Jodi’s critique effectively strips away the digital veneer of influencer culture, exposing the hollow commodification of "lifestyle" that fuels modern insecurity. It is a sobering reminder that in the economy of attention, authenticity is often the first casualty of profit.
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Fake Influencers EXPOSED! Social Media Lies, Clout Chasing & Out Of Touch Creators | REACTIONAdded:
not go outside in the sun. I am Portuguese, so I do get a tan.
If you did not know, I'm Scandinavian, and that is why I get this pale. Skin is the best it's ever looked.
>> My skin looks the best it has my whole life. It's completely transformed not just me, but also my husband's skin. He doesn't have acne anymore. I don't know if you noticed. This changed my skin like crazy, and I also have Cody using it, and his skin looks the best it ever has. This was my skin last month, bro.
But this is what works for me. This is what I found. I've been using CeraVe renewing SA cleanser. I use this every single morning and night. Five-step skin care routine. I do it morning and night.
My routine consists entirely of the Inkey List, and I'll tell you why. It's my favorite routine I've ever found.
Now I have found a consistent daily routine that I am so obsessed with, so in love with. I use Dermalogica precleanse. Now I'm going to use the Dermalogica special cleanser.
Dermalogica. I've never been more consistent with a skin care products in my life. My skin care routine went viral for a Let's talk about data because the social media starting to feel like one big illusion.
>> [music] >> And I don't want to say that to be dramatic. Sort of. I must confess. I say that because the more you pay attention, the more you start realizing that not everything you see online is real. In fact, a lot of it is curated, a stage, exaggerated, and in some cases completely f a k e. Mhm.
>> [singing] [music] >> It's a blast, all around. What is interesting is that people start noticing, people are questioning more things, and they're looking a little closer.
>> [music] >> Yes, asking a few more questions, and realizing that the lifestyle being presented online doesn't always match what is actually happening behind the scenes. This is not a real private jet.
And you can book it for a photo shoot.
Let me show you. This is what it looks like here in Houston, Texas, the private jet inside. And it's literally right in front of a street. Check it out. It has a bed, TV screens. It looks so good, and you can book this at $150 an hour.
All these little accessories you can use for your photos and videos.
I booked a photographer. This is Darnell Jr. here. And yeah, we're all here filming our content inside the private jet in Houston, Texas. This is amazing.
And when you sit like this and you're taking pictures or videos from like maybe this angle, it looks really good. Like I was shook to see it.
Like when you're maybe live streaming or taking pictures or doing a YouTube video, TikTok videos, we love TikTok.
You can see the roof, and it looks really good when you're vlogging.
And that is where the whole conversation about the fake influencers is coming from, because it's not just about entertainment anymore. No, ma'am. No, sir. It's about influence. And what influence is built on these days, it is not something that is generated when it starts to feel a little bit uncomfortable.
Wagwan, my islanders family? Welcome back to the channel. You done know it's your favorite island girl, Jody here from the 876. And as you can see, guys, today we're getting into the fakeness of it all. Influencers, content creators, you name it. We're going to spill it.
But before we do, y'all know what to do.
Show some love, and some support. To I say no to this to this channel. But of course you giving this video a like or thumbs up for your girl. Of course it's easy and it's free. And if you're new here, see my face and hearing my voice for the very first time. My name is Jody and we would love to have you join the Islanders family. So you can go ahead do so right now by of course hitting that subscribe button with a right down this so. With that being said guys, let's get into today's video.
Okay guys, come here.
This photo to the right is a photo of me at the US Open in 2024.
This photo to the left is a photo that I came across this morning on Instagram of someone who castrated me and decided to use my image and my environment. I initially thought that it was one of those faceless AI pages, but come to my realization this is an actual person with 1.6 million followers at that.
>> [music] >> And by no means am I trying to bash this girl's mental health is real and I'm not a bully. I'm just I'm a little perplexed. Just want to know what was the reason? Has social media gotten to our heads that much that we are completely disregarding cooze?
Another part that gets me is that this has been up since [music] this morning.
I commented this morning. This girl has not reached out to me. She has not apologized. She has not given an explanation. I'm probably embarrassed which she should be. But I think that the nice and accountable thing to do would be to reach out and at least apologize [music] to the person whose photo you stole. Like what the heck? But yeah, Instamation, don't do this. So, what is a fake influencer? I'm so happy you asked. Please.
Go on. Because guys, a disclaimer. When we say fake influencers, we're not necessarily saying that every influencer is fake. So let's be clear about that.
So don't don't try.
Nobody come for me. There are plenty of creators who are authentic and transparent and just genuinely share their real lives or their work. But, there's also a growing number of people who are creating a version of their life that just does not exist. And that can look like a lot of different things. I'm not naming no names, but I wish you guys knew how easy it is to fake being wealthy for the internet here in LA. A lot of those big money guys and your favorite creators don't live where you think they live. So, up the street from here, we have this hundred-million-dollar mansion that costs $90 an hour to rent out. A lot of creators rent that space once a week, film their content, and make it look like they live there. It can look like a rented luxury items are presented as their own. It can look like heavily edited lifestyle that remove all the struggle and only show just the highlight. A lot of people ask how exactly people are pulling off this fake wealth thing, so I'm going to show you how to do it, but I'm going to preface this with a few things. We're not hating on anyone, we're just being nosy. Two, this is not contained in the influencer space. A lot of those red pill guys are charging their followers for this advice so they can get more matches on the dating apps. So, here's the $95 an hour mansion. This one's $175 an hour. I mean, not going to lie, I'm tempted.
Now, we can get a 2020 Bugatti for $1,500 for a few days, or a G Wagon for $399 a day, or we can get the classic Bugatti Urus for $100 an hour. I'm going to rent an outfit, and to be clear, I don't actually have a problem with this.
I do think it's a really good sustainable option. Just showing you guys how it fits into the equation. Now, we're going to get our jet. Yeah, I want the executive jets. This one was $79 an hour. Now, we're going to get some shopping bags off of eBay, go down to Rodeo, make it look like we had a little designer shopping spree. Now, to clarify, this stuff was not created with the intent that people were going to use it this way. A lot of it is just straight-up movie sets that people figured out they could do this with.
Now, the point of these videos is not to make fun of anyone. Just because a lot of people go online, you see people having and then your dream gets smashed.
I've seen people stack up three, four in a luxury apartment, each paying $3,000 a month for rent, and then crying over their student debt. It's a bad system.
Regarding the fake bots and followers, the FTC is cracking down on that to kind of fight against fake advertising. Want want a creator, be a creator. You don't need to worry about looking fancy for people on the internet.
>> It can look like buying followers or staging relationships or even exaggerating success just to appear more established than what they really are.
And the reason this matters is because people are consuming this content pretty much as if it is real and that shapes how they see themselves and their own lives.
So, this was all made with AI. This isn't even a real person in this ad. And it gets even scarier because they have made this whole page dedicated to this app of this fake influencer who is all AI generated. All of this content on this page is AI generated. Do you know how scary that is? I've also had my body acceptance videos being used in these AI ads. Like it is scary that brands are now taking our images and our faces and using it in AI generated ads for products that we've never even used.
Please be so wary while scrolling online now because like if you don't look hard enough, you might not realize that something is edited or AI generated and isn't even real. Videos used to be the thing that we would prove whether something was photoshopped or not or edited or not, but now we can't even trust what we see. Please ask yourself, do I really need these products or is it marketing? Is it AI generated? Society is unfortunately so rooted in capitalism and billionaires change the beauty standards every 5 to 10 years so that we can never keep up so that we keep buying products that we don't need. Our time, energy, and money would be so much more better focused on using those tools to accept ourselves the way we are and realizing that there There absolutely nothing fundamentally wrong with having a human body. You do not need to change the way you look, okay? I love you so much. Please be aware you are scrolling online. So, why do people fake it? Hmm.
Hi, this is just a reminder that you can use a filter on TikTok, download the video, repost it, and it will not tell anyone that you are using a filter.
Would you believe me if I told you I'm using a filter right now to look less tired and also slim down my face? Now, there's no filter, but you would never know because I downloaded the video and re-uploaded it. So, when you're scrolling on TikTok thinking, "Oh my god, I wish I looked like her." I promise you half these people, especially beauty gurus and influencers, are using filters that you would never know about. They don't look like themselves. So, stop comparing yourself to people on social media. And before I mean honest, guys, there is a reason why this happens. Social media rewards appearance. It's awards a perception. It rewards the image of a success. And sometimes more actually than the success itself. If you get what me I say.
Because if you look successful online, opportunities can come your way, right?
Brands might start reaching out. People might start following you. You might gain influence a simple by just looking like you already have it. You have it all together. So, for some people, it becomes easier to create an image of first and then just hope that reality catch catches up later. Them say, "Fake it until you make it." How I live a luxurious lifestyle as a broke 21-year-old college student living in Los Angeles. I buy most, if not all of my clothes, secondhand. And I'm always able to keep up with trends and save a ton of money doing this. You'd be surprised at all the popular brands you can find at thrift stores, including many of your favorite and trendy ones.
This is how I'm able to have new clothes almost all of the time. There is a line between a marketing and deception that starts to blur. Because of presenting yourself a certain way is just is one thing, you know? But completely fabricating your lifestyle is a something completely and entirely different.
I am pissing my pants laughing at this video right here. So, I just watched this girl in her matching pink outfit with her giant ass love shack fancy um water tumbler that holds, you know, like 6 gallons of water. She I watched her on four different occasions at minimum. I'm sure she did it more. Pan it to the guy that she was walking with.
Start running. Put her camera like this, smiling, you know, doing hand um gestures. And then she'll get run about 50 ft, stop, and then walk back to the guy. And I'm like, are you really trying to get people to think that you are running? Like, it is just so ridiculous what influencers will do for views.
Like, just say you're on a walk. This is like brings you back to that probably on a budget guy who is notoriously super cheap. Like, he reuses his paper towels. He only charges his phone when he's at work cuz he doesn't want to pay the electricity bill at home. He unplugs his fridge when he leaves the house. All of those things. And then he ends up doing a partnership with DoorDash, which is like the last thing on earth that anyone who's cheap would ever spend money on. Hell, I don't even spend money on it except for on rare occasions.
And it just goes to prove that influencers are so out of touch and really just prey on people being stupid and falling for their BS. They'll promote products that they don't ever use, that they have no intention of using. Anything to get views, anything to get more money.
Um so, trust everything with a grain of salt. And I do want to add, I intentionally did not get her face in this. I'm only showing her I'm only even showing this footage because it does not show her face. So, don't come for me.
No, listen to this, you guys. There's also a pressure to perform that is involved. Because being an influencer is not just about posting pictures anymore.
It's about maintaining a certain level or image consistently.
It's about keeping up with the trends, being relevant, and showing growth and showing success behind all of that. And that pressure can push someone into presenting a version of themselves that they feel is more acceptable to the audience. brands are about to Chanel's and Louis' and things of that nature. But I don't think y'all realize how much DHGate, and if you know if you're from Atlanta, then would definitely market. I don't think y'all understand the replica industry. This is just a pick-me-up for y'all. I used to work at Saks. And to add on to what she's saying, most of them all coming in there buying that [ __ ] wearing it on Instagram, and returning it the next day so they can get their money back. Most of them are coming in there, buying it, and returning it with a fake because most of them don't know how to authenticate things. Um some of them are coming in there with their sponsors, and their sponsors are buying them everything that y'all see on IG, their apartment to their shoes.
Um most of them are coming in there and buying that [ __ ] and making claims on their card that is fraud um cuz they don't check for real. But [snorts] what kills me the most is y'all think that luxury brings happiness, and it doesn't. And I'm here to tell y'all that.
I have all that [ __ ] I own Prada and all that [ __ ] But what y'all fail to realize is that even at my lowest low, you realize just how much material items are material.
Until you have it, you'll never understand it. And it sounds easier said than done because I'm a person who has it.
But it literally adds no value to me. It doesn't. It doesn't make me better. It The only thing it does is literally just say, "Hey, I have a $1,000 bag on my shoulder." or hey, I have a $2,000 bag on my shoulder or hey, I have $1,000 on my feet. And that [ __ ] not really even worth it. If y'all seen them all stock rooms, how they keep them bags and them shoes and all of it, y'all wouldn't even want to buy it. But, I'm not going to say too much. Once people start experiencing a certain level of lifestyle from from you, then it can feel like you have to maintain it even if it's not a fully real. And the over time, that performance becomes exhausting because you're no longer just living your life, you're actually managing or just trying to maintain an image that it truly doesn't exist.
Brands are now trying to pay people to get engaged as a brand deal. I have a team of people that like respond to emails or get like proper offers. So, sometimes brands will try to cut corners and email the creator themselves. I blurred out anything that could like hint to who the brand was. But, it basically summarizes that they want a couple to get engaged on a screen in Times Square with this brand being the center of their proposal. And this offer actually like dissects the certain age that they want the couple to be and the requirements for the couple and the account requirements. Wanted to shed light on how fake like the influencer space can be. Some couples choose to have like their rings sponsored by like a brand or like a sponsored event type wedding. Like there are actually some people getting paid to get engaged. To each their own, I mean a check is a check. I understand like content creators, like I feel like it swallowed in what is a temporary chapter. Every Anyone who's an influencer knows that it's not long-term. Deep down, they know they're not going to be doing it forever. And when I was in that bubble where it's like literally all I was doing, didn't think about how ridiculous it would be to make monumental decisions like commitment and forever around content. And I know the wedding industry is literally everywhere and you see it primarily on social media. This little offer is very insightful to those of you who don't understand how staged influencerism can be.
No McCanna gets into the impact of that this has on the viewers because this is where things get it gets serious, guys.
When people consume content that looks perfect, polished, and effortless, it can create unrealistic expectations, right? Can really make people feel for the ones that are not strong like they are way behind in life and like you're just not doing enough and that their lives don't actually measure up. And the reality is they are comparing real life to someone else's curated highlights reel. The life when a real when a real goes up. And if you guys know me, I always use this quote, "Comparison is the thief of joy." because it not real and it's not a fair comparison. But what you don't know is that you're looking at a curated or maybe an exaggerated and it feels real. And that alone can have an effect on your confidence, your self-worth, and even your decision-making process [music] in a life. These are some more things that influencers don't tell you about being an influencer. I have literally never heard anyone expose this about influencing before, but all the PR we're getting, it's not free. And to demonstrate just how unfree it is, I'm going to do a little story time. So, about a year ago, I was just a girl when I started getting Revolve gifting. Each month I got an allowance of $2,000 of free Revolve to pick out. So, obviously I'm on top of the world and I'm racking up $2,000 each month. Who wouldn't? And so, as I said, at the time this started, I was just a girl. I had never paid taxes before until this year. And this year my financial advisor notifies me that I am paying $3,500 to Revolve in taxes.
What? Somewhere in the fine print of that PR, which I obviously didn't read, it states that you get taxed and I had turned in a W-9 to them, but I didn't know what a W-9 was, [laughter] so I didn't know I was getting taxed.
Anyways, I think the rule is that anytime you're getting paid over $500, and yes, being paid in clothing counts, you can be taxed. Which, of course, paying $3,500 for the $25,000 worth of clothes that I had gotten over the year was an amazing deal, but I just didn't know that that was the deal. And obviously, I love Revolve. It's like my favorite store. I talk about it all the time and I still do get their gifting.
Now, I'm just a little more intentional about what I pick out knowing that next March, I'm going to be paying for it.
Also, the job of influencing, yes, you can make a lot of money, but it's one of the most taxable jobs because you pay the self-employment tax, which is crazy high. You obviously pay taxes on all of your income. Everybody does, but you also pay taxes on your PR. So, at the end of last year, I was like, "Wow, I feel like I really made a good amount of money, especially for the point of my career that I was at." Once I paid taxes, I don't think this is even about influencing anymore. This is just things that I've learned growing up. Also about influencing, but once I paid taxes, I was like, "Okay." So, I actually didn't make any money. I actually made negative money. Perfect. I bet you will never think of PR the same ever again cuz I definitely didn't. All right. This only goes to show that sometimes what people deem as free isn't really free. Clearly, editing Jodie here. Unfortunately, guys, I have lost some of my audio, but we're going to keep the things are pushing.
Remember, if you're enjoying the content so far, be sure to show your love and support by, of course, in liking the video. Now, let's talk briefly about spotting the signs because, guys, the interesting thing is that, you know, once you start paying keen attention, the signs become easier to spot. Things don't quite add up and the lifestyle that seems a little too perfect. And let's not forget the inconsistency in the stories and even the sudden jump into success that don't have a clear foundation. And guys, don't get me wrong, you know, it's not about being negative or assuming the worst. It's about being aware because not everything that you see online is meant to inform you. Some of these are meant to impress you and there's a difference. I recently caught an influencer lying about having a pretty big brand deal and I'm going to tell you this story sometime about it because this [ __ ] is just wild to me.
About a month ago, I was at PacSun and I went to go visit my friend who manages a clothing store. This clothing store is very well known. They sell streetwear. I was in the store, I noticed like this influencer walked in and I was like, "Oh my god, that's that girl from TikTok." I wouldn't say she's a huge influencer, but she does have a couple hundred thousand followers and I even follow her, which is wild. She proceeds to go around shopping and she's like picking up all these items. That's a lot of items. Like so many items in her hand that my friend went up to her and was like, "Hey, did you want me to put these in the dressing room? You can keep shopping and then we can just add them."
And she keeps shopping and picks up like another 20 items. Like she had so many clothes in this dressing room. So the influencer finally goes into the dressing room and she's in there for I'm not even joking when I say about an hour and a half. Coming out, she's taking content. She has her tripod set up, doing TikTok dances. She's doing all sorts of content both in and outside of the changing room in the store. After an hour and a half, maybe even 2 hours of making content in and out of the dressing room, she finally hands my friend back this mountain of clothes.
None of them were back on the hangers, literally just in a ball. My friend took so long to sort these clothes back out.
Obviously, my friend was like, "Uh which ones would you like to keep today?" She was like, "No, no, I don't want any of it."
She did not purchase one thing from this store. And then we were like, "Oh, maybe she just did it for the content. Like maybe she just wanted to do like a little fashion content, like, you know, whatever." Then about a week later, I noticed that very influencer that walked into the shop that day posted a paid collaboration post, a sponsored post with that clothing store. Posts that she was posting were her in the store the day that I seen her and met her. And the way she posted the video and made them look was kind of like she was at a brand event for the clothing store. So, like all my friends wrote away and I'm like, "What the That wasn't like an event day.
Is she Is she Is she affiliated?" And she was like, "No, like that's not how our affiliates work. Like that's not We don't do sponsored posts like that." Why would she lie about it? That's so weird.
Like she's saying she was at an event for that brand. Like I'm so confused.
And my friend was like, "Well, a lot of influencers actually do fake having these big brand deals because then they get looked at by other brands, approached by other brands, and obviously people think, 'Oh my god, like she's doing so well. She's sponsored.'"
Like that's the only thing we could come up with. Anyway, my girlfriend was like, "Let me just double-check and confirm if she is affiliated with us, but I'm pretty sure she's not." Comes back to me a few days later and was like, "Nah, she is not affiliated with her, paid her to do a post, nothing." But like, really? So, you see, Island Thao, this is exactly why social media has people thinking that everybody is booked, busy, and just living a sponsored lifetime.
The whole time some of these influencers are basically producing their own fake brand campaigns into fitting rooms with a tripod and, of course, good lighting.
And you see, this story actually had me cackling up because the funniest part is the whole commitment. 2 hours of content creation, outfit changes, TikTok dancing, and all not to buy even a single socks is actually insane behavior to me. I just know that sales associate was probably thinking that they were about to hit their commission for the month.
But you see, this only goes to show how much of influencing is just really perception. Because once people start to think that you work with big brands, other brands are going to start treating you like you are more important, more successful, and, of course, more credible. It's basically, as I said before, fake it until you make it.
Except no, the fitting room has become a whole movie set. And before we continue, let me just reiterate this point again.
I think it is important to say clearly that not all influencers are fake. There are creators out there who are actually doing the work, building, genuinely sharing, honestly, and just creating value. And those people deserve recognition too. Because sometimes in these conversations, we tend to basically lump everybody together and that is not fair. The issue is not influencing itself, it's the lack of authenticity in certain cases. It's just me, but I feel like the whole aesthetically pleasing phase on social media is just so fake. Like majority of y'all are faking your lifestyle. And I get it, fake it until you make it, which is cool, but it's just like, come on now. Everybody's life just ain't like that. I just like raw content. Like I like raw content. If you're really living like that, I like it. Like I like it. But it's just certain things it just be like, come on now. Please. Like Like everybody wants to live up to this IG baddie life or very demure life. And it's just like, it's okay if you're still living a regular life or if you're still trying to make it happen. Like it's okay to still just be with the vibes. Like sometimes you could really just be with the vibes and no aesthetic.
Like be yourself. Like am I tripping?
Cuz I know I'm not being a hater. I like it, but it's just like I feel like a lot of people faking their lifestyle and everything just looks a little too polished. And it's just like, come on, it's real life. And it's a young kid looking up to you probably about to blow their [ __ ] head off trying to be that damn perfect. Y'all be for real. So looking in this creator's comment section, there are a lot of back and forth with other people just commenting saying that she's a hater and all of that. But when I really think about it, you know, guys, she's not even wrong.
Because social media nowadays feels less like people sharing their lives and more like everybody just competing to look like they live inside of a whole Pinterest board 24/7.
>> And there's a common thread to all of this, uh, you know, like somebody's apartment is a spotless. Everybody has a matcha in hand, soft jazz music playing in the background, and not one unpaid bill in sight. Like, be for real. And to think that is why people are starting to gravitate more towards raw content as the creator had explained. Because overly polished content is starting to feel like a performance. You know, people miss when influencers used to feel like actual human beings instead of a walking brand billboard for campaigns pretty much. We have an update on those influencers that built their platforms off of lies, and this makes me so angry that this is now a trend right now. But it's any single-use product that just isn't necessary. So, think of those like single-use face cloths. Not necessary.
It's a waste of money. Come with me to restock some of my favorite non-negotiable hygiene First off, I was so excited to see that these clean towels are now available at Target. And I feel like you guys were excited, too, because the top two rows were almost sold out. But yeah, as an acne-prone girly, I can't imagine not using these.
I I do not spend my money on any designer. No designer shoes, purses. I thought what better way to celebrate than getting myself a bag that I can pass down to my future daughter. This is all the makeup I own. I checked in 2022 at Sephora, I spent $5,000.
That is not normal, and that is not okay. I spent $700 at the Sephora sale yesterday, so let's do a haul of everything I bought.
>> For more things that I don't spend my money on, it is a nice car. I drive a paid-off Honda Civic that I bought like 5 years ago. So, you see, Atlanta, at the end of the day, guys, there's a difference between living a life and a performing one. And the social media has made it a very clear or very easy to blur that line, I should say, because you can control what people see. You can edit, you can filter, you can curate, and just present things in a way to tell a specific [music] story. But behind that story, there's always a reality.
And the more disconnected the story becomes a from the reality, the more fragile your image becomes. So, Alanda's family, let us talk about it. Have you ever looked at an influencer and thought, "Something about this just doesn't feel real?" Or do you think people are just over analyzing social media too much? Because one thing is clear, not everything online is fake, but also not everything is real either.
And knowing the difference is where the power is. So, of course, family, this is where we come up to the end of today's discussion. If you have made it thus far, you haven't yet liked, you haven't yet subscribed, now is the time to go ahead and do so. And if you want to continue to watch more fun relatable edutainment discussions like these, you can do so by, of course, clicking that up next video on your screen and enjoy the day away. As per usual, guys, thank you again so much for rocking with me until the end. My name is Jody, and I aspire to inspire. Until next time, guys. Walk good.
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