"you're so unrelatable"
god forbid a girl earns more than a man
[inhales, cracks knuckles]
i remember when alix earle had her big moment—what was it, 2021? she went really viral. people wanted a reality show about her family and friends in miami. it was this huge thing because she felt relatable. she went to class, she partied, she lived in casa amor (literally just a house but with all her friends that looked like a frat house). people loved it.
everyone said, “she’s relatable. we don’t listen to the kardashian-jenner clan anymore because they’re not relatable. they’re billionaires, they travel by private jet, they do this, they do that.”
alix earle? sure, she had money, but she felt accessible. that’s why people followed her.
but now? she’s not relatable anymore. and people get mad.
sidenote: i’m using alix as an example because she’s basically the blueprint for all influencers, but this is obviously happening to plenty of other creators too.
what do you actually mean when you insult someone for being “unrelatable”?
there’s this epidemic of demanding relatability from influencers. we want them to wear clothes we can afford, travel places we can afford, live lives that don’t make us feel bad about our own. and sure, they often start that way! but when they grow, we get angry.
why are you spending two months in europe? stay home with your kids!
you see people with no profile picture (most often men or sad women) commenting on 25+ year-old influencers’ posts just because they’re having fun and can afford to do so.
and i see so many influencers talk about how much hate they get for “changing”—starting in a crappy, mite-infested one-bedroom or bad financial situation, and now being financially free because of influencing. people act like that makes them “not relatable” and hate them for it.
and it’s so obvious to me how a lot of that hate is rooted in misogyny. influencing is one of the only industries where women consistently out-earn men, yet it’s the one people love to side-eye and question if it’s even “real work.” no one does that with male-dominated industries like sports.
why wouldn’t we want women to have financial freedom? why are we always policing women’s spending? if a woman quits her full-time job, becomes an influencer, and buys a designer bag (hello, acquired style!), suddenly she’s “unrelatable.” meanwhile men spend on dumb shit constantly and no one cares. we don’t call them frivolous or shallow. men sign $10 million sports contracts and no one bats an eye.
sure, some influencers are annoying or problematic. but maybe check yourself before acting like “being unrelatable” is some moral failing in a woman.
same with the jealous rants all over tiktok: “influencers are so unrelatable” or “why are they getting thousands of PR packages when brands could gift them to people who really need it?”
and to that i say—guys. makeup, beauty, fashion? it’s luxury. westman atelier, charlotte tilbury—these are expensive brands. if you want them, you either need the money or a big enough following to get them gifted.
the idea that brands should send PR to people who “really need it” is… weird. no one needs luxury makeup. if you can’t afford a high-end brand, buy a less expensive one instead of complaining.
the “it’s not fair that xyz gets all this stuff for free” narrative is getting old.
life isn’t fair!!!! stop bringing other people down with your insecurities and petty jealousy!!
influencers don’t owe you relatability. they don’t owe you anything, actually.
yes, they’re at the peak of their creative careers because of your views, but they’re staying at the top by not being relatable. they’re selling you the life you want. that’s literally the point!!
[exhales, closed computer]