TikTokers are not afraid of the PR blacklist
Fenty Beauty in Australia is the latest brand to discover this.
Keep scrolling for the new TikTok features (that we’ve been begging for) coming soon.
Deuxmoi threatens to sue popular gossip subreddit with the same name
Instagram’s infamous gossip account has allegedly threatened to sue the Deuxmoi subreddit over copyright infringement.
Like a modern-day Gossip Girl, Deuxmoi operates on information from followers sending in tips about celebrities. Almost everything she posts on Instagram is anonymous, including her identity (though Brian Feldman uncovered the account’s alleged identity last year).
Deuxmoi has faced increasing criticism for sharing inaccurate information and having no boundaries when it comes to what she’ll post about celebrities and their personal lives.
TBH, this is the unsurprising consequence of refusing to vet information.
On the heels of her book release, which was panned by critics, Deux is allegedly threatening legal action against a subreddit dedicated to celebrity gossip with the same name for copyright infringement. The two have feuded in the past.
The subreddit, now called Fauxmoi, was created in June 2020 and has over 557K members, many of who are happy that the name change will further distance itself from Deuxmoi.
Many believe this is a sign of the blogger’s desperation to maintain control of her brand, as the account’s relevance and credibility continue to plummet.
Read about the whole situation via Reddit.
TikTok to launch new features that will improve the creator experience
TikTok is responding to creator and user gripes with the roll-out of three new features that we’ve all been begging for.
Last week, social media guru and Geekout writer Matt Navarra shared that TikTok will be rolling out three new features soon:
Edit post button, allowing creators to edit their captions or video covers after posting
Save videos without watermark
Auto-scroll mode, which will enable users to watch their feed without having to manually swipe to the next video
Prior to this, creators had to delete and re-upload videos if they wanted to edit their captions or video covers. There was also no way to save a video via the app without the creator’s watermark.
This new save function will make it easier for creators to repurpose their content across other platforms without being penalised for having the TikTok watermark.
Hear more about these updates via Make The Leap’s video.
Actors for YouTube’s Dhar Mann Studios protest against working conditions
Dhar Mann has faced intense scrutiny in recent days as several actors employed by his production company have taken to the streets to protest against their alleged mistreatment.
Dhar is a successful YouTuber with over 15 million subscribers. He’s most well-known for posting inspirational videos. He owns and manages a video production company known as Dhar Mann Studios, where he contracts over 50 actors and production staff to create these videos.
Earlier this week, actors working for Dhar Mann Studios protested in the streets over their working conditions.
“Dhar Mann never talks to anyone, he silently fires people and doesn’t pay anyone what they’re worth,” actor, director, and writer Colin A. Borden said in a TikTok video about why he was protesting.
The actors claim they are paid low wages, have reaped no reward for the continued growth of Dhar’s channel, and are constantly reminded that if they speak up about their working conditions, they could be fired. They requested a meeting with Dhar, which allegedly never happened.
On February 14th, Dhar took to his Instagram to address the situation.
He said that he was unaware the protestors wanted to meet with him personally.
Dhar claimed that allegations he paid actors low wages were “100% not true" and said his studio currently pays actors between $33 and $44 per hour for speaking roles.
In a press conference held on the 14th of February, Colin revealed that there have been promises of change made within the studio.
“Yesterday Dhar Mann himself met with a small contingency of actors who have publicly professed their loyalty to the ‘Mann’, the company, and their current practices. Promises were made at that meeting that changes were coming,” said Colin.
This situation has highlighted the lack of regulations within “new media”.
Read the full breakdown via Centennial Beauty.
Viral TikTok exposes lack of diversity at Fenty Beauty Super Bowl event in Australia
A TikTok video by actor and model Jaida White is going viral for exposing a lack of diversity at a Fenty Beauty influencer party held in Vaucluse, a wealthy Sydney suburb, to celebrate Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Jaida’s video, which has racked up over 515K views in just two days, pans across the event with the text, “POV: you’re two of 6 black girls at a fenty beauty event in aus”.
Her comment section has since been flooded with disappointed fans tagging Rihanna and Fenty Beauty asking them to reassess their PR strategy down under, especially given Fenty’s reputation as an inclusive brand. Several creators have also commented claiming the Australian PR and influencer industries are historically not inclusive.
In response to a user commenting that Jaida wouldn’t be invited to another Fenty event in Australia after this video, she replied “I’m absolutely okay with never being invited to an event like this again!”
Jaida’s response is indicative of how TikTok has changed the influencer landscape in just a few short years. This new generation of creators is unafraid to publicly call out brands for problematic or performative behaviour. While they might burn professional bridges for creating this content, creators are validated by TikTok’s viral algorithm and their audience’s desire for authenticity and progress. Audiences want to follow (and buy from) influencers who stand for something, and unlike Instagram, TikTok rewards this type of content.
See Jaida’s video via TikTok.
‘Girl Internet’ vs. ‘Boy Internet’ & the impact on mainstream culture
This week’s infinite scroll podcast explores ‘Girl Internet’ vs ‘Boy Internet’ and how the short-form video wars have started to expose us all to different sides of the internet, we would otherwise never see. We also look at how ‘Girl Internet’ heavily influences mainstream culture– a phenomenon that echoes life offline as well.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.