Journalist and podcaster Sophie White is the author of newly-release novel Filter This.
A book that will resonate with Insta-addicts and those who dream of being influencers, the story follows Ali Jones who will do anything to get to 10,000 followers – even if means telling a few lies… Meanwhile, the whole country is obsessed by Ireland’s queen bee influencer Shelly Divine, but behind her #lifegoals feed all is not as it seems.
Funny and insightful, the book is a razor-sharp take on the gap between what we see on social media and the reality, and the poisonous pursuit of perfection.
Her asked Sophie to share the unfiltered truth behind five of her own Instagram posts…
1. The one that got the most likes…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxiMww-g7AE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Hard to believe this glorious pic of my Brown Thomas loyalty stuck in a block of Kerrygold is not SponCon, but it sure did rack up a lot of sweet sweet likes. I think this pic is a pretty good indicator of what my coffee-table lifestyle book would be like if I made it as an influencer – full of handy tips like this one for when you’re caught without a knife but desperately need a crisp sandwich, along with advice on what shade of grey to decorate your entire house in and just how much marble and rose gold is too much (hint: no amount of marble and rose gold is EVER too much.)
2. The one I archived/deleted…
This gorgeous post about instating a new scrubby sponge sums up everything I definitely did not get about Instagram in the early days. I didn’t yet understand that the content supposed to be aspirational. No one wants to see your sad scrubby sponges, Sophie! For god’s sake post a shamelessly thirsty selfie and get in the GAME!!!!
3. The one I filtered to f**k
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwWZ-W5H0rf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
This one is the latest in a long line of attempts at a decent #ootd. It’s a fine art to crack these. You need to really hone your posing before you even start trying to capture the lewk. I’m an extremely basic Insta-user so I’m still just tryna work the angles and suck in my arse (not possible) while the pros just lop off chunks of themselves in the editing app and be done with it. God love me, I actually only copped on to the existence of filters embarrassingly recently. I’d never swiped on a story and had no idea the MAGIC Oslo couldn’t been working on me all along. I just legit thought everyone on Insta was just much much hotter than me. Now obvi by the time I posted this piccy, I’d finally met the love of my life, the filter Juno, a great helping hand for any woman in her 30s rockin’ a playsuit.
4. The one I took 10,000 times…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpnJRe_lfC1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I didn’t take this pic obvi but I did spend an inordinately long time trying to find the perfect picture of Freddy Kruger. I needed just the right level of mangled flesh to get the likeness between Freddy and my post-episiotomy vadge. Also his lil expression here is such a dead ringer for my vagina since having kids, it’s UNCANNY. The look says: ‘OH ho… Don’t you come NEAR me with that penis/speculum/tampon or I will CUT you with my finger knives…’ I suppose this is a fairly good example of why I struggled to find anything for the next category!
5. The one that’s the biggest lie…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSBrRnIhu1k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
To be honest, I found with this one difficult. I genuinely don’t go in for the Insta-sham life – it’s not a brag, I wish I had the wherewithal to curate an immaculate bullshit life on my feed but I’m too disorganised not to mention busy cleaning the bodily fluids of others off my person. I chose this pic as my biggest lie because I cannot in all honestly claim to be covered in fluids “at all times”. Take right now for example, I am fluid-free! Though as a mother-of-two, saying that is probably BEGGING the universe to f**k with me. No doubt one of them’ll be along any minute to vom on me for daring to think I was going to be clean and dry for even a minute. I’ve learned somewhat and now wherever possible favour a pleather trouser – excellent for wiping clean, fetishwear is a great option for parents. I still think the artisanal ricotta company is a decent plan.
Filter This by Sophie White, published by Hachette Ireland, is out now priced €12.99.
