BeReal recently announced “the realest” photo on its platform… And it doesn’t get more real than that. Alexandra Fenton from Iowa won the title with a pretty hilarious snapshot of a pap smear. Her face says it all, and trust me, it hardly gets more real than this.
Alexandra is a recent University of Iowa alum with degrees in social work, education studies, and human relations. But she can now add the titles of the “Realest Person on Earth” and “Unofficial Pap Smear Photographer” to her resume.
Speaking with The Daily Iowan, Alexandra told a bit about her winning photo. During a particularly slow day at her internship, she received the BeReal daily call to capture life as it happens. “I was at Student Health at the University of Iowa and it was mid-pap smear,” she recalls. “So I was basically laying down on the bed, and then my legs were up in the stirrups, they were spread, and the doctor was giving me the exam.”
When she saw the BeReal’s notification, she hesitated for a moment. But then she thought this was never going to happen again. “I’m not going to explain this at all. I’m just going to take the picture,” she thought. And so she did… And it ended up in the middle of Times Square.
Announcing the winner
Alexandra says that she was at her internship when she found out she’d won the contest. She was in the room with her supervisor who was in a Zoom meeting, so she was just “kind of internally freaking out.” Alexandra shared the news when she got off the meeting, and her supervisor started screaming.
I find it particularly hilarious that this photo ended up on a huge screen in Times Square as BeReal announced “The Realest Person on Earth.” Imagine your confused, terrified face at the OB-GYN’s office in the middle of the exam being displayed in Times Square. Although, that’s still less unpleasant than the exam itself.
Along with the esteemed title, Alexandra won a $15,000 vacation and the chance to control the BeReal notification time for a day. Oh, and let’s not forget the BeReal swag – because nothing says “I won a photo contest with a pap smear” like branded merchandise.
The aftermath
Alexandra says that her Instagram following skyrocketed after winning the prize. Interestingly enough, she says that a lot of the people who started following her are middle schoolers and teenagers: an audience who probably don’t even know what a pap smear is yet. However, this can be a great thing – it’s an opportunity for young folks to get educated on sexual and reproductive health and the importance of regular checkups.
With a photo like this winning the contest, I guess there are still people who are ready to “be real” and not fake BeReal’s moments to make themselves and their lives look more interesting. Ultimately, I hope the app won’t become as soulless as Instagram has become.
[via PetaPixel]
