In this day and age, you’ve got to be really careful about what you say online; because as recent happenings has shown, virtual conversations can have real-world consequences.
And a fitness studio in Singapore came to realise that recently…the hard way.
Here’s what happened:
F45 Serangoon’s Racially Insensitive IG Story Goes Viral…For The Wrong Reason
On Deepavali, the F45 branch at Serangoon Garden South uploaded a 14-second Instagram story video on their social media account.
The video featured two women who are presumed to be members of the studio; they were seen shaking their heads from side to side while wishing viewers a “Happy Deepavali”.
And if that isn’t enough, one of the ladies, who was dressed in a pink top, went on to add that “her head cannot turn”.
Meanwhile, laughter could be heard erupting from behind the camera.
The 14-second Instagram story has been removed from the studio’s Instagram account, but as history has shown time and again, what you put on the internet can never be taken back.
Wake Up Singapore reposted the video on their Instagram account, calling the video “sickening” and wondering who thought “it’s a good idea” to share such a video.
You can check out the video in full below:
View this post on Instagram
The video was uploaded just 4 hours ago and it has since attracted over 100,000 views.
Now, what about the sentiments?
Netizens’ Reactions
If you’re thinking that F45 is under fire for their part in this saga, you will be right.
Words such as senseless, tasteless and ignorant ran rampant within the comment section of the video.
Backwards was also implied in some people’s comments:
Others wondered how a brand like F45 could condone such a video to be live on their platform:
One thing for sure, though, whether the netizens be virtue signalling or not, casual racism should not be tolerated here in Singapore.
Apology
In response to the backlash, Serangoon Garden South F45 branch put up an apology on their Instagram Story.
They emphasised that they have “always been a family-friendly and fun place to exercise” and does a lot of “fun videos” with members.
It was emphasised that they did not mean to “make fun or hurt anyone’s feelings” and apologised for the mistakes.
You can read their story in full below:
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Feature Image: Instagram (Wake Up Singapore & f45_training_serangoongdnsouth)
