Influencer Invasion

Written by Vanity Flair

Art by Lucy Latorre

Today, everyone seems to think they can be an entertainment journalist.

As long as you have a mini microphone, mediocre jokes, and decent following, the job requirements are filled. There’s no need to actually watch the films diligently or ask any real questions when your goal for the night is a viral clip and some high-quality Getty Images to brag about at brunch. For those of us who have accrued hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans—and life long copyediting trauma—studying journalism, it’s a bit maddening to watch influencers struggle through awkward red carpet interviews.

Let me get something straight before we continue: I’m not anti-influencer by any means. In fact, I love social media. The best part of my day is doomscrolling TikTok in bed and watching my best friend’s Instagram stories. Are there downsides to it? Yeah, sure. I definitely have a shorter attention span, arthritis in my thumb, and blue-light-burned-retinas. But, the content and dopamine hit are totally worth the physical pain, I swear! Influencers all deserve flowers for the consistent stream of entertainment they provide me and millions of others all over the globe.

At first glance, the concept of influencers hosting red carpets and attending press junkets makes sense. These creators have an established following, on-camera charisma, and a familiar presence that allows for a built-in audience. Legacy media companies, such as Condé Nast, are in a constant battle to adapt alongside the continuously evolving media landscape. Hiring influencers for interview coverage was an easy way to blend their already running content with modern entertainment with little to no actual change, and for a while, it worked. However, in the past two years, it has begun to feel like influencers are invading the red carpets one TikTok at a time. A tradition that once felt fun now feels forced for views. What influencers lack in content and sincerity, they make up for in numbers. When Emma Chamberlin first began hosting the Met Gala livestream, many viewers tuned in that night just to see her.

At that time, the occasional influencer host felt almost like bring your child to work day: special and amusing, but not permanent or serious. Looking back, it’s not hard to realize that many of these hosting gigs are more self-indulgent than anything else. Instead of interviewing artists about their work, influencers are creating viral moments that will be used as TikTok sounds for the next six months. In the worst-case scenarios, some of these interactions lead to real moments of embarrassment, disrespect, and insult. On a red carpet, the line between an off-hand joke and an offensive comment can be as simple as a raise of the eyebrow. Once you have offended that celebrity, you can sure as hell know their PR team will never let you near them again.

I’m the first to admit that the technical side of journalism can be boring and make us sound pretentious as fuck. For God’s sake, I have a degree in the field and refuse to ever be called a journalist. Between how society views us in this political era, and having the creativity metaphorically beat out of me by uncompassionate professors, I understand the negative connotation better than anyone else. However, in the same breath, I’ll fight anyone who challenges the notion that it’s not a developed skill. Journalists, no matter their specialty, have been trained to successfully research and interview a subject with the purpose of telling a story. In the entertainment industry specifically, it’s essential to spend a rigorous amount of time preparing for interviews. You must interact with the material and understand the subject before even attempting to write questions. Few talk about the contractual aspects of journalism, especially within entertainment. You and the interviewee are doing a job with the intent to gain something from it. While it’s great to be comfortable and friendly during an interview, influencers often act like they are chatting with someone over a glass of wine.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to an entertainment journalist’s overall goal that sets them apart from influencers: we want to know the why. Choosing to work in entertainment on any front is a leap of faith and a test of resilience. It’s definitely not a parent-pleasing industry that provides job security and stable mental health. Often, you’re paying for passion projects out of pocket, always looking for the next job, and working long hours with no compensation other than crafty. Everyone rolls their eyes when I say this, but it’s true: entertainment is often a thankless job. That’s why, when you get that big break or reach that milestone moment, you want to share why you did it…and an influencer is not gonna do that for you.