We’re not starting a cult but some followers on Instagram would be nice. Thank you.
Fish Lens is where we magnify issues and put them up for discussion. Basically op-eds, but with a fancy name.
Influencer Mongchin Yeoh (@mongabong) has given birth on Christmas Day to a baby boy.
It’s not something that’s immediately relevant to our lives, but audience interest in it has been quite undeniable.
The most-asked question, as expected of astute citizens of the internet, is: How does she look so good after expelling a squirming, squalling creature from her womb, a process that took 19 hours?
Even husband Matthias Lim gave special mention to Mongchin’s make-up, which the influencer says sat on her face for over 30 hours.
(Enlarged image so you can read.)
Soon after after popping out Micah Lim, the 29-year-old went on to take an interview from local Chinese media, who had arrived at her ward.
In the days after, Mongchin diligently updates followers on her life as a new mum, from having confinement meals to having clogged ducts.
She also followed up her birth announcement with a birth story, where she detailed the ins and outs of her contractions, dilations, fervent vomiting, and finally the actual pushing, which was over in about two minutes.
View this post on Instagram
Unfortunately, for all her eager sharing, Mongchin did something that would eventually piss another Instagram user off, as is inevitable when enough people are being too free on the internet: by looking too good.
Not the post in question.
Said user (@egomaniacprince101) was sufficiently outraged that he made himself heard by leaving an abrasive message for the influencer.
Mongchin was immediately apologetic, explaining why she did what she did, and calling it “mindless” to have posted a photo of how her body looked. The offending photo had been deleted by then.
Separately, the new mum also posted to her Instagram Stories to justify, perhaps unnecessarily, why she puts on make-up—something that only takes her five minutes to accomplish, she is careful to emphasise.
Among the reasons she listed were:
- Being able to regain a sense of “control and normalcy”
- Having to create online content
- Looking presentable for visiting friends and family
Elsewhere on Dayre (a micro-blogging app in Singapore), some other mums similarly expressed their dismay at what they call Mongchin’s unrealistic portrayal of motherhood.
A photo of her without make-up, if y’all wanna see it so badly.
On the flip side, followers have also thanked the influencer for inspiring them, acknowledging that the hard work she’s put into maintaining her body even before getting pregnant.
A body which, arguably, is already something quite unattainable for most women.
Anyway, most influencers’ online lives are unrealistic, childbirth or not—possibly (just possibly) part of their allure.
And it’s not like Mongchin made a career out of being ugly and unkempt, so there’s probably not going to be a difference after she becomes a mum, realistically speaking.
People can applaud Naomi Neo for baring her mum tum, and then find something else to hate on her about, whether it’s her Lamborghini or her 3-storey house.
Bottomline? If you’re an influencer, you can do no right. Sad.
Top image via Mongchin Yeoh’s Instagram page
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