Instagram Star Faces Backlash

Popular Instagrammer and sheep farmer Pálína Axelsdóttir Njarðvík was shocked to discover that she had lost a large number of followers after posting a photo of herself and her girlfriend celebrating their second anniversary, Vísir reports.

Pálína’s account, farmlifeiceland, has over 43,000 followers and documents her life on Eystra Geldingaholt Farm in Skeiða, where her family keeps 300 sheep and 20 cows. Despite being open about her sexuality, and her relationship with girlfriend María, it seems that the sweet photo, posted on Monday, was too much for some.

Although she’s used to seeing numbers rise, she noticed that she had lost followers since posting the photo, telling Vísir, “There was a big drop on Monday night.” Around 200 people had unfollowed and Pálína says she can’t think of any reason for it, other than as a reaction to this particular post. “It’s definitely because I have followers from all over the world, and things have come sadly short in many places. Attitudes are in all directions.”

Pálína, who has a Masters degree in Psychology, says that this reaction is interesting but she is unbothered, and even amused, by people’s prejudices. “That people have such a strong negative attitude towards different sexual orientations, so much so that you cannot follow sheep in Iceland because the owner of the sheep is gay?” She continued, “I could not care less if some prejudiced group is not watching my sheep. I’d rather have one who appreciates me than a hundred prejudiced people.”

She is quick to point out, however, that perhaps not all of the lost followers are prejudiced, theorising that some were hopeful boys following her page and dreaming of love in the Icelandic countryside. The realisation that this will never be possible with Pálína has seemingly crushed their dreams and may have urged them to remove her from their timelines.

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