The Nicki Minaj Stiletto Challenge has its share of controversy

Just like many other viral social media challenges, the Nicki Minaj Stiletto Challenge is another that has its share of controversy.

The viral challenge consists of people performing an extraordinary and challenging pose, such as the one Minaj did in the music video for her 2013 track “High School.” In the music video, Minaj poses by a poolside with one leg over the other while wearing high heels in one scene, maintaining a strong balance.

Twelve years later, the pose resurfaced on social media with many users opting to take their spin on the pose. There are clips showing people doing the challenge with one leg on the ground, while there are clips of others who have taken it to the extreme by doing the challenge: on top of weights, counters, mailboxes, cans, railings, bricks, and in some cases, while carrying a small child in their arms.

Each time I see a video of the challenge being taken to the extreme, I can’t help but get nervous for those doing the challenge, as anything can go wrong with even just one slight movement. Seeing behind-the-scenes clips of people doing the challenge surely validates my feelings of nervousness.

A recent incident involving the challenge now serves as a cautionary tale to anyone considering partaking in the challenge themselves and has led to doctors warning people about taking the challenge to the extreme.

Russian influencer Mariana Barutkina broke her spine attempting to do the stiletto challenge. In the viral video, Barutkina is seen attempting to do the pose on a saucepan and a canister of baby formula stacked on top of a kitchen counter before falling backwards after managing to maintain her balance for a few minutes. Thankfully, Barutkina only suffered a minor back fracture.

What also stands out about this viral challenge is that humans aren’t the only ones doing it; people also have their pets doing the challenge, and vets have come out to discourage people from doing the challenge with their pets.

While dogs are not seen wearing heels, or bending their knees while doing the challenge, their legs are placed on top of cans, or glasses, which is a safety hazard since dogs don’t have a strong awareness of where their back legs are while climbing or standing still.

While I don’t have anything against the challenge, taking it to the extreme may garner a lot of attention, but it could potentially come at a risk. So, if you have a desire to do the challenge, go ahead and do it, but be safe and stick to doing the challenge on a safe surface.