Singapore Chio Bu influencer Novita Lam is drawing attention online after an Instagram Story featuring a pun about the conflict in the Middle East sparked backlash on Reddit.
In the Story, Novita shared a video of herself running with on-screen text that read:
“Iran this. Israel that.”
“I RAN 5km and the pain IS REAL.”
The play on words used the names of countries in place of “I ran” and “is real” as a caption about her workout. But on Reddit, some users felt the timing was inappropriate given the ongoing conflict.
A thread titled “Influencer Novita Lam ‘Iran this, Israel that’ Is this acceptable?” quickly drew attention. The original post was later removed, but the discussion and comments under the thread remain visible, with netizens sharply divided.
Some netizens call her insensitive
Several Reddit users criticised Novita for being tone deaf.
One user wrote:
“There are fellow Singaporeans who are stuck there and she gives such comments… The locals there in a war zone. Quite insensitive of her.”
Another commented:
“Shouldn’t be joking like that on a public platform.”
Some said influencers should show more awareness, given their reach and visibility.
One user wrote:
“Influencers, given their influence on our society, can really use some class and maturity.”
Others say people are overreacting
Not everyone agreed.
Some Redditors felt it was simply wordplay and not meant to offend.
One said:
“Not gonna lie it’s funny though.”
Another wrote:
“Why not. People free to be flippant. OP free to virtue signal and attempt cancel culture.”
As the thread continues to circulate, opinions remain split. For some, the joke crossed a line. For others, it was just a pun that got taken too seriously.
