Florence Given

[northernspaces]

Exactly the same as me! She is an influencer though and the most important thing to remember about these people are that they are NOT your friend. They only survive off making money off their followers. As you said, her illustrations were cool and I thoroughly loved them. As I said earlier, I wish I had this book years back as it’d have saved me going through so much shit mentally, physically & emotionally. I’ll definitely be saving this book aside for my daughter when she’s in her teens.

Yes! We definitely have a culture of expecting celebrities and influencers to be exactly how they portrays themselves online/in interviews. It’s disappointing when that’s not the case. I’ll still follow her but I’ll just start taking what she says with a pinch of salt.

 

[Lanavalentine]

Im not here to talk politics but as many of you know whats happened in Washington yesterday has shocked and stunned the world, especially when you make comparisons to the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer... Where is Chidera speaking her truth now?

I am not a fan of Chidera, but she is under no obligation to discuss what happened yesterday just because she stands for anti-racism, or indeed because she’s Black.

 

[Esteelouder]

Insufferable - no I don’t have all morning dancing around in a highly curated way because I have a job and shit to do, it really makes me dislike her

While listening to amazing tunes that no one else has ever discovered k hun

 

[dalmatirox]

how is she sustaining a career off using that fucking font

More plagiarism anyway because living deliciously is clearly inspired by a quote from the Witch 2016 movie with Anya Taylor Joy ffs

 

[hanbelle89]

I'm sorry to hear that you were bullied. Such a horrible experience to go through x
Yeah, I find it bizarre that she doesn't want to share a wide range of opinions from different people. Surely it's important to have a variety of voices? Obviously not. She only seems interested in sharing the views that speak to her. I don't think it's fair representation. Maybe I'm too sensitive?

You aren't sensitive at all

My feminism is very much class and politics based; I grew up going to an all girls' school myself until I was 14. I can only assume that FG's background is white middle class, a lot like most of the girls in my peer group back in the early 00s. Money = get away with what you want. No money (my parents were both nurses as opposed to doctors) = outcast.

I think having been a perpetrator of privileged behaviour FG tries to absolve herself of the guilt. I knew the Head Girl of my school, very arrogant, one of those drama school types. She came to me years later and told me that she had an ED. In fact so did another; but she did genuinely say sorry as she came from a very broken home. The thing is that FG imho has a lot of privilege. It took me years to unpack my own as a feminist; but most of it was down to the people around me having not looked at theirs first, or not wanting to at all...

As for the bullying - yes, it has impacted on me in life a fair bit, but I try and look at myself a lot more kindly now

 

[snarkvark]

I have seen some stuff from AJ and liked it but i spotted her commenting on Laura Whitmores post about partnering with Primark and she didnt come across great

I saw that too. her whole schtick is piling onto individuals and attacking them to start shit (not sure why?) for someone who hates people coming into her comment section to give their opinion, Aja certainly does it a whole lot herself!!

 

[urghmummybloggers]

So Diving Bell released a statement and it seems that they have receipts that Chidera was supported and her concerns where listened to. They also have receipts that she ended the contract on a positive note.

This isn’t a team Florence/Team Chidera thing for me - it’s just seems like facts are coming to light that prove that nothing was “copied” from her even if she does feel that way. It seems they were both in publication at the same time.

 

[ahstopcmeregway]

Anyone seen the reviews of her new book on Amazon? Doesn’t seem to be going down very well..

The Top Critical Review on Amazon sums it up perfectly:
"This book has been somewhat empowering. Florence Given has made some feminist ideas digestible. However, it is digestible for white, middle-class, pretty women whilst disguising itself as being intersectional. Florence has taken it upon herself to be the voice of many and speak up on issues that she has never experienced herself such as disability and fatphobia. Her approach and the words she uses to define these experiences can be extremely damaging to people who live the reality of what she is merely theorising. In one section, she has created "privilege checklists" which are too overly simplified. The disability checklist only looks at disability from a visible perspective and completely ignores those who suffer with invisible disabilities which is invalidating and trivialising for those with hidden disabilities. I really wish that Florence Given would learn to pass the mic. If you want to feel really, truly empowered then I recommend What a Time to Be Alone by Chidera Eggerue."

 

[HinchythetwattyGrinchy]

Seems accurate

Yeaaaah I know a few people who can’t warm to her, they say she seems like the Regina George kinda type in school. If the whole thing about the eating disorder is true then that’s sad, as someone who suffered badly & went through one during my late teens, lying about it just to get success and admiration doesn’t sit right with me. As I said though, I DID enjoy her book but it might not be for everyone.

 

[oczymlody]

Erm... have you read her book?? She has a whole section dedicated to not judging women on how good a feminist they are based on what they do. She specifically says dont judge other women for shaving/getting surgery etc.... Surprised to see someone agree with your take when thats what she speaks against in her book.

Haha no I’ve not read her book, because I think she comes over a condescending and childish.

There’s a rave section too. So set up a thread to talk about how empowering she is there.

 

[iknowevery1]

Honestly where did this woman come from? She’s soooo young and became Instagram famous and got a cult following, I don’t know how? Does she have industry connections or rich parents. Either way, she’s always seemed very disingenuous, the same as her mate Slumflower. I’m not the biggest fan of men in the world but the both of them spout some terrible advice sometimes. I’m not gonna be schooled on men by a woman in her early 20s who turned out to be a bully in school

can't believe there's a thread on her I absolutely love her but to answer this question she went to the London college of fashion and utilised her instagram almost every art and fashion student at that university has a huge following and meet influential people on campus etc.. she then dropped out and kept posting her art so her following grew from there and in 2019 she got even bigger when she sent Megan barton Hanson one of her shirts and she wore it on the British tv show this morning. You don't need industry connections anymore Instagram + social media opens many doors and it's something Gen-z really understands

 

[snarkvark]

She's a joke. Is anyone calling her out on this bullshit or are people too scared of being cancelled?

 

[Esteelouder]

Not just any tunes but ‘bops’

Obviously lockdown is not the most exciting time but her content is on its ass after her return!

Fucks sake. Try hard isn’t it. Trying extremely hard to be cool. I bet she adds random French into sentences ‘moi???’

 

[goodgod]

So after telling people not to harass other Black women and instead go after silent white influencers, Chidera has apparently changed her mind and is now blasting Munroe Bergdorf for liking tweets in support of Florence (including tweets suggesting that Chidera is doing all of this for financial gain).

The hilarious thing is that if Chidera hadn't brought attention to this I'd never have seen Munroe liking the tweets, but now that I have I feel 100% more justified in my suspicions Munroe liking the tweets adds legitimacy to the criticisms of Chidera being put forward. Good on Munroe for being true to her beliefs.

I included this last screenshot of Chidera continuing to demand "reparations" from Florence in lieu of "cancelling" her, it fully just reinforces that this is all a huge cash grab lmao.

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When they say don't send abuse. Do they appreciate they have a lot of followers and while some won't send abuse, there's a lot of others that will because all of this will stir them into action. That's intentional.

 

[Sunflower91]

I do wonder what’s currently going on behind the scenes. Chidera is (rightly so) not letting this die whereas Florence is remaining very silent other than her constructed PR spiel.
All of this is coming to light around a person who was incredibly vocal around the BLM movement and put an enormous amount of pressure on people to have difficult conversations with families etc but is now just not putting any of it into practice. Where is the owning up to her mistake? Where is she when push comes to shove and a difficult conversation needs to be had with the people she’s wronged?
I don’t think this is going to be swept under the carpet.

 

[Theplantmum]

I always come back to the same point. Florence NEVER shares the answers of straight white cis women in their 30s, married with Children. Feminism is for everyone.
Also, the dancing and singing whilst making coffee today on her stories

 

[Theplantmum]

Urghhhh, today's stories. Does she think she's a relationship counsellor? She's 17 or whatever, has no professional quals (I'm sure she's read a few books) why do ppl listen to her?

 

[snarkvark]

Hi Aja Now I know you read here because you blocked me on instagram. Interesting that you stalk gossip boards looking for mentions of yourself..... you probably gossip about others too

I'm glad florence is back to posting on instagram and didn't get CANCELLED. She's annoying af but all this fuss was over nothing. seem slike a bunch of hypocrites all sniping at each other for clout. ridiculous that grown women are going after each other like this for what?

 

[incogkneegrow]

This is a good balanced piece on the debacle

In the battle of The Slumflower vs Florence Given, the only winner is the publishing industry – gal-dem

gal-dem.com

 

[PurpleBroccoliBetch]

An actual queen of our generation, we all need a role model like floss