The entire modern model of seeking out a job you love, rather than one that makes a proper contribution, is flawed. It seems very healthy to me to decry influencers and footballers. i don’t want to be unkind, but they are basically parasites, aren’t they? Good for them for making money from a hobby, but it is not real work… we should get back to valuing those who make a real contribution, like nurses and teachers, not to mention plumbers, masons and electricians, so we do not have to import them all from other countries with a better sense of basic value
sion du
4 years ago
really? i’m tempermentally disinclined to admire people who’ve worked out a way of excessively profiting from others’ ignorance. i’m sure that pyramid scheme profiteers are fairly happy in thier work too, it doesn’t stop me from begrudging them thier practices. by all means strive to be happy or content, but as far as i’m concerned “the right to swing your arms stops where someone else’s nose begins”. i’ll reserve my sympathy for the creatives, starving sweatshop workers etc, not so much about schadenfreude as moral disapprobation.
Fraser Bailey
4 years ago
A good, interesting piece. Of course, I have no interest in these influencers and I would never dream of looking at their videos or photos etc. But to the extent that I am familiar with them, it seems that their lives are astonishingly shallow exhibitions of vulgar and meaningless consumerism.
P C
4 years ago
What is this ‘instagram’ thing? Does it make people happy? I prefer a decent pilsner myself.
Wulvis Perveravsson
4 years ago
Interesting article; very true about many Brits wanting everyone to be as miserable in work as they are. Although Instagram and its ilk may be relatively free from nepotism, they still offer greater levels of opportunity to the moneyed. Clearly, many of the ‘influencers’ come from wealthy backgrounds and could afford their attractive, travel-filled lifestyles to begin with, which is how they have developed their followings.
Jimbob Jaimeson
4 years ago
I greatly value workers that create the necessities if life and have worked as such with enjoyment, but after years of well paid office toil I became a self employed artist and couldn’t be happier. Does that make me a shill for not contributing to the basic needs of man? Where is the line you cross from being worthwhile to frivolous?
hdmcl
4 years ago
good article! i do animation and have been marinating an idea around this, how the glamourous have fallen but we always need a king what will replace it, the King is dead long live the King!!
Walter Lantz
4 years ago
Have to agree. Aside from re-labelling ‘paid shill’ as the somewhat less tacky-sounding ‘influencer’, the practice of making money using whatever physical assets nature has seen fit to bestow or fame and notoriety one has has been able to accrue has been around forever.
It may be more electronic these days but it’s a tried and true method that works.
Martin Terrell
4 years ago
Good piece. I will re-check my schadenfreude.
W. P.
4 years ago
It’s a bit difficult to work up much sympathy for tarted up beggars with cameras. There’s no reason to encourage vapidity.
Joe Blow
4 years ago
I am very glad to say I have never held an opinion on “influencers,” and it appears I still do not need to bother doing so.
Juilan Bonmottier
4 years ago
Nice try…. but no!
These people are currently stuck in their own special circle of hell – but it’s one entirely of their own making!
Mark Kerridge
4 years ago
The “job” of an influencer is to push mostly useless and expensive “lifestyle” products.. It’s utterly facile.. There is no long term happiness to be found in owning an expensive bag or car etc. Craving after the unobtainable is arguably just as much a cause of suffering as working in a job that one does not enjoy or see no purpose in but we are all free to try to find another job that might give us more fulfillment at least.
The entire modern model of seeking out a job you love, rather than one that makes a proper contribution, is flawed. It seems very healthy to me to decry influencers and footballers. i don’t want to be unkind, but they are basically parasites, aren’t they? Good for them for making money from a hobby, but it is not real work… we should get back to valuing those who make a real contribution, like nurses and teachers, not to mention plumbers, masons and electricians, so we do not have to import them all from other countries with a better sense of basic value
really?
i’m tempermentally disinclined to admire people who’ve worked out a way of excessively profiting from others’ ignorance.
i’m sure that pyramid scheme profiteers are fairly happy in thier work too, it doesn’t stop me from begrudging them thier practices.
by all means strive to be happy or content, but as far as i’m concerned “the right to swing your arms stops where someone else’s nose begins”.
i’ll reserve my sympathy for the creatives, starving sweatshop workers etc, not so much about schadenfreude as moral disapprobation.
A good, interesting piece. Of course, I have no interest in these influencers and I would never dream of looking at their videos or photos etc. But to the extent that I am familiar with them, it seems that their lives are astonishingly shallow exhibitions of vulgar and meaningless consumerism.
What is this ‘instagram’ thing? Does it make people happy? I prefer a decent pilsner myself.
Interesting article; very true about many Brits wanting everyone to be as miserable in work as they are. Although Instagram and its ilk may be relatively free from nepotism, they still offer greater levels of opportunity to the moneyed. Clearly, many of the ‘influencers’ come from wealthy backgrounds and could afford their attractive, travel-filled lifestyles to begin with, which is how they have developed their followings.
I greatly value workers that create the necessities if life and have worked as such with enjoyment, but after years of well paid office toil I became a self employed artist and couldn’t be happier. Does that make me a shill for not contributing to the basic needs of man? Where is the line you cross from being worthwhile to frivolous?
good article! i do animation and have been marinating an idea around this, how the glamourous have fallen but we always need a king what will replace it, the King is dead long live the King!!
Have to agree.
Aside from re-labelling ‘paid shill’ as the somewhat less tacky-sounding ‘influencer’, the practice of making money using whatever physical assets nature has seen fit to bestow or fame and notoriety one has has been able to accrue has been around forever.
It may be more electronic these days but it’s a tried and true method that works.
Good piece. I will re-check my schadenfreude.
It’s a bit difficult to work up much sympathy for tarted up beggars with cameras. There’s no reason to encourage vapidity.
I am very glad to say I have never held an opinion on “influencers,” and it appears I still do not need to bother doing so.
Nice try…. but no!
These people are currently stuck in their own special circle of hell – but it’s one entirely of their own making!
The “job” of an influencer is to push mostly useless and expensive “lifestyle” products.. It’s utterly facile.. There is no long term happiness to be found in owning an expensive bag or car etc. Craving after the unobtainable is arguably just as much a cause of suffering as working in a job that one does not enjoy or see no purpose in but we are all free to try to find another job that might give us more fulfillment at least.