One in 20 Irish adults claims to have had an intimate image of themselves shared online without consent, according to research commissioned by the Department of Justice. This rises to one in 10 among 18- to 37-year-olds. “I know I’m not special and that this happens all the time with people’s nudes,” Blumenthal says, adding, “But I’m really enjoying bringing it to people’s attention.
There is a lot of discussion about how to protect yourself online. If something like this happens to you, the show is here to say that it’s never, ever your fault Blumenthal, who’s also a former swimmer and ballet dancer, says her relationship with her body had never been challenged before. The process of creating Feet Pics Aren’t Free has been a release. “It’s kind of scary, because I strip down to basically underwear during it, but it’s also so incredibly validating. I’m reclaiming the images stolen from me and not allowing them to be embarrassing.”
Beneath the surface of Feet Pics Aren’t Free is a thesis about women’s role both online and in creative industries. Blumenthal sees nudity as an exciting challenge in her work that, one day, she hopes to explore – but only if it feeds the story she wants to tell. “I’ve worked with Ita O’Brien, thefor Sex Education, Normal People and loads of other shows,” she says. “And I got so much out of that.
She describes the comedy in Feet Pics Aren’t Free as “so uncomfortable you have no choice but to laugh – otherwise you’ll cry. It’s highlighting how uncomfortable and unfortunate the situation is. It’s a black comedy but also based in reality. And while I don’t want to come across as preachy at all, there is a lot of discussion about how to protect yourself online. If something like this happens to you, the show is here to say that it’s never, ever your fault.