YouTube videos of pampered cats royally messing up are hilarious. Hell, even Drunk Girls of Melbourne Cup had its moments. But using Instagram to make fun of people who are homeless, mentally ill, drug-dependent, disabled, elderly, impoverished and otherwise marginalised? Not funny.
Recently established Instagram account @themurdermall has clocked up almost 2000 followers by taking photographs of Surry Hills and Redfern residents in visibly less-than-privileged circumstances, such as sleeping on cardboard boxes, nodding off on benches or walking around in states of dishabille. The whole thing hinges around the Surry Hills Shopping Village on the corner of Baptist and Cleveland Streets, locally known as 'The Murder Mall' or 'The Methadone Mall' due to its reputation as a destination for 'questionable characters'. It's a legit shopping centre though, housing the Surry Hills Post Office, the only fishmonger in the area, Coles and a pharmacist. The moniker was kind of cute and affectionate, but @themurdermall Instagram account isn't cute. This is crossing a line. Laughing over other people's misfortune when they're completely unaware of it? You classy bunch.
The account catches unfortunate residents unawares, with submissions encouraged. There's an image of a sleeping man on the pavement using a wine box as a pillow with the hashtag #Saturdaze. Nice.
Bet this made you feel on top of the world.
Then they whipped out their phones to snap a man in Coles who had soiled himself and added the caption "Getting wet over Coke specials." Sneaking up behind this poor guy must have made you feel great.
Getting wet over Coke specials. @cocacola #tailgang #Devon #commando #swampland #summer #murdermall A photo posted by Murder Mall (@themurdermall) on
Nice work with the ironic racism too.
Summer of breaststroke ???? @zaccanellis #swimming #dardy #olympics #fountain #of #yothu #murdermall
A photo posted by Murder Mall (@themurdermall) on
We're not sure who's behind the account, but it seems like a fair bet to say it's someone (or several someones) from the area's newer, richer demographic, often called DINKs (dual income, no kids) or just plain hipsters. Of course, within this demographic there's only a small chunk of these neo-plutocratic, Vice circa '95-imitating clowns who think poor people have no dignity.
Most of the community plays nicely. Surry Hills has a significant homeless population, with established services like the Wesley Mission's Edward Eagar Lodge providing nightly accommodation for up to 76 homeless people a night, aged between 18 and 80. The Lodge also provides services and programs to reconnect homeless people (or those at risk of becoming homeless) with the community, programs which rely on the support and cooperation of the more privileged local residents to make the transition smooth and friendly. These Sydneysiders don't have a snug, warm, comfy place to sleep, so they're forced to make do with whatever they can find during the day. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation is also a focus in the area, with facilities like The Langton Centre aiming to address the spectrum of health and social problems for people who use or are dependent upon alcohol and/or other drugs, including providing methadone treatment.
It's likely the marginalised people you're taunting have no idea you're throwing shade at them, which probably makes you feel pretty damn powerful, huh? Let's get things straight: If you are one of the 'minds' behind this Instagram, you are the problem. A good city to live in has neighbourhoods that are diverse, with room for people from many income brackets and some affordable housing preserved in even its affluent neighbourhoods. A good city to live in has residents that support each other, not kick them when they're down. If you found yourself at rock bottom and some jokey joke-maker decided to snap you and plaster your face on the internet to All The Likes, would you feel like joining that community? Hell no.
Does this infinite facepalm run afoul of Instagram's terms of use? Maybe, maybe not. Although Instagram prohibits "hateful" content (and bullying of specific individuals), parent company Facebook limits hate speech to attacks based on the specific categories "race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or medical condition" (ie, The Murder Mall's focus on the underclass might be too general. Their hate is, relatively speaking, inclusive) and also exempts speech that's "humorous" (see how much we're laughing?). So while reporting the account to Instagram's a good move, an even better one might be to fight their free speech with your own, and leave your takedown as a comment.
Think before you 'gram. This isn't funny.
I'm blue abidi abadi #smurf #related #touchoffrost #blueberry #latte #murdermall
A photo posted by Murder Mall (@themurdermall) on
UPDATE 4/3/15: The Instagram account @themurdermall has now been taken down as of March 3. The account was set to 'private' yesterday and then removed from Instagram last night. Whether the owners removed it themselves, or the account was removed by Instagram remains to be seen.
By Shannon Connellan and Rima Sabina Aouf.