The Best (And Worst) Fictional Influencers In TV And Movies
#OhCrepe, some of these fictional influencers really suck.
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Influencers, they’re just like us: frequently misrepresented in film and television. From Emily in Paris's oh-so-effortlessly viral Emily Cooper to Not Okay’s new try-hard influencer Danni Sanders, the introduction of an influencer onscreen tends to send a chill down my spine. Whether they’re spewing unbearable lines littered with already outdated internet slang or posting unedited, one-and-done selfies that garner thousands of likes in an instant, Hollywood definitely has trouble nailing down the reality of this career path — and even bigger trouble making their onscreen influencers at all likable!
So, I decided to take a look at a wide range of characters wearing the “influencer” title in some fashion — from Abbott Elementary’s side-hustling Principal Ava to the new Gossip Girl’s pitiful attempt at making Julien Calloway cool enough to rival Serena van der Woodsen — and take a long, hard look at just how bad (or in the rarest of cases, okay) their depiction is. I'm also giving them a final grade based on just how realistic their character is — in case you want to skip past my thoughtful and heartfelt analysis of these mostly shallow characters.
1. Julien Calloway (Jordan Alexander), Gossip Girl
How many followers they have: 80.5K according to the character's actual Instagram.
How many followers they should have: Well into the hundred thousands by this point, right? She's working with Louis Vuitton in the very first episode...
Do they get my follow: It depends on how tapped into the Constance Billard drama I become, but at the moment Julien's vaguely personal captions on boring photos don't entice me in the slightest.
Gossip Girl’s influencer protagonist (or antagonist depending on whose side you’re on, I guess) is almost as insufferable as the reboot series itself. Below her shallow prep school teen schtick is just, well, nothing. She not-so-silently fumes with jealousy over her younger, far more boring sister, hooks up with her bland ex-boyfriend at protests, and seems to want absolutely nothing to do with her so-called career. If it weren’t for her two social media-savvy cronies, there’s no way Julien would be able to make it as an influencer. Except, wait, she’s the daughter of somebody famous, so scratch that… As is the case with every character in this utterly cursed reboot, it feels like the series creators slapped a vaguely relevant identifier onto the charismatically challenged Julien and hoped we’d let it slide. But, to quote directly from the GG source here, “This isn’t Emily in Paris.”
Final grade: D
Watch it (if you dare) on HBO Max.
2. Danni Sanders (Zooey Deutch), Not Okay
How many followers they have: 30K(ish)
How many followers they should have: If her whole “I Am Not Okay” piece went as viral as we’re led to believe, then Ms. Sanders is doing something horribly wrong to have only garnered a mere 30K on Instagram. She arguably only qualifies as a microinfluencer in this case…
Do they get my follow: No, I don’t make it a habit to give Caroline Calloway-esque figures any more attention.
Designed to represent the epitome of everything wrong with the influencer industry, Danni Sanders does what she’s destined to do. She’s aggressively unlikable while still managing to be uncomfortably relatable, and she’s searching for engagement and connection — both online and IRL — at every turn. When she finds herself feeling stuck both socially and professionally, the 22-year-old invents an invitation to a writer’s retreat in Paris, photoshopping the entirety of an Insta-worthy trip from the comfort of her own home. The fake trip, however, winds up being cut short by a very real terrorist attack. Caught between coming clean about her lie or leaning into all the attention and sympathy she’s getting, Danni chooses the path filled with followers. She even goes so far as to pen a piece about trauma for her job, which is where the real trouble starts. Danni isn’t well suited to the influencer life, seeking genuine friendship from people that are more brand than being, and quickly trying to pivot away from teeth whitening into the social justice space. The Caroline Calloway stand-in can’t really write and doesn’t have much to say for herself, but she will grab the mic anyway. Points to the team behind Not Okay for nailing all her Instagram captions, though.
Final grade: C-
Watch it on Hulu.
3. Emily Cooper (Lily Collins), Emily in Paris
How many followers they have: 27K(ish)
How many followers they should have: The 48 she started out with, minus a few who would inevitably unfollow after the third croissant pic.
Do they get my follow: I could maybe see myself hate-following Emily, but I'm trying to grow as a person, so ultimately no.
We can’t talk about influencers without talking about the giant, croissant-toting selfie-taker in the room. Emily in Paris’s titular social media mogul is a girl next door from Chicago who winds up, via the surprise pregnancy of her boss/BFF, working a dream job in "the City of Light." Emily is an admittedly controversial figure, to say the least. I personally detest each and every garbled string of botched French and “trendy” Instagram caption that comes out of this character... but I’ve also binged both seasons twice over. Is Emily’s accidental rise to social media fame due to boredom and loneliness in her newfound city realistic? No. Does it make her likable? Also no! Emily in Paris somehow simultaneously puts the act of influencing up on a pedestal, oftentimes treating it as art, but ALSO lets Emily hashtag her way through Paris, gaining thousands of followers in a day. #OhCrepe? More like #TotalCrepe. I’m berry sure that Darren Star could have done at least a little better with that one.
I know I’m not alone in my disdain for this particular fictional influencer, but I do feel like my issues with Emily are somewhat personal, considering when you search “Emily in Paris Instagram captions,” you get one of the very first BuzzFeed quizzes I ever made. And thus, our stories are forever linked.
Final grade: C
Watch it on Netflix.
4. Rock Goldenblatt (Alexa Swinton), And Just Like That
How many followers they have: Unspecified, but we can see that despite Rock insisting everyone should have seen their TikTok announcement by now, it appears to have very few likes when Charlotte finally sees it.
How many followers they should have: Charlotte claims Rock puts up "like 10 videos a day," so judging by what we know about the algorithm, Rock should already be on their way to a niche TikTok following.
Do they get my follow: Definitely not. Sorry, Rock.
The apparent voice of Gen Z within the world of And Just Like That may be the most unqualified inclusion on this list at the moment, but you just know producers are already preparing for Rock to shoot to influencer stardom in the coming season(s?). After they took to TikTok in a totally reasonable and 100% realistic manner to announce their new name, Rock laid the groundwork for the story arc we can all see coming: rich kid from NYC to cringey TikTok icon. I wonder if they’ll be more of a dancer or a cosplayer…aggressive restaurant reviewer? TBD, I guess.
Final grade: C+
Watch it on HBO Max.
5. Rivka Reisberg (Ava Kolker), How I Met Your Father
How many followers they have: "Like a gazillion followers on Instagram."
How many followers they should have: Maybe my 23 years on earth are showing here, but there's no way 13-year-old @rivkarebel is rockin' more followers than Julien Calloway.
Do they get my follow: If Julien doesn't deserve the follow, her baby prototype definitely doesn't.
Do we think AJLT writers took notes when they saw Rivka "Rebel" Reisberg selfie her way across the screen in one of the most cursed (which is really saying a lot) episodes of How I Met Your Father? When Sophie (Hilary Duff) is tasked with nailing a Bat Mitzvah photography gig in order to impress a gallery owner, she finds herself face to face with 13-year-old influencer @RivkaRebel. Rebel’s meaner than your average teen girl, is near-constantly live on Instagram, and refuses to “pose for amateurs” (aka Sophie). But she’s also just an insecure teenage girl trying to seem cool in front of her notably less social media famous friends while not getting her phone privileges snatched away by her mom. Is this young influencer’s depiction realistic? Unfortunately, sort of. But is it categorically good or even enjoyable? Not in the slightest.
Final grade: B-
Watch it on Hulu.
6. Principal Ava (Janelle James), Abbott Elementary
How many followers they have: Enough that Ava's video on behalf of Barbara is "doing OnlyFans numbers."
How many followers they should have: Enough that Ava will never have to "show feet" to go viral again!
Do they get my follow: You know I'd be sending Ava that foot bath on her Amazon wish list.
She writes, she edits, she directs, she does the music, and she lip synchs. Because of Principal Ava’s influencer ambitions, some Abbott Elementary teachers actually get the supplies they need (and Ava gets a foot bath!). Sure, Ava is actively awful at being principal of an elementary school, but according to her, she's actually a pretty great influencer. In her own words, “Because of me, when people say their favorite director is that Ava lady, somebody else gotta be like, ‘Which one?’”
It’s no surprise that a character as glamorous and focused on staying relevant as Ava (not DuVernay) would enter the influencer space, but I’d personally love to see how far she can take this side hustle in Season 2.
Final grade: B
Watch it on Hulu.
7. The Flo Boys (Luke Mullen and Chris Mason), Killing It
How many followers they have: Enough to get 1.3 million views in an hour.
How many followers they should have: Zero if it means that no kids in Killing It wind up trying to eat mace as a prank.
Do they get my follow: No, but if they showed up on my FYP I would scroll through their account out of a perplexed curiosity.
With a little help from The Kingmaker (John Early), and a whole lot of help from poor Kyle the intern, Jordan and Dustin, aka the Flo Boys, have fulfilled their inevitable destiny as two Jesus-loving, $5,000 gold-cross-wearing internet sensations. Following their trusty rule — one video for their manager and then one for God — the Flo Boys have skyrocketed to prank-centric stardom. And if Killing It’s somewhat realistic portrayal of the teen duo continues on, it’s safe to say we’ll get a “The Flo Boys get canceled” episode in Season 2…fingers crossed.
Final grade: It's giving Paul brothers... B
Watch it on Peacock.
8. Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), iCarly
How many followers they have: The very first webcast of iCarly somehow had 37K viewers. After that, there weren't a ton of numbers thrown out, but Carly and Sam had the Plain White Ts and One Direction (never forget) on the show, and went on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at one point, so we can assume they had a pretty big fanbase.
How many followers they should have: Look, I loved iCarly as a kid, but let's acknowledge that only within the world of Nickelodeon would that webcast be doing those kinds of numbers...
Do they get my follow: As an OG iCarly viewer, I am absolutely following Carly Shay (and currently following Miranda Cosgrove).
Making her way onto the screen and into the hearts of every Nickelodeon kid back in 2007, Carly Shay is a true OG influencer. Before there was TikTok or even Instagram, all Carly needed was a nerd with a crush on her, access to knock-off iMovie, and a dream…and a much more charismatic BFF (we miss you, Jennette McCurdy). I will never forget the iCarly episode where the team partners with Techfoot and finds the shoes they’re being paid to push on their followers to be ultimately terrible (I’d still like a pair please, Techfoot!). iCarly probably didn’t paint a very realistic portrait of the influencers to come in the near future, but I’d like to think all the young millennial/older Gen Z (I’m so sorry) iCarly fans who are now influencers themselves were influenced by iPromote Techfoots (Season 1, Episode 18, in case you need a refresher) and think critically before posting their brand deals... I’m being too optimistic, aren’t I?
Note that I did not acknowledge Carly Shay’s modern-day internet presence. This is due to the fact that I will not watch the reboot. I am not taking questions at this time, thanks!
Final grade: B+
Watch it on Paramount+.
9. Annika Attwater (Kathryn Gallagher), You
How many followers they have: 3.6 million
How many followers they should have: Even for a hot New York semi-socialite, there's just no way @theannikaatwater has over a million followers. Maybe 200K...maybe.
Do they get my follow: I have a sizable crush on Kathryn Gallagher, so...yeah.
Annika Attwater is somehow “turning her curves into an empire” with swiftly snapped photos and half-baked captions, and I’m a little bit here for it. In the sea of insufferable characters that swarm the controversial first season of You, Annika may be the least terrible (or the most believable?). I mean, the bar is practically on the floor, and Annika’s lazily strung together cancellation plot line isn’t doing her any favors, but if “smart bitches get their brains juiced at Mooney’s #Stacked” is working for her, who am I to judge? The basic, body positive influencer is just trying to stand out in her circle of rich and successful friends by building her brand (by posting a whole lot of other brands on her Instagram). The character’s social media career is surprisingly realistic, down to the smallest of details — such as the supportive tweet from a Kardashian after somebody (Peach) leaks a video of Annika spouting some conversational racism. My one qualm? The show repeatedly depicts her as a one-and-done selfie poster, and I’m not convinced that type of person actually exists, let alone in influencer form.
Final grade: B+
Watch it on Netflix.
10. Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), Ingrid Goes West
How many followers they have: 267K
How many followers they should have: It's not that I don't buy this number, but 267K with the username @_welltaylored_? Buy the non-underscored one, Taylor!
Do they get my follow: I'd love to make the case for why I'm above the influence of a basic West Coast avocado toast girlie, but the truth is I'm not. I would 100% follow Taylor Sloane.
Taylor Sloane, the ultimate Cool Girl, the future owner (maybe) of Desert Door, the object of Ingrid Thorburn’s obsession affection. Taylor’s not necessarily bad, but as an influencer, she’s something far worse: basic. Between her daily avocado toast ‘gram and her deadbeat-disguised-as-an-artist-husband, Taylor’s a textbook mid-level Los Angeles influencer. Beyond bringing around her somewhat terrible brother, ditching her weird new friend for someone with a bigger following, and doing some drugs that don’t belong to her, Taylor isn’t technically doing anything wrong. Not that anyone in the world of Ingrid Goes West is worth rooting for (except for Dan, obviously), but she’s definitely not the worst of the West Coast wannabe bunch.
Final grade: B+
Watch it on Showtime.
11. Zander (Bowen Yang), Girls5Eva
How many followers they have: Zander's lip sync of Wickie's Mask-ical meltdown got over 1 million views and landed him at least one brand deal.
How many followers they should have: We all know one viral video does not make you an internet sensation, but it seems like this lip-sync-influencer isn't going anywhere.
Do they get my follow: "Say yes to THAT mess!"
Now verified and repping CBD pacifiers, Zander rose to fame within the world of Girls5Eva after lip synching to Wickie’s meltdown during her Mask musical performance, and while his snake-like business moves don’t earn him any affection, he at least knows a good collab opportunity when he sees one. What he lacks in originality, he definitely makes up for in taste. We've seen many a Zander and his "Diva Series" in our lifetimes, and I'm sure we'll see many more. Cease and desist, bitch? More like go off, sexy Gepetto.
Final grade: A-
Watch it on Peacock.
12. Link/“No One Special” (Andrew Garfield), Mainstream
How many followers they have: While it's (intentionally or not) left fairly vague how many views No One Special's debut video gets on YouTube, the influencer is invited for an interview by someone with 22.2 million followers right after the piece goes viral, which is swiftly followed up by a game show deal, so we know he's packin' a serious fanbase.
How many followers they should have: I'm definitely part of the problem Mainstream's trying to call out here, but Phone or No Phone? Snoozefest. I can't imagine that breaking a million views in a world filled with dog videos.
Do they get my follow: While I can appreciate the social commentary, I definitely don't have the patience for it. No One Special would remain as such for me.
Depending on what metric you’re using, Andrew Garfield’s maniacal performance as an unhinged internet star may be the best or worst influencer depiction you’ll have ever had the perplexing pleasure of witnessing. Mainstream finds its star working(?) at a mall in a mouse costume just waiting for Cool Girl Frankie (Maya Hawke) to come along and record him in landscape mode on her iPhone. After finding some mild YouTube success, the pair (plus Frankie’s irrelevant coworker) put out some surface-level-at-best satirical content, and thus, No One Special is born. Would love to have an unofficial poll in the comments regarding whether we think influencers should start hosting bizarre and semi-boring game shows, but in Mainstream, the crowd goes wild for No One Special’s twisted take on the classic and vaguely outdated form of media. Of course, since this film is one long fever dream of social commentary, the fame inflates his bleach blonde head, and a bitterly predictable character arc ensues. There are definitely a few No One Specials floating around online already, but the one in Mainstream is played by a frequently naked Andrew Garfield, making this at times downright annoying character much more palatable.
Final grade: A-
Watch it on Showtime.
13. Chase Dubek/ChaseDreams (Case Walker), The Other Two
How many followers they have: Millions
How many followers they should have: Well into the millions feels realistic for this aging teen pop star going through his bleach blonde hair era.
Do they get my follow: Sorry, buddy, it's gotta be a no from me.
Chase, it’s time to finally let that grind stop. The 13-year-old kid turned knock-off Justin Bieber honestly just needs a break, but maybe not in the form of a college education, because that didn’t go great the first time around. Dancing (teenybopper-style) on the line between influencer and full-blown pop star, ChaseDreams skyrocketed to stardom overnight, lifting everyone tangentially related up with him — sort of. Not to pity a fictional super-rich and famous teen, but come on, he’s a sweet, tone-deaf kid with the weight of his entire family on his shoulders… Anyway, stream Marry U at Recess.
Final grade: A-
Watch it on HBO Max.
14. Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), A Simple Favor
*Spoiler alert for A Simple Favor — which if you haven’t experienced yet, you should go do right this minute.*
How many followers they have: The official Instagram account for Stephanie Smothers boasts just over 5K followers, while Stephanie's opening livestream on whatever off-brand site she's streaming on in A Simple Favor has just over 1,000. However, by the climax of the film, Stephanie's got 110K followers.
How many followers they should have: While I'm not sure how realistic an idea it is that Stephanie could potentially hit 1 million subscribers after Emily finally comes on the livestream, she IS out here solving crimes on live, people!
Do they get my follow: I don't consider myself a fan of true crime, but I think parent blogger takes on true crime would totally do it for me. Liked and subscribed.
Is there any influencer story more honest than Stephanie Smothers’ journey from parent blogger to true crime personality? I think not. The super mom behind Hi Moms! Stephanie Here. can truly do it all (except for when it comes to handling gin martinis). She cooks, she raps, she impersonates cleaning ladies/insurance representatives/catalog salespeople to infiltrate potential witnesses’ homes — and most importantly, she owns her own helium tank! There are a lot of ways Stephanie’s story could have ended, but sending her down the parent blogger to true crime detective-and-host hybrid pipeline feels like the perfect fate for this admittedly complex, morally gray, and ultimately lovely lady. Did she sleep with her half-brother? Most definitely. Did she attempt to steal her presumed-dead best frenemy’s life (including her husband)? Also yes. Is she still somehow one of the most likable influencers on this list? Ultimately, that’s up to you to decide…but don’t you sort of want to hear her read a HelloFresh ad?
Final grade: A
Watch it on Peacock.
15. Sherry Conrad (Shalita Grant), You
*Spoiler warning for Season 3 of You*
How many followers they have: Unclear, but Joe describes Sherry and her blog, "Heart-Shaped Mistakes," as "locally famous," which puts her, in my mind, in the 30K–100K range.
How many followers they should have: That Ted Talk undoubtedly launches Sherry to the stardom she deserves. Real Housewives of Madre Linda when?
Do they get my follow: As the follower of many a mom-fluencer despite my lack of children, I would most likely grant Sherry Conrad a follow (especially after I found out she was besties with the resident murderer of Madre Linda).
Speaking of mom-fluencers, Sherry Conrad ranks high on this list for a few striking reasons. Sure, on the surface Sherry is strictly a gluten- and sugar-free, Instagram-obsessed, permanent prom queen who serves as the unofficial mayor of Madre Linda. But under pressure (the imminent threat of being hacked up by her fake friend and one of my forever crushes, Love Quinn), Sherry’s true colors shine through. See, Season 3 of You wanted us to believe that Sherry was as shallow as her parent blog, but she’s so much more than that. She swings with her caveman-meets-modern husband, she’s socially savvy enough to nearly talk her way back into Love’s good graces after learning of her serial killer tendencies, and she’s a true entrepreneur. Whereas others might experience the trauma of being trapped in a glass box with your bleeding-out husband and decide to slow down for a bit to process, Sherry gets right to monetizing the entire event with a book and Ted Talk. And I’m not even mad about it. Sherry’s an influencer, but she’s so much more than that. She’s gaslighting, she’s gatekeeping, and most importantly, she’s girlbossing. I’d honestly love to see Sherry follow Stephanie Smothers’ suit and step into the world of true crime for Season 4 of You. But considering that the show loves to kill off all its best women, maybe she’s safer pushing her “cage method” of couples therapy back in Northern California.
Final grade: A+
Watch it on Netflix.
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