Aja Barber

[snarkvark]

I was like wow! Imagine changing the words in that to quote another ethnic group... it would be unacceptable!!

The undisclosed ads seem to be part of her ‘god persona’

A lot of things Aja says would be unacceptable if voiced towards any other group of people. She uses white people as her punching bag because I guess she has so many issues she hasn't worked through. I hope she's in therapy. I've never seen a more toxic person on the internet and I don't think it's healthy for her to be spending so many hours a day being outraged on the internet.

 

[snarkvark]

in aja's latest instagram post she claims she "doesn't do brand suggestions here" because that's not how she gets paid.... but she#s always sharing brands who give her free shit (and not declaring her posts as ads!)

 

[Esteelouder]

This is starting to remind me of when Chidera (slumflower) started demanding money from anywhere and everywhere (including the royalties from Florence’s book) under the guise of ‘reparations’. Different circumstances but a similarly manipulative, toxic vibe.

Eg from Aja’s Stories she’s now talking about ‘financial redistribution’:
“Before today my Patreon was half of what it was in June 2020 and that tells me that what I'm asking for is entirely achievable if people practice what they preach about ethical and equitable landscapes. I know the numbers that I want absolutely can be achieved. What I give is an opportunity to be honest with yourself. Being honest with yourself about your shopping habits and being honest about your wealth and being honest about whether or not you can actually space $5 a month for a resource you consider valuable (I don't know how many times I've been tagged as a "resource" instead of a human being.”

The irony of the ‘say nothing’ which she is completely unable to do. I’ve never known anything like her attitude, if she was white, she would have been cancelled. Remember the whole Lucy and Yak debacle??? Lucy and Chris almost crying on camera because of her rants and tagging and getting her followers to do so. She’s so toxic.

 

[EllsBellsWells]

It genuinely maddens me how much people like Aja set race issues back. I wonder how many folk who became much more proactive after the events of George Floyd have now become disengaged because of her.

Apologies if that’s insensitive- white people caring about the treatment of POC and systemic racism is long overdue. But Aja undoes the work of many hardworking POC who do a far better job at engaging people than she does. It shouldn’t be their job to do that, but sadly it often is and she undermines all of the people who aren’t simply doing stuff for their own ego, like she does.

Class issues are constantly overlooked and she is no better than the white people she loves to constantly condemn if she can’t recognise the incredibly privileged position she’s in.

 

[AmyMay2020]

I’m so glad someone has started a thread on her, I thought it was just me that found her so negative. I don’t like Lucy and Yak, and there fans seemed awful towards her, but I did wonder at the time why they were ‘outed’ as she must speak to lots of brands and most places aren’t sustainable and size inclusive?

 

[PerseptivePersephone]

I’m really struggling with Aja at the moment. She did a Twitter thread the other day on how she tried to make sure she never came across as poor in white spaces. Then confirmed that her family weren’t poor, whilst complaining that white people are calling her out for being privileged.

I hadn’t seen this thread, but just gave it a read. She’s definitely confusing race and class. You can be non-white and still be in a better financial position than white people. That’s not to say that racism and poverty aren’t linked, they absolutely are. But Aja clearly wasn’t poor and by the sounds of it had some financial privilege as a kid. It’s ok to acknowledge that you have privilege in some ways and not in others. Such a weird thread to even write, I don’t know why she would need to publicly out herself in this way.

 

[nienoe]

She seemed really salty in the comments of a post about the youngest black cambridge professor I think it was on Twitter? Very salty congratulations from her

Proves how nasty she is. He’s really an incredible chap - nothing to dislike about him. Jason arday came to my organisation twice as part of their D and I push, which I’ve been a bit cynical about for lots of reasons and I turned up expecting to roll my eyes through a lot of it but was blown away. He approaches conversations Power imbalances and injustice in a way I haven’t seen before and he seems incredibly gentle and lovely to boot.

 

[nienoe]

Connect with me on a deeper level = send me money

 

[Lilac Wine]

She is the strangest person. How did she become internet famous?

 

[Slatternly]

This woman is so childish and hateful. Yesterday she said she was so angry she couldn’t speak because a woman commented that her Jewish children feel scared going to school or something. She claimed to give no fucks because she’s infertile. She is so clearly anti semetic.

Another dictator toddler moment was when she says she hates people adding to someone else’s statement. That’s called discussion aja. That’s what happens between people who aren’t sycophants on instagram. She’s like a spoilt little emporer surrounded by bland, brainwashed, drippy non critical thinkers who lap it up because SHES A MARGINALISED QUEER IDENTIFYING CIS WOMAN WITH BOUNDARIES.

 

[PineappleQueen19]

The ridiculous subtweeting continues. Either say it or stfu

 

[Mokie]

Ah-jah not Asia has such a massive fucking chip on her shoulder. Her entitlement is off the scale. Why does she always have to mention “whiteness” when having a go at someone? Maybe I’m being basic but I find it weird given that she is married to “Stephen”. Does she mention his “whiteness” when he leaves his washing on the floor or makes a mess? Bizarre woman. Had to unfollow a few years ago.

 

[majgvsonwga]

Is someone not wanting or being financially able to give you money for blog posts an abusive relationship? This is a wild take

 

[LittleGreen0520]

Aja in her Stories saying how she deletes comments that tell her her account is an echo chamber....... it is though? and she must know that? people are too scared to disagree with her AND all her followers are ready and willing to drag anyone for her. More proof that she just can't handle having a conversation with people who disagree with her. She must be INSUFFERABLE as a friend or partner.

She is. I know someone who knew her for years and the shit she could tell you... They're no longer friends and I know it hurt a lot when it ended because she thought they'd been close but now feels like she was an emotional punching bag for years. Not that she doesn't have her good qualities and stuff. You can see that she's made a lot of people aware of racism and issues in fast fashion. But she also seems to have a lot of internalized anger she hasn't dealt with. It sucks when people give in to being bitter.

Having known Aja Barber personally for almost two decades, I can confirm that she has long suffered from debilitating insecurities that manifested themselves in passive-aggressive behavior, especially while living with and being supported by her parents throughout her 20s and early 30s. Make no mistake: she had a very privileged upbringing, growing up in one of Northern Virginia's most affluent and inclusive middle class communities by two professionally established parents. But instead of letting that inspire her to create or build something new, Aja often preferred to tear down and criticize others, the more successful the better. But it was the rise of the new culture wars (circa 2014-2016) which provided her a perfect opportunity to weaponize progressive causes like BLM and #MeToo to build a a niche following for herself on social media, inexplicably as a self-proclaimed authority on sustainable fashion design when she possessed no formal higher education or experience in the fashion industry.

Unfortunately Aja's capacity for critical thought, let alone introspection, rarely exceeds that of a vindictive teenager. Perhaps this explains why, that despite her moderate successes, she remains a 'fangirl' at heart, bolstering her chronic lack of self worth by relentlessly pursuing followers and likes instead of more difficult achievements. Even when she was able to get some PR validation from brands she long fawned over (e.g., Finland's Marimekko) or even her book deal, it wasn't enough. Maybe because she realizes deep down inside that her entire career is built upon destructiveness and negativity rather than creating actual value?

As stated repeatedly above, when it comes to consistency on issues, sustainability-related or otherwise, Ms. Barber's modus operandi is to excuse bad behavior by any persons or companies with whom she has built some alliance while mercilessly attacking all others that she perceives as being in disagreement with her or "out of her league".

I have also known her for almost two decades and you are exactly correct. The only thing I'd change about this is that her mother was a SAHM who worked part time. I agree that it seemed like after Trump got elected Aja's social media following grew. Before that she was not a very happy person but also not nearly as mean as she is on social media now. I haven't had any in person communication in several years so I don't know what she's like in her private life but she is very different than the person I used to know.

 

[snarkvark]

Also, her issue with voting on Boris Johnson was based on comments he made that were racist. So why would she expect Jewish people to vote for corbyn with a clear anti semitism issue in the party? You can’t have the monopoly on trauma.

because she's blind to her own double standards. if you questioned her on this she'd send her followers to pile onto you for being racist because you "went in the DMs of a black woman uninvited" and she'd have some shitty excuse for why it's OK for her to be discriminatory towards Jewish people

womans got issues

 

[brownstone]

Did anyone see her recent post saying she doesn’t want to wealth hoard (that would be greedy), just acquire enough wealth so that she doesn’t have to work. She had these inspired brainwaves because she had such a lovely time on holiday

She's just ridiculous. Does she think that every white person now needs to pay her because of what their ancestors did? I don't understand.

Also generational wealth? Her parents are minted aren't they lol

She will not get support from a lot of people, only the ones she has brainwashed. But I'm telling you right now, if someone I supported and commented to on an Instagram post spoke to me the way she speaks to people trying to send love or reach out with kind words, they would instantly lose my follow.

How dare she speak to people like that.

 

[snarkvark]

Here's a couple of reddit threads that gives a little insight into Aja and how problematic she can be in regards to dragging people just because they dare have a different opinion to her: link, link, link. I suggest reading them!

There used to be another really great thread (title: Why is Aja Barber so mean?) but it's been deleted..... a lot of comments went into detail about how Aja picks and choses the people she considers "problematic" depending on how useful they are to her or if they're her friends. She lets a lot of shitty things slide if you're her a friend and/or can boost her social folllowing! For instance, her friend kate (a white knitter) did some racist shit (she asked an indigenous woman "what percentage" she was!!!) and somehow Aja is ok with that???? but not ok with someone disagreeing with some of the false "facts" aja likes to she on her instagram. if that was any other white woman aja would have dragged her through the mud and sent her minions after them!

Aja also rinsed people for money so she could move from the US to the UK by setting up a patron and getting people to "pay for the work she goes for free" instead of her running ads on her social media. guess who does ads on their social media now!!! reguarly, without properly declaring them!!! There's more detail on that HERE.

 

[Deeznutslol]

No good comes from being that focussed on yourself, it’s unhealthy.

People like her don’t really give a shit about uplifting POC, they just have their own deep, personal obsession and hatred of white people. I’m sorry but I think people like her and Steph Yeboah genuinely need therapy the way they go on.

 

[Hasanah123]

Sorry but youre not poor if your parents continued to help you financially in your 20s and 30s. Ethnic kids from poor backgrounds are now the ones helping their family financially in their 20s or 30s once they themselves are able to get a job, and even then its bloody hard

Her face looks like a horrible person, like an angry unhappy person. She doesnt have a kind face at all

As a black woman Aja does not speak for me

Seems like she has some internal issues, if she was rebellious in her youth and jnto her 20s and 30s then she needs therapy

 

[OhhBacon]

I follow her, have read her book -which I bought and have recommend it to others. I agree with all her content on overconsumption which is why I follow her.

I don’t pay or even subscribe to any sub stacks, I’m white and apparently I am out of order for following her….eh?