Now this is where I am supposed to put down influencers as producing nothing. After all, I called this column Influencer-enza, a nod to the elitist sneer of affluenza in the 1950s. If only we could go back to that golden age.
But influencers do produce a product: victimhood. And influencers are siphoning ad revenue from traditional corporate media, which is why you should expect Disney, News Corp. and the rest to attack influencers as the movement grows.
Oddly, influencers mimic the mainstream media. They have a Hillaryan view of the world as they assure people that all their problems are because of racists, sexists, homophobes, xenophobes, Islamophobes — you know, the whole basket of deplorables. Trolling for victimhood by influencers is the social media version of Jussie Smollett and other race hoaxers. They create drama because there will always be an audience for self-pity.
[This is a lengthy essay, very much worth a full read. And it highlights at least one good outcome — a heartfelt apology from one “influencer” for her damaging innuendo. — Ed]
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