Please Like Me

Amanda Gorman Gained Over 2 Million IG Followers After Reading Her Poem At The Inauguration
In one part of this week's newsletter: How the first national youth poet laureate simply let her work speak for itself — and then the fans followed. Massively.

Like Other New Social Media Platforms Focused On Growth, TikTok Is Clumsily Regulating Sketchy Ads
In this week's newsletter: Questionable ads slip through TikTok's "strict" vetting policies, and Lauren shares what she's learned about the complicated politics of influencers and body image on social media.

What Happened At The Capitol Splintered Social Media
In this week's newsletter: Influencers who remained silent in the aftermath of the insurrection felt just as loud as those who acknowledged it. It's a microcosm of the state of the country.

It’s Become A Lot Easier For Famous Internet Teens To Transition Out Of Their Good-Kid Image
In this week's newsletter: Why Amazon sponsoring influencers' effort to give back to delivery drivers is troubling, and how internet stars are able to grow out of their family-friendly image with a lot more ease than traditional celebrities.

The TikTok Sway House Boys’ Latest Charity Is Almost Making A Mockery Of Public Image Rehabilitation Campaigns
In this week's newsletter: Why Josh and Bryce's nice effort to give to the homeless feels predictable and exploitative, and the one reason I think Olivia Jade's Red Table Talk appearance was necessary (to viewers).

I Can No Longer Tell When I’m Watching Sponcon On TikTok — And It’s Both Impressive And Distressing
In this week's newsletter: Stephanie asks an expert about the legitimacy of these giving sprees, and I (Tanya) attempt to draw a line in evolving TikTok ads.

A Teen Influencer Who’s Deaf Says Social Media Has A Ways To Go When It Comes To Accessibility
In this week's newsletter: How Scarlet Waters used TikTok, an app built on music and bytes, to make people soberly aware about deafness, and why I think more influencers than not are running their own fan accounts.

The Mormon Influencer Backlash To "The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City" Is A Fascinating Peek At A Side Of Them We Rarely See
In this week's newsletter: Influencers in Utah rant and argue about whether the Bravo hit is a "real" representation of their religion, and a nudge to everyone else to once again raise alarm bells about the ongoing pandemic.

Influencer Pastor Carl Lentz Has Been Fired From The Hip Megachurch That Made Him Famous. Could His Career...Be Resurrected?
In this week's newsletter: I ponder what the hypepriest will do after Hillsong, and belatedly, why the "I voted" selfie has felt both more and less impactful than ever this year.

A Wet Blanket PSA On Fun Viral Content That Does Not Appear To Be Super COVID-Safe
In this week's newsletter: Influencers are pushing Christmas up even earlier this year — but it may not be a bad idea, and I (Tanya) party-poop on some fun TikToks because of Third Wave COVID.

This Major Travel Influencer Family Is Adjusting To ~The New Normal~...But Is It Enough?
This week's newsletter: @TheBucketListFamily pivots their once-controversial annual giveaway — kind of — to the current climate, and why influencers denouncing that they're influencers is a disservice to both them and their followers.

I Want The Target Bride From The Viral TikTok To Be Real, But I Don’t Think She Is
In this week's newsletter: Why a viral thing can still be good, even if it’s fake.

On TikTok, Sexism Prevails But Spon Is Evolving
This week's newsletter: Why the hate for Bella Poarch is steeped in something all too familiar, and why the latest e.l.f. Cosmetics spon campaign is too much branding, even in America.

I Want More From These Influencer Cover Stories
This week's newsletter: why Charli and Dixie D'Amelio's Seventeen cover story left me wondering more about them than I was learning — and a brief PSA for fashion influencers (TYING A FLANNEL AROUND YOUR WAIST IS NOT FALL FASHION).

If Colleges Are Recruiting Influencers, I Think They Should Be Paying Student-Athletes — The Original College Influencer
The reports of universities uniquely paying students to be brand ambassadors made me think about the controversy of schools not paying college athletes.

Gucci Has Been Sharing TikTokers’ Content About Gucci. Is This An Ad?
Is Gucci making fun of itself for profit?

A Woman Who Parodies Influencers Has Kind Of Become An Influencer Herself
Also in this week's newsletter: Charli D'Amelio's recent Dunkin' collaboration, and why America runs on predictable brand deals.

Arielle Charnas Opens Her First Store And It's Perfectly Curated For Quarantine
It seems like Arielle wants to signal that she is taking the coronavirus seriously — and wants her store to be a one-stop shop for staying at home.

I Think I Like This New TikTok House And I’m Trying To Process Why
One part of this week's newsletter: Why all of the TikTok houses have turned me off to the concept, but why I've taken to the House Nobody Asked For.

This Is Instagram Reels In A Nutshell, In All Its Manicured Chaos
This week's newsletter: The main difference between Reels and TikTok (spoiler: it's the influencers), and popular fashion whistle-blowing account @Diet_Prada drew its own major backlash this week.

Cat Internet Is Making A Comeback, Except Gen Z’ers Aren’t As “Lolcats” About It
This week's newsletter: A cat that's been "dancing" to all the viral TikTok challenges gets as many views as the platform's biggest creators.

Influencers Promoting Nordstrom's Sale Need To Adapt To Avoid Appearing Completely Out Of Touch
This week's newsletter: Stephanie breaks down why the "Super Bowl of swipe-ups" is hitting different this year, and I, out of pure generosity, brainstorm a list of ideas for TikTokers and YouTubers to get attention without throwing a party in a pandemic.

A Mom With A Classical Indian Dance Background Has Made Her Teen Famous On TikTok
Also in week's newsletter: When influencers introduce their content by saying “everyone’s been asking,” who is "everyone"?

A Teen Has Become Famous On TikTok Simply For Saying “Whoa” And “Nice” To Other People’s Viral Videos
Also in this week's newsletter: An oil painter has been painting portraits of himself painting portraits of himself painting portraits of himself painting portraits of himself painting portraits of himself...and, for some reason, this chaos is bringing me inner peace.

Are These Viral TikToks Of Extremely Fashionable People In China The Answer To Pandemic Fashion Week?
This week's newsletter: Everything I know about those compilation videos sourced from Douyin, China's TikTok, that everyone's going crazy for.

Since She Doesn't Get Anything Out Of It, Kylie Jenner Doesn’t Think To Tag A Black Designer
This week's newsletter: While some have accused Kylie of "refus[ing]" to tag designer Jedidiah Duyile, she may have never even thought to do it.

A Black YouTube Commentator Is Not Surprised People Are More Concerned With Shane Dawson’s Tati Drama Than His Racist Past
This week's newsletter: While Shane Dawson may finally be paying the price for doing blackface, fellow YouTuber Sanders Kennedy pointed out that he's already greatly profited off of doing blackface.

One Woman, Two Social Media Scandals In A Row, And One Tiny, Tiny Step Toward Change
This week's newsletter: The owner of the Cleveland Flea once again angered her local community — this time for trying to sell a $200 e-course teaching white people how to support the BLM movement. This time, however, she seemed to have finally listened to the criticism.

Influencers: It’s A Privilege To Post A Black Square And Then Go Back To Your Usual Content
This week's newsletter: Another reminder to you (and me) of our privilege to insulate ourselves from the national conversation, and we regret to inform you that the Stauffer family is back on YouTube.

Josh Thomas Has Apologised And Says He Is "Super Ashamed" Of His Racial Comments In An Old Video
Thomas' apology comes as he claimed that "finding an experienced actor that's not white is really hard" in Australia, when compared to the States.

This Woman Is Asking Major Brands To “Pull Up” Their Diversity Statistics, And It’s Working
This week's newsletter: Entrepreneur Sharon Chuter created the #PullUpOrShutUp initiative to ask companies who've made public anti-racist proclamations about their internal hiring profiles.

Dear Influencers, It’s OK To Pass The Mic
This week's newsletter: Instagram activist and illustrator Danielle Coke of @ohhappydani sets an example of the power of influence in a time of crisis.

Will Huxley Stauffer’s Story Be The Wake-Up Call That Leads To Protections For Children Of Influencers?
This week's newsletter: The big controversial story this week that's sparking questions like What right does a child have to the profits of their internet-famous parents? And a woman's Instagram account that's grown massively for its beautiful tributes to black Americans who have been killed.

These Controversial Loop Giveaways On Instagram Have Some Things In Common With MLMs
This week's newsletter: Why influencers' massive giveaways sprees to gain fast followers feels so eerily familiar, and Karens acting up during the pandemic has blown up a new Instagram meme page.

Quarantine Has Taught Kids On TikTok How To Be Patient And Adult Influencers How To Apologize
This week's newsletter: How some social media stars are getting better at internalizing criticism — or just better at selling it, and parents running a psychological experiment on their kids for TikTok.

The J.Crew Bankruptcy Has Exposed A Hard Truth About The Influencer Economy
This week's newsletter: Curvy Wife Guy's wife @sassyredlipstick said she'll no longer follow through with her J.Crew promo content, and the unique conflict fans feel over C-list celebrities breaking quarantine orders to get together.

Brands Are Social-Distancing From Misbehaving Influencers
This week's newsletter: The massive #AllInChallenge campaign perfectly matches bored famous rich people and their fans for charity, and the fallout of the @Taza quarantine scandal.

Beauty Influencers Are Adjusting To A More ~Au Naturel~ Look In Quarantine
This week's newsletter: When lifestyle and beauty gurus can no longer get spray tans, injectables, and other beauty upkeep. And one YouTuber believes her skills have become more "respected" during quarantine.

Influencer Brands Are Staying (Scarily) Strong And Are Quickly Pivoting To Quarantine Sponcon
This week's newsletter: The resilience and shamelessness of turning these tough times into a social media marketing campaign, and a PSA about those infamous get-followers-quick "giveaways."

Will The Coronavirus Be The Tipping Point That Makes People See Influencers As The Small Businesses They Are?
This week's newsletter: Discussing the serious responsibilities that come with making social media your business, and a case for trying your adult hand at teen TikTok dances.

If There's Any Constant In Life Anymore, It's Influencers And Celebs Being Cringe Online
This week's newsletter: Kim Kardashian West's opportunistic campaign in the name of COVID-19 relief, and an inside look at one of those infamous "loop" Instagram giveaways to gain followers.

What Place Do Influencers Have In A Pandemic?
This week's newsletter: There is a big debate happening online about what exactly influencers should be posting right now, or if they even should be at all. And home decor porn — it's good for the soul!

Influencers Are Sharing Bad "Tips" And "Information" About COVID-19 On Instagram
In this week's newsletter: Battling the spread of irresponsible and opportunistic messaging, and testing those trendy and expensive preset bundles.

This Microinfluencer Wants You To Know Her Job Is More Than Making Power Smoothies And Taking Fancy Brand Meetings
This week's newsletter: A fashion blogger wants you to know the job extends far beyond photo shoots and drinking lattes — although, I strangely keep seeing influencers IRL who are drinking lattes for elaborate photo shoots.

A 73-Year-Old Fitness Influencer Said She’s Constantly Learning From Young People
This week's newsletter: How a nearly 74-year-old fitness guru has me screaming “OK boomer!!!” and a very chaotic spon from Khloé Kardashian.

I Talked To Jake Paul About His “Financial Freedom” Courses And, Well, Woof
This week's newsletter: Lauren's takeaways from talking to the controversial YouTuber (and why his thoughts about school are wrong and borderline dangerous) and a mom blogger's hilarious high-production photo.

Caroline Calloway Said Her New Book “Scammer” Is “So Profitable"
Also in this week's newsletter: I can't stop scrolling through this woman's feed of extremely cute snacks.

A Yogi Influencer’s New Yoga App Is Getting Ripped Apart By Fans Who Feel Cheated
This week's newsletter: Why fans of Jessica Olie are more than disappointed with her new premium app (I check it out for myself), and influencers of all kind are pivoting to TikTok.

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This New Instagram Account Is Dedicated To Capturing The Hilarious Fourth Wall Of People Taking Photos For Instagram
This week's newsletter: I DM with Tank Sinatra, the meme mega-aggregator guy, who's recently created @influencersinthewild — an account dedicated to spotting influencing in its raw form.

The Woman Behind The Massively Popular Instagram Account About Trader Joe’s Said It’s All Just A Hobby
This week's newsletter: I DM with @traderjoeslist, an account with a million followers that's all about promoting another company's products.

I Roughly Calculated The Cost Of This Lifestyle Blogger’s Beautiful, Outrageous Master Bathroom Decor
In this week's newsletter: Donations, vanity, and actual bathroom vanities that are every bit exquisite as they are excessive.

YouTuber Emma Chamberlain Is Selling Coffee Packets For $60, But Don't Call It A "Scam"
This week's newsletter: Why fans are livid about the teen vlogger marking up another household item — and why it's not a scam, even if it is irksome.

A Popular Instagram Family Who Travels The World Is Being Accused Of Hiding Details Of A Massive Holiday Sweepstakes
This week's newsletter: The parents of the Bucket List Family are being questioned about their annual Oprah-level holiday givings. And how a lawyer got involved.

The Evangelical Parents Of A Young Girl Who Died Are Using Social Media To Ask For Her Resurrection
Young parents of a controversial Christian church have made a heartbreaking and horrifying request for the Christian internet after finding out their 2-year-old daughter died, and something...less heartbreaking and horrifying to end this week's newsletter.

YouTube's End-Of-Year Videos Are Historically Bad. This Year It Somehow Got Hilariously Worse.
This week's newsletter: YouTube somehow put out an even worse "Rewind" video than in years before, and a former wedding influencer shows us how to transition into a divorce influencer.

How Fans Are Handling Their Favorite Influencer Going From Vegan To An All-Carnivore Diet
This week's newsletter: An OG lifestyle blogger is called out for a ridiculous and inauthentic #ad, and a former vegan announced her very dramatic dietary change.

I Spoke To The Instagrammer Who Went Viral For Promoting The Supposed Health Benefits Of #ButtholeSunning
This week's newsletter: A woman's real influence of the "perineum sunning" lifestyle, and the unstoppable power of SugarBearHair gummy vitamin spon. And lots of butt puns.

A Mummy Blogger Had Admitted To Trashing Other Influencers On An Anonymous Snark Forum
In this week's newsletter: a British mummy blogger admits to anonymously trashing other influencers, and the stressful paradigm that's created when photoshopping advances...as our obsessions with spotting it also increases.

Influencers Are Celebrating Christmas Way Too Early This Year
This week's newsletter: The ever-shortening time between Halloween and Christmas, and what I learned from having a front-row seat at a behind-the-scenes Instagram photo shoot.

Influencers Of Color Say They Are Treated Differently On Brand Trips
In this week's newsletter: non-white YouTubers continue to publish videos airing out what they say are confusing and distressful ways they're not treated the same on work trips.

Why Are So Many Influencers Suddenly Selling Beautycounter?
I am starting to wonder why all my favorite bloggers are joining this MLM, plus Megan Skalla dishes on her perfectly Instagrammable wedding, in this week's newsletter.

Cole Carrigan's Video About Austin McBroom Shows That YouTube Culture Is Out Of Control
In this week's Please Like Me newsletter, YouTube is silent while one vlogger accuses another of serious crimes, and people need to stop picking on women who love fall.

Young Famous YouTubers Are Maturing And Talking About Privacy And Healthier Boundaries. I Couldn’t Be Prouder.
In this week's newsletter: YouTubers describe their unique kind of millennial burnout, and fluffy chickens.

Influencers Are Posing In Their Cozy Autumnal OOTDs...In 86-Degree Miami Heat
In this week's newsletter: I check the local temperatures of some of my favorite fall-themed photo shoots on Instagram, and a brief how-to to writing a dizzying sponcon caption.

Caroline Calloway Has A Message For Her Haters
In this week's newsletter: a fitness guru under fire for hiring a team of coaches who all look...well, like her, and outtakes from the Caroline Calloway profile.

Hemorrhoid Wipes And Therapy Quotes: How Influencers Are Growing Their Online Brands
You can't knock an influencer for what he does for his bottom (pun intended) line, on this week's newsletter.

Saving The Amazon Rainforest With The Almighty Power Of Self-Promotion
Influencers show us what (sl)activism looks like, plus popular plant-based social media pages. This is the first edition of the Please Like Me newsletter.

16 Scenes From TV Shows That Actually Helped People With Their Mental Health
Featuring Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, This Is Us, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Tell Us About The Shows That Have Really Great Mental Health Storylines
What shows and storylines have helped you or impressed you?

25 LGBT Characters On Television That Viewers Absolutely Love
Television needs more LGBT characters, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some great people out there already.

“Please Like Me” Has Officially Finished And People Are Pretty Devo
"I'm focussing now on what's next, I hope to see you there."

Josh Thomas Replied To Lena Dunham Praising Him And It Was Incredibly On Brand
Australia's most adorable man.