I sometimes slap myself (or my thumb) in annoyance for opening Instagram’s Reels section. I try my best to not open it, but still end up there. One of the main reasons for my resentment with the new Reels culture is the crude display of privilege and the mono-cultural world of the so-called upper castes or Savarnas. Be it someone playing an out-of-tune ukulele in mood lighting, or showing off their ‘struggles’ of not being able to visit Goa this year with some trending song playing in the background. What all these diverse videos have in common are hyper-perfect Savarna aesthetics.
In 2020, Chinese app TikTok was banned by the Narendra Modi government. This rendered many creators and influencers from marginalised backgrounds digitally homeless. These ‘digital refugees’ have since been trying to find refuge in different apps. During this time, Instagram Reels has emerged as one of the biggest platforms that promise fame and reach.
From celebrities to common people, everyone wants to try their luck on Reels to become successful, or as Andy Warhol apparently said, “get their 15 minutes of fame”. However, after many years social media, the influencer market has become a very important source of employment. For many, social media fame can even earn them their livelihoods. Sadly, this domain, like any other economic domain, is also the stronghold of Savarnas.
Also read: ‘We’re devastated, my wives cried’ — TikTok stars in Maharashtra village crushed by app ban
Casteism of Instagram Reels
Instagram Reels are designed in such a way that you feel like you’re entering an expensive restaurant where you can be judged and mocked for your clothes, accent, and your pronunciation. There is a very subtle and sophisticated form of casteism that plays out in this digital corner.
Instagram Reels seems to have an algorithm that prefers particular Savarna aesthetics. Most of the trends and trending songs are copies of what’s popular in the West. Be it “Put your head on my shoulders (Silhouette challenge)” or the “My back is aching song” challenge. All one sees are Savarnas expressing the joy and melancholy of living a life full of privileges. Instagram actively promotes the most ‘beautiful’ looking Reels on these trends. Anyone who opens the Reels tab on their app can always see that it’s the Savarna influencers who are trending.
It’s very difficult for non-Savarna users, who lack the same cultural and social capital of looks, clothes, and clean, picture-perfect backgrounds to succeed in this culture of making ‘aesthetic’ Reels. This is why you will only find similar kinds of faces known as ‘content creators ’ or social media ‘influencers’ in this overtly market-driven economy.
Also read: Instagram Reels is busy being woke. It has no space for the TikTok gang
Appropriation of Dalit art forms
The irony is that historically dance and music have been the domain of lower-caste communities in India. Music and dance were frowned upon by upper-caste families and there were many Dalit communities who were humiliated and ostracised for their occupations of singing and dancing.
The dance and music of these communities have now been taken over by socially dominant caste practitioners who ritually cleanse the music and dance of their original style and folk elements and Westernise them into being something that is ‘pure’, ‘urbane’ and ‘cool’. Today, the grandchildren of those who once directly discriminated against lower-castes are now singing and dancing on Insta Reels. They are now doing the same activities that made lower-castes ‘impure’, ‘brash’ and ‘loud’, but in perfect lighting and aesthetic settings.
Often, they end up appropriating the art-forms belonging historically to lower castes, further alienating the Dalits and Bahujans who don’t have similar capital to fit into the same aesthetics and settings. In the Insta Reels ecosystem, creators who dance or create videos outside of these aesthetics and songs are labeled ‘cringe’. As is often said online, ‘modern problems require modern solutions’ thus modern Savarnas, too, have come up with modern casteism. Personally, I would call it ‘castiesm with a good vibe’.
These Savarna mono-cultures persist in more open and crude forms in beauty and lifestyle-centric Reels. Here, Savarna fashion influencers are busy dictating how successful and cool women should dress and look like. It isn’t a coincidence that all these videos are only aimed to cater to the elite and upwardly mobile female Savarna crowd. Parading the idea of ‘girlboss’ and ‘beauty sleep’ is just the tip of the iceberg that hides the behemoth iceberg of labour done by Bahujan women who serve as domestic workers in upper-caste households — these visuals show the girlboss, just not the girls over whom she is supposed to be the boss of.
Also read: New Dalit women autobiographies are opening up private, intimate spaces, rewriting history
Only for Savarnas
There isn’t any Dalit account that features on ‘top- influencer’ lists. This doesn’t mean that Dalits are not creating great content on Instagram. There is a strong underground culture where many Dalit accounts are trying to express themselves by making use of modern digital vocabulary.
Many Dalit accounts face the wrath of angry Savarnas on Instagram who are unhappy that they have explored the question of caste on the social media platform. They try to shun the question itself by the use of choicest abuses that they seem to have inherited. Sometimes gaslighting is done in more subtle and softer forms — “But there ain’t any caste bro. It’s the 21st century for god’s sake,” or “We are all equals. Indian first!”.
The same Savarna social media users then move on to their newfound love for dance and post a feel-good Reel based on Western trends (let’s say, the “Don’t rush” challenge). Here, I would like to take the liberty of rewriting the quote by playwright Bertolt Brecht: “In the dark times there will be singing and dancing… but only by Savarnas.”
The author is a filmmaker and author of the book Love in the time of Pokemon. Views are personal.
[Edited by Fiza Ranalvi Jha]
This article is part of the Dalit History Month 2021 series. Read all the articles here.
I have to write something quickly!
Casteism, always a hit! Just shove it everywhere.
What a dumb article.. I am not an expert on anything but there is no sense or logic in this.
So you have to make everything about caste!!! Does anyone really care about the caste and religion of their favourite influencer. I didn’t expect such a stupid article from the Print.And these sort of articles are republished in New York times. Don’t make everything about caste. The fact is you don’t have any idea about casteism. Don’t try to create disharmony. It is all about content, if people like your content they will follow you if they don’t it they just won’t ,irrespective of your caste and creed.Does that mean being an upper caste you can be a popular influencer?
And I dislike your article because of it’s stupid illogical content, I didn’t even check your name caste etc….
Print as always showing why they are treated as “Garbage” with lots of sophistries. Playing victim card and letting dalits down they are every where they are growing and you need to grow also and see all these .No one is stopping anyone band kro “Ramdi rona ” .i want to know who wrote this BTW
There should be a reservation policy at The Print – 49.5% of the articles published should be from non forward castes and even the comments section should also have reservation.
Jai Meme
hahaha Correct!
Didn’t expect such a low level content from the print. I have been an avid reader and used the print as a reliable source of information but this is baseless, illogical allegation. Please don’t repeat such stupidity.
There are so many issues for criticizing Reels Instagram and other Social media platforms
But this is Hilarious
I never seen any friends or person who Check Caste Before/After Liking or Viewing any Reels or other Videos
You need a Vacation bro
Your father is now wishing for Vermas minus Anurag.. what pathetic hogwash.
I thought you offended me only but looking upon to the comments i feel happy that i am not the onky one. How one can be this fool. Please for the sake of this company don’t approve these kinds of articles.
Disclaimer: I reveal myself despite a possibility I may be mocked. That, in any case is not new to me. I am not writing in support of “upper caste” privileges. I am born a brahmin. I was a soldier by profession for 37 years since age 15. At 52 years, I left the Army and became an entrepreneur, establishing a MSME. I drive my car and we have had no help at home for a long time. You decide where you want to caste me!
Let us assume for a minute that all this the article says is true. Now what? History is not only about the past; it is also about the present and the future. I will also state here that in the boarding school, run by Jesuits, I attended , I was also mocked at, being the only brahmin. – like the derogatory “n” word for blacks in the USA there is a derogatory “p” word for brahmins in Kerala. When I joined training in the Army at 15, I was a faceless “thampi” and a “Kaalu”. So much for mockery. I am none the worse for all those jibes; All those rascals are now my bosom mates; performance is the key.
I know many upper caste individuals who are employed as house helps including housemaids, drivers, security guards, waiters in restaurants etc., if you imply that as demeaning – I do not. Except in some villages in the hinterland of the country the discrimination, especially in metros, cities and towns is more about having skill sets, performance, and economic status.
Nobody gives jobs to anybody based on caste any more. Competence and performance are the key. We have to introspect as to how much have reservations worked in this area. An alternative is empowerment by equipping all with education and/or skill sets. Besides affording opportunities to the underprivileged with the conventional education, those who can’t make it should be equipped with job giving skill sets. If each person has a unique identity, he/she can register his/her skill with a localized “central” database and authorization can be given to practice their skills such as electrician, plumber, carpenter or whatever – much like it is given to engineers, lawyers, doctors and the like. Some are already doing this in the private sector. Repeated monologues (believe me, I have been seeing them for decades now; reading this piece gives me a déjà vu) on the underprivileged or increasing reservations bereft of widespread benefits is counterproductive. The economically privileged society at large also has an important role to play.
Tail piece: Instagram and social media is the least of the problems. EVERYBODY HAS A BOSS. Let us get real.
Since your lack understanding of caste and whatever shit your have written is from an casteist perspective rather than an intellectual arguments. Your understanding at best is shallow and must be ignored
But we can all admit that this is just another wokke article, which is creating castism out of nothing. Also somehow this article managed to show Indic art as ugly and unappealing. Probably no-one at the instagram offices think that way.
Also by constantly hating the once privilaged class You are creating a feeling of hatred within them too.
You better learn English first before hurling you wokeness onto others!
The liberals and conservatives can agree on one thing. This article is complete bs. The print, unless you want to really become a caricature of over the top “woke” media getting offended at a blink, post real news with credible sources. Seriously does no one approve articles before posting here?
You are narrow minded author. No one get to notice such stupid things everywhere. go get some brain man. This article is totally dumb shame on your poor mentality.
You are narrow minded author. No one get to notice such stupid things everywhere. go get some brain man.? This article is totally dumb shame on your poor mentality.
Most garbage article read on The Print so far. Common guys you have a standard! That’s why I used to read this website. But given that you have time to crib about a feature of a social media platform and find casteism their, its time to say Ciao!
Kuch bhi. News mil nahi rahe. Danga karwa nahi paa rahe to kahin se bhi jugad kar rahe ho.
The article refers to authors brain capabilities and in no way the author understands how complex Instagram is and for it to consider something caste for their development c and prioritize something like that. Real same The Print published this article.
Anurag Minus Brains should be your name.
This is probably most illogical article I came across. The writer is probably drunk or has permanently lost is ability to think.
You are pathetic as a writer and also as a human.
Serisuly a waste of time , the writer mind set is regressive, ols and archaic who thinks that dalits are poor and they cannot express thensleves like all other classes.
Complete waste, pathetic.
I love print only bcs shekhar sir, otherwise it is a cringe media portal. I come from shudra background and a lower caste person.i can tell u 100 names who are shudra and famous in reels.your article talking about privalge but doesn’t define it and also there is not a single data backing by this stupid guy .if that’s your criteria for writing then i am also a lower caste person and can write a beautiful article ,give me a chance and i can assure you my feed back is not gonna that bad
I am not against any caste or religion personally but after reading this I seriously felt that tomorrow there’s going to be an article saying “SAVARNA” Are getting good air and more oxygen then “DALITS”. Please guys if you want to abolish this caste system completely from our country stop making everything about your caste. I am sorry for what happened 200 years ago or still happening with so called ” Dalit” It was very shameful to do those acts . But that doesn’t mean you can make everything about casteism because it will only deepen the gap between those so called communities, and the reason will be writers like you.
Seriously, i could never thought that reels can make you think like this….. I mean i know casteism still exist in india and it’s a bitter truth but not everything is about caste and religion….. And to be honest this whole platform of reels or takatak etc. Etc. Is a cringe….
Matlab kuch bhi…gadho ki kami nhi hai theprint or the wire jaise media houses me.
Stop bickering about everything under the sun…hutiye
Pls Don’t waste time reading this article, absolute crap.
Worst article ever read on the print. How can the writer be so negative. These kind of articles are actually responsible for promoting castism and religious bias in the country. Though any kind of bias behaviour is to be fought for, we need equality and all. But writing something irresponsibly promotes inequality. You are not solving a problem, you are creating a new one.
Liberals are same throughout the world; in America, everything and everyone is racist; in India, it’s casteist. They just need something to blame for their own mediocrity!
Is that some sort of too ‘Dalit’ joke that I am too ‘Savarna’ to understand ; )
Pathetic article
Most uninformed and illogical article. Not a single argument is supported by an example, so we’re apparently just supposed to take their word at face value. Plus, where is the casteism in this whole scenario? Videos with maximum reach get greater reach in turn; that’s just how insta algorithm works. What would you like on insta- reservation for certain castes? Wake up.and smell the nonsense, please.
Abey yaar mood kharab kardiya is bhadwe ne. Where do you get this logic dude! I mean Indian liberals are not only dumb they are stupid as a donkey and clearly I can see that the article has not well received by the audience. Get a life man, there are already huge number to fake organisation trying to misuse our SC/ST code, u wouldn’t find a spot. Happy stupidity btw
Matlab kuch bhi.
I used to laugh when some wokes in usa says maths and physics are racist but now this.
I guess some people need to really evolve from their stone age mentality.
Matlab kuch bhi, what kind of idiocy nowadays calling as journalism.
I used to laugh when some wokes in usa says maths and physics are racist but now this.
I guess some people need to really evolve from their stone age mentality.
And you’d think that it’s a news to the author that he will be bashed for calling you out but I am sure he is not. He knew. He knows. We all know that you don’t want to talk about caste. You just want to silently practice casteism.
The author sees caste in everything because it is everywhere. And what he’s facing here, is what the dalit content creators are facing on Instagram (and everywhere) for creating content. You comments are the live example of your everyday attitude and a solid proof of the facts that he has mentioned in his article.
On one end he claims banning Tiktok led to marginalised creators to lose their livelihoods, and now he claims instagram reels is the home to Savarnas? I have to be the one to ask now, Kuch bhi??
Shut up. The only thing needed to be famous on Instagram is a good face, and if people of some caste don’t have it, it’s your personal problem, saying this as an OBC myself. Chalo jao whine karo kahi aur jaake. Kuch bhi ?
you people will never grow dude keep supporting such rubbish posts jisse valid argument ko vi log ignore krenge ya criticize, if you are not gonna be part of changing society pls don’t stoop to such level of IQ that your whole so-called justice won’t prevail
First I thought it’s a joke. Then I realised print is competing against Zee tv and the wire. Also look at the audacity of print. Even after this article they are asking for donations for fail journalism.
Great article !!!!
This guy should be made the Associate Professor at Harvard !!!
Indian Media and the way they cry for attention has brought a new level of shame. Kudos to Print my @!ick media.
This article is more dangerous then any disease..
This article is more dangerous then any disease.. And trust me i am a dalit saying this.
I dont find a pinch of logic in your article
Thank you for writing this 🙂 very well researched
Worst piece of bullshit to ever grace the internet.
I know the standards of The print are low. But this is a complete no logic article even by The Print’s standards.
Sadly the author is now jerking off tho all the views that he/she is getting fully aware of the fact that he is just sub-par with his writing ability and and had to use cheap tricks like this to get view. Complete piece of trash.
Nashe karke article likha h author ne
Calling myself a liberal seems to be idiotic now because of the level we’ve stooped to. How much privileged and simultaneously dumb one has to be to think there’s casteism in Instagram reels. I read it till the end with the hope that it’s a satire, please grow up use your brain a little and stop spewing so much hate in everything. It is just going to devide people more and maybe this is what you want because rozi roti to aise hi chalegi na..logk ko ullu bna kr.
Stop instilling this victimizing mentality in people for God’s sake !!
And yeah I am a ‘Sawarna’ so maybe you’ll call my views biased because why not….let us divide everyone by caste and religion and assign groups based on how much ‘oppressed’ everyone is and if our opinion matters or not.
Anurag minus verma spitting facts like nothing, it’s pity on them who thinks he’s unnecessarily bringing caste into this topic, just needs some braincells and humility to accept the truth. MORE POWER TO HIM.
Where is that solid proof? And please know a lot of Tiktokers come from Dalit and Muslim families and yet they have made their name. And where is casteism practiced silently? In Reels, whose algorithm is made by foreign company and whose audience is largely from less well to do sections of India. And the math is simple : videos getting lots of views get more views. Why don’t you write a letter to Mark asking for a cringe reservation? I am saying cringe reservation not Dalit reservation because large number of Dalit, Muslim Tiktokers doing well without it.
Asli account se aao writer
Lmao. What a fun read. Please write more such articles would love to read more like these. I was smiling throughout the article. I think you’d be a good comedian. Ever thought of trying standup?
Is this even an actual article?
What the actual fuck are you nitwits even trying to prove here?
Not Being a Non-savarna is a crime today….. Absolute bullshit…. Please don’t ever publish this kind diarrhea on any platform ever!
Why you always assume that dalit are poor, not good looking , can not have good clothes ??
It is truth that even today the most of the labour work is done by lower caste . There is still discrimination and casteism . But it does not mean that swarna are not poor, they are not labour and it also does not means lower caste people are not at higher position .
Do you know tina dabi? She belongs from lower caste and please do check her follower on Instagram and her id is verified too. Her parents were at good position in their respective jobs .I have been friend to many of schedule caste category person and many of them are living a decent life . This article is not realistic. Stop writing shit.
NCB should raid your house to find out what you are smoking….saste nashe
This was the most absurd article I came across for the first time on ‘the print’. They really went on to publish this without a second glance. This author so dillusioned as not to be able to have the slightest bit of objectivity in what they see and say. Nobody is going to buy this crap!
It seems the word you wanted to use was “economic classism” rather than casteism.
Indian liberals = stupid