There was a time when influence rhymed with inspiration. Today, with female influencers, it rhymes above all with manipulation, scandal and ethics on sale. For behind the perfectly filtered stories and sponsored selfies lies a world where morality seems to have long since taken a trip to the Gobi Desert.
In recent years, the varnish has begun to crack. A company has been singled out for promoting a brand of lingerie that was supposed to be charitable. The money was supposed to go to the Ligue contre le cancer? Surprise: the association denies it. Rather than take responsibility, the boss dismisses the matter with the elegance of a counterfeit seller: “it’s not me, it’s the other guy”. Which goes to show that when you’re selling your image, you forget to look at who you’re giving it to.
That same year, when a former reality TV contestant dared to mention scams in this adulterated ecosystem, a defamation suit was filed in the same way as a beauty filter is activated to save face. However, the testimonials are piling up, and they’re hurting. Notably that of a blogger relayed by Numerama, who reveals that young people, sometimes minors, are the preferred targets of these influencers. The scam is becoming a business model for sex-starved beasts.
In 2020, a new peak in the abyss, as counterfeit humanoids have fun with a monkey on a leash (the height of good taste), we invoke freedom of expression to justify the indefensible.
A world where appearance counts for more than substance. Influence then becomes a marketing operation in a vacuum: between those who buy their fame, and those who pretend to believe in it. A woman who originally sold her charms to Shien – just goes to show how well ignominy sells! It’s the symbol of an age where lies are displayed in 4K, where ethics are relegated to the status of an ephemeral story, and where fame is earned through dubious investments and hypocritical posturing. But perhaps we have the influencers we deserve.