Her risque videos blazed a trail for viral fame in Pakistan. But the price she paid for popularity was death. By Sanam Maher
Pakistan’s first celebrity-by-social media, Qandeel Baloch, was known for the videos and photographs she posted on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Her videos were a mixed bag – she had a headache; she was bored; she had a song stuck in her head – and for a few seconds every day, thousands watched her coo or feign annoyance or try on a new dress. The videos were mostly made at night, when Qandeel said she couldn’t sleep. And then, they became more risque – by Pakistan’s standards, at least.
Qandeel was killed in July 2016. Her brother confessed to the murder, saying her actions had brought dishonour to his family. She was 26 years old. Qandeel created a story about herself – part truth and part lies, fibs and exaggerations. The story allowed her to be whoever we wanted her to be. It allowed her to be whoever she wanted to be. And the small fibs are just as much a part of the “real story” of Qandeel – as important as the filtered memories of her friends and family, if not more so. (Qandeel’s words – at times translated by me, but otherwise unchanged – appear here as italicised sentences. I felt it was necessary to allow her to “talk” or ‘talk back” when something about her life or personality is presented as fact.)
Continue reading...from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2XzMoSD
