On Instagram, content creator Camille (@camillelv) decided to make visible the violent and hypersexualized private messages she receives from men. By sharing these DM screenshots, she highlights the toxic underbelly of online life and the alarming normalization of digital misogyny.
A deluge of sexist and sexualized messages
Followed by a large community, Camille (@camillelv) explains that she receives daily comments that reduce her existence to her body. Insults, crude sexual propositions, intrusive questions about her privacy, violent fantasies: her post compiles a collection of messages that go far beyond a "bad compliment." By displaying them as they are, alongside innocuous photos of herself, Camille reveals the structural violence behind these words, which, in isolation, might be minimized as mere "slips of the tongue."
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A denunciation of online rape culture
In the text accompanying her post, Camille (@camillelv) reminds us that what she is experiencing is not exceptional and affects a vast number of women, whether they are content creators or not. She describes a rape culture fueled by fetishization, threats, the constant sexualization of the slightest bit of skin or smile, and the idea that, for some men, simply appearing online is enough to "authorize" this behavior. Camille (@camillelv) also emphasizes a crucial point: behind every username, there are real people we encounter on the subway, at work, or out at night.
A symptom of a much larger problem
This statement echoes the testimonies of other female streamers and influencers who have been denouncing sexually explicit videos and repeated threats for years. By making this violence visible, Camille (@camillelv) encourages people to take online harassment seriously, to consider it an extension of systemic sexism, and not simply a "price tag" for fame. Her post functions as a political act: refusing silence, refusing shame, and placing the responsibility on the aggressors, not on women.
By sharing these messages, Camille is not simply sharing a personal experience; she is opening a window onto a reality that many ignore or downplay. Her action serves as a reminder that online harassment is a structured and widespread phenomenon, reflecting persistent inequalities and violence in society. Beyond the shock, it calls for collective reflection: the need to create a safer digital environment, to hold perpetrators of this behavior accountable, and to support those who suffer this type of violence every day.
