It’s true, we’re just gaga over babies
AT 13.8 million likes (and counting), the photo shared on Tuesday of Stormi Webster wrapping her tiny hand around her mother’s perfectly manicured finger is now the most-liked Instagram post of all time. Jenner beat footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 11.3 million likes with the announcement of his baby girl’s birth in November. Beyoncé ranks third; her extravagant post notifying us plebs of her pregnancy in February 2017 garnered a mere 11.2 million likes.
There are two major takeaways from this information. First, it confirms Jenner’s existence as one of the most baffling public figures of the modern era. Haters, say what you will, but this 20-year-old managed to trump Queen Bey at her own game.
But here’s what stands out the most about this list: It’s full! Of ! Babies!
If you look at the top 10 most-liked posts, you’ll find that six involve some sort of baby news. Beyoncé’s twins were slightly less popular when out of the womb, ranking fifth, and they’re followed by Stormi’s birth announcement and a black-and-white photo of Khloe Kardashian’s pregnant belly. (The other four posts include Selena Gomez’s kidney transplant, an intensely tattooed Justin Bieber, Ronaldo winning a fancy award and Gomez posing in front of her childhood home.)
It makes sense, if you think about it. We are built to love baby features like round faces and big eyes, which translates to us quickly double-tapping the photos of infants and puppies that make their way into our feeds. Pregnancy announcements tend to make people all warm and fuzzy inside, probably because they signify the prospect of us getting to look at those round faces and big eyes in the near future. I can provide no explanation for Bieber’s inclusion on this list but I will say that kidneys are necessary and soccer is fun to watch. There a science behind this, readers.
Jenner’s post was bound to end up on top, seeing as there was a six-month period of intense intrigue leading up to it. The baby news might have been broken back in September, but the lip kit-selling socialite uncharacteristically laid low throughout her pregnancy and went out of her way to cover the bump with baggy clothing and strategically placed blankets. We knew, but we didn’t really know until Jenner announced the birth over the weekend.
The latest and most popular post revealed the final piece of information: the baby’s name. Stormi is an interesting choice – don’t they read the news? but Webster is the real last name of the baby’s father, rapper Travis Scott (aka Jacques Webster). – Washington Post