Update: SgInstaBabes founder (with troubled past) ignores criticism and doubles down on Patreon campaign
Another update: Instagram accounts of SgInstaBabes and its founder goes dark, Patreon page could shut down soon
Have you ever wanted to pledge a monthly allowance to self-proclaimed social media icons so that they can sustain a materialistic lifestyle via basic, vapid content? And depending on the amount of cash you disburse every month, you could even have them as companions in parties?
Yeah, neither do we. But that’s not stopping social media “influencer” collective SgInstaBabes from launching a Patreon page to garner donations every month. Donors will get access to exclusive photo albums and videos, as well as the honor of spectating their shoots and hang out with them (if you pay enough).
Truly, we have reached peak “influencer” delusion (lol, what’s new). Patreon is a platform for artists and creatives to run subscription services to sustain themselves — independent content creators get paid via a voluntary donation stream every month. Legitimately deserving creators such as pop culture video essayist The Nerdwriter, historical documentary series The Great War, video gaming commentary channel Kinda Funny have been able to find success through the Patreon platform.
SgInstababes — a team of “influencers” with barely any influence — wants in too. The ultimate reward? A yacht yatch party with ‘em.
They’ve apparently gone the Patreon route as a direct result of overwhelming feedback received from their fans, they claimed.
There are just so many things that aren’t right. Firstly, who in the heckin’ heck are these ladies? This posse of moderately attractive women don’t seem to be renowned enough or have the mainstream clout to justify public attention — much less monthly moolah. It’s notable that the folks behind Clarke Quay nightclub Get Juiced (aka the ones who produced the year’s most derided National Day music video) are the same people behind SgInstaBabes.
Then there’s the whole sordid matter of these ladies (some of whom don’t even look old enough to order a drink) appearing to be pimped out in exchange for money. The higher-end perks for members who willingly hand out above S$1,000 monthly get to enjoy their companionship in private parties. No matter how they spin it, that’s gotta be pretty shady, not to mention uncomfortable. Donors are paying for their presence, and these ladies are simply making appearances and privately entertaining them for money. Mid-tier donors get to be spectators in photoshoots, ensuring that they can be voyeurs IRL instead of just lurking online.
And surely these “influencers” know what their male lower-tier donors are using their exclusive thirst-trap photo albums for? Don’t even let us get into their video content, because damn they’re basic AF.
“Our conscience is clear”
As of writing, there are 56 patrons for SgInstaBabes, but it’s unclear which donation tiers are being cropped up. Since they launched the Patreon campaign last Thursday, they’ve probably received quite a bit of backlash — hence the recent clarifications on their Instagram Stories.
“Everything we do is legal, safe and with the consent of every party involved. We will never jeopardize the safety and modesty of the ladies we work with and there is no one-on-one activity with any subscriber. If any subscriber crosses the line, we rather not have his money”.
They also had to affirm that “there will be no sex”. What’s disturbing though is that there will be under-18 models involved in this endeavor.
