Resilient Jenkins helped TikTokers realise their power
Trends, heat and an update on the family of six (going on seven) living in a one bed
Hello hotties,
Because I’m nice like that this edition is an election-free safe space. I’m not offering tips on dealing with hopelessness or providing hot takes on why what happened happened (I’ve done that on Threads if you’re a glutton for post-mortem punishment).
In the next edition I’m going all in on what the voting data tells us about Gen Z, how the ultra macho Trump campaign managed to capture the imagination of around ten per cent more under 30s than in 2020 and why Harris’ message was such a flop.
For now I’ve got this week’s trends and an update on the Resilient Jenkins drama for you. But first, let’s start with the quick hits…
Trends, trends and even more trends
“Baddies, pose for me, ass fat, slim thick, no tummy” is the new battle cry for the TikTok generation after the John Mackk track Pose For Me, which features Natalie Nunn, exploded on the app. Hundreds of thousands of videos have been created using the sound but this school-aged diva ate the lip-sync and captured the song’s appeal perfectly…
Onions… no seriously. An onion boil is the latest recipe to go viral on TikTok and now I’m seeing sliced onions being used as a substitute for pasta. I’ve got nothing against layered vegetables but I draw the line at an onion being rebranded as a meal.
So hot right now
Gracie Abrams has been catching fire for many reasons this year. A hot album, obsessed-over abs and dating Paul Mescal. Now she’s got a smash hit single on her hands after it inspired a TikTok trend. Her track That’s So True is being used as a soundtrack to videos compiled by young women to show off their lives. It’s helped to get the song charting 6th on Spotify’s Global Top 50 and 12th on TikTok’s Viral 50 chart.
Tyler, The Creator’s new album CHROMAKOPIA debuted at number one on the Billboard chart and two tracks Darling, I and Sticky are already trending on TikTok.
We’re boycotting TikTok creators now
Last week I told you all about the pregnant mom who went viral and sparked fierce debate after revealing that the four kids she shares with her partner slept in the living room of their cramped one bedroom apartment in Portland, Oregon.
When I hit publish the saga was already a hot mess and since then it’s plunged to new depths. What’s most interesting to me though is how TikTokers responded after learning more about the woman, who’s name appears to be Stephanie, her partner Andrew and the conditions the children are living in while their parents sleep in the only bedroom.
To begin with sympathy mixed with outrage. Amazon wish list items were purchased by supporters, including much needed beds for the four children. At the same time critics branded the list ‘digital panhandling’ and the gift givers naive. Some expressed their view that TikTokers shouldn’t make Resilient Jenkins a star because she was parenting ‘irresponsibly’. Others went further, saying they stopped watching her content because they didn't want to condone her choices or for the account to benefit from TikTok’s creator fund which pays based on views. In effect the critics staged a boycott.
When a woman, who posts under the handle Nails by Arlita, came forward to say she was the “baby momma” of Jenkins’ partner, and blasted him for not paying child support or having contact with their son, Resilient Jenkins’ detractors seized on her story. They urged viewers to follow Arlita instead so that she could be the one to benefit from TikTok’s revenue sharing scheme. Some even offered to watch her videos on repeat to help funnel payouts her way.
The actions of the critics demonstrate that TikTok’s users increasingly understand their own influence within a network that rewards attention, and they’re showing that they’re willing to yield that power. The boycotters know that their views can translate directly into dollars and that the time they spend can be used as a weapon as well as a reward.
Previously we’ve seen creators play the system by creating GoFundMe-style appeals. A medical student called Jake asked viewers to watch his videos so that he could pay off his student debt. And others have set up missions and begged viewers to like their posts so that they could get their dream Prada handbag. Some viewers have been happy to go along with these projects but it’s the first time I’ve seen a campaign work in the opposite direction where attention is consciously withdrawn.
As a result the Resilient Jenkins account hasn’t enjoyed the rapid follower growth of other accounts that go viral. Last Friday she had 116,000 followers and today she has just over 150,000. The viral video that launched her into the broader consciousness had 11 million views on Friday and that’s inched up modestly to 12.7 million. Subsequent videos appear unaffected by the negative response, likely because they are algorithmically served. Resilient Jenkins’ new posts, which often react to her many critics, have performed very well averaging over three million views each. It’s likely that the creator fund is paying out at least $450/£349 per video which means that if Resilient Jenkins is getting those payouts she’s made at a minimum $10,000/£78,000 in the last two weeks after posting over 20 videos (assuming that TikTok is paying at least $0.15/£0.12 per 1,000 qualified views).
Nails by Arlita’s account has definitely benefited from the campaign to reward her. She went from having a few thousand followers to over 75,000, and her most recent videos, where she showcases her work as a nail tech, are receiving more than 100,000 views each. She now qualifies for the creator program and while that gives her a chance to monetise her content she’s likely getting less than $50/£38 per video because of the view count.
While Resilient Jenkins is raking in cash with each new post, her woes have piled up with online sleuths digging into her past and claiming that she used the n word slur on Facebook, that she’s married to another man and that she’s got history with child protection services as well as other incendiary allegations.
The money she's making right now might feel worth the pain of the backlash but who knows if it nets out in the long run. I’ll keep you posted.
The democratisation of Halloween
If you have an internet connection and a dream you can win Halloween. That’s the lesson I’m taking from 2024’s spooky season given that the most viral costumes were produced by regular folk.
Celebrities, who’ve traditionally dominated best dressed lists, barely got a look in after they blandly opted for traditional costumes and irritated audiences by over-producing pictures or misunderstanding the assignment.
As I said in the last edition it’s simply not enough to cosplay. To stand out a person needs to perform as their character. Leaning hard into virality is also key to getting attention and some of the best ones replicated big internet moments. The Twitter trend “I hate gay Halloween, what do you mean you’re…” also rewarded those who went super niche or were inspired by extremely online events. Few celebrities followed this path leaving the door wide open for the rest of the internet, including my winner, Dylan Guerra, aka the despondent Oompa Loompa actress from the ill fated Wonka experience.
This week I’ve been…
OBSESSED WITH:
The one-sided beef between Garrett Thomas and Claudia Oshry (aka girlwithnojob) over the series no one asked for… Diners, Diners & Diners. Thanks to
for flagging it to me first.Ivanka Trump’s next move. Before the election she appeared to be rebranding herself as a lifestyle guru after sharing her strength training tips and dolling out life advice on Twitter/X, but on election night she was back by her father’s side.
The Life on Film account on TikTok which goes up to strangers heading off on a trip, gives them a disposable camera and when they return makes a video of their experiences
Chappell Roan’s Saturday Night Live fit courtesy of stylist Genesis Webb
Peanut the squirrel dislodging Moo Deng as the internet’s latest animal fascination
EXCITED ABOUT: Seeing Paddington in Peru. My tickets are booked.
READING:
Who’s Afraid of These Gen Alpha Queens? in Bustle by Substack’s finest
A Luxury Giant, a Reclusive Heir and the Case of the Missing $13 Billion from The Wall Street Journal
WATCHING:
The Menendez Brothers documentary on Netflix. Incredible to see this legal case be reframed in current day thinking about abuse victims and come up seriously short.
Martha, the Martha Stewart documentary by R. J. Cutler, also on Netflix. She is without doubt the original influencer.
highly flammable is produced and written by Rachel Richardson
She’s a content creator, commentator and consultant at Beginning, Middle and End
Want more? Check out Threads, Twitter/X and Instagram
Email rr@bmend.com
I definitely appreciated your election take on threads. On #7, I am assuming you mean independent media? On #10, even if Harris does long form podcasts, I think she still loses. Do you see the Dems as having a brand and culture messaging problem. Not in spending for content, but distinguishing themselves and casting a compelling vision. "I'm not that guy" verses "End poverty, best in education, end wars, protect workers, fairness, etc."
Holla! It's an honor. x