Elli AvrRam, the Swedish Greek actress and dancer who has worked mostly in Bollywood, was subjected to gruesome online trolling a few weeks ago when a spontaneous selfie with popular celebrity YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani went viral on social media. The innocent-looking selfie was trailed by an evil response of comments against AvrRam in the form of sexist “body count” jibes, a mocking put-down to shame women for their sex life or past relationships. The ferocity and velocity of the abuse online were shocking, showing how common cyberbullying is and how much mundane misogyny has a habit of spreading onto social media interactions. But, in a welcome turn of events, lots of her supporters and ordinary users online were quick to leap to her defense, clap back at the trolls, condemn the hate speech, and stand up for AvrRam’s freedom to post what she wished without being confronted by such foul personal invective.
The Offensive ‘Body Count’ Trend
The usage of “body count” as a slut-shaming and misogynistic online insult directed at women is a deep-seated culture of slut-shaming and misogyny. Here, Elli AvrRam’s innocent photo with fellow public face Ashish Chanchlani was used by a cluster of web users to make unworthy and uncouth comments regarding her personal life. This has been a disturbing social trend of shaming and policing women’s alleged sexual past based on unfounded rumor and innuendo. Social media platforms provide anonymity that encourages people to go on such toxic so freely with impunity, and a culture has been created where women, particularly those in public life, are constantly hassled for their looks, decisions, or boyfriend. The absence of accountability for these remarks remains a core issue in tackling online abuse.
Fans Unite Against Trolls
In a reassuring show of cyber solidarity, a vast majority of social media users rallied in support of Elli AvrRam immediately. Fans and concerned observers responded to the abusive posts by calling out the misogyny of the trolls, upholding that such personal abuse is not on and in order in cyber politics. Most of them criticized the double standards, pointing to how male celebrities barely ever suffer from the same kind of criticism or rude tagging. The outpour of support came in messages that condemned the “body count” shaming as retrograde and dismissive but called for other people to report the abusive posts. Such mass backlash reminds that while the internet is hating breeding grounds, it can be potential hate breeding grounds for mass action and solidarity and that empower victims and deter hate speech.
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A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
