Behind the viral #ChallengeAccepted Instagram trend: How it started, and why JLo, more celebs are posting

A cat-sized animal, native to a small area of Australia that you may never have heard of, is the star of Instagram’s newest adorable hashtag trend. Jen Markham (@jenmarkham) explains. Video provided by Buzz60

If your Instagram feed is filled with black-and-white selfies, you’ve encountered #ChallengeAccepted – the latest social media trend aimed at promoting female empowerment. 

As part of the challenge, women nominate their friends as a way to show support for each other by sharing black-and-white photographs of themselves on Instagram while captioning their photos with the phrase “Challenge Accepted,” along with other hashtags such as “womensupportingwomen.” Many users, famous or otherwise, are adding uplifting captions to their posts to further encourage solidarity and love among women. 

#ChallengeAccepted Origins

How did the trend start?  One explanation is that it  began in Turkey as a response to femicide and domestic violence against women. Others believe the challenge started going viral in Brazil. 

#ChallengeAccepted has received mixed reactions: Either  it empowers women across the globe, or it’s an empty gesture absent real action: tone deaf and even vapid. Some, including Jennifer Love Hewitt, have since deleted their #challengeaccepted posts.

“I literally cannot get over challenge accepted, here’s a hot photo of myself because I support women,” tweeted writer Caroline Moss. 

One critic, New York Times technology reporter Taylor Lorenz, even compared the controversial trend to the #BlackoutTuesday hashtag, in which users posted black squares on social media platforms amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Like the black square, which became a symbol of solidarity with Black people but asked very little of those who shared it, the black-and-white selfie allows users to feel as if they’re taking a stand while assaying almost nothing,” she wrote. 

As of Wednesday, 5.4 million photos had been uploaded to Instagram with the hashtag #Challengeaccepted, while many more have appeared without it. 

Padma Lakshimi, Demi Moore and more stars bring attention to the challenge’s origins

Author and “Top Chef” television host Padma Lakshmi used her platform to pay tribute to four Black women killed by police: Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Natasha McKenn, and Michelle Cusseaux. She included brief biographies for each woman as well as a status update on the investigations of their deaths.

“Midsommar” and “Little Women” actress Florence Pugh revealed the true meaning of the hashtag on Monday with a silly selfie, writing that “it is to shed light onto the Istanbul Convention.”

“Women are being subjected to violence and this convention is to end forgiveness for the attacker/murderers. With that in mind, adjust your hashtags if you didn’t already do so,” she wrote. Pugh incorporated the hashtags #istanbulconventionsaveslives, #womenempowerment and #womensupportingwomen.

Jessica Biel also shared a silly black-and-white selfie to shed light onto the origins of the trend in Turkey.

“To the women in Turkey, we stand with you and hear you,” she wrote on Tuesday. “And for the women here in the US — this is a reminder that we need to use our voices to protect each other… and vote on the issues that affect women.”

Demi Moore updated the caption of her original post to add that she “recently learned that this challenge originated in Turkey to stand in solidarity with the hundreds of women killed.”

Moore and Jameela Jamil both encouraged their followers to follow @auturkishculturalclub to find out more about what’s going on in Turkey.

Jennifer Aniston, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Lopez and more stars who took part

Kristen Bell posted a casual bare-faced selfie Monday, and included an inspiring quote.

“Challenge accepted” she wrote. “Thankful for u, and all the women we know. All of them “Shapers”. To quote @adamgrant : ‘Shapers’ are independent thinkers: curious, non-conforming, and rebellious. They practice brutal, nonhierarchical honesty. And they act in the face of risk, because their fear of not succeeding exceeds their fear of failing.'”

Gabrielle Union also  urged her followers to “acknowledge, support and protect the women that need it most.”

Jennifer Aniston, who created an Instagram account in October, admitted that she doesn’t exactly understand the challenge, but accepts it because “who doesn’t love good reason to support women!” 

She also encouraged her followers to vote, adding that “the best way we can support other women is to REGISTER TO VOTE for the issues that affect women. Encourage all your friends, girlfriends, sisters, moms, daughters to do the same. The election is right around the corner, and we need to look out for each other AND love each other!”

Viola Davis rocked a pair of sunglasses when accepting the challenge on Monday, while Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder Woman, and Natalie Portman thanked the inspirational women in their lives.

Other famous faces, including Jennifer Lopez, Ivanka Trump, Octavia Spencer, Cindy Crawford, Nicole Kidman, Savannah Guthrie, Reese Witherspoon, Demi Lovato, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Garner, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, and Millie Bobby Brown shared posts this week using the hashtag. 

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