Prejudice against someone based on something as trivial as appearance is truly abhorrent behavior, but unfortunately, social media has given people a platform to be mean to each other while benefiting from relative anonymity.
Melissa Blake knows this only too well. A writer, she was told by online t-r.o.l.l.s that she was “too ugly” to post photos of herself.
Instagram/melissablake81
Needless to say, Melissa was hurt by the comments that followed after she wrote an article for CNN in 2019.
When the article went live, a YouTuber shared a photo of her, only for hundreds of people to then attack her appearance. Melissa, who suffers from Freeman-Sheldon syndrome – a disorder characterized by abnormalities of the head and face and defects of the hands and feet – was labeled a ‘blobfish’ and a ‘whale’, amongst other things.
Rather than let the sick t-r.o.l.l.s b.u.l.l.y her into depression, however, she decided to make a stand in a truly special way.
Melissa posted on Twitter: “During the last round of t-r.o.l.l.g.a.t.e, people said that I should be banned from posting photos of myself because I’m too ugly. So I’d just like to commemorate the occasion with these 3 selfies …“
This specific tweet received a lot of attention online, with people flooding to Melissa’s defense. But the author wasn’t finished there. No, after she was told she was so ugly she should be “banned” for taking selfies, Melissa went on to post a selfie every day for a year.
As a result, her following on Instagram increased from 7,500 to 100,000. In addition to the photos she posted every day, Melissa, 39, also addressed topics such as disabilities.
According to Refinery29, she said: “There was one thing they all had in common: Each selfie truly reflected my personality and who I was. Each was a celebration, and each carried a message.”
Instagram/melissablake81
She continued:
“It’s a way of taking back my power and painting a more accurate picture of disability. Because of the one we have now? It’s more 1950 than 2020 — full of misconceptions that often only show disabled people as drains on society. On the contrary, we lead full lives and I’m so proud that I was able to show that for an entire year.”
Instagram/melissablake81
I don’t know about you, but I’m immensely proud of Melissa and the courage she’s shown in rising above the revolting t-r.o.l.l.s who sought to put her down for a cheap laugh.
Melissa, I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but if you do I want to say thank you. Thank you for inspiring others to ignore b.u.l.l.i.e.s with nothing better to do than put down others. Thank you for showing us that beauty is only skin deep. Thank you for being you!
