Socality Barbie and hipster instagram fundies

[Marian the Librarian]

I wonder if the big Socality events are paying the bills.

According to Socality's website,

Socality has a leadership team and community leaders comprised of volunteers. Currently, we have no official staff members and/or payroll. Everyone that serves is on a complete volunteer basis.

So one assumes the bills are being paid another way...

[nastyhobbitses]

Yep. I've pretty much decided that anyone who feels the need to advertise that they are "living authentically" is not, in fact, living authentically at all.

It's like being a lady or being powerful: if you have to say you are, you aren't.

[Jenesis]

Barbie Doll posing is a thing!

Look at these if you dare, not for the faint of heart, and not kids material.. I saw these awhile back http://www.lionsdenu.com/100-incredibly ... l-gallery/

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

According to Socality's website,

So one assumes the bills are being paid another way...

I thought I cleared that up in a previous post. He does video editing stuff, still has a thing with his brother too I think.

I also find SocalityBarbie somewhat amusing, but I have to feel at least a little insulted on behalf of my friends ; ). I heard the photographer running that IG is a Christian in the pnw who got all pissy that a bunch of amateur iPhone photographers were taking lovely pictures and gaining high numbers of followers. She's a profeshunal and had locally/publicly whined that she wasn't getting deserved recognition. Take that as you may.

[salex]

Not going into their "philosophy" if they have one, after seeing this people.com/article/socality-hipster-barbie-instagram bit, I had to wonder, what exactly is the difference between Socality Barbie and God's Daughter, Raquel?

[uber frau]

Not much. Sociality Barbie is a little more subtle,that's all.

[FoxyMoxie]

Not quite what Socality Barbie is doing (but I still love it) but I love it when conservative hipster Christians get called out on things like marriage equality and reproductive choice. So tiiiired of evangelicals acting like a nice Instagram filter and plaid makes everything ok.

[GenerationCedarchip]

Not much. Sociality Barbie is a little more subtle,that's all.

I have to admit that I find some of Socality Barbie amusing. I also find it funny that folks who stumble across the SB account are then finding their way to socality and joining up.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

I have to admit that I find some of Socality Barbie amusing. I also find it funny that folks who stumble across the SB account are then finding their way to socality and joining up.

Not what she had in mind, I'd wager ;-)

[GodsKnickers]

All I got out of that rant was "You are all mean poopieheads."

[love2scrap]

I also find SocalityBarbie somewhat amusing, but I have to feel at least a little insulted on behalf of my friends ; ). I heard the photographer running that IG is a Christian in the pnw who got all pissy that a bunch of amateur iPhone photographers were taking lovely pictures and gaining high numbers of followers. She's a profeshunal and had locally/publicly whined that she wasn't getting deserved recognition. Take that as you may.

Babycakes, we have no knowledge of who the photographer running the account is. In all the interviews Socality Barbie ig account owner has done, i dont think she has removed her anonymity, which is something an attention seeker would do IMO.

Also, putting aside barbie, Esther Leclerc's defense of socality's authenticity cry was weak. Mainstream media is not calling her and other socalipeeps out on their inauthenticity. They are merely highlighting a snark instagram account who has made lots of people laugh, cringe, and take a reality check of their social media lives (me included). It's the common non-special snowflake people like those on freejinger who look at socality, say "wait a minute... THAT'S authenticity?" --- we are the ones calling them out on the facade we see.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

Babycakes, we have no knowledge of who the photographer running the account is. In all the interviews Socality Barbie ig account owner has done, i dont think she has removed her anonymity, which is something an attention seeker would do IMO.

Im not saying it's gospel. I agree that it seems incongruous, but it is what I've been told by people who have no reason to lie to me. While she has not gone public, folks in her local church circle(s) allegedly know who she is.

[OnAndOnAnon]

As I sit here sipping my direct trade, artisan coffee from a local shop I think of the irony of who is now behind this plastic doll - pushing her to the top of our news feeds and excitedly pointing their finger at a so-called “inauthentic†subculture.

I'm posting part of a quote from Esther Leclerc's blog post that love2scrap posted earlier. Is she serious? (Esther, not love2scrap) Is she really wondering why people would make fun of her? Because I am thinking that possibly, just possibly, finding it necessary to point out that the coffee you are sipping is direct trade, artisan coffee from a local shop just might be a teensy bit ... pretentious? But what do I know? I just drink generic cold vanilla coffee from the carton of my local grocery store. I even have to settle for crushed ice from my icemaker - I imagine Esther uses ice made from glaciers or something like that.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

I'm posting part of a quote from Esther Leclerc's blog post that love2scrap posted earlier. Is she serious? (Esther, not love2scrap) Is she really wondering why people would make fun of her? Because I am thinking that possibly, just possibly, finding it necessary to point out that the coffee you are sipping is direct trade, artisan coffee from a local shop just might be a teensy bit ... pretentious? But what do I know? I just drink generic cold vanilla coffee from the carton of my local grocery store. I even have to settle for crushed ice from my icemaker - I imagine Esther uses ice made from glaciers or something like that.

I think she was trying to be funny/poke fun at herself ;-)

[formergothardite]

Sorry, lol, but it's not very exciting. We're friends in real life. The last time they were here, socality was still really new, they hadn't had any events yet. We talked about it, Philip was super pumped. I get that they desire to bring people together and to evangelize in an accepting way, I just don't really understand how that's being accomplished. I don't know what they actually did at that big event they recently had.

I'll be honest I read about sociality and still can't figure it out, but it sounds like they are trying to tell people they will go to hell without Jesus except in a trendy way? Is that right? Hipsters for Jesus annoy me the most. And it sounds like she is taking this Barbie spoof a wee bit too personally.

[December]

Okay, good.. I'm not the only person who didn't realize Socality was something other than a reference to Southern California.

I think the Socality Barbie Instagram is hilarious as a parody of Instagram hipsters alone. I also know a few fundie-light hipsters who are obsessed with authentic everything. I still don't get how it ties into the religious aspects. At least from the hipster fundies I know, I guess it just makes their beliefs look more fashionable and appealing to people they're trying to convert or whatever... seems kinda inauthentic to me to sell Jesus through the guise of a trendy lifestyle aesthetic. But I'm not their target demographic.

Then again, fundie or not, I don't get how anyone has the time/money/energy to expend on the whole Instagram hipster lifestyle. Too much effort for imaginary internet points in my opinion :lol:

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

I'm the dumbest of all. Until now I've been reading it as "Sociality" and thought the Insta account was just a general spoof of Insta culture.

(But this is even more funny. ITA with everyone who said hipster fundie lites are the worst. These Socality folks would have fit in at Mark Driscoll's church.)

[MatthewDuggar]

I'm the dumbest of all. Until now I've been reading it as "Sociality" and thought the Insta account was just a general spoof of Insta culture.

Add me to the dumb list. I thought the same thing. Little did I know there was much more to it. How exactly do you pronounce "Socality"? I am saying So Kal ity - right or wrong?

[PopRox]

I'm the dumbest of all. Until now I've been reading it as "Sociality" and thought the Insta account was just a general spoof of Insta culture.

(But this is even more funny. ITA with everyone who said hipster fundie lites are the worst. These Socality folks would have fit in at Mark Driscoll's church.)

If it makes you feel any better, I read it as "sociality" too!

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

Add me to the dumb list. I thought the same thing. Little did I know there was much more to it. How exactly do you pronounce "Socality"? I am saying So Kal ity - right or wrong?

Right.

[formergothardite]

If it makes you feel any better, I read it as "sociality" too!

So did I. I think I finally figured it out after reading their website more.

Socality is committed to creating spaces of belonging online and turning these into real life interactions.

Basically they start social media accounts and shit like that and try to get people to meet up in real life. This is not a special snowflake idea.

Socality encourages others to use their social influence collectively to develop local communities that are connected globally.

It is like they are trying so hard to sound so deep. So they want people to use their social skills to develop local communities that then connect with people around the world. Again, this "socality" idea is not a unique one. Lots of people do this.

Socality connects and creates influencers for the message of the Gospel

It is a place for people who want to tell others that they are going to hell to meet up and create more people to tell others they are going to hell. It isn't like there are a lack of those sorts of groups in this world. :roll:

Socality equips people in their talents and mobilizes them outside the church walls to take their faith into action for community development and impact.

They are a bit vague about what they mean with this. I can't find an answer on their blog. I do see that people helped raise money to provide clean water to those who need it, but do they mean that people whose talents are fixing cars or building houses are equipped and helped to go assist those in their community who are in need of help? Or do they mean this in more of a witnessing aspect, which in my experience is what many religious groups mean when they say stuff like this. The first one is a good idea, the second one is a shit idea. The world does not need anymore hipsters for Jesus trying to convert souls.

Socality partners and highlights cause-based organizations and brands that are ethically sound and socially responsible.

Nothing wrong with encouraging people to buy ethically sound and socially responsible brands.

Socality, at the foundation, is about loving God, loving people and committing to the process

Hipsters for Jesus, the most annoying folks around, IMO. There seems to be more of them popping up in my area. They all go to churches with names like Experience, Engage, Harvest, Revolution, or Elevation. I had to unfriend some of these folks because their constant use of social media to try and save souls drove me insane. I didn't realize that annoying folks on social media was Socality, I just thought it was people being obnoxious for Jesus.

[Marian the Librarian]

They are a bit vague.

Exactly. It's old wine in new bottles. Socality reminds me of a couple of encounters I had back in my grad school/early career days. Campus Crusade for Christ reps cornered me with talk that was remarkably similar to the verbiage on Socality's website - lots of vagueness and dancing around the message, rather than a direct, honest acknowledgement of who they were and what they wanted. A few years later, I had a remarkably similar encounter with a couple affiliated with Amway, trying to recruit new members into their pyramid scheme. In both cases, the obfuscation and lack of transparency pushed my BS meter directly to "Tilt." :liar: :liar: :liar:

[formergothardite]

It seems like they are starting these "spaces of belonging online" not because there are a bunch of people who sort of like each other and want to hang out, but because they want to suck people in, make them feel like they belong, and then try and convert them. It is like the friend on FB who starts chatting, responding to and liking all your posts, and in the end it wasn't because they really like you or liked what you posted, but because they wanted to try and become closer friends so they could sell you something.

For all the talk on the Socality blog about being true to yourself and being authentic, it is pretty clear that what they really mean is that you should only be the version of yourself that THEY think is the right version. They don't want you to be true to yourself or be authentic if doing that means you are a Wiccan, atheist, Muslim, Hindu or any other religion. Socality wants people to change to fit the mold they have created that they think everyone should fit in.

[FoxyMoxie]

They are totally Jesus MLM pushers!

[Elegant Mess]

Now moving on to Socality Barbie. Although this parody instagram account was started 18 weeks ago, found rapid popularity, was covered by The Guardian, Daily Mail, Inquisitr and other news sites, and now has 1.3 million followers. Basically, a barbie doll doing all the fake-authentic hipster instagram poses but specifically sarcastic of the Socality peeps who luv Jesus and thus take a hundred photos of their coffee, sunlight filtering through the trees, and mountaintop poses in the mist.

Find her at instagram.com/socalitybarbie

Thank you for sharing this! I hadn't heard of Socality Barbie until seeing your post. This is hilarious! I've visited the part of Oregon where several of the photos are taken, which makes her account all the more amusing.