tik tok creator danessy augusto has spent the last few weeks feeling confused by the frenzy surrounding influencer Alix Earle.
Earle, 22, has exploded in popularity in recent months, amassing more than 4 million followers. Like many creators, he posts videos in which he shares personal details about his life, including how he prepares to come out, his battle with acne, and his romantic relationships.
But Augustus, a TikToker with more than 947,000 followers, said she’s seen her “mutuals,” other women creators of color, produce “the exact same” type of content as Earle. However, according to Auguste, her videos don’t generate the same level of success.
“I know I’m not the only one who feels so confused, so distraught, so lost about what we can do,” Auguste said. Last month, she posted a video to TikTok, where she said she thinks Earle’s virality is a reminder of how ignored influential women of color are on the platform. Hundreds of women responded, sharing similar thoughts.
Some black influencers, including Auguste, said they wonder if Earle’s rapid viral fame has more to do with her whiteness than her content. Others echoed the sentiment of one commenter, who wrote: “I love Alix but where’s the black girl version”?
On TikTok, some describe this as the “Alix Earle effect,” or when young white women amass an “incredible amount of power and influence” thanks to the platform, according to Trevor Boffone, a researcher who has studied how TikTok is a culture. -making space in America.
If content from some popular color creators performs poorly online, they might only get a few hundred views and likes on a video. But for white women, their less successful videos, on average, still have the ability to reach millions of viewers, Boffone said.
“TikTok is a blank space,” Boffone said. “The people who get promoted on the platform and who are most successful on the platform are white people…or lighter skinned people.”
While TikTok is tight-lipped about its user data, a Pew Research Center 2022 The analysis shows that black teens are more likely to be active users of the platform than their white and Latino peers.
Earle’s speech comes as creators continue to voice their issues with TikTok as a platform. In the past, black creators have alleged that the platform engages in content censorship and “hidden banning” (blocking a user without their knowledge). Some have also criticized the platform for its cultural insensitivity, which they say has made it difficult for them to thrive on the app.
A TikTok spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The platform has previously issued apologies to his black community and created a diversity collective of internal creators to examine any inequities created by TikTok’s policies or products.
White influencers ‘don’t care about relating’
Some black creators said that criticism of the algorithm may leave out how TikTok users can also contribute to disparities in success between influencers of color and white influencers.
“What we engage with, what we look at, what we like, what we comment on, that’s what the algorithm feeds us,” said Ngozi Musa, a creator who also works in influencer marketing.
Musa sees influencers as gatekeepers, whom brands can court to gain access to their large following.
If consumers consistently celebrate specific creators, like Alix Earle, “brands will take notice,” Musa said.
Algorithmic and consumer bias together can be factors that compound the perception that white creators are more “sellable.”
Danessy Auguste said that she An agent counseled her about her public perception, telling her that the world of influencer marketing would perceive her differently because she was black.
“He told me that I have to smile a lot in my videos,” said Auguste. “To be a brand, I’m going to have to be too cheerful to push out all the stereotypes they may have about me.”
Musa also highlighted the problem of typecasting experienced by black female creators.
“We have to fit into these social tropes that people think what a black girl should be. The black girl in luxury is a trope. The funny black girl is a trope,” Musa said.
While limiting, these tropes can also be seen as strategic moves for black creators who feel they have to carve out niches to engage and grow audiences, according to Boffone.
“Whites don’t care about relating, whereas it’s a conversation that creators of color have,” Boffone said.
What would it take to get a ‘Black Alix Earle’?
Adding another dimension to Alix Earle’s speech, one influencer posed a provocative question:
“Do we deserve an Alix Earle?” Nike Ojekunle, what’s up? @specsandblazers on TikTok, he said in a video.
Ojenkule, a creator with 462,000 followers, called for introspection among black women about ways they could improve by encouraging each other. Ojenkule said in the video that the comment sections of popular black female creators compared to those of Alix Earle were “so negative” and “so bad.”
Auguste also noted this and said that black male creators don’t get as much hate as black women.
Still, other creators are wary about losing responsibility for the change in black women. Community support with trends like #BlackGirlFollowTrain has already enabled Black women to intentionally engage with the content of others.
“I will always like, comment, and share posts from a black creator or woman of color.” creator Meolah Delinois said. “But it also gets to the point where we can’t fight this battle alone.”
TikTok has made some strides in correcting racial inequalities on the app, with creator development programs intended to nurture and support the development of emerging black creators.
Earle’s speech has been discouraging for some black female creators. However, those who participated in the conversation said they feel validated by the discussion that is taking place.
“As black women, it’s important to remember that, especially when we’re looking at TikTok and creating content, we can be more than one thing,” Musa said. “We don’t have to cater to what people think is identifiable. Maybe you won’t get as much engagement or maybe growth will be slower, but stay true to who you are and what that looks like.”
