For an official version of this post that goes more into depth about Siesta Key, check out my article on Screen Rant titled “Fans Mad At MTV For Casting Caroline Calloway On Siesta Key & Question Its Racism Stance.” Note: this post is a reflection of my personal views and is not a reflection of any company or organization.
MTV appears to once again be associating Florida-based reality series Siesta Key with a controversial figure who has a past that includes possible racism. Controversial social media personality Caroline Calloway recently revealed on her Instagram Story that she was filming with the cast of the MTV reality show. This rumored casting decision is making some people question the network’s stance on racism.
Though Caroline has not been officially confirmed as being a part of Siesta Key season 4, the controversial social media personality posted images of herself with Siesta Key cast member and personal friend Chloe Trautman on her story, following it up with a photo of a book and the caption, “not allowed to ‘meet’ people until it’s on camera.” Further social media images posted by various Siesta Key cast members revealed that Caroline was present with the cast on a boat. To better understand why this is controversial, some backstory on both Caroline and MTV is needed.
Who Is Caroline Calloway?
Caroline Calloway is a highly controversial figure in the world of social media. The Cut featured a memorable piece last year about the self-proclaimed “scammer,” with Caroline’s ghostwriter Natalie Beach sharing her experience of working with the now 29-year-old. Caroline rose to prominence on Instagram starting in 2012, due to her lengthy photo captions, which Natalie admitted were largely ghostwritten. The story created a buzz on the Internet, bringing new attention to the number of scandals Caroline has been involved in.
BuzzFeed News chronicled Caroline’s long list of scandals and controversies, which include a 2015 book deal with Flatiron Publishing that was never fulfilled despite Caroline spending her six-figure advance. Caroline was also in hot water for charging followers for a pricey 2019 workshop that ended up being a big disappointment. Due to poor planning, the workshop tour expansion was canceled and refunded. These days, Caroline seems to embrace the bad press as she still manages to cultivate a sizable social media following, though her numbers have recently been taking a dip according to Social Blade. The image that Caroline has painted for herself these days, which she embraces as her personal brand, is that of an unapologetic scammer.
Is Caroline Calloway Offensive?
Caroline has also been accused of alleged racism and anti-Semitism, due to controversial Instagram and @carolinecaloway Twitter posts. She was called out by the Jewish Women’s Archive (JWA) for possible anti-Semitism following a controversial cartoon she tweeted in April 2020. Calloway tweeted a cartoon image of a man carrying bags of money with the caption, “#ThingsRichPeopleBuy Natalie’s talent.” This hashtag may have been a reference to her former friend and ghostwriter. The JWA, and many others on the Internet, spoke out about finding the image highly offensive since it depicted an alleged caricature of a Jewish man. This prompted Caroline to tweet an apology.
However, that was not the only anti-Semitic accusation Caroline received. Caroline was again accused of possible anti-Semitism the same week when she asked her OnlyFans subscribers on her Instagram which literary hero she should dress up as, and she liked a comment that said, “Anne Frank.” Further offensive content includes Caroline sharing a pornographic drawing of a bat engaging in a sexual act with an Asian woman on her Instagram Story earlier this year, along with the caption, “The first human case of the corona outbreak, but make it porn.” She also has also posted controversial captions, such as a 2014 Instagram caption that included the line, “I now date a boy of the blonde super race that is Sweden.”
Though not related to possible racism, Calloway also recently offended followers with a November 2020 caption that mused about theoretical rape. The caption read, “I wonder if I were ever raped if the defense could use my OnlyFans as proof that I was slutty, ‘asking for it.’” Overall, Caroline has offended a wide variety of people with such content, with many finding such behavior to be inexcusable from a 29-year-old.
How Has MTV Responded To Controversy?
MTV is no stranger to controversy, with past shows like The Real World focusing on hot-topic issues to broach important conversations. However, more questionable behavior has been allowed to slide over the years. MTV, which is owned by Viacom, recently appeared to put its foot down against allowing possibly racist figures to appear on shows. However, critics have accused the network of performative activism due to their inconsistent responses to controversies.
The network parted ways with a Siesta Key castmate accused of racism. Despite his father producing the series and pitching it to the network in the first place, MTV decided to cut ties with former Siesta Key castmate Alex Kompothecras following the resurfacing of alleged racist social media content he had posted over the years. MTV also made headlines after announcing they would be permanently parting ways with Dee Nguyen from The Challenge due to controversial comments she made regarding the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement earlier this year.
Such a stance on severing ties with castmates accused of racism has been seen on other networks, such as the Bravo series Vanderpump Rules. The reality series, which is owned by NBC, fired show staples Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute for racist actions. Though critics have questioned if such decisions to fire racist reality figures are too little done too late, such decisions do mark a stance taken against racism. That makes it all the more noteworthy and troubling that MTV might be giving Caroline a new platform on Siesta Key.
Is MTV Guilty of Performative Activism?
Critics of the network have called MTV out for possible performative activism. Even though Alex’s comments had been circulating the internet before the premiere of Siesta Key, for example, MTV chose not to remove the personality from the series until the BLM movement rose to prominence. Additionally, many saw the choice to remove Dee from The Challenge as a thinly veiled attempt to appear as though they combatted racism. However, the network has allowed a vast amount of potentially offensive behavior to slide in the past. Therefore, fans questioned why Dee was seemingly villainized when she was only a small part of the perceived problem.
Performative activism is a harmful and offensive facade. The term refers to activism that is done to increase social capital and not due to a genuine devotion to a cause. This type of surface-level activism can be seen by people hopping on social justice trends when they are popular, but failing to advocate for causes when they are not in the news. In this light, critics of MTV’s responses felt as though the network only chose to take a stand because it was popular to do so and not because they genuinely thought the actions of the individuals were wrong. Evidence to back up these suspicions can be seen by MTV failing to fire Alex when his allegedly offensive content first circulated, but instead only choosing to do so once race issues made national headlines following the tragic death of George Floyd.
Whether or not MTV is guilty of performative activism will become apparent by the choices they continue to make. Allowing Caroline onto the show would certainly appear like a step in the wrong direction. Since MTV has yet to respond to the controversy or confirm the casting, their ultimate decision remains to be seen.