I followed a TikTok creator for a few years. The persona was simple: everyday ham radio hobbyist, sharing casual commentary. Authentic, relatable, low-stakes.

Then the tone shifted. One video was quite dystopian and she suddenly called for “bringing in the national guard.” The delivery was passionate, but it felt out of character. That raised my suspicion.

A quick search confirmed it:

  • IMDB page with acting and screenwriting credits.
  • LinkedIn listing actor/screenwriter.
  • Personal website advertising acting services and agency representation.

None of this background is mentioned on TikTok. The image presented is “just a regular person.” When I left a polite comment pointing this out, it was first met with polite debate, then deleted. A follow-up comment got me blocked.

Why I think this matters:

  • People build trust with influencers who seem authentic.
  • Undisclosed professional backgrounds change how we interpret their message.
  • Deleting comments that question authenticity suggests image control (so much for free speech!)

This isn’t about one creator. It’s about how propaganda works. Influencers can pose as everyday citizens to build trust, then steer conversations in political directions.

My takeaway from this is to not take online personas at face value - get in the habit of doing your due diligence, check backgrounds. Treat influencer content with the same scrutiny as political advertising.

  • treadful@lemmy.zipEnglish
    13·
    3 days ago

    Her videos are framed as off-the-cuff, but if you actually pay attention to it, the delivery is very controlled with precise, deliberate phrasing (scripted).

    This describes literally any half successful youtuber.

    Another commenter also pointed out the stark pivot in messaging from recent videos, to which I replied that she might want to take a screen shot of the comment for posterity (as I wish I had done!) as comments were being deleted, and I was swiftly blocked.

    Sounds to me like a creator wasn’t a fan of your obsession with their life off-camera.

    Lots of people seem to be turning fascist for whatever reason. That’ll include content creators. Especially ones that think they can build an audience from exploiting the latest controversy.

    That makes them opportunistic and shitty, sure. But thinking everyone with a shitty opinion is a paid propagandist isn’t healthy thinking.

    • jubjub@crazypeople.onlineOP
      21·
      3 days ago

      I’m not claiming she’s a paid propagandist - what I can show is public info: she is a professional actor with a career in performance. None of that is disclosed in her TikTok persona/bio, which is framed as an ordinary hobbyist speaking off the cuff.

      You’re right that lots of creators script their delivery. The difference here is the concealment of background. If someone with a long acting career presents as a grassroots voice without disclosing that context, it changes how audiences interpret their message.

      This isn’t about one person’s opinion being ‘shitty.’ It’s about media literacy and the unhealthy parasocial relationships of their audience. Viewers should know who they are trusting, especially when the content escalates into political messaging. Transparency does matter.