Do we all hate influencers, or are we just jealous?
Do we really all dislike influencers or are we just annoyed they’ve found a smarter way to make money?
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I read two articles lately. Both were the same story yet they had different headlines.
One was “Mother’s heartbreaking plea after son’s tragic death” and the other was “Influencer’s desperate GoFundMe”. The meat of the stories was the same.
A mother, who was also an actress, had posted on her Instagram that her young boy, only 13, had died by suicide and she was desperate to raise funds to cryogenically freeze him in the hope he could be revived in the future.
My heart instantly broke for her. I couldn’t imagine the grief she must be going through and these sentiments were shared in the comments under the first article where she was called a “mother”. Responses to the other article, however, were a completely different story.
According to the internet, this “influencer” deserved it. Calling this mother an influencer unlocked a barrage of abuse, laughing emojis and criticism of character. “He probably did it because you love your Instagram more.” “Get your own money and get over yourself.” One after the next after the next, it was fascinating and completely shocking that one “title” can turn people cold.
And it’s not just this article. I’ve seen others similar. And as my own social media has grown I’ve noticed similar comments on my own page. People have started speaking to me, not as a person, but as a virus that needs to be wiped out.
“You influencers are all the same.”
I’m like: What?! I’m not an influencer?! I’m a writer, a comedian and a radio host. I’ve studied and trained and worked my butt off for decades to be good at what I do and now just because I’ve got a larger following, now I’m an influencer?!
The fact that I was outraged by being called an influencer highlighted that even I have a negative prejudice towards them.
Why did I respond like this? Why do others respond like this? Why do we feel venom towards people based on their choice of occupation?
Another big question we should be asking is “where did the influencers come from?”
Over the past decade there’s been a revolt against jobs that are considered to be objectifying women.
Gone are the days of grid girls, promotional models and FHM cover girls. Whether it was with good intentions or not, the moral browbeating of “hot girl jobs” has meant that opportunities that used to be reserved for attractive women are only now becoming obsolete and these women have become displaced.
Or have they? Whether we like it or not, the age-old saying of “sex sells” still seems to ring true and I believe social media has become the new platform for “hot girl jobs”.
But do they deserve the heat they cop from the rest of society? Shouldn’t they be praised for adapting and becoming the masters of their own destiny?
Or do we just see it as “hot girl privilege” and should be discouraged? Or should we be more accepting and have the attitude: a girl’s gotta eat and if they can turn a “fake tan” post into a mortgage payment then, hey, all power to them.
So my question for you is: Are influencers the new parking inspectors? Or are we just jealous that they’ve cracked the matrix and have figured out a smarter way to earn money and get free shit?
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Originally published as Do we all hate influencers, or are we just jealous?