Source: @novitalam on Instagram and @novita.lam on Lemon8
A Singapore-based influencer has drawn criticism from netizens after making a pun deemed insensitive on her social media platforms.
Novita Lam, who has more than 400,000 Instagram followers and more than 125,000 TikTok followers, referenced countries involved in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Source: @novitalam on Instagram
The offending clip, shared via an Instagram Story and TikTok video, showed Ms Lam jogging in the Marina Bay area.
Along with stats on how long and how fast she was jogging, she added the caption “Iran this, Israel that. IRAN 10km and the pain ISREAL” — a play on words that used the names of the two countries.
The corny pun was ostensibly used to highlight the tough nature of her exertions.
Source: @novitalam on Instagram
But with both sides currently locked in an escalating conflict, many felt that the timing of the post was inappropriate.
While both posts appeared to have been deleted as of Tuesday (3 March), numerous screenshots have surfaced online.
Many slammed her directly on her TikTok account, criticising her “lack of self-awareness” given the seriousness of the situation.
Source: TikTok
Source: TikTok
Comments have been turned off on some of her TikTok videos.
Other netizens who posted on Reddit pointed out that there may be Singaporeans who are stuck in the Middle East, so using the conflict as a pun was insensitive.
Source: Reddit
However, other netizens felt that those who were offended by her post were overreacting.
Source: Reddit
Some commenters, apparently inspired by her “wit”, even contributed their own country-related puns.
Source: Reddit
MS News has reached out to Ms Lam for comment.
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Featured image adapted from @novitalam on Instagram.