigger and bigger gap. So you know what, you won’t change anything by attacking hate with hate.”
Saudi Arabian influencer Nojoud Alrumaihi wrote, “Its so sad to see posts based on complete ignorance and absolute media propaganda. While Saudi is pushing so much to change and to become the place it visions to be, we see posts like this from someone who never probably spoke to ONE saudi person.”
“Honey, we are here and we are willing to give you the facts that the western media sure as hell wont give you. Everyone was extremely happy, and we are definitely delighted to show all our guests the real Saudi, not the one the ‘see’ in the media,” she wrote.
Actor Ryan Phillippe attempted to troll critics by posting a photo of himself in a keffiyeh drinking San Pellegrino, with the caption “uproar.”
“i had a magical day with wonderful people… i love travel. i love different cultures. i love how we can find ways to connect through our human oneness, the pure desire for love and freedom.no matter where in the world,” he expressed. “hoping those connections help to bring even more positive change and progress.”
