Instagram user Harimao Lee has an aesthetic to uphold, and not even basic plane etiquette can stop her. As reported by Insider, Lee packed fairy lights for a business trip last month in order to capture the perfect plane post. “It was the long dark night during the flight from HK to Rome,” she captioned the photo, wherein she’s draped in lights. “Stargazing is one thing to do in the cabin.”
The response to Lee’s photo has been less than kind, with some commenters doing emotional drive-bys to ridicule her. “You need help,” declared one user who has surely never met Lee and is likely not a mental health professional. “Meanwhile in Syria,” starts another, as though all problems in the world are caused by fluffy social media posts. “What a douchebag,” replied one eloquent user.
To be fair, though, her picture is exactly the sort of dreamy Insta-bait users on the platform strive for. Instagram is built for people to project their best selves; the aspirational version of everyday life where a cozy, rainy day cup of coffee post removes the part where I forgot an umbrella, stepped in dog shit, and am currently in the middle of a wicked anxiety spell. Just this week, The Guardian published a piece on how Instagram’s positivity-first image is impacting the mental health of some users.
While I can’t imagine ever bringing lights along as a carry-on, there are much worse plane sins one can commit. Like taking your shoes off in-flight, for example, or hogging your neighbor’s armrest. Lee, for the most part, seems unruffled by the discourse. Her account continues to feed users a picture-perfect life. Just last week, her fairy lights returned for another guest appearance.
That perch looks precarious to me, but I respect the shot. Good filter choice.