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KJ Apa has spoken out after being accused by a comedian of being “so silent” about anti-racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Riverdale star said he doesn’t feel the need to share all his opinions on social media, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less true to him.
Comedian and YouTuber Elijah Daniel questioned Apa’s perceived lack of involvement earlier this month on Twitter.
Referring to Apa’s role in The Hate U Give, the 2018 film adaptation of a bestselling Young Adult novel about racism and police brutality, Daniel wrote: “I love that movie but I do have a question, completely unrelated to the beef I formerly had with him, if KJ was the co-star of that movie why is he so silent? He has such a massive young audience and got paid to be in a movie about police brutality and … posted a black square?”
Apa responded in a recent tweet, telling Daniel: ”I don’t need to post about my opinions and beliefs in order for them to be real to me. I support black lives – but I don’t feel it’s necessary to prove to people I do by posting my attendance at these protests.”
On 2 June, Apa, like many Instagram users, posted a black tile on his Instagram account. The gesture was meant to express support for Black Lives Matter, and for anti-racism in general.
He has also recently shared on his Instagram Story a video of Tupac Shakur delivering a powerful speech during the 1993 Indiana Black Expo.
Nonetheless, while some supported Apa’s approach, others felt he was missing out on an opportunity to support the movement through his platform.
Apa has 18.3 million followers on Instagram and 2.1 million followers on Twitter.
“Posting on social media is not to ‘prove’ anything. It’s to spread awareness and give resources to your followers to help,” one person wrote in response to Apa’s message. ”With someone that has such a big platform, one would think to use it to make a difference.”
“I hope you realise that ‘I don’t need to post about my opinions and beliefs in order for them to be real to me’ just shows how privileged you really are,” another person tweeted in part.
Instagram’s top executive says the company will review its harassment and verification policies, as well as how the app recommends content, in an effort to “elevate Black voices” on its platform.
In a statement, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri promised to address inequities in how the company approaches harassment, verification, content distribution and algorithmic bias. He didn’t offer specifics, noting that “this work is going to take some time,” but the issues reflect a range of widespread complaints about the photo sharing app, particularly from Black users.
“The irony that we’re a platform that stands for elevating Black voices, but at the same time Black people are often harassed, afraid of being ‘shadowbanned’, and disagree with many content takedowns, is not lost on me,” Mosseri wrote.
On harassment, Mosseri said Instagram would look at “specific safety issues” affecting Black users and the “need to address potential gaps in how our products and policies protect people from those issues.” He didn’t elaborate on the issues or any specific policy updates that might be considered.
On verification, he said Instagram would take steps to make the process more “inclusive.” “We’re looking into our current verification criteria and will make changes to ensure it’s as inclusive as possible,” Mosseri wrote. Instagram’s verification process has long been a source of frustration for many users. Though the company allows users to “request” verification in its app, the company is known for being stingy with blue checks, making the process susceptible to scammers and opportunists.
Mosseri also promised to address complaints from Black creators who say the app discriminates against them and their content. This includes potential algorithmic bias, and claims of “shadowbanning,” a widely held belief that Instagram stealthily reduces the visibility of some users’ posts for real or perceived infractions. The company has consistently denied that it “shadowbans,” and now says it will further clarify how content is surfaced in Explore and hashtag pages.
We’ll review how content is filtered on Explore and Hashtag pages to understand where there may be vulnerability to bias. On top of that, we need to be clearer about how decisions are made when it comes to how people’s posts get distributed. Over the years we’ve heard these concerns sometimes described across social media as “shadowbanning” – filtering people without transparency, and limiting their reach as a result. Soon we’ll be releasing more information about the types of content we avoid recommending on Explore and other places.
Instagram’s update comes as Facebook has also promised to “review” a number of its policies, following an employee backlash over Mark Zuckerberg’s handling of posts from Donald Trump. Though Zuckerberg has also been light on specifics so far, he has pledged more transparency in the company’s decision-making princess and how the social network handles “threats of state use of force.”
Reality television star Larsa Pippen shared a sexy selfie with her 1.9 million Instagram followers in which she showed off her curvaceous figure in a casual ensemble. Though she didn’t include a geotag on the post, Larsa took the picture at her home, in a spot where she has taken many selfies before. Her bed and a large area rug were visible in the distance, as well as a flat-screen television mounted on the wall. The space was filled with natural light, courtesy of a large set of sliding glass doors opening onto a balcony area.
Larsa’s enviable figure remained the focal point of the snap as she captured the shot. She rocked an oversized cropped beige sweatshirt from the brand PrettyLittleThing, who she made sure to tag in the picture itself as well as in the caption of the post. The loose-fitting sweatshirt draped over her upper body, not revealing much of her curves, but the cropped length meant that some of her flat stomach was on display.
She paired the oversized top with some scandalously tiny Daisy Dukes. The shorts were slightly high-waisted, accentuating Larsa’s hourglass physique, and had a distressed hem. The hem didn’t even manage to cover all of Larsa’s sculpted rear, and a portion of her backside as well as her toned thighs were on display in the look. The shorts were so skimpy that the pockets were visible, extending past the hem of the Daisy Dukes down the top of her thigh.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBdtdcIjgGH/
Larsa held a purse in one hand while she clutched her cell phone in the other to take the selfie. Her long locks cascaded down her back in a sleek style, and her beauty look was glamorous. She had what looked like bronzed eyeshadow tones on her eyes paired with long lashes, and a nude hue on her plump lips.
Larsa’s followers couldn’t get enough of the smoking-hot update, and the post received over 12,100 likes within one hour. The post also received 202 comments within the same time span.
“You are just flawless,” one fan commented.
“You are very, very stylish and beautiful,” another fan wrote, followed by a string of heart emoji.
“How is it possible you’re 45 lol,” one fan commented, captivated by Larsa’s ageless beauty.
“Beautiful aura, energy and shorts of course,” a fourth fan remarked, referencing Larsa’s caption.
Just yesterday, as The Inquisitr reported, Larsa tantalized her followers with a snap in which she hit the beach in an animal-print bikini. She didn’t mention when the photo was taken, but her hair was styled in long braids that clung tightly to her scalp before tumbling down her chest and back.
It’s been nearly five months since Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a California helicopter crash. And the loss understandably remains immeasurable for Kobe’s widow, Vanessa, and the rest of the Bryant family.
For Vanessa, it has been impossible to even go on social media without being faced with the constant reminders of Kobe’s and Gianna’s deaths. So, on Sunday, Vanessa explained that she had taken the steps to block Kobe Bryant fan accounts on Instagram in an effort to change the app’s algorithm.
She posted the explanation in an Instagram Story, thanking the pages for their support but adding that she did so for her own healing process.
Natalia Bryant and I have unfortunately had to block fan pages because it’s been really hard to go online and constantly see pics of our beloved Gigi and Kobe under every single square of our explore pages. Blocking the fan pages has helped change the algorithm.
According to the Yeezy Mafia, a “Yecher” style of the Kanye West-designed sneaker is releasing sometime in November. An early look has yet to leak but mock-up imagery reveals a new pattern on the breathable Primeknit upper that’s decorated in a predominately light and dark brown color scheme separated between a blue stripe across the lateral side, tan sock liner, which sits atop a light brown Boost midsole and rubber outsole.
The style is slated to launch in November and will likely be available on Adidas.com/Yeezy as well as at select Adidas Yeezy retailers for $220 but that information hasn’t been confirmed by the Three Stripes.\
The “Yecher” Yeezy Boost 350 V2 is expected to join three new Yeezy Boost 380 styles arriving during the fall season including two glow-in-the-dark “Hylte Glow” and “Calcite Glow” makeups and the “Pepper” colorway. The pairs will retail for $230 each.
Fitness model Qimmah Russo posted a new photo series to popular social media platform Instagram on Sunday, June 14. The snaps featured the model in a workout outfit and teased her braless chest.
Qimmah was photographed for the photo shoot in a light-pink crop-top and darker pink leggings. The tank top cut off just below the model’s rib cage, showing off her trim and toned abdomen. The loose-fitting material teased the model’s braless chest while the top also left her sculpted arms on display. On her lower half, the leggings rose to just beneath the model’s belly button, showing off a glitzy piercing. The design included small holes beginning mid-thigh and wrapping around the lower thighs, knees, and calves. The leggings clung to Qimmah’s sculpted lower half, highlighting her shapely backside and strong quad muscles.
The fitness trainer completed the look with pink and white manicured nails while wearing a platinum blond wig that was left flowing loose down her shoulders and back from a side part. Qimmah also appeared to have made up her face with thick, black lashes, black eyeliner, and pink lip gloss.
The photo shoot appeared to have taken place in the lobby of a building. Qimmah posed in front of a raised indoor garden bed filled with a variety of green plants. She leaned against a white wall while posing for the snaps. The photo set included a total of five individual snaps.
In the first photo, Qimmah was captured with her hip popped to the side as she leaned back against the wall and flashed a bright-white smile off towards a distant point beyond the camera. The second photo featured the model’s busty booty as she was photographed from the side and pushed her backside out behind her. In the third photo, Qimmah pushed out her chest while bending one leg and popping her booty out to the side.
The fourth photo featured the fitness trainer from the front angle again. She left her lips slightly parted and gazed towards the camera. In the final photo of the series, Qimmah was once again photographed from behind, letting her wavy tresses flow down her back to her backside.
In the caption of the post, Qimmah wished her followers a Happy Sunday and told them that her favorite part of the week is Monday. The photo set earned just over 20,000 likes and a couple hundred comments within the first several hours of appearing on the social media site.
“You’re the definition of perfect,” one Instagram user complimented the model in the comments section of the post.
How To Create Highly Engaging Content On Instagram
Mirko Scarcella
Photo:GETTY
Creating “viral” content on Instagram can result in a huge surge of new followers and ultimately potential sales. But what exactly does it mean to “go viral” on Instagram? And what can you do to increase your chances of doing it yourself?
Ultimately, viral Instagram content refers to posts that generate significantly more engagement than a normal post would. In my experience as the president of a social media marketing company, you’ll know an Instagram post has gone viral when it has over 100,000 likes, views and comments and it’s been posted from an account that initially had only a couple thousand (or fewer) followers.
The virality of content essentially means that a post has generated enough attention for people to want to share it with others, thus circulating it farther and wider. Instagram users might like, comment on and share these types of posts on their own pages, too.
Why should you aim to create highly engaging, sharable content on Instagram?
There are plenty of reasons to put all your effort into creating an impactful post. A single successful post can significantly boost your Instagram followers count. When users come across a post they like, identify with or appreciate, they often follow the founding account. Gaining more followers is a great way to connect with a larger pool of people.
Additionally, it’s a relatively affordable way to market your brand, compared to target ads and influencer marketing. I’ve found that a higher number of followers also generally increases an account’s ability to generate higher conversions. This can be done either by directing a larger number of people to your website or blog, whereby they’ll be introduced to your product or service. Or, by selling directly to your wider audience on Instagram.
Any business, large or small, with an Instagram account should be taking steps toward creating content that captures an audience’s attention for these reasons.
How To Get Started
Not all Instagram posts will be a hit. Some are great successes by accident, while others simply miss the mark. Although whether a post will ultimately be shared resides largely in the hands of the wider Instagram community, there are still a few things an account holder can do to help the process along:
1. Find inspiration from Instagram itself. Turn to the “Explore” tab to discover current trends in your niche. It’s likely that this type of content is what’s catching the eye of your target audience. Once you have a better appreciation for what’s already popular, begin to think about your own post.
2. Know your audience and call to their emotions. Knowing your audience means you’ll understand their preferences, dislikes, fears and motivations. In other words, you’ll already know precisely what type of content is likely to resonate with them. Posts are widely shared because viewers aren’t indifferent to them. They have a connection or emotion related to the content that compels them to engage with it.
3. Incorporate humor when appropriate. It’s no secret that highly engaging content on Instagram is often humorous. Regardless of your industry, niche, product or service, there is usually always scope to be funny. If your underlying message appeals to people at the same time as making them chuckle, it will more than likely resonate with them and drive them to share the content.
4. Be unique and original, and keep content useful and actionable. Content that’s been circulating the web since the ’90s is unlikely to pique your audience’s interest today. Fresh, new angles can greatly influence the success of your post. Take this opportunity to help others and propel the content’s sharability. Offer a promo code or discount for shares and reposts to keep it going.
5. Post regularly. The frequency in which you post content is key to generating content that resonates with your followers on Instagram. According to Hootsuite, depending on certain metrics — such as if your content is timely and reflects what your audience has found interesting in the past — Instagram will show your post to your followers. The more your posts relate to your target audience, the more people who will see what you share. Therefore, creating impactful content begins way before the actual content is created. You must first build an active and engaged follower base to adhere to Instagram’s algorithm.
To help with this, you can consider using online planning tools that plan your posts and stories, add links to your Instagram bio, repost content from other accounts and tag people to your content.
In conclusion, while you can’t guarantee every post your business shares on Instagram will be a home run, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of creating engaging, sharable and “viral” content that resonates with your target audience.
The man’s girlfriend posted about the dramatic incident on Twitter, writing, “How fun Hannah Brown saved my boyfriend from drowning in the Ocoee River today.
The woman continued, “She was on the river with us our raft flipped and her and her family were on the trip with us she ended up pulling my bf onto their raft after the current took him. I didn’t know who she was but her mom said she had just won DWTS and that she was the bachelorette!”
When a commenter suggested that the former reality TV star’s kickboxing sessions have “helped her strength to pull a grown man back on the raft,” the woman replied, “She is strong!!” and added, “She and her family were so nice! Her momma was so proud of her baby girl I loved it.”
She was on the river with us our raft flipped and her and her family were on the trip with us she ended up pulling my bf onto their raft after the current took him. I didn’t know who she was but her mom said she had just won DWTS and that she was the bachelorette!
Brown’s brother, Patrick Brown, shared two photos on Instagram from their day on the water, writing, “Took on the rapids with the fam jam! I got to relive my lifeguard days and Hannah thinks she’s apart of the Coast Guard now… #rescuemission.”
A post shared by Patrick Brown (@patrickbrown81) on Jun 13, 2020 at 1:23pm PDT
The family outing came two weeks after Hannah, 25, spoke out in an emotional Instagram Live about the lessons she’s learned since sparking controversy for using the N-word.
The Dancing With the Stars champ admitted she was drunk when she uttered the racial slur while trying to remember the TikTok dance moves to DaBaby’s “Rockstar” during an Instagram Live on May 16.
In her Instagram Live on May 30, she revealed she’d hired an “educator” and said she doesn’t want “to be an ignorant white girl who uses the N-word.”
“I have learned that there are things that I cannot say,” she added. “There is so much more historical context that I didn’t know that makes it so much more inappropriate.”
Brown admitted that what she has learned amid the controversy has “changed” her life, saying, “I will keep doing whatever I can to learn more and support the solution in all this.”
© Shutterstock Hannah Brown attends 2019 E! People’s Choice Awards on November 10, 2019 in Santa Monica, California.