A POP CULTURE DEEP DIVE
Feb. 23, 2022

Part Two: Jillian Harris & The Wild Influencer Economy

Mahsa and guest-host Rachel are back at it with Part Two of the Jillian Harris/Influencer Economy deep dive!

We get to the meat of it in this second half, and do our best to answer the big questions around the relatively new career of influencing, including exploring this unique parasocial relationship and tackling what, if anything, influencers owe their followers.

As we debate the merits of influencers sharing their (curated) world with us, we wonder how much of it they need to share, particularly around their (sometimes controversial) sentiment on what's happening in the world around us. While Jillian has spent the past few years lending her platform to social causes and diverse voices, we can't say the same about all her contemporaries/circle of influencer friends. We get somewhat political this episode, so please note that as always, views are our own. 

And we try to answer the biggest question of all --why are influencers?! Do we need them? Do we love them? Do we love to hate them? Most importantly, what value do they give us?
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Helpful links we reference during the show / pop culture homework:
The Edenic Allure of BallerinaFarm (Culture Study, Anne Helen Petersen)