#NoFilter: Ansel Elgort and Jerome Jarre Inspire Over 20,000 Ugly Selfies
Photo: Instagram
Social media—especially Instagram—is a playground for collaboration and inspiration, but it is also a Petri dish for envy-induced voyeurism. We all have that friend who is all about super-styled outfits, and beyond-flattering selfies in exotic locales. We may even be culpable of it ourselves. With filters angled poses, everyone wants to present their best self online. But The Fault in Our Stars star Ansel Elgort and his BFF Jerome Jarre, one of the first Vine and Snapchat-native celebrities, are urging their followers to change all that. How? With the #UglySelfieChallenge.
Related: Are You Pretty Enough?
Photo: Instagram
Yes, Elgort and Jarre may see your least flattering photos, but don’t worry—they did it first. On January 24th, Jarre posted a goofy photo of his face in a grotesque (but still adorable) contortion with the caption: “UGLY SELFIE COZ WE ALL CARE WAY TOO MUCH ABOUT OUR LOOK WHILE THE ONLY THING THAT TRULY MATTERS IS HOW WE LOOK INSIDE OUR HEARTS.”
Photo: Instagram
Elgort followed suit on January 25thwith a smarmy photo of himself with the back of his t-shirt pulled over his hair, writing: “Too many people worry about how they are perceived through an app. Looking like a cookie cutter pretty person. I understand why, because society is becoming this place where people judge each other on followers and likes.”
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Since launch three days ago, there have been over 20,000 photos uploaded to #UglySelfieChallenge, making a statement against the artifice of social media. These two teen heartthrobs are not only proving that anyone—even celebrities—can take an unattractive photograph, but also rejecting the idea that social media is best used for vanity. #UglySelfieChallenge exemplifies how social media can be used to become part of a community. If a picture is worth a thousand words, than leave your DSLRs, special filters, and props to rest: your ugly selfie will make a bigger statement than any curated Instagram editorial.
