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Original poster

Elle Darby's old tweets

197 replies

AdultCat · 02/01/2022 23:16

I don't follow Elle Darby but am aware of her on Instagram. I came across her on TikTok after loads of her old tweets have been shared. So hateful and angry, the tweets are really nasty.
Has anyone else seen them? She's turned all her comments off and seems to be staying quiet!

OP posts:
FTEngineerM · 04/01/2022 11:11

@Abitots557 that you Malin?

Abitots557 · 04/01/2022 11:23

@SovietSpy

The ASA published researched that showed the public found it difficult to identify adverts on social media and often didn’t understand the words ‘ad’ and ‘aff’ particularly well. Then there’s the issue that plenty of influencers don’t disclose adverts prominently and correctly. I remember when the ASA and CAP code were brought in plenty of influencers were against it because they had to mark more posts of ads and knew their engagement would be affected. Because most only care about the huge sums of money they make rather than being compliant for their audiences benefit.

I don’t have an issue with people working as influencers but it’s a fallacy to deny there are some deep rooted issues with transparency of ads and the ethics around some of the selling practices e.g constant pushing of aff links, hauls, monetising children, buying followers, buying likes, bots, commenting pods, filters, photoshopping, promoting dangerous products like detox teas, pushing crypto etc.

That’s why a lot of people have an issue with the industry. But as soon as you say this you get an influencer telling you you’re wrong and implying you’re a bad person. The psychological tricks are very interesting.

Never suggested anyone is a bad person I just sometimes wonder why it’s influencers that cop the shit when it’s companies that are really wanting to do the advertising 🤷🏻‍♀️ just thought I would give my perspective on it which I have. We are entitled to other opinions but it’s good to have a balanced argument from both sides
HNY2022mam · 04/01/2022 11:32

People become emotionally invested with influencers which of course is their greatest strength when it comes to selling.

CSJobseeker · 04/01/2022 11:48

I just sometimes wonder why it’s influencers that cop the shit

An advert on the TV or on a website is honest that it's trying to flog you something and is only interested in your £££. Advertising is also heavily regulated - they can't make dubious claims with evidence etc.

Influencers are also only interested in your £££ (although it's indirect - money flows to their corporate sponsors, who then pay them) but often aren't honest about it - they pretend to be your best mate to gain your trust. And until very recently, influencers have been entirely unregulated, so they could say whatever the hell they like.

CSJobseeker · 04/01/2022 11:50

^ without evidence that should say

Anyone who claims not to understand why influencers get more criticism than traditional advertising is either very naïve, or is choosing to ignore the reality of the business model.

EishetChayil · 04/01/2022 11:55

I originally came to mumsnet for support on something completely different and was shown a lot of kindness so I know there are good people on here somewhere!

You can still be a good person and critique the influencing industry. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Stepmonstera · 04/01/2022 12:37

I missed that little gem about not being a good person if you don't feel being an influencer is a good or positive thing.

You keep telling yourself that. As i said, it must be hard to step outside of your Instagram bubble and realise that not everyone likes what you do. I wouldn't be an influencer even if someone said i could be an overnight success. It's a fucked up "industry" which preys on unhappy people. Also didn't realise earning pots of money was an indicator of something being a good thing to do or not. I guess it depends on what your version of success and reward looks like.

dinahsdishes · 04/01/2022 13:38

How many followers do you have to have to be classed as an influencer?

HNY2022mam · 04/01/2022 13:45

@dinahsdishes

How many followers do you have to have to be classed as an influencer?
I don’t think it’s as black and white as that, they all have stats and engagement figures and them the companies decide who they want to work with.
CSJobseeker · 04/01/2022 15:48

@Stepmonstera

I missed that little gem about not being a good person if you don't feel being an influencer is a good or positive thing.

You keep telling yourself that. As i said, it must be hard to step outside of your Instagram bubble and realise that not everyone likes what you do. I wouldn't be an influencer even if someone said i could be an overnight success. It's a fucked up "industry" which preys on unhappy people. Also didn't realise earning pots of money was an indicator of something being a good thing to do or not. I guess it depends on what your version of success and reward looks like.

Yeah, it's not good is it? But we're the bad guys for criticising the industry apparently.

One thing I always remember when reading anything written by an influencer is that these are people who are paid to manipulate other people's emotions. They are skilled manipulators, and particularly skilled at portraying their chosen image. Never trust one as far as you can throw them.

The same can all be said of the old fashioned advertising industry - just think of Mad Men. Manipulators through and through.

HeyFloof · 04/01/2022 17:14

I missed that little gem about not being a good person if you don't feel being an influencer is a good or positive thing

And this is half if the problem with having "an influence" I think. As soon as someone disagrees with an influencer, or what they're doing, the influencer and their followers declare the dissenters unkind, mean, a troll, jealous, a bully etc. And it's not unknown for the influencer to then cause problems for the person calling then out by using their followers.
In my experience, quite often, and especially when you're making good money, it's really difficult to see something for as toxic as it really is. I've got personal experience of it, although a different industry, it still involved manipulation, twisting the truth, looking a certain way, acting a certain way in order to make the money etc. And we were convinced that we were doing a good thing, helping, being awesome feminists, string independent women and all that, because it was an echo chamber. It was only stepping out of it when I realised how toxic the whole thing was.

deathofastrawberry · 04/01/2022 17:27

Apology video

Ellyoctober · 04/01/2022 21:44

Singer BLASTS influencers for asking for a FREE personal song

Anyone know where/when Connor and Elle are getting married?

Feliana · 04/01/2022 21:48

Sounds like a storm in a twit-cup.

I mean maybe people will talk about this in 500 years but it's unlikely I think.

SovietSpy · 04/01/2022 22:16

Sounds like a storm in a twit-cup

You think racist, homophobic and ableist tweets are a storm in a cup? Elle has a considerable online following and influences a predominantly young female audience. That level of influence she has (rightly or wrongly) means she holds power, and it’s important than anyone that has such a platform is a decent person. People have been upset by the things she said, but to you it’s a storm in a cup. Talk about privilege.

Feliana · 04/01/2022 22:26

Meh. We all get upset about things.

UserError012345 · 04/01/2022 22:37

Her subscribers are falling fast. She's lost 14k in the last 24hrs.

deathofastrawberry · 04/01/2022 22:47

@UserError012345

Her subscribers are falling fast. She's lost 14k in the last 24hrs.
She's lost almost 60k since all this started.. hopefully she doesn't come back from this!
Pugroll · 04/01/2022 22:50

Surprised this thread has been allowed to stay though, most get deleted sharpish when talking about individuals negatively- not criticising people posting about it, its just curious.

InThebleakMidweek · 05/01/2022 08:50

Well at least she has apologised. I guess now she needs to prove herself and that’s the hard part. At least she has fully apologised and not glossed over anything.
I’m a harsh critic of her tbh as the tweets were disgusting but her apology seemed genuine what happens next though who knows she needs to prove that she apologised for the right reasons and not to save her ‘brand’

CSJobseeker · 05/01/2022 09:06

her apology seemed genuine

Influencers literally earn their money through their ability to manipulate the emotions of their followers/viewers.

Politicians can often be capable of a convincing sounding apology too.

InThebleakMidweek · 05/01/2022 09:11

@CSJobseeker

her apology seemed genuine

Influencers literally earn their money through their ability to manipulate the emotions of their followers/viewers.

Politicians can often be capable of a convincing sounding apology too.

Absolutely I agree 100% with you that’s why I said it’s more about how she behaves from this point on which will be interesting
CSJobseeker · 05/01/2022 09:14

Whether it was ten years ago or not, what is certain is that she actually held extremely racist, homophobic and ablist views. They're not just tweets - they reflect what her actual opinions were (and maybe still are).

She wasn't a young child, she was old enough to know better - at that age I was going on demos protesting against those sorts of views. And it wasn't a few slightly non-PC tweets, it was a frequent outpouring of extreme racism etc.

Do people often change from being extremely racist to being non-racist?

If that is what has happened here, it's a huge shift in her fundamental outlook - so what changed her mind? I bet she can't articulate that, can she?

DingleyDel · 05/01/2022 09:28

I've just had a look though her tweets and they are utterly vile. What a horrid lady she is, don't buy the 'oh she was only 15' thing either. It makes me wonder what I put her parents had to make her so unpleasant?

Daddy is actually a convicted fraudster so the apple didn’t fall far!

www.thesun.co.uk/news/14983390/giles-darby-natwest-three-inside-allenwood/