Virtual model Lil Miquela (Lil Miquela) spoke about sexual harassment during a carpool trip in a taxi. In social networks, the plot was criticized for trying to make the character “more real” with the help of a fictional story about violence.
It is not known where the video came from, but it began to gain popularity after the publication of Twitter user @CORNYASSBITCH. In the video, Mikela talked about how Lyft was called, and during the trip another passenger began to harass her.
The passenger first asked if she was real, and then touched her thigh: “I absolutely clearly felt this guy’s cold and big hand, he touched my leg, as if checking if I was real.” She stated that the man threatened her, pinched and asked an inappropriate question about her sexuality, after which the girl asked the driver to stop the car and left in the middle of the road.
Twitter criticized the plot. Users wondered if it was ethical to add realism to fictional characters through stories of sexual abuse. The social network considered the video offensive to real victims of harassment.
At first it was interesting.
Maybe.
But, Mikela, you play with real stories … Real trauma … Sexual abuse is part of a very terrible reality.
Now you are insulting people without even realizing it.
What kind of weird crap is this?
Absolutely fucking not. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT. A virtual project telling me some story of an unreal sexual assault pisses me off just as much as when women lie. It’s a fabrication. A dangerous one. There are ways to make @lilmiquela relatable. This isn’t one of them. https://t.co/zFPdXjTgzW
— Anna Davenport (@disturbance_atd) 13 December 2019
Absolutely, b *** b, no. A virtual project telling me a story about fake sexual violence infuriates me just like when women lie. It’s a lie. And it’s dangerous. There are many other ways to make Michela appealing.
did they just make up a sexual harassment scenario… omg https://t.co/31rD4LBRUT
— Kim J (@therealkimj) 13 December 2019
They really just came up with a sexual harassment scenario … God
Idk how I feel about them creating this assault plotline to make her character more realistic. pic.twitter.com/YtARC3ryF3
— “Subdule” (@HELIOARIA) 13 December 2019
I do not know what to think about it. They created a story about violence to make her character more realistic.
It’s like whoever is behind this character obviously went through so much to make her as relatable as possibly. They’ve even studied YT videos enough to see what kind of editing is popular RN. They were like “to make her more realistic, let’s pretend she was sexually assaulted”.
— juan thee hedgehog (@TruePlantDad) 13 December 2019
The person behind this character has obviously gone through a lot to make her as realistic as possible. They even studied YouTube videos to understand which montage is popular right now. And there were these: “To make her more realistic, let’s pretend that she was sexually harassed”
okay but like of all the things you could make up you choose sexual assault.
— um chile anyway, so.. (@ifeelglittery) 13 December 2019
Well, out of all the things you could think of, you chose sexual harassment
I just got in a -discussion- with my bf about this persona. How dangerous it can be, deceiving of intention & how sickfuckers will find a way to make this crass. They did. I am SO FUKCING uncomfortable. JUST LISTEN TO REAL PEOPLE WHO TLK ABOUT SEXUAL ASSULT this is W E I R D wtf
— irontablets (@irontablets) 12 December 2019
Just argued with my boyfriend about this person. How dangerous it can be, and how sick bastards will find a way to do this stupidity. And they could. I’m n **** how uncomfortable. Just listen to how real people talk about sexual abuse. It sounds very strange
Others began to joke about the virtual model.
Why is this gigabyte making shit up
— Jeweledfeelings (@BitterBlackB) 13 December 2019
Why is this gigabyte coming up with this garbage
Are we officially in the Black Mirror episode?
— Georgie (@iiusedtoloveher) 13 December 2019
User @sadinthebooth suggested that perhaps the girl who voiced Mikelu experienced this experience.
However, she was reminded that the digital model is a major project that several people are involved in creating.
Miquela is a team, not a singular person and that is actually what makes this even more eerie
— 🧝🏾♀️krys🧝🏾♀️ (@flavrdholywater) 13 December 2019
Mikela is a team, not one person. Therefore the video seems even more creepy
The CGI market is just a back door for these companies to profit off situations and cultures by creating a literal fiction character without having to deal with real people. pic.twitter.com/JHR0DJiqhX
— Green Chyna (@CORNYASSBITCH) 12 December 2019
CGI-market is a back door for companies that make money from situations and foreign cultures, creating a fictional character without having to deal with real people
Lil Mikela is considered one of the first and most popular digital models. In her instagram, she participates in collaboration with brands; on the YouTube channel she uploads music videos with songs of her “own” composition. In April 2018, the media found out that behind the model is a group of people from Brud who attract large investments from investors from Silicon Valley.