‘Influencers in the Wild’: Exposing the Reality of Clout Chasers

Influencers are now considered celebrities, with some transitioning into mainstream popularity and receiving invitations to prestigious events. However, there are those who will do anything—and post whatever content they believe will be their ticket to going viral, gaining thousands of new followers, and landing luxurious deals with high-profile brands.

However, it seems more and more people are getting tired of influencers who are faking their content for the sake of clout. Thanks to @influencersinthewild, an Instagram account dedicated to exposing the unfiltered and unglamorous antics of influencers, it looks like social media users are now valuing more quality content. 

According to this TikTok, eight influencers from China recently contracted foot fungus, at the same time. It turns out that they bought a pair of Gucci tights, and shared it with 12 other people under the pretense that they are rich, and can afford these branded items. These people even had a Google calendar to track who will be wearing the tights during a “photoshoot.” Unfortunately, one of them had a skin infection, and since not one of them had the common sense to make sure the tights were washed between uses, eight of them now also share a foot fungus. 

Influencers can now even rent a fake “private jet” set up in a studio for their staged “travel” photos. In this Instagram post, the caption explained that influencers do this “to look rich on social media.” People—presumably the influencers’ followers—aren’t happy about it, calling it “fake and dumb.”

With the right photo angles, these influencers can appear to be living the high life, traveling luxuriously, since the studio is “designed to mimic a real jet’s interior.” No need to spend thousands of dollars renting a private jet—at just $60 an hour, you can look like you did!

Asking for products and services in exchange for a “shout out” has been one of the major issues with entitled influencers who wanted to pay in “exposure.” Case in point: A hotel in Dublin banned all influencers/bloggers from their establishment requesting for a “collaboration,” as reported by The Independent. 

A 2021 HBO documentary, Fake Famous, follows the journey of three people who wanted to become social media influencers. They employed various means to become “fake famous” including buying followers and faking a luxurious lifestyle. The documentary highlights the grind of influencer life and raises questions about their authenticity.