Content warning: mentions of body shaming and eating disorders.
As a habitual TikTok scroller, it is difficult for anything to catch my attention enough to force me out of the app to research my new findings. However, during one of my morning stalling TikTok sessions, I came across a comment on influencer Callie Wilson’s video (a shameful morning hangover) letting Wilson know that Reddit was ripping her apart over her last video. I have always had a vague idea of the “accountability” occurring in many subreddits, but I failed to realize the harshness of that said accountability. My confusion and curiosity took the best of me, leading me off of TikTok in hopes of finding the answer as to why Wilson was being ridiculed.
What I encountered was unsurprisingly problematic.
The subreddit r/NYCinfluencersnark is a community with more than 47,000 members, revolving around “discussion and snark about NYC Influencers” with little to no moderation. While some members of the community do try to discuss influencers respectfully, many choose to use the subreddit as an opportunity to evidently mock influencers they encounter, claiming that they are simply pointing out the unnecessary lifestyle said influencers carry and present to the world. While some are justifiable, many posts and comments often end up being extremely disrespectful. Yet, members rationalize their statements by expressing that influencers choose the life of being in the public eye and should be able to handle all the criticism that comes their way.
My main focus during my time in the subreddit was to uncover what was being said about Wilson. I managed to find the post about her and was shocked to discover the intense hate she was receiving over a harmless video about an ex-fling from two months ago. Members wasted no time commenting about how embarrassing her drunken state seemed and went further to ridicule her body, expressing their opinions on how her corset fit her torso. A minority of members went out of their way to defend Wilson’s actions, but were quickly downvoted. Likewise, members make special efforts to expose “minions,” or fans of influencers, ridiculing them for being delusional and supporting someone that does not care for them.
While I understand where most members’ opinions come from, I find it very hypocritical for them to criticize others — especially fans who do not consent to be shared on social media — when they preach the idea of privacy unless someone chooses to publicize their life on the internet. Influencers, especially nonnative ones that carry their “toxicity” into New York, can often be immensely difficult to deal with. Unlike most workers, influencers’ careers rely solely on filming every aspect of their lives and the people surrounding them. They often insert themselves into the lives of everyday people, hoping to produce interesting content that will achieve a high number of views. New York City has always carried the reputation of being a genuine city for natives to find opportunities, but it has since grown into a second Los Angeles: full of artificial people using each other in hopes to succeed in life. It is absolutely justifiable to complain about the inconveniences many creators have brought into New York City, but many users of the subreddit choose to comment on unnecessary drama rather than educate the influencers on how to be respectful of the city.
Furthermore, their body-shaming comments overreach the definition of humorous snark and overstep a boundary between their parasocial relationship with influencers. The rules specifically mention “no body shaming or body snark,” yet moderation is not regulated or enforced in many threads. A considerable amount of the influencers mentioned in the subreddit are aware of what is being said concerning them and prefer to not respond; however, some, like Audrey Peters and Halley Kate, were pushed to react due to all of the humiliation they faced from many derogatory comments.
Both of these creators are constantly posted about, mostly about the way their bodies look and their faces are shaped. Peters is often accused of Photoshopping her body in her posts, causing members to assume that their body-shaming snark is acceptable. Similarly, Kate is often called “moon face” by many users and has recently undergone chin liposuction due to the belittling observations made about her face. While some argue that Peters and Kate are influencers and should “deal with” the hate they receive, many members disagree with the body-shaming comments and argued that they extend further than harmless snark.
I am used to many of the accountability videos found on TikTok, where there are comments that offer discourse from multiple perspectives. However, posts and comments on Reddit lean into attacking creators rather than questioning why they might act the way they do. Holding creators accountable does not include the terrible body shaming seen in many threads. No person, famous or not, is obligated to change their true self to fit the ideals declared by anonymous accounts. It is often difficult for us to remember that the celebrities and influencers we see on our screens are real human beings, rather than artificial entertainment designed for our algorithms. The power of anonymity welcomes trolls and unwarranted hate speech in a world that thrives on negativity. Users harass many creators online knowing that there are little to no repercussions due to their concealed identities. I find it alarming that users consider it normal to comment on creators’ private issues, like eating disorders and diseases. It is not our space to mention how someone’s eating habits may not fit our ideals or how someone’s body may not look “healthy.” Influencers are guaranteed to view the hate they receive due to the nature of their jobs, so I find it appalling how haters justify their atrocious words by claiming that hate comments/posts are only seen if someone actively looks for them. Others justify their unnecessary critiques by mentioning the same struggles they share with influencers. How would you feel if hundreds of people commented on every problem you struggle with?
Understandably, influencers often put on the most ridiculous personas in hopes of gaining more attention. However, that does not permit you to mock their physical appearance. Yes, it was their choice to become a public figure, but that does not equate to receiving constant ridicule every single day. While r/NYCinfluencersnark was the main topic of this piece, many other snark subreddits exist and promote the exact hate seen in r/NYCinfluencersnark. Snark has turned from innocent sarcasm into unneeded and obsessive hostility. Like me, other users have found this behavior appalling and created another subreddit called r/snarkingonthesnarkers to discuss and share the extremely unjustifiable comments seen in other subreddits. It is incredible to find a small community that stands up for influencers in a time when the hate they receive enters an alarming territory (harassing/doxxing). It’s also difficult for influencers to stand up for themselves during these situations because it is always a no-win situation; they end up getting shamed for looking through hate comments or have a difficult time stopping obsessive haters due to the anonymous personas they carry. Needless to say, before spreading hateful speech on the internet, put yourself in the position of an influencer and imagine what it would feel like to have a constant army against every little thing you do.
Daily Arts Contributor Lynn Sabieddine can be reached at lynnsab@umich.edu.