opinion

Does Ivanka Trump really deserve to be mocked for this?

Ivanka Trump can’t do a thing right this Christmas it seems.

The entrepreneur and First Daughter of US president Donald Trump has been copping flack on the internet for her “out-of-touch” behaviour, criticised for three internet faux-pas in less than as many days.

LISTEN: Why haven’t we heard from Jared, Ivanka or Don Jr. recently? (Post continues.)

But what started as perhaps fair criticism has turned into an all-out pile on, where internet trolls seem to be trying to find ways to be offended by her innocuous social media posts.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

The Tiffany tweet

On Boxing Day Tiffany Trump posted a short Snapchat video of her sister and her making kissing faces to the camera on a beach deck somewhere in Palm Beach, Florida.

Sure, it’s not the sincerest of ‘Merry Christmas’ messages, but for the most part, it looks like a pretty typical clip a 24-year-old might post of her and her sister.

Yet within minutes, Twitter users were attacking it for being a gross display of wealth, labelling both Tiffany and Ivanka as “tone-deaf”.

“Just another way to say, “Suck it, poor folks!” disguised as “Merry Christmas!” commented one, while others suggested they should have been volunteering at homeless shelters instead.

And while some might think that criticism was valid, it looks a bit over-the-top when what happened next is taken into account.

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The Confederate flag

Now, when most people take a photo they stare at in intently to see if any background detail is somehow offensive, right? Yeah, we don’t either.

And yet that’s what Ivanka Trump clearly should have done to avoid this second controversy.

Posting photos of her husband Jared Kushner and son Joseph fishing, the mum-of-three failed to notice one tiny detail in the background: a Confederate flag flying from a nearby boat.

Don’t worry though, Twitter users were quick to point it out.

And although no one was saying that boat was owned by or known to the Trumps, Ivanka was mercilessly criticised for posting a photo in which the flag is barely visible.

Her New Year’s resolution

Then, just when you thought it was over, Ivanka’s New Year’s resolution was mocked and labelled insenstive.

Here’s the offending tweet:

Let’s be clear here: this is a tweet where she is not sharing advice. She is simply saying this is her own personal resolution for 2018 after reading a news story about the health problems that come with sleep deprivation. And yet in a way that our logic can’t follow, the people of the internet took it as a personal attack on them and their lifestyles and responded with anger the simple tweet did not deserve.

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In their assessment, Someecards put it, “Sure, more sleep would be lovely, but most of us don’t really have that luxury. Tweeting about sleeping just set her up for tons of mocking responses, most having to do with her father’s administration (and just how out-of-touch with normal life Ivanka really is).”

We really don’t see how she set herself up for this. Any of this.

LISTEN: Mia Freedman and Amelia Lester discuss how to keep your sanity and look after your mental health in a world where Trump’s President and fake news reigns supreme.

We’re not saying those with power and influence shouldn’t be called out when they share something insensitive. But it’s one thing to tweet about the ball you’re attending shortly after your father has enforced a controversial Muslim ban that would see thousands stranded and miserable. It’s another to celebrate Christmas with your sister, share photos of your son fishing and make a New Year’s resolution.

It’s time to calm down, people of the Internet, and save your anger for actions that really deserve it.

Because if a photo that accidentally contains a squint-and-you’ll-see-it Confederate flag gets you as outraged as someone waving one at a rally, then prepare yourself for a stressful 2018.

Do you think the criticism is fair enough or goes too far?