'I wonder why': Backpackers face backlash over plea to find work
An eccentric backpacking couple venting frustration about not being able to find employment in Australia have faced backlash.
Sebastian Wolfe Pickersgill and Maree Fowler are British backpackers who list their profession as body piercers.
The colourful pair both have body modifications, several tattoos on their face and body, as well as numerous piercings, brightly dyed hair and a very bold fashion sense.
Both boast on their Facebook about enjoying unique experiences such as body suspension, which includes hanging from hooks pierced through their skin and body modification like splitting tongues and stretching ear lobes.
After travelling around Australia for a month, Mr Pickersgrill posted on an Australian Backpackers Facebook page that he and Ms Fowler were âboth struggling to find employment at this moment in timeâ, along with a photo of the pair that showcased a very unique sense of style.
Currently in Perth, the couple asked members of the group if there were any employers âactively seeking working staff or employing anyone under a subclass 417 visaâ.
Facebook users responded with mixed advice, and some even criticised the travellers.
âWith such a degree of self-mutilation that you both have, you are going to find it hard to find employment,â one person responded.
âI wonder why,â another said.
Several people suggested the two follow their passion and seek work in a creative environment like a tattoo parlour or an art store.
âDon't let anyone limit you and put you in a box,â one responded.
Another suggested the couple travel to a state where their unique sense of style might be better suited.
âWould you consider freelance model? I personally think people in Melbourne would appreciate your style better,â someone wrote.
A few others said the body piercers should use their popularity to become influencers online, something Mr Pickersgrill wrote he is considering.
âDo we just start a premium snapchat?â he asked.
Signing off the post âWolf and Wonderlustâ, which is also tattooed on Ms Fowler forehead, the pair didnât seem too bothered by the comments.
However Wonderlust did have one piece of advice for those who had harsh words.
âOh F**k off,â she wrote.
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