Saying you follow Pete Evans, but only for the cooking - is the modern day “I look at Playboy but only for the articles” (no one is buying that Jimmy 🤦🏼♀️)
Roger, being used as a digital battering ram by someone who's highly unlikely to respond to any of his comments, or engage with him at all, only to find the person he's been set upon is actually willing to hold a conversation with him and ask how he is doing. More evidence for empathy and patience over vilification and shaming.
Your instagram is so great, I like the way grim news is sandwiched inbetween birds and cats. Given your FB and Twitter are more serious it's an odd place to get annoyed with you. As for influencers, given the reprehensible and unethical behaviour of leaders around the world seeming to reach a new horrific peak, is it any wonder these behaviours become more acceptable? I may be a miserable cow but it feels like lying, misleading, cheating, hypocrisy, ripping people off is just part of what's normal now. Presidents and ministers do it, CEOs do it, top sports people do it, bankers and financiers etc. What's to stop anyone else? The art of it seems be be ensuring they are not accountable by any means and even if caught out there are few consequences. Yeah, definitely a miserable cow.
I was also idly thinking that you must have a thick skin to take that kind of blowback. I get upset if I have a spat on fb, fight though I might, it still hurts. Is it the effect of being in journalism toughening you up or is how you think about people that makes it bearable?
What triggered Roger though? I kinda feel for him, kindness and empathy works wonders on a confused soul. The Jimi Jackson audience is also worrying, almost like a subculture of (easily) triggered bros with (questionable) intense loyalty P.S. grub is probably the best insult I’ve heard in 2020!
At the age of 65, it's perhaps not surprising, but I really cannot understand this ïnfluencer" business. Who on earth has the arrogance to believe that they should be directly influencing millions of people and who on earth actually WANTS to be influenced by another. to the extent that these people apparently are?
I can only conclude that it's a substitute for religion. The great thing about being attached to a particular religious sect is that you are told what to think and how to behave. This lets you off having to do it yourself, and as most people are both intellectually lazy and moral cowards, this also means that they don't have to look at the damage they are doing to the world or face up to their own actions. I thought the demise of organised religion a good thing - look at the appalling things that religious groups say, think and do, particularly in USA (although Family First?) - so I am with you here. Influencers can only be a Bad Thing. Why can't people just grow up and think for themselves? It has never been easier to find out facts - we are all walking around with most of the worl's knowledge and wisdom accessible in our pockets.
And please, can we burn Facebook, while we're at it, or at least just use it for literally social media? I have friends who love it for keeping in touch (what's wrong with texts or email?), but overall it seems to have a negative effect. (Unlike the magnificent Colette, I have nothing to do with it and don't intend to. Or Twitter, What'sApp, etc, etc.)
I just don't understand how and why people respond so full of hatred, cruelty and anger as in the case of Jimi's followers (or many a comments section - thankfully not here though!).
Some light from the dark. I've been thinking about my reactions to this sorta shit and you've just demonstrated how to keep calm in the face of 'their' typically aggressive, angry approach might actually works. Must try it on my mum.
You hit it on the head when you said "They're loyal". Conspiracy theorists (QAnon'ers) are incredibly loyal and that's why people cater to them, especially when it comes to social media, a number is a number and they don't care if those followers are intelligent or craven lunatics. Influencers can be dangerous in so many ways, right now here in The US, a lot of noise has been popping off on one of The Real Housewives (please, I know) who has a diet plan called All In where, for the low, initial price of $599.00, you get to photograph all of your meals and text those photos to a "counselor" (not a licensed dietician or nutritionist, just someone else in the program) to ask if the meal is ok to eat. You may then be told you are eating too much or your window to eat has passed and you need to skip it. Ironically, just this week on The Vow (which I cannot recommend highly enough, I love that HBO airs it after Lovecraft Country, the delicious commentary on the vapidity of white people is next level media trolling) showed how the NXVIM cult also forced women to text photos of their meals to their "Master" before being allowed to eat. All In's founder is Teddi Mellencamp, the daughter of singer, John Mellencamp and after gaining a lot of weight during her pregnancy, she utilized this diet to lose it. The diet is only 500 to 700 calories a day, so these women are paying for anorexia and they'll do it because she is the advertisement for how well it works. People came forward this week talking about how they lost hair, messed up their metabolism, and other horror stories while paying through the nose NOT to eat and still somehow fit in an hour of high energy cardio seven days a week. Of course this is wrapped up in the pressure that women face to be thin and perfectly turned out at all times but influencer culture has turned the dial up to eleven because we are now faced with photographic and video proof of other people's perfection which leads to dissatisfaction that leads some to to take drastic measures. I still see a lot of value in some influencers (look, women took a huge blow this week with the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and I took some comfort in seeing how others were grieving as well as mobilizing to action) and I will never not laugh at how Trump had a rally ruined by Tik Tok teens and retaliated by banning it so I can't dismiss it all as evil. I wouldn't know about the ill effects of All In if I didn't have social media and it seems that now the only way to fight the bad influencers is on their own turf. I can only hope that rational thought finds a way to brand itself as sexy and fun so it can get a leg up.
Wow! Great result David! I think its good to remember many of these conspiracy 'victims' come from a place of fear and confusion and this shows some are able to be reasoned with and hopefully turned around. I find the hard part is staying calm and not become pissed off, ( I admire our PM so much in this area!) Its easy for me to become hostile with them which obviously is far from helpful! So once again great work and thanks!
It interests me that people want to believe in influencers and their messages. I wonder if it’s a little bit like gangs. What is missing in their lives that make them seek it out? Connection? Like people who believe in conspiracies, is it a symptom rather than a disease in itself.
Saying you follow Pete Evans, but only for the cooking - is the modern day “I look at Playboy but only for the articles” (no one is buying that Jimmy 🤦🏼♀️)
Roger, being used as a digital battering ram by someone who's highly unlikely to respond to any of his comments, or engage with him at all, only to find the person he's been set upon is actually willing to hold a conversation with him and ask how he is doing. More evidence for empathy and patience over vilification and shaming.
“R u ok” I love that 🤗😂
I love that conversation at the end; shows what tolerant and curious can achieve
Would love this article to be in Stuff. Great piece David - and what an exploitive piece of sh*t Jimmy is.
Your instagram is so great, I like the way grim news is sandwiched inbetween birds and cats. Given your FB and Twitter are more serious it's an odd place to get annoyed with you. As for influencers, given the reprehensible and unethical behaviour of leaders around the world seeming to reach a new horrific peak, is it any wonder these behaviours become more acceptable? I may be a miserable cow but it feels like lying, misleading, cheating, hypocrisy, ripping people off is just part of what's normal now. Presidents and ministers do it, CEOs do it, top sports people do it, bankers and financiers etc. What's to stop anyone else? The art of it seems be be ensuring they are not accountable by any means and even if caught out there are few consequences. Yeah, definitely a miserable cow.
I was also idly thinking that you must have a thick skin to take that kind of blowback. I get upset if I have a spat on fb, fight though I might, it still hurts. Is it the effect of being in journalism toughening you up or is how you think about people that makes it bearable?
Now I’m super curious what normally “triggers” Roger? I follow you on IG and you mainly post cats and birds? 🤔
What triggered Roger though? I kinda feel for him, kindness and empathy works wonders on a confused soul. The Jimi Jackson audience is also worrying, almost like a subculture of (easily) triggered bros with (questionable) intense loyalty P.S. grub is probably the best insult I’ve heard in 2020!
At the age of 65, it's perhaps not surprising, but I really cannot understand this ïnfluencer" business. Who on earth has the arrogance to believe that they should be directly influencing millions of people and who on earth actually WANTS to be influenced by another. to the extent that these people apparently are?
I can only conclude that it's a substitute for religion. The great thing about being attached to a particular religious sect is that you are told what to think and how to behave. This lets you off having to do it yourself, and as most people are both intellectually lazy and moral cowards, this also means that they don't have to look at the damage they are doing to the world or face up to their own actions. I thought the demise of organised religion a good thing - look at the appalling things that religious groups say, think and do, particularly in USA (although Family First?) - so I am with you here. Influencers can only be a Bad Thing. Why can't people just grow up and think for themselves? It has never been easier to find out facts - we are all walking around with most of the worl's knowledge and wisdom accessible in our pockets.
And please, can we burn Facebook, while we're at it, or at least just use it for literally social media? I have friends who love it for keeping in touch (what's wrong with texts or email?), but overall it seems to have a negative effect. (Unlike the magnificent Colette, I have nothing to do with it and don't intend to. Or Twitter, What'sApp, etc, etc.)
I just don't understand how and why people respond so full of hatred, cruelty and anger as in the case of Jimi's followers (or many a comments section - thankfully not here though!).
That was such a heartwarming ending. Wow, I was getting heated and then it showed hope. This is why I love your writing!
Some light from the dark. I've been thinking about my reactions to this sorta shit and you've just demonstrated how to keep calm in the face of 'their' typically aggressive, angry approach might actually works. Must try it on my mum.
Thanks, David.
Pete
You hit it on the head when you said "They're loyal". Conspiracy theorists (QAnon'ers) are incredibly loyal and that's why people cater to them, especially when it comes to social media, a number is a number and they don't care if those followers are intelligent or craven lunatics. Influencers can be dangerous in so many ways, right now here in The US, a lot of noise has been popping off on one of The Real Housewives (please, I know) who has a diet plan called All In where, for the low, initial price of $599.00, you get to photograph all of your meals and text those photos to a "counselor" (not a licensed dietician or nutritionist, just someone else in the program) to ask if the meal is ok to eat. You may then be told you are eating too much or your window to eat has passed and you need to skip it. Ironically, just this week on The Vow (which I cannot recommend highly enough, I love that HBO airs it after Lovecraft Country, the delicious commentary on the vapidity of white people is next level media trolling) showed how the NXVIM cult also forced women to text photos of their meals to their "Master" before being allowed to eat. All In's founder is Teddi Mellencamp, the daughter of singer, John Mellencamp and after gaining a lot of weight during her pregnancy, she utilized this diet to lose it. The diet is only 500 to 700 calories a day, so these women are paying for anorexia and they'll do it because she is the advertisement for how well it works. People came forward this week talking about how they lost hair, messed up their metabolism, and other horror stories while paying through the nose NOT to eat and still somehow fit in an hour of high energy cardio seven days a week. Of course this is wrapped up in the pressure that women face to be thin and perfectly turned out at all times but influencer culture has turned the dial up to eleven because we are now faced with photographic and video proof of other people's perfection which leads to dissatisfaction that leads some to to take drastic measures. I still see a lot of value in some influencers (look, women took a huge blow this week with the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and I took some comfort in seeing how others were grieving as well as mobilizing to action) and I will never not laugh at how Trump had a rally ruined by Tik Tok teens and retaliated by banning it so I can't dismiss it all as evil. I wouldn't know about the ill effects of All In if I didn't have social media and it seems that now the only way to fight the bad influencers is on their own turf. I can only hope that rational thought finds a way to brand itself as sexy and fun so it can get a leg up.
Wow! Great result David! I think its good to remember many of these conspiracy 'victims' come from a place of fear and confusion and this shows some are able to be reasoned with and hopefully turned around. I find the hard part is staying calm and not become pissed off, ( I admire our PM so much in this area!) Its easy for me to become hostile with them which obviously is far from helpful! So once again great work and thanks!
It interests me that people want to believe in influencers and their messages. I wonder if it’s a little bit like gangs. What is missing in their lives that make them seek it out? Connection? Like people who believe in conspiracies, is it a symptom rather than a disease in itself.
Love the conversation with Roger. There is hope! Gotta practice that questioning stuff.