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3.24 AVERAGE
3.24 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
medium-paced
fast-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
informative
slow-paced
Like it or not, Influencers are a huge part of modern culture. They inform what we wear, the purchases we make, the recipes we cook, how we parent, and inevitably how we feel about ourselves. In this timely book, Millennial journalist Stephanie McNeal examines the ins and outs of the multibillion-dollar industry of content creation. McNeal takes us into the heart of Influencer world through the portraits of three popular Influencers (none of whom I knew before reading this book): fashion blogger Caitlin Covington, runner and plus-sized advocate Mirna Valerie, and mommy blogger Shannon Bird. McNeal shares the origin stories of each of these Influencers, and of the Influencer industry at large, describing the rewards and struggles of each woman. Beyond their individual stories, McNeal gives us a look into sites dedicated to snarking on Influencers; examines the relationship between Influencers and brands; looks at the expectations placed on Influencers to have appropriate takes on a range of cultural and political issues (asking whether or not this is fair, and exploring how it is handled by various Influencers); and questions the ethics behind mommy blogging and the commodification of minors within this profitable industry.
I have complicated thoughts regarding Influencer culture, so it’s not surprising that my thoughts on this book were also quite complicated. I enjoyed getting a closer look at the real lives of three prominent Influencers (though this would have been more meaningful if I had been familiar with these particular women). But I struggled with the book’s “fan girl” tone and overwhelming praise for an industry that I feel has done more harm than good. McNeal stays shallow on a subject that demands depth: I wanted more details on the nature of partnerships (especially the amount of money involved, as McNeal declines to answer these questions with real numbers and is disparaging towards those who are curious about how much money Influencers can make), and a closer look at the ways that Influencers spend their self-reported 100-hour workweeks. I also expected more of a journalistic take on the harmful nature of Influencer Culture—on both those who are being influenced AND the content creators themselves; McNeal is sympathetic towards the creators without holding them accountable for their questionable ethics and decisions, and also without accountability for those of us who are mindlessly consuming their content and contributing to cultural (and personal) degradation as we do so.
The book touches on the discrepancies between relatability and authenticity of Influencers, and how societal expectations have gradually shifted (moving beyond wanting Influencers who are aspirational to demanding that they be authentic and relatable above all else), and I wanted much more conversation around this particular challenge. Is it even possible for an Influencer making millions to remain relatable in a meaningful way? Is this truly what we want? When is authenticity being taken too far? When is transparency needed, and why . . . and how? So many questions that at least deserve discussion if not solutions.
This book was frothy and entertaining, but lacked the nuanced and unbiased reporting that I’d hoped for. McNeal’s own liberal politics and her gushing enthusiasm for Influencers in general (and for the three featured women in particular) overshadowed what might have been a productive discussion that needs to be had. McNeal says that her purpose in writing was to make a case for why Influencers matter. In that, she has succeeded, but she has not answered the question of whether or not they SHOULD matter, and to me that is the more important question that we all need to ask.
My Rating: 3 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook
I have complicated thoughts regarding Influencer culture, so it’s not surprising that my thoughts on this book were also quite complicated. I enjoyed getting a closer look at the real lives of three prominent Influencers (though this would have been more meaningful if I had been familiar with these particular women). But I struggled with the book’s “fan girl” tone and overwhelming praise for an industry that I feel has done more harm than good. McNeal stays shallow on a subject that demands depth: I wanted more details on the nature of partnerships (especially the amount of money involved, as McNeal declines to answer these questions with real numbers and is disparaging towards those who are curious about how much money Influencers can make), and a closer look at the ways that Influencers spend their self-reported 100-hour workweeks. I also expected more of a journalistic take on the harmful nature of Influencer Culture—on both those who are being influenced AND the content creators themselves; McNeal is sympathetic towards the creators without holding them accountable for their questionable ethics and decisions, and also without accountability for those of us who are mindlessly consuming their content and contributing to cultural (and personal) degradation as we do so.
The book touches on the discrepancies between relatability and authenticity of Influencers, and how societal expectations have gradually shifted (moving beyond wanting Influencers who are aspirational to demanding that they be authentic and relatable above all else), and I wanted much more conversation around this particular challenge. Is it even possible for an Influencer making millions to remain relatable in a meaningful way? Is this truly what we want? When is authenticity being taken too far? When is transparency needed, and why . . . and how? So many questions that at least deserve discussion if not solutions.
This book was frothy and entertaining, but lacked the nuanced and unbiased reporting that I’d hoped for. McNeal’s own liberal politics and her gushing enthusiasm for Influencers in general (and for the three featured women in particular) overshadowed what might have been a productive discussion that needs to be had. McNeal says that her purpose in writing was to make a case for why Influencers matter. In that, she has succeeded, but she has not answered the question of whether or not they SHOULD matter, and to me that is the more important question that we all need to ask.
My Rating: 3 Stars // Book Format: Audiobook
informative
fast-paced
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars
All around a decent read! I don’t really think about influencers all that much, but when I saw this book I thought that I would give it a shot.
Sometimes, I forget that influencers are people too. And, even if I don’t always agree with them or their actions, they still work hard to do what they do.
I think that this book does that. It shows us a small peek into influencers’ lives and what they go through.
Not my favorite read by any means, but I enjoyed it overall.
All around a decent read! I don’t really think about influencers all that much, but when I saw this book I thought that I would give it a shot.
Sometimes, I forget that influencers are people too. And, even if I don’t always agree with them or their actions, they still work hard to do what they do.
I think that this book does that. It shows us a small peek into influencers’ lives and what they go through.
Not my favorite read by any means, but I enjoyed it overall.
informative
a fascinating exploration into the lives of influencers! mcneal makes influencers into 3 dimensional people here, fleshing out their motives beyond their online personas. she also deftly explores the many issues of the industry (child exploitation, mental health, white privilege). i really appreciated that one of the main influencer profiles was of a fat Black woman. it was fascinating to read about mormon mommy bloggers and the origin of the christian girl autumn meme. also i remain ASTONISHED by how much money these people make!!!
immensely readable and interesting! the author’s voice could be a little annoying at times (she just seems like a cishet millenial and she used a few outdated phrases to refer to disabled and fat people) but overall this is a very well rounded book that surpassed my expectations. mcneal reveals just how influential influencers actually are- which is to say, very!
immensely readable and interesting! the author’s voice could be a little annoying at times (she just seems like a cishet millenial and she used a few outdated phrases to refer to disabled and fat people) but overall this is a very well rounded book that surpassed my expectations. mcneal reveals just how influential influencers actually are- which is to say, very!
I think I am just not as interested in the influencer history and market as I thought, this book was boring and didn’t really present any new information for me, so if you have any real understanding of influencing, maybe skip!