Outlier of the Week: “I haven’t been to the gym for so long” (38.6×)

This week’s biggest outlier is an opinion carousel by @the_female_lead that got 92,828 likes and comments, 38.6× the creator’s usual. It has only four slides, and its first slide opens on a remark most readers will want to argue with.

It was posted on 12 October (UTC) and sits in the history & culture niche. The next-highest score this week was 10.6×, so this one was well clear of the field.

The numbers

• Score: 38.6× the creator’s usual.
• Likes + comments: 92,828.
• The creator’s usual: about 2,400 likes and comments (92,828 ÷ 38.6).
• Slides: 4.
• Format and niche: opinion, history & culture.

The score compares the post with the creator’s own recent carousels, so it says something about this post rather than the size of the account. If the score is new to you, here is how an outlier is worked out.

What does the first slide say?

“I haven’t been to the gym for so long,, I didn’t know that women just dress like whres now.” — [@the_female_lead](https://www.instagram.com/p/DeZ77IZEVUz/), 38.6×*

The slide carries on from there in the same voice. The caption makes the post’s position clear: “Men need to be defending women more. This is not a ‘women’s issue’. This is an everybody issue.” — a line it credits to Dan Levy.

In our 10 hook patterns, this sits closest to the comeback: quote something people say, then answer it. The twist is that the quote is not one the creator agrees with. The first slide hands the reader a view to react to, and the swipe is where the answer comes.

Why did this carousel work?

We can’t see inside anyone’s audience, so this is a reading of the evidence, not a certainty. The interesting part is how many of the averages this post ignores.

The slide count is below the strongest band. In our sample of 11,087 scored carousels, those with 4–5 slides reached 2× their creator’s usual 21.3% of the time, under the overall 23.7%. The strongest band was 11–15 slides, at 27.8%. History & culture outliers in the library have a median of 7 slides; this one has 4.

The first slide is long. Among 6,560 transcribed first slides, hooks of 6–10 words reached 2× most often (25.2%). This one runs past 26 words, a band that reached 2× 20.8% of the time. It has no number and it is not a question, and it is written in normal case, which did slightly better than mostly capitals (22.5% against 21.2%).

The format is about average. Opinion carousels reached 2× their creator’s usual 24.4% of the time, close to the overall rate.

The niche does well. History & culture carousels reached 2× 29.2% of the time, the second-highest of the 17 niches in our data, just behind education (29.9%). It isn’t the first post in this niche to work with this kind of subject either: an opinion carousel by @victorianpoetry opening “Don’t get too drunk. Don’t drink from an open cup.” scored 56.9×.

So the slide count and hook length point the wrong way, and the format is average. What’s left is the idea: a remark many people have heard, put on screen so the reader reacts before they swipe.

One caveat applies to all of these figures: they are base rates across a mix of creators we track, and a correlation is not a cause. A niche that reaches 2× more often won’t lift a post that has nothing to say.

How to use it in your own niche

You don’t need a controversial subject to borrow this. You need a real remark your audience has heard and has an opinion about. Here is how to remix it, following the same process as Artem’s remix case study.

1. Open on a remark people in your world actually hear. A client’s objection, a common bad take, a line from a manager. Quote it on the first slide in normal case, with no answer yet. Only use remarks you’ve genuinely come across; don’t invent one to provoke.
2. Answer it in a few slides. This post did it in four. Each slide should carry one point of your reply, and you don’t need more slides than the argument needs.
3. State your position in one line. The caption here is two short sentences. Put yours on the last slide or in the caption, so nobody is left unsure which side you’re on.

Keep the structure and replace everything else: your remark, your answer, your visuals. Don’t reuse the creator’s slides or wording.

For more first slides from this niche, browse history & culture carousel ideas.

Frequently asked questions

What was the top Instagram carousel outlier this week?

An opinion carousel by @the_female_lead, posted on 12 October, which got 92,828 likes and comments. That is 38.6× the creator’s usual of about 2,400, the highest score of any carousel posted in the last seven days in our library.

Can a short carousel still be an outlier?

Yes. Carousels with 4–5 slides reached 2× their creator’s usual a little less often in our sample (21.3% against 23.7% overall), but this week’s top outlier has four slides. When the argument is short, the carousel can be too.

Is quoting a remark you disagree with a good hook?

It can be. This week’s top outlier opens on one and answers it, and the comeback is one of the 10 hook patterns we see among outliers. Make sure your answer is clear, so the post isn’t mistaken for agreement.