TikTok s chav trend is fuelling damaging class stereotypes Jul 04, 2021, 10:17 AM
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TikTok chavs are portrayed as young white women who dress in cheap sweats, wear patchy fake tan, and speak in an exaggerated version of Estuary English.
TikTok: @aitanamarzal, @sarahlev329
It satirises an aesthetic associated with the British working class.
Users may not realise it, but experts worry it promotes damaging class stereotypes.
In 10 seconds, a TikTok user who goes by Maddie transforms her look, applying bronzer several shades deeper than her skin tone, heavy eye make-up, and pale lips. She wears a grey hoodie, huge hoop earrings and scowls into the camera while lip-syncing Body by British rapper Bugzy Malone. The video is one of thousands on the platform using the #chav hashtag, which has over 1 billion views.