By Evonne Hoi
Fynn Jamal, a local-born singer, made statements on the 29th of June via a series of Instagram stories, proclaiming that women ignite male lust through the use of face filters by posing provocatively, in addition to also claiming that victim-blaming and the hashtag of 'MeToo' were just 'Western concepts'. Fynn's statements were opposed by different views, such as the one presented by Twitter user Zahirah Husna who disagreed with the idea that women who use face filters indirectly contribute to them becoming rape victims.
Fynn suggested that women who use face filters and post these selfies could provoke men into committing sexual assault. Lust is an intense desire that comes from people's thoughts; thus, when it leads to an act of crime, the culprit is entirely at fault. StandUp Malaysia believes that it is inaccurate to say that lust is 'ignited' by external factors, especially for something so trivial like the usage of face filters. Face filters are commonly used by the public when taking photos or selfies to have innocent fun with oneself and/or with friends. There is no relation and connection between acts of crime and the usage of face filters. Therefore, Fynn's statements that suggest the use of face filters as an act of provocation for men to commit crimes further perpetuates the toxic mindset of victim-blaming in which communities, particularly women rights’ groups, have been trying to dispel for the past several decades.
Fynn, who was responding to an Instagram user's comments on educating followers on the issue of rape, also said in her reply that victim-blaming was a Western concept along with the #MeToo movement. Victim-blaming is when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. This concept is opposed by a social and personality psychologist, Roy Baumeister, who submitted that it was contrary to the typical explanation of violence and cruelty. Truth in part, nobody needs to be a certified psychologist to understand that the crime of sexual and gender-based violence is fully the fault of the perpetrator alone. Therefore, her statement that this was merely a 'Western concept' is unreasonable. #MeToo is a movement against sexual harassment and sexual abuse that is intended to empower women through empathy and solidarity through strength in numbers, especially among young and vulnerable women, by visibly demonstrating how many women have survived sexual assault and harassment. This movement continues to encourage and support women who were victims of sexual crimes. It should also be supported by general members of the public all around the world. However, as an influencer of sorts, Fynn does not promote this movement, instead claiming that this movement was just a 'Western concept,' which shows a failure to act responsibly as a public figure.
Adding to the point, she criticized women who posed provocatively for pictures on social media and stated that these kinds of photos can impact other women could potentially be targeted for rape. Social media is a medium to express oneself freely and this freedom should not be restricted just because someone thinks it is ‘provocative’, unless it does pose a real danger to the online community like inciting hate speech upon communities. Moreover, she submitted that the photos of women who pose daringly would affect innocent women by becoming potential victims of crime – this is absurd. As explained previously, the act of committing a crime is entirely of the volition of the perpetrators. Therefore, the ‘provocative’ posing in photos would not have any effect on increasing any potential for a woman to be a victim of rape. This is also a detriment to the gender equality movement as it further enhances the traditional misogynistic idea that women are to be held accountable for something that is not their fault, which creates the double standard and obvious divide of power between genders.
I am of the opinion that Fynn's statement was unreasonable and without concrete evidence as there is no significant relationship between the use of face filters and the poses of women with acts of crime. Let's amplify our voices in fighting against sexual and gender-based violence and understand the negative impacts of victim-blaming. In short, I hope that she understands the influential power she wields on her platform as it can form and/or change narratives among our local communities, especially the younger generation.
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