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Here’s why Jen Aniston, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington and more are posting black and white photos on Instagram

#ChallengeAccepted
by Christine Estima
July 28, 2020 4:02 p.m. EST
July 28, 2020 4:03 p.m. EST
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If you’re wondering why your social media feed is full of black and white selfies with women encouraging other women to share their faces and their words of positivity, it’s because that's the latest social media challenge getting everyone talking (and striking a pose).Some of Hollywood’s biggest leading ladies like Jen Aniston, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Octavia Spencer, Jennifer Hudson, Ava DuVernay, Eva Longoria, Rebel Wilson, and many more are voguing for the ‘gram, tagging all their celebrity friends to do the same, and encouraging fans like you to do it too all to spread some light and love during a time when so many women are experiencing the heavy burden of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The rules are pretty simple: Post a monochrome selfie, hashtag #ChallengeAccepted, tag the woman who nominated you, and challenge 50 women to do the same through Instagram DM. The idea behind it was triggered again last week after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was verbally assaulted by Representative Ted Yoho in the halls of the Washington legislative building, and she spoke about it so powerfully in Congress.
While many of the celebs are captioning their pics with words of solidarity with their sisters, Jennifer Aniston specifically used the opportunity to draw attention to the need for more women voters. “[…] maybe the best way we can support other women is to REGISTER TO VOTE for the issues that affect women,” she wrote. “Encourage all your friends, girlfriends, sisters, moms, daughters to do the same. The election is right around the corner, and we need to look out for each other AND love each other!”We’re really glad our favourite ‘Friend’ added that social-change push, because the movement has quickly garnered some criticism as yet another example of “slacktivism,” i.e. a way for people to display performative allyship and activism without actually having to do anything.
Taylor Lorenz for The New York Times criticized the trend on Monday, writing, “Though the portraits have spread widely, the posts themselves say very little. Like the black square, which became a symbol of solidarity with Black people but asked very little of those who shared it, the black-and-white selfie allows users to feel as if they’re taking a stand while saying almost nothing.”Lorenz continued, “Influencers and celebrities love these types of ‘challenges’ because they don’t require actual advocacy, which might alienate certain factions of their fan base.”
For a while, the word about social media was that the trend originated in Turkey following another instance of femicide, but Lorenz pointed out in The NY Times and on Twitter that the claim is false, seeing as how the hashtag has appeared in one form or another since 2016 where it has supported many causes, including breast cancer awareness.
There are many women (celebs or otherwise) who have stated their admiration for the cause, noting that signs of solidarity, and drawing awareness to the struggles of women is always a worthwhile endeavour. However, as Lorenz noted in her article, very few of the #ChallengeAccepted entries offered anything other than a selfie, whereas they could have used the opportunity to call for the arrest of Breonna Taylor’s killers, for example, or highlighted the work of Trans activists, or women who are differently abled. A search through dozens of celeb photos and posts reveals only a couple with real calls to action, like this one from Alexa Chung who posted artwork of Breonna Taylor's face and a call to #SayHerName rather than a selfie.
One Twitter user summarized her critique with the biting, “My feminism isn’t live laugh love.”
[video_embed id='1991285']BEFORE YOU GO: Tom Hanks has a blunt message for people who don't wear a mask[/video_embed]

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