Why is [insert name here] even famous?
By: Alex Connor
Tags: Influencers, Tiktok, İnternet

Why is [insert name here] even famous?

It’s the third edition of Between the Internet and Me.

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Anyways, I’m thinking about Frankie Jonas. The only famous Jonas brother, according to TikTok.

The 20-year-old younger sibling to the famed Nick, Joe and Kevin, Frankie has been known to history as the “Bonus Jonas” — if recognized at all. But on TikTok, where users are quick to mobilize en masse around a certain topic or issue, he’s quickly become known as the “Only Famous Jonas.”

And it’s sort of become a big inside joke.

As of publishing, Frankie’s account boasts 1.3 million followers. This is in comparison to several days ago when he posted a TikTok thanking his then-500,000 followers and joked, “if you could speed it up though because I’m trying to get 100 million by the end of the year.” Keep in mind, he joined the app in mid-October.

A screenshot of Frankie Jonas’ TikTok account.

TikTokers have even started spamming his brothers’ accounts with comments such as: “Wait, this is Frankie’s brother??” and “you really used Frankie’s last name for profit.” Frankie even posted a TikTok to celebrate surpassing his famous but also oft-forgotten brother Kevin in overall followers.

And in celebration of hitting 1 million followers just last night, Frankie reminded his fans: “you have 11 days to get me to 100 million or I will leave this dancing app made for children.”

This is the overall nature of his feverish account: making fun of his brothers and being really, really weird but also really, really relatable.

So is the early life cycle of a TikTok creator, skyrocketed to fame by the app’s algorithm and provided a fan base that other social platforms like Instagram and YouTube take years to develop.

And you can even do it without having a famous last name.

On TikTok, influencers can be created with just one viral video. Of note: @scoobiezoobie became famous earlier this year for simply smiling. (You can watch her initial video here, which totals 73 million views.) She is now verified with 4 million followers.

But not even a month after her rise to fame began, comments started to flood in: “I really don’t understand why y’all hype her up so much” or “Why is she famous again?”

It’s what users often refer to as “switchin’ up.”

“Switchin’ up” happens when a creator changes their content. Or refuses to change their content. Or simply just exists as a creator.

So is the middle life cycle of a TikTok creator — the make it or break it moment where they can either keep earning clout or begin to plateau.

At the same time, however, it’s also nearly impossible to deplatform a creator.

While Charli D’Amelio lost nearly 1 million followers after the disastrous “Dinner with the D’Amelios” published on YouTube and drama soon ensued, she quickly gained it back and has easily passed the 100 million follower mark — the first TikTok creator to do so. Hell, their family is now even getting a reality TV show on Hulu.

This pattern happens a lot. A platform is given. The creator does not use their platform exactly to their fan bases’ liking. The creator is threatened to have their platform taken away (hello, Trisha Paytas.)

Even Tony Lopez, who has arguably been canceled multiple times, is still verified on TikTok and has 22 million followers.

And unless the creator actually stops creating, it is unlikely that users will stop interacting with that creator’s content because they are either cringe-watching and commenting or seeing the content through other users’ duets and stitches.

For example, while Shane Dawson left YouTube this summer, his account with 21.1 million subscribers is alive and verified. While he’s not posting new content, the account is also not deleted. The same goes for his Instagram, which boasts 9.7 million followers. He even posted a gallery one week ago — his first time since June.

And any actions he takes on the internet are quick to be deciphered and crafted into new content cross-platform, specifically through tea accounts.

“Embattled YouTube star Shane Dawson is slowly staging a comeback built around sympathy” by Kat Tenbarge for Insider.

But this isn’t about canceling people for things they deserve to be canceled for.

When it comes to TikTok, it’s so often about boredom and the power that users hold in creating and shaping the next generation of content creators. Who deserves hype and for what? That’s subject to change. A lot.

Still, these new “instant influencers” can exist with their millions of dedicated followers even after their hype has been taken or their content is called into question for being too similar or too different than what they became famous for. Many eventually create burner accounts to post on, which quickly gain hundreds of thousands of followers.

So is the end life cycle of a TikTok creator, finding new ways to stay relevant — again and again.

Arguably, that’s not so bad.

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