Influencers

[AurielleBaies]

AIBU in thinking that influencers are the absolute worst kind of people? I think we knew this when Lydia Millen was posting about going to stay in a posh hotel (the Ritz?) when her heating went out during Covid. But it seems 1000% times worse now. Maybe it’s my algorithm, maybe I’m getting old…but these out of touch people are starting to really wind me up.

I used to work for an influencer, who was AWFUL in real life but everyone loved her online. She is an inspiration to so many but truly one of the worst people I have ever met and has fucked over so many nice, normal people to get to where she is. Her influencer friends who she often collaborated with were just as awful, one was a huge advocate for mental health and truly was an awful person who belittled everyone around her.

I know they aren’t all like this. I’m just struggling with the absolute saturation of the influencer industry knowing that probably most of them are out of touch, horrible people just playing us all so they make more money and become even more awful.

Add on to this he uber rich people (multi multi millionaires and billionaires) shoving their wealth into everyone’s faces. It’s so
distasteful. No one needs that amount of money and stuff. The wealth extremes have become so much worse in the last 5 years. I just can’t stand it!

I’m trying to! Half the time I don’t even realise I’m watching an ad and then it’s too late. I do have to engage with some scrolling because it’s part of my job.

But if you look at an item of clothing
and like it
what does it matter if the person modelling it was paid to do so

It’s the touched up photos that annoy me.

I used to go to the same Pilates studio as an influencer and she was posting a lot about her post-partum fitness journey at the time and she looked NOTHING like her photos online. She had shaved off a stone with Photoshop, not pilates, and was essentially lying to her followers. But anything for clicks, eh?

Its the poundshop influencers I can't stand who go to all inclusive resorts or touristy areas and expect everyone to get of the way of their 'shot' as if they own the place. The silly poses, the overtly sexual content that is an inch away from an Onlyfans account.

I occasionally get inspiration for outfits, travel/hotels, skin care, etc. but I NEVER click the affiliate links. I don’t care if it means not getting 10% off or whatever. On principle, I just google the product and buy it normally instead of giving the influencer money.

a very good friend of mine is a niche influencer. She’s great and is doing it for a bit of extra cash. She will only push products that are science backed/she genuinely likes. She can’t bare going to influencer events because they can be extremely bitchy and competitive. So no, not all influencers are bad (like I said in my OP), but a lot seem to be not great people.

Not clothing, but my DC started watching YouTubers who built different things out of Lego. To begin with it was helpful - gave them ideas about what to do.

Then it started to give them ideas. Like that it was normal to walk around neighbourhoods trying to give away 100 boxes of Lego to random strangers. Or that it was normal to walk into a an old folks' home to look for a 100 year old to test whether or not it was true that Lego is suitable for ages 3-99 years like is says on the box. Or that ordinary people can just go out and buy 50 boxes. My DC were 8 and 5 and asking why we couldn't just do the same things.

When I say "influencer" now I pronounce it as "influenza", after the nausea-inducing parasite.

Because it could be crap quality. Wash badly. Feel nasty. And still they say "I'm LOVING this new jumper from blah blah". ARE they, though? Or are they just saying it because they have to?

That's the fake part of it. At least if you look at videos on the website of an online retailer, you're just seeing how the items look put together. You haven't got someone wanging on about it like it's the best thing ever and they've been wearing it everywhere, yet you can't trust that a single thing they say is the truth.

It's basically all just QVC. Monetise everything.

Same here. I'm 55 and couldn't even name an influencer! Ignorance is bliss 😊

Well you may as well give them the money. I mean they sold you the product. You were persuaded to buy them, even if the product is a load of crap or promises you the earth and just doesn't deliver (as with most beauty trends).

You are not the first person to realise that tik tok and facebook and instagram are marketing platforms. You are browsing adverts essentially. Yes it's personalised but essentially it's more and more people selling a product, or just buying your time in return for likes and clicks so they can get more paid partnerships.

Exactly. Having been on the other side of it, I know influencers are essentially given a script that can be full of lies (like how amazing the quality is, it’s hand crafted even though mass produced in China) by a brand to push the product. For a single post, they can be paid more than one persons yearly salary. It’s horrible, unregulated and people absolutely lap it up

I never give them the money. I think a freebie is enough payment for talking to a camera in your bedroom for 5 minutes.

And I think it’s becoming not as obvious. Brands and influences are becoming extremely sneaky about how they do it now.

I don't think there is anything they could do that would influence me.

So… the buy it
shit quality
return

All fake as fuck.

That’s so terrible for the environment and part of my point - a lot of influencers only care about themselves and if they get paid a shit ton. Nothing else

I’m 45 and I couldnt either

and as for

Then it started to give them ideas. Like that it was normal to walk around neighbourhoods trying to give away 100 boxes of Lego to random strangers. Or that it was normal to walk into a an old folks' home to look for a 100 year old to test whether or not it was true that Lego is suitable for ages 3-99 years like is says on the box. Or that ordinary people can just go out and buy 50 boxes. My DC were 8 and 5 and asking why we couldn't just do the same things.

surely none of their peers or friends were doing this?

So you must have a problem with… shein, temu, Primark…. Absolutely loads of sellers

I do actually. I don’t shop at those places. I’d rather not shop at all actually.

Genevieve Turkey 🦃😆

I really like her too. But there’s a point to her. She has talents and skills in make up as well as comedy to share and they are useful / entertaining. If she wants to make money doing that then all power to her.

Personally, I can’t stand the type of influencers that I think the OP is talking about; the ones that seem to contribute nothing useful to the world and just swan around Dubai looking like over filled puffer fish 🐠

Op, you need to sort your algorithms out though. I use Insta daily and never get haunted by that type of crap because I don’t seek it out.