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Original poster

Influencer/celeb gossip forums

110 replies

Kingsparkle · 03/07/2023 07:59

I follow a woman on social media, mainly because I like her aesthetic and she gives me ideas of brands etc to look at. One of her children has a genetic condition and she raises money for an organisation supporting young people with this condition. She recently posted about it and I wanted to read more about it so I googled her and up popped a Reddit thread.

It was full of people calling her narcissistic and an alcoholic, insulting her children’s appearance and claiming they have no friends. Claiming she’s a terrible mother etc. People were picking apart anything she’d posted, analysing her friends and family’s demeanour towards her. Someone had even looked up financial information about her.

I knew that people on SM often got a hard time but I honestly didn’t realise it was this bad. Why? Why do people feel the need to do this? If you are part of these forums what do you get out of it. I am genuinely curious what motivates people to be this vicious, particularly towards someone they’ve never met.

OP posts:
Thebirdhouse · 03/07/2023 15:47

Kingsparkle · 03/07/2023 15:45

@radiatorpipe - I agree the Harry and Megan threads on here are mad. I ignore that whole section. I am not singling out Tattle, it’s just the most famous. It’s the online obsessive hate I am trying to get my head around. I just don’t understand getting a kick out of hating someone that much when you’ve never even met them.

Seriously go to the MM threads and ask there if you want to know why people get so worked up. They are the audience you need if you really want answers.

radiatorpipe · 03/07/2023 15:50

Well my theory on the Meghan thing is some of the people feel like the Royal family are theirs. So they took the rejection personally & see them as breaking the "pact".

I think most people who frequent forums to criticise an influencer has probably been a fan at some point (& probably spent time before cheering them on) feel cheated by whatever so they are pissed off. They are invested just in a different way.

radiatorpipe · 03/07/2023 15:53

Seriously go to the MM threads and ask there if you want to know why people get so worked up. They are the audience you need if you really want answers.

Lol!

I can totally see that H&M made mistakes & many of the criticisms will be deserved. However the vitriol is disproportionate to what they have done, they aren't Rosemary & Fred West!!!

everilla · 03/07/2023 15:54

Tattle is useful for exposing some of these influencers. It might be a bit harsh at times, but it's a good place to check.

tacomaco · 03/07/2023 16:02

everilla · 03/07/2023 15:54

Tattle is useful for exposing some of these influencers. It might be a bit harsh at times, but it's a good place to check.

I think there is a difference between calling someone out and name calling, particularly their children, driving past houses and being frankly disgusting which is not acceptable.

Whiskyinajar · 03/07/2023 16:03

I have never read the H&M thread on Tattle and never will.

Food and Drink threads there are nice.

And I totally agree that commenting negatively on appearance or about children is not okay.

Thebirdhouse · 03/07/2023 16:20

I have never read the H&M thread on Tattle and never will

Oh you don’t have to go to Tattle. The same vitriol is on the MN threads.

LarryandLeon · 03/07/2023 16:45

A lot of the same people that are on Tattle are on Mumsnet 🤷🏻‍♀️. There’s even a long running thread about Mumsnet on there!

everilla · 03/07/2023 17:11

I think there is a difference between calling someone out and name calling, particularly their children, driving past houses and being frankly disgusting which is not acceptable.

You're right.

grass321 · 03/07/2023 17:23

I don't mind Tattle and, as a community, it's more supportive than MN. A number of posters have shared bereavements, cancer diagnoses and mental health issues and received a lot of nice comments.

I can only speak for the threads I've read but the Mrs Hinch threads are big on protecting her kids' privacy, rather than using them for content, and constantly using filters. Both of which I agree with. The Jack Monroe and Philip Schofield threads had some quite interesting debate.

I don't believe in making personal comments about people's appearance. But, equally, if you want to be an influencer, you have to accept that not everyone will like you. Tattle's main aim is to call out the bullshit and deception which I'm sure irks the Insta influencers no end.

Some posters may go too far, as they do on MN, and they're told to pull their horns in. But it's not the work of the devil, it's just an irreverent look at the world of celebrities.

OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 03/07/2023 17:41

I'm on tattle mainly on one thread. I don't think it's that bad. People just don't like being called out over stuff. They will then say its bullying and trolling etc....... when in reality it's them being called out over lying and grifting and also being a troll themselves!

Florissante · 03/07/2023 18:30

From the Tattlelife website: Tattle Life is a commentary website on public business social media accounts. We allow commentary and critiques of people that choose to monetise their personal life as a business and release it into the public domain.

If people want to monetise their lives, fine. But there will be fans and critics. If they don't like the latter, too bad. But they made a choice.

On Tattlelife people know that they're being criticised, unlike MN where posters make vicious comments about friends, family, neighbours, co-workers and total strangers without their knowledge or being able to provide their side of the story.

Original poster
Kingsparkle · 03/07/2023 18:38

It is interesting people are feeling the need to defend Tattle. I was posting more generally about online hate rather than specifically Tattle however I do think those who don’t see the hate on there are a bit blind to it. I haven’t said MN is immune from the hate either, it’s all over the internet.

OP posts:
Thebirdhouse · 03/07/2023 19:18

Kingsparkle · 03/07/2023 18:38

It is interesting people are feeling the need to defend Tattle. I was posting more generally about online hate rather than specifically Tattle however I do think those who don’t see the hate on there are a bit blind to it. I haven’t said MN is immune from the hate either, it’s all over the internet.

I don’t u sees tabs why you don’t go to online hate on MN and ask your questions there and get answers directly from the horses’s mouth instead of asking people what they ‘think’ trolls get from posting.

Your refusal and alleged fear of doing makes me doubt your reasons for starting this thread.

Thebirdhouse · 03/07/2023 19:22
  • don’t understand.
Original poster
Kingsparkle · 03/07/2023 19:31

Sorry I still don’t understand, where do I need to go on MN? I asked my question here because I just wanted a general chat about it and to see what other people’s thoughts and experiences of it were. I really don’t care what you think of my reasons or why you feel the need to be so combative.

OP posts:
Thebirdhouse · 03/07/2023 19:36

Ive seen too many people use MN for ‘research’ purposes I guess……

Original poster
Kingsparkle · 03/07/2023 19:42

You are welcome to report @Thebirdhouse and I am happy to show Mumsnet I am not a journalist or an academic, just a bored ill woman looking for a chat.

OP posts:
ThanksItHasPockets · 03/07/2023 19:43

Tattle et al can be absolutely vile (and I agree with multiple pp about the levels of obsession from many posters there) but I think these boards partly exist because they fill a vacuum in a largely unregulated space. There is very little accountability for influencers and they are not subject to anything like the level of scrutiny required in other areas of marketing and advertising.

It will be very interesting to see what happens in the next few years as the children of this wave of influencers come of age and start speaking out. It’s morally and ethically indefensible to monetise your children and their childhood.

grass321 · 03/07/2023 19:53

There is very little accountability for influencers and they are not subject to anything like the level of scrutiny required in other areas of marketing and advertising.

That's an interesting point. The ASA can be brutally harsh on tv and ratio advertisers.

Yet influencers often get away with not disclosing ads, or hiding 'ad' in tiny white letters on a background where it can't be easily seen. And they often prey on the public with the 'I'm your friend, not a salesperson' line.

While I appreciate that monetising young children in their sweet phase is tempting for some, there should be laws to protect kids who are far too young to give informed consent. I'd not sleep at night if I'd shared my child's name, date of birth and school with a load of randoms on the internet.

Original poster
Kingsparkle · 03/07/2023 20:00

You raise a very good point about the regulatory void @ThanksItHasPockets . I guess it is a form of vigilante regulation.

Tom Scott made a great YouTube video about the difference in influencers vs more traditional advertising and the lack of regulation and raised some of the same points about blurred lines.

(For those who haven’t heard of him, Tom Scott is very much not an influencer unless red T-shirts are your vibe. He makes educational YouTube videos.)

OP posts:
LarryandLeon · 03/07/2023 20:01

ThanksItHasPockets · 03/07/2023 19:43

Tattle et al can be absolutely vile (and I agree with multiple pp about the levels of obsession from many posters there) but I think these boards partly exist because they fill a vacuum in a largely unregulated space. There is very little accountability for influencers and they are not subject to anything like the level of scrutiny required in other areas of marketing and advertising.

It will be very interesting to see what happens in the next few years as the children of this wave of influencers come of age and start speaking out. It’s morally and ethically indefensible to monetise your children and their childhood.

Bingo!

nachoavocado · 03/07/2023 21:12

LarryandLeon · 03/07/2023 16:45

A lot of the same people that are on Tattle are on Mumsnet 🤷🏻‍♀️. There’s even a long running thread about Mumsnet on there!

Yeah they make fun of the style and beauty bit. Including the what are you wearing today thread. Shame as I like that thread - get loads of inspiration from it.

LarryandLeon · 03/07/2023 21:36

nachoavocado · 03/07/2023 21:12

Yeah they make fun of the style and beauty bit. Including the what are you wearing today thread. Shame as I like that thread - get loads of inspiration from it.

Show quote history

Yeah I don’t like that, I think it’s really mean. I just noticed on the Mumsnet thread on Tattle that there was a lot of crossover. A lot of posters on Tattle seem to have young kids.

LarryandLeon · 03/07/2023 21:43

I agree about commenting on the appearance of influencers & their children. I also think some posters on Tattle etc. are completely unhinged. That being said I feel limited sympathy for people that monetise their lifestyle & children in that way. Ultimately they fuel a really toxic dynamic which is very damaging.

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