Pamela Reif is an integral part of the international fitness industry. More than nine million people follow her on her YouTube channel. In addition to YouTube, the influencer is also active on Instagram and TikTok. But due to some questionable statements in a video, the fitness influencer is now receiving sharp criticism from her community – and has to apologize online.
Two days ago, the 26-year-old published a video on TikTok in which she tried out the infamous “Bold Glamour” filter, filmed herself and examined her appearance. The filter changes the shape of the face and makes users look perfectly made-up and flawless. The video was criticized for another reason – Pamela Reif says in it: “Nothing against trannies – but why do I look like a tranny with it? I thought I’d do it now and be really beautiful.” What, from Pamela’s point of view, should be a harmless video with a funny message, was not well received by the majority of viewers.
Among other things, Jolina Mennen, Reif’s YouTube colleague and ex-jungle candidate, puts it in a nutshell in her own Tik-Tok video: “The word tranny is an insult. Please don’t use that anymore. And also the realization: ‘ I thought I was going to be pretty, but now I look like a tranny’, so it’s a negative. Not pretty either.” Her video has already had more than a million views and Jolina Mennen, who herself has undergone gender reassignment measures, is very popular in the comments.
The lifestyle magazine “wmn” also found clear words about Reif’s problematic video and explained: “The word transe has a negative and derogatory connotation. A correct term would be: trans, transgender, transsexual, transgender.”
As Reif now admits in an apology video, she did not have enough knowledge at that moment and therefore made a big mistake: “I’m just so sorry and what I said yesterday was just wrong and stupid . I hurt and upset a lot of people and made a transphobic statement with such a stupid choice of words, which I actually didn’t mean, from the heart, and didn’t mean to convey that way, although of course I said it that way.”
Jolina Mennen sees this as an opportunity to enlighten more people: “Especially in a situation like this, mutual understanding is incredibly important. Pamela made a mistake. But jumping on her now only creates more misunderstanding and we won’t reach our goal with that. Please let us use the current momentum of this discussion for something positive, and that it also comes down to the last person that trans is not something you choose.”
Pamela Reif has since deleted the original video from the platform.
Sources: Dasding.de; TikTok: jolinamennen,wmn.germany, Instagram: Pamela_rf
