We Need To Talk About "Influencer Scam Culture"

[@andrewharmony]

Imagine if the Better Business Bureau started to have ratings for influencers and their level of legitimacy in the products they promote/sell. I feel like the BBB already has the infrastructure for it.

[@kaemincha]

... youre going somewhere with this!

[@katiegipalo]

THIS is an idea. seconded.

[@paulmaccaroni]

Related: companies should care more about who they hand money to but when a lot of money can still be made off of someone who doesn't disclose sponsorships... they are not going to start caring now

[@Author.Noelle.Alexandria]

The BBB is worthless.

[@niko_nii]

Great Idea

[@extrasagrada]

unpopular opinion: at this point, if you keep buying Tana's products, that's on you

[@doravozila]

not even an unpopular opinion, it's a fact..

[@extrasagrada]

@@doravozila Hannah is never the one to blame the fan haha

[@doravozila]

@@extrasagrada oh, SHE would never

[@bayleesmith2803]

@@extrasagrada she doesn’t have to I’m sure a ton of people will say it for her lmao

[@somethingaboutbeaute]

@@bayleesmith2803 😂🤣

[@MannyMua733]

we MISSED you

[@smokey_glow]

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@karissamassicott814]

You are DAMN RIGHT we did!!!❤

[@wesley2161]

Remember when you promoted James Charles last week 🤩

[@emilylouise2833]

Petition to have Hannah as a guest on Fool Coverage

[@HelloHello76543]

Doesn’t this man have predators to support 💀

[@ReginaScholey]

I'll never forget the zoella advent calendar. what a time to be alive

[@LittleMissLounge]

The mileage creators got from that advent calendar was the true gift of Christmas that year.

[@kianna270]

lol literally i think that was the first drama video i ever watched

[@kianna270]

@@twistedstitch she’s one of the “OG youtubers” she made lifestyle and beauty content!

[@betinaitalia]

The best thing to come out of Zoella's advent calendar is JaackMaate's review of it. I watch it every Christmas for the holiday LOL nostalgia.

[@jennymoore9280]

That was the first jack mate video I watched . Still love that video it makes me laugh

[@S-E-P-96]

Tana’s technique into trying to act like she didn’t scam thousands of people is by saying she got scammed herself so she turns into the real victim at the end of the day.

[@ayellowpapercrown6750]

The fact that I had forgotten about Tanacon until I read that comment is criminal, this whole thing was horrifying on the highest level and the fact that she got away with it by acting like he victim is beyond me??

[@lidiar9471]

@@ayellowpapercrown6750 well i think Tanacon is actually a little different from all her other “scams” cause that was genuinely just the result of her irresponsibility and the incompetence of the company she hired to organise it, she wasn’t making money from it. I think her selling very cheap lingerie or redirecting her audience towards very shady companies are better examples of an influencer scamming their audience

[@qt_stacy]

@@lidiar9471 no she is the only person who should be taking responsibility for putting people at risk when the company she hired ended up being awful…. because guess what?? she hired them? you’re invalidating everyone’s negative experience and their valid anger toward the responsible person by excusing tana’s inability to do the research necessary to hire the right people for the job. at the end of the day, if your name is on it, it’s your responsibility 10000% of the way regardless of what goes wrong and who’s fault it was behind the scenes. it’s your responsibility to only put your name on stuff you respect and you would participate in yourself. edit: changed to third person

[@SuperPieface99]

It’s crazy busy she’s turned her whole brand into kind of blaming her fans for supporting her. I feel like a lot of her fans (esp younger girls) look at her as like their “rebellious older cousin/sister” Like “well what did you expect, I am Tana I’m a screw up“ which is like yeah that’s true but also shouldn’t absolve you from criticism and not being a scammer…

[@brianagarcia8546]

Same with the ACE family

[@vickitlsp]

I do believe that Kylie swim was an intentionally bad launch. She launched in US winter season with dogshit products. This just allows her to plan for a better launch that everyone will be paying attention to come summer 22, where influencers will do a compare contrast video/tik tok and rave about how improved the quality is. She did the same thing with lip kits and it's going to work again

[@misseselise3864]

i feel bad for finding it funny that so many people make jokes about their coochie lips falling out of the bathing suits bc the fabric strip for the crotch is tiny

[@user-cm3uo6lu6o]

Good food for thought, thanks for your input

[@Zeverinsen]

I've been insisting that she's been scamming people from the very start, but people don't listen. One of my less intelligent friends actually bought products from Kylie Skin, and honestly I kind of hope she breaks out, just to learn her a lesson.

[@SamanthaD89]

@@Zeverinsen how is she scamming people though? Scamming is when you buy something and don’t get the product. A lot of people have returned the swim wear, she’s not scamming people. If anything her swim wear line just was not good quality. That’s not scamming though. I have used some of the Kylie skin products and had no issues with them, to say that someone is less intelligent because they bought from a brand you don’t like is very ignorant.

[@sofypi7493]

A scam is when the product doesn’t come as advertised… so her product being transparent, horrible stitching… And the returning process is hell on purpose

[@myafigs6065]

Simply Nailogical is an example of an influencer brand I trust. She loves nail polish and builds products she'd like and buy. On her podcast she talks about ingredients,prices and all the other processes that go into the brand

[@bryannabailey5803]

Yes same

[@esmeraldagreengate4354]

I love her nail polish. I can get a week of wear without a base coat 🤯

[@khorrijones]

Because Cristine knows what she's doing 😂 that's why we love it

[@amelie_m_1476]

Yeah and she had (still does) an “actual” job and didn’t get famous till she was like 27 so she is just more reliable ig yk understanding the value of money and being passionate about smith

[@Colleen10119]

an issue i had with hyrams brand as well is even before his products launched on sephora there were already multiple 5 star reviews saying "i dont even need to try it to know its good" or "its hyram so i know its good" which isn't his problem but the problem with his fans that they'll just so blindly support something

[@hails97751]

As someone who used to watch Hyram avidly, I can 100% agree with you. I stopped watching him because he was taking sponsorships he swore he would never take (i.e. Curology) and his audience was smacking on actual skincare professionals. Hyram is just very good at researching and breaking down that information for the average person who doesn’t know what ingredients do what. Some of the stuff he has recommended for his impressionable audience is not good.

[@Trish0978]

@@hails97751 He took a curology sponsorship? I must have missed that, because wtf? Also, agreed on his audience's icky behavior and the general not being quite right compared to skincare professionals. But I will say, I've noticed a lot of people recommending James Welsh (I really hope it's not actually Robert -- I watch both of them and their joint channel and I'm awful at names) over Hyram and tbh I put both of them in the same category of okay/good to watch bc James tends to be more about the experience and often a bit less concerned about if something might be concerning for the skin but regardless I tend to double-check anything either suggest against actual skincare professionals like Dr. V, Dr Stephens, & Lab Muffin Beauty Science

[@hails97751]

@@Trish0978 James Welsh is the skincare guy & Robert is makeup! James is fabulous and I really do love how he approaches the “I don’t like it but you might!” take, I feel as if Hyram doesn’t do that. He’s like “If it’s bad it’s bad! If it has fragrance it is horrible!” And yes, Hyram did take a Curology sponsorship and that’s when I stopped watching (I believe it was on Tiktok)

[@Trish0978]

@@hails97751 Oh good, I didn't mix up their names. I know them on sight, but I'm so awful with names. Okay, if it was on Tiktok, then I'm not surprised I missed it because I don't use the app, but that's EXTRA sketchy. tbh when he's saying stuff like that, it doesn't come across (to me) like "absolutely don't do it" because even he uses some products with, for example, fragrance. I think his point is more avoid as much as possible because it's not good for your skin and that is a very different approach than James' because James is a bit more focused on the experience than the potential long-term effects (and! the science in the skincare realm isn't as well researched and even skincare professionals disagree with each other, so it's bound to happen even with non-professionals). But there's a reason I don't take either one of their recommendations at face value; neither one of them are experts and tbh on top of that, in regards to Hyram, he doesn't have skin of color so his experience/needs is going to be pretty different than mine in many regards

[@confusedaf1112]

@@hails97751 Wait what happened with curology I dont keep up with this stuff

[@A_ree_ta]

The only Influencer brand I really stand behind is Holo Taco, I have bought everything. Cristine has really created a high quality product that fits her whole brand so well, as well as a podcast and now streaming 🙃🤣

[@haleymist09]

She really did it right, even the videos to show her journey

[@melissam4954]

I bought the first bottle because of the parasocial relationship, I bought the rest because they're good products

[@Mermaidwildflower]

No truer words have been spoken because same and same!

[@alexlemaire8513]

Really does suck tho that for us canadians it ends up really expensive considering she is canadian

[@nono-fb8tr]

@@alexlemaire8513 The brand is registered and manufactured in the US in the end. She's Canadian, but her brand is certainly not.

[@MAXKIDDO8888]

The thing that kills me about Tana is the fact what little appreciation she shows for her audience. I mean after TanaCon the fact that she still has a audience that loves and supports her is astounding to me. When if most KZbinrs did that there careers would be done. So for her to keep running these scams is very disgusting. I honestly wonder when people are gonna stop falling for it???

[@melindahicks9146]

She is shameless ugh 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@alixeverson]

i think her fans are nasty just like her so they excuse her behavior. that’s the only explanation that makes sense to me

[@pau11iska8D]

"If you ever hear from an influencer that you should be buying dogecoin, you're probably too late to get into dogecoin, because that means they've already put all their money in and are just praying people will bring that price up." Hit the nail on the head. Lets not forget that these influencers are mainly targeting younger demographics/minors where the parents are the sole income earners for the family. More and more parents are also letting the internet raise their kids. If protections for kids on the internet aren't taken more seriously when it comes to big name influencers pushing adverts on their audience that they know comprise mainly of minors, then we are going to be in big trouble in a few years when teens are going to be investing their entire savings into something as volatile as the stock market, possibly ruining their lives. Edit: Anyone who tells kids that investing in a scam is beneficial to them is being ignorant, a liar, or both.

[@Mgmorris98]

love this comment

[@kaylacrouse7094]

Meh, you make a great and valid point. But even you said it comes from the parents income, it’s up to them to do their research and say yes or no 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@jjjjj4787]

“It’s fall, I’m in a sweater, literally never been happier” PREACH QUEEN 👏👏😍

[@Sparkle__Punk]

I'm actually genuinely concerned about Tana's toy, because I'm guessing it's the kind of toy that goes inside the body, and in that case it needs to be made from high quality non-absorbent material like silicone or glass. Otherwise it can harbor and breed dangerous bacteria that can cause infections etc. Poor quality perfume and lingerie is scammy, but it doesn't actually cause bodily harm, while poor quality toys can actually hurt the people using them. I sincerely hope she's at least collabing with a decent company for those toys, because I shudder to think what Ali Express toys are made of...

[@xxNaaviixx]

Poor quality lingerie can cause thrush and UTIs. I’ve had both due to cheap lingerie and it took a long time to remedy the infections because I didn’t realise it was the underwear. It’s not good to have polyester around your sensitive areas

[@angietoonz6605]

@@xxNaaviixx also, i'm not very educated on this so correct me if im wrong, but perfume can be dangerous too, right? Imagine if not all the ingredients were listed and someone was allergic to something added....

[@LittleFishy219]

@@angietoonz6605 100%. All of the above can land someone in the hospital *if stuff just goes wrong enough*. When I was a kid, I went to California with my dad and bought some cheap perfume and got chemical burns from it. And then lots of ingredients in perfume (even high quality stuff) is toxic to some pets.

[@scribblots602]

Plus if the material has endocrine disrupters like phthalates it can cause serious long term damage (I'm no expert, but I know Lily O'Riley has made some great videos on toys and material safety).

[@gwizzle8094]

I'm personally concerned that she is promoting these products to 12-16 y/os. I don't think it is particularly age appropriate. TV shows with a similar age demographic don't tend to promote buying products relating to sex do they?

[@saadia102]

Such a good point at the end about Kylie Swim. I really hope that customers who shop influencer brands start doing more research before buying. Holo Taco is the only "influencer" brand I can say I like and support.

[@haleymist09]

Me too. 💞 I've only bought two colors but it's now the only nail polish i use. Dang, the HOLOOOOOOOOO.

[@TableClothPersona]

@@haleymist09 ahh lucky! what colors did you get?

[@haleymist09]

@@TableClothPersona Menchie and Zyler! So cute!

[@Trish0978]

tbh I liked the quality of KL polish (I have so many bottles from them lol), too, but they were skeeeetchyyyyy af

[@kianna270]

honestly same bc cristine is humble and spends hours making sure her brand is legitimate and sourcing the best ingredients, making high quality products. i love her

[@tarahheighton1719]

I MISSED YOU!!! It's like seeing a good friend after a long separation 💛💛💛 I hope you're doing so well!

[@lizoliver6193]

Remember when Trisha has a monthly subscription box and everything that was in it was able to be found at the dollar store?

[@AliW]

Oh my god this happened? Oh noooooooo

[@bobbiobanion7706]

@@AliW check out Alexandria Ryan she did quite a few Trisha boxes.... They were awful and Trisha charged like $50 or $60 for these boxes.

[@Christina_miaa]

Damn sounds like the Amberlynn Reid bundles

[@AliW]

@@bobbiobanion7706 hahaha omg I will yikes

[@Alyse_bell]

@@bobbiobanion7706 I remember them. She claimed they were worth well over $150 and all the ones that Alexandria reviewed were barely $120 in value

[@ny1905]

Yes, please make a video on how sponsorships work! That’d be so interesting.

[@amandam2978]

the simply podlogical podcast did a whole episode on sponsorships if you want some info before smokey does a video! they were pretty transparent and honest about them! they also have a youtube money one as well! it was pretty interesting hearing about how it all works. they talk about it a lot more in depth than i’ve ever heard a youtube talk about it!

[@duckyleroux1213]

A sponsorships vid would be SO GOOD! I loved the one simply podlogical did

[@rhonwynv]

I DO have a degree in marketing, and I find some of the influencer stuff difficult to untangle. In fact, I have a PhD in marketing (seriously), and I became a researcher of influencer marketing because I was so fascinated in how this all works.

[@haleymist09]

Wooooah congrats on your achievement!!!

[@MEGalasso1]

Thank you for engaging in this scholarship! I’m an academic librarian who regularly fields research questions about influencer marketing from students, and there isn’t nearly enough out there.

[@Financiallyfreeauthor]

That’s amazing! I would love to hear more about your findings

[@janna8147]

The way that you are able to boil these subjects down to their essentials and provide a legitimately helpful perspective that educates those of us (specifically me) who are comparatively ignorant, is really impressive. Nice to see you again!

[@BetterwithPhoebe]

My theory on all influencer controversies is this: Most of these people never had "real" jobs, so they never had to absorb corporate professionalism norms. They don't have the social vocabulary for how professionals behave. Even a couple years in a corporate environment would be enough to keep a lot of them out of trouble. Even though they aren't *corporate* professionals, they are professionals and their audiences expect to deal with professionals when transacting. It's HARD to find these sorts of atrocious controversies with influencers that came to KZbin after a more traditional work experience. Professionals just know better. A great example is how Chelsea Fagan (the financial diet) responded after her tongue-in-cheek critique of the wedding industry got her in hot water. She responded perfectly because she's a professional.

[@theeccentric7263]

That's a very good point and I agree. It's a different working environment but one could still benefit from similar professional behaviors.

[@Financiallyfreeauthor]

What an interesting point!

[@BooFlo62]

One thing I notice about Cristine and holo taco is that she was very clear from the beginning of the company that it and the products were her priority. She explicitly said that she didn't want to churn out content that didn't make her happy, that the new company made her happy, and she cared about the products she put out. I don't even watch her videos any more, but I do buy her nail polish, because it's good quality, stunning and the company has good values. It's almost like she bypassed the "influencer" stage and went from content creator to business owner, and I don't resent her for that

[@billyt8868]

this is going to sound crazy but i WISH you’d do a “rise and fall of john kuckian.” i started paying attention after all that happened and i feel like that whole saga was such a big deal. not sure how many other people would care about that but all the stuff he did had such a ripple effect. also you watched it all happen when you got started.

[@armin2changs]

Oooo i forgot about him!!

[@ohlordygeorgie3259]

I haven’t heard that name in 84 years… I would love a video on him. That downfall was a huuuuuuge mess.

[@MarlanaPolis]

I think a lot of people don’t talk about him because he’s doxed and gone after everyone viciously if they’ve made videos about him. But I’m very interested in a video like that because I watched him for a little bit, in that time “tea” channels were on the rise so he was one of the only ones out there. Then kitchen cosmetics came out and it creeped everyone out, rightfully so lol

[@smokey_glow]

👀👀👀👀

[@melissaa2369]

Omg I almost forgot about his terrible makeup.

[@erinfay3725]

For the first ever, I’m commenting that I had such a bad Monday… I was thrilled and thankful for your upload. Just what I needed. ❤️

[@gabriella77]

I hope you’re having a better day!

[@keyholes]

I'm okay with most legitimate sponsorships (ie. not Kenza), they're a necessary evil to support creators, but what bothers me is when people promote something that is terrible. In the gaming sphere, RAID Shadow Legends comes to mind - an awful mobile game full of micro-transactions. Raycons similarly are very overpriced for their low quality - all their money seems to go into shiny marketing and sponsorships, and not their product. It just makes me respect the creators who take those deals less, you know?

[@ashnikal9567]

Also in the gaming sphere, something I saw recently, people taking sponsorships from Activision Blizzard 🤮 like my respect drops a lot..

[@JackieDoesStuff]

In the home living sphere: Hello Fresh is almost twice the price of some other meal subscription kits just because of their influencer marketing strategy

[@thelonleyUchiha1]

What sucks also is a lot of these products don’t start off scummy but the more popular they get because of influencer they easily slip into doing that cause money corrupts and then the influencers get fucked over because at one point it was fine but turned shady over time

[@pippip4911]

Tbh i wouldnt put too much pressure on creators, most of them dont have a team behind them to make a full check on the companies that approach them, and sometimes they dont have a choice because this is their only source of income. I prefer knowing my favorite creators are getting a paycheck and tolerate a minute of a raid shadow legends ad.

[@TableClothPersona]

@@pippip4911 I agree, rather have my favorites get money so I know they can keep putting out quality videos

[@Unlikely_Pirate]

I’m glad you’re making videos you’re inspired to make. Quality over quantity in the KZbin space! We love to see it.

[@emilyvillarrealcomedy]

Tana Mongeau is operating under that early 2000’s Paris Hilton model of personal branding: quantity over quality always

[@NovaKnowsBeauty]

That's exactly what I thought 😂

[@Ashley-tx3gm]

Still don't understand why people buy anything Tana tries to sell!

[@melindahicks9146]

Her lingerie drop had me 💀 the quality and material looked like a joke

[@gtg488w]

Idk either I feel like it’s got to be either kids brainwashed by social media or just really really ignorant uneducated ppl. Not saying being uneducated is bad but just vulnerable to being scammed in this aspect, thinking everything on tv/KZbin/social media is real

[@katiesmovies]

You are literally the first person I've seen call out Parallel Apparel and Selfless by Hyrum and I'm so glad you did.

[@santinodeagustini]

WE need to talk about how I was thinking about you and missed your voice in my everyday life, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EXISTING AND MAKE MY DAY LESS BORING!!!

[@Zeverinsen]

I miss the days when people made content because they truly loved it, and I could watch ad-free entertainment on this platform. Now a days you always have to dissect the intentions of who you're watching, because there's always a sponsor, even if you have KZbin Premium. TBH, the only "KZbinr brands" I would trust enough to buy anything from, are Holo Taco and Teddy Fresh.

[@bridgettepierce7144]

Yeah I miss ad free KZbin, don't realize what you had til it's gone

[@user-pd6xo1qi4i]

Never understood the craze of spending on products with an influencer's name slapped on it. Their contribution to any of 'their' products are mere 1%. Once they're famous, the manager tries to help them find out what they could be good at to generate revenues, which is great in my opinion. Their platform and reach is a marketing face. But, you could get higher quality products or anything in general from well established brands/ local shops/ home grown businesses rather. Majority of the times they're just opportunities to generate revenues for themselves. Yes, sometimes, products might turn out good, but that's kinda rare.

[@lyssloveslife]

Watching this while in labor 😉 That’s when you KNOW someone loves your content, haha. You look so beautiful girl!

[@fatalimmortality801]

Congrats! Hope you and yours are well and safe

[@elisa4664]

Congratulations!!! I wish you a speedy recovery ❤❤

[@folded_pizza]

Congratulations!!!!

[@notchamama7571]

Now that’s what I call 10/10 multitasking!!! Hope you and baby are healthy and happy! My prayers for blessings upon your growing family!

[@whythenumber]

Yay hannah I am glad you are back! This is such good timing w Valkyrae's new skincare flop. So bizarre she relied so heavily on the "blue light" angle when she couldve just said "lol my skin's dry from sitting indoors at screen all day" and she wouldve been fine.

[@talynhastime9343]

I love your avatar 🥺

[@rachelm7041]

PLEASE tell us more about sponsorships and the business of being a KZbinr... I don’t think general viewers like myself really know what’s going on and I know I want to!

[@brynna8619]

KKW as a brand has felt super scammy to me as far as the quality for the cost. And I feel like they release a lower amount at first so it sells out and everyone that didn't even want it now wants it because they can't get it. I'm thinking of the contour sticks that just would break and we're $48 for this tiny amount of chalky mess. I felt like they had multiple launches like that.

[@manifestationsofasort]

Agreed. A friend bought me an $18 lipstick from them and it was chalky, funky smelling and dried my lips out. My $6 NYX lipsticks are much better.

[@kristingreenfield9012]

ibrahim kamit has a really good video on the kardashians and all the times they’ve scammed their fans

[@brynna8619]

@@kristingreenfield9012 I'll check it out. Thank you!

[@SamanthaD89]

KKW actually has some really good products. I didn’t start buying from them until a year or so after they launched but I have never seen anything sell out right away on the website. I have never tried skins shapewear but the lounge clothing they sell is amazing. Very comfortable.

[@corneliastreets]

@@carolannemonteleone5276 Skims is actually quite good! I got an undies set and a loungewear set as a gift and they surprised me.

[@ivy_swain5003]

Ummm yes to you making a whole video deep diving into tanas scams. It’s insane how many she’s done at this point, and I’d love to hear from your perspective about how you think she’s been able to fly under the radar, yet put out bad quality products consistently. Also, so glad you’re back!! I hope you’re doing well ❤️🤩

[@anitagho7608]

I love how passionate you are in the topics you discuss! The energy you give always give me motivation to get on with my day💕

[@catsfromaway]

I feel like youtuber books had the same issue. There were some good ones but then you had books like zoella’s who came out as having a ghost writer and took the legitimacy away from it.

[@infinitegray8117]

We need to talk about HOW AMAZING YOU ARE!!!!

[@abookishmess]

Also it's wild how a lot of influencers are used as scapegoats for faceless brands. Yes people attacked Morphe but not on the same level as Jaclyn Hill

[@meganhardwick1598]

I would be soooo curious to know the sales differences between sponsorships that were honestly disclosed and sponsorships that were not disclosed. I would think people would still buy the item as long as they A: wanted the item and B. Trusted the influencer. No need to lie. However I wonder if people lie because there is a huge difference between the sales of the two.

[@misseselise3864]

the only thing i’ve seen sponsored that i was genuinely curious about was CareOf just cause i thought having vitamins/supplements specifically for what i want is cool but then didn’t buy it because they wanted like $60 a month per month when my current multivitamin is like $13 and lasts 2-3 months

[@ErinHonor]

I definitely agree with you in terms of the shift from "content creator" to "influencer." Growing up, I very very very much wanted to make KZbin videos and be a "KZbinr" (though the term KZbinr was very different back in 2008-2011). Now, I see my little cousins who also want to be KZbinrs and it's just so different. I think that back in the day , KZbin thrived more off of micro-communities than it does now - there were sketch comics, makeup gurus, cooking/baking people, and while it was all so varied in content, there was a real sense of community. It was so cool and special to see normal people making content from their rooms and talking about the things that they loved and having that work for them. As a kid who didn't really have many friends growing up, that was so special and important to see. Now, I see people wanting to be a KZbinr because of the fame and money and while that's not inherently wrong, the passion for actually making content that you care about seems to not be the prime motivator anymore.

[@ZhariyaAleice]

i think its really strange how synonymous influencers and scammers have become i feel like when an influencer’s reputation is so tainted they decide to just scam people 😂

[@ZhariyaAleice]

either way im excited for this video! i know ur video is gonna be wayyyyy better than mine that was on a similar topic ❤️

[@chrisklemens]

omfg when u showed my casetify case, I got butterflies..... dksjflsadjhlkdj youre everything

[@katieyt23]

Hi Chris

[@user-cm3uo6lu6o]

Loving this supportive energy ❤️

[@MMMMD1]

hi bestieeee

[@savannahb5208]

I love that u love hannah

[@jimenamereles1462]

Hannah!! I'm so glad you talked about Better Help in this video!! I vividly remember a time where every influencer was sponsored by them and then we all learned how sketchy and unethical they were, they dissapeared for a hot minute but now they're back in full force and working with huge influencers like nothing ever happened. My biggest issue is seeing how even though we all know how bad that company is influencers still work with them. Every time I see a sponsored video by them I feel disappointed in the creator involved, most of them talk as if they care about mental health but the only thing that motivates them is money, to the point they abuse of their parasocial relationship with their subscribers and their issues. Shame on them! As always Hannah, this video was so well executed and researched!

[@Michele_78]

Hearing that Hiram didn't address issues from his customers is really disheartening. I'm so disappointed because I really do or did have a lot of respect for him

[@jasminelambert3753]

I think another thing that lead people to mistrust sponsorships, especially in the beauty space, were undisclosed ads disguised as “favorites” videos. I remember when people were starting to realize these creators would put a product in their favorites video and then we would never see them use it again. It really created this feeling of like is this actually a good product recommendation or is this just an ad.

[@lenaboyer6981]

Hannah: "we need to talk about this thing" Me, having no idea what the thing is but knowing I'm about to be educated: "we sure fuckin' do!!"

[@simonb323]

I also think another factor is merch since a) most influencers with more than a few thousand subs have merch and b) if you know this many people will buy your merch then you already have an idea of how many people will buy whatever other product you put out

[@EE-hw6cm]

I think the perspective that some people lack on this subject is: if the cashier at your local bed bath and beyond lies to a customer about a product and steals $200 from the safe, you’re likely not going to hear about it. Everyone knows someone in an mlm that scams/tries to recruit others and though the awareness of mlm evils is growing, there are loads of people out there who don’t see it as a big deal or don’t even know that they’re a scam. Even higher level financial crimes are often ignored by the media, or regular people don’t hear about them because we all have jobs and real life to worry about. Bad people that do bad things for their own financial gain exist in every profession, every subculture, every race/gender/etc. The difference is really the visibility of these scandals and the scope of the damage. There will always be celebs and influencers who turn out to be garbage people, just like regular people in real life inevitably. We just need to hold the powerful people to a higher standard and stop supporting them as best as we can to try and prevent more people from losing their hard earned money.

[@brooklynelise5767]

Honestly Hannah you needed time to yourself and that is OKAY. We will always be here.

[@WickedxStange]

This is so well put and thought out but I just want to add that I really think that we normalized being scammed quality wise because of things like shein and wish. Fast fashion just lowered our standards because we love to consume.

[@sydneypowers2833]

I’ve been watching all of your old videos because I’ve been missing your amazing energy lol I’m so happy you posted! That pumpkin is super cute and your hair looks amazing!!

[@nikkiunicorn8728]

Its crazy bc i was watching her on my tv then got the alert and started watching this video 🤣

[@debcollins8231]

I was watching older videos last night.

[@awsome182]

I live by the saying "Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me." I don't understand why people keep purchasing influencer products and hence supporting them. Just recently with the Kylie Jenner swimsuits.

[@emilymakescoffee1741]

That eye lewk. So beautiful. I know you aren’t doing makeup content anymore, but if you did… I’d watch it all. Even twice.

[@cooraa]

Whenever she says "I could do a whole video on X" I'm like _DO IT_ aajdgshj I love you Smokey I could listen to you all day

[@sarahknight6637]

Also we need a hair routine its quite luscious! And skincare or selfcare!

[@caseyw.6550]

Did you watch the sponsored ad? It's basically hair routine. 😉 pretty sure she uses mostly Ouai products.

[@caseyw.6550]

Just watched a video about Valkyrae's "blue light filtering" skin care line. So...perfect timing!

[@jessiebaker9313]

@@carolannemonteleone5276 watch James Welsh's video that he put out this week.

[@katewilson4339]

I’m doing midterms for my Sociology MA and got this notification and cried out of happiness ✨❤️

[@jeffreyh271]

I’m just happy that I NEVER let my favorite content creators convince me into buying an of their merch or anything

[@samanthakavanagh7034]

So glad to see you back 💙 A fun evolution of would be Ethan from H3h3

[@lucaleone4331]

Surprised Cody Ko's video on the Cripto scams wasnt mentioned or linked. I hight recommend it, its super knowledgably!

[@chelseapeters7943]

LOVE YOU I'd love if you'd do a video on the Bucket List Family and all the family vloggers who are low-key problematic and somehow fly totally under the radar for controversy

[@GlitchyFibers]

You make such an important point. KZbin has so many more influences and fewer and fewer content creators. I know so many channels I use to regularly watch I lost interest in when they started to shill their own brand (even some of the good brands you mentioned) because their videos were not centered on content creation anymore.

[@Sparkle__Punk]

Your videos are my favorite to watch during my workouts, because they're so interesting, informative, and thought-provoking, and you have such positive energy the time always flies by! 💗

[@almondmelk]

I’d be super interested to hear your take on the Valkyrae “blue light pollution” skin care issue

[@alfwinnn4224]

Flower beauty has one and I want a comparison.

[@sleepysquidasmr2705]

You know it’s a bones day when Smoky uploads 😌

[@Sky_TeeHee]

I love how you mention all the brands I've bought from (except LarLar clothing, I have to check to see if they have plus size). I LOVE Manny's Facelift pallet. It is all I use every time I do my makeup. I loved the Forever Mood candle I had, but my current obsession is Halo Taco. I have bought almost every launch. Nail care is my self care. OBSESSED!!!

[@NovaKnowsBeauty]

Yes to nails! Woohoo! 😁

[@dianamonge4406]

"it's fall, i'm in a sweater, i'd never been happier" ugh i wish, it was 91 degrees today where i live :/

[@manifestationsofasort]

Wanna trade? It's below freezing up here.

[@brendanjyoung_]

I love how real and honest you are. You point out really great points about influencers and them building products and businesses that scam the consumer. This type of content needs to be made more on KZbin!

[@voxfugit]

I see a notice that you posted and I must click immediately! The topic only makes it that much better. Your intelligence, thoughtfulness and research on these historical development videos is unsurpassed. You were missed. So glad you posted tonight!

[@truestory_4]

I had no idea about better health. That makes me sad. I see so many people use them as a sponsor and they sell it so well. I'm glad I saw this. There's been a few times I wanted to recommend it to people. Glad I didn't. And, yes, let's hear about how sponsorships work! I want to know what the people I watch are doing behind the scenes as far as what I think is ethical or moral with their followers, like me!

[@alexiaelaine]

The eye makeup and hair is gorgeous! So happy to see a new video from you, girly! ☺️😋

[@ashleymoeller5872]

I used to watch your makeup videos a TON back when I was a makeup enthusiast. I don’t really wear makeup anymore and don’t keep up with new trends or products. I really love that you’ve expanded your channel to talk about a wider range of topics like influencer scams. I’ve always loved watching your videos so I’m so happy that I can continue to do so :) I feel like I’m sitting down with a good friend when I watch you lmfao

[@saigeferko6035]

Oh my god I didn't realize how much I've been DYING for a new Smokey Glow video until I saw this upload 😭 we missed you love!!

[@clairecramer4425]

I would love a sponsorship video. Honestly, make any video you want, I'm just excited you're back

[@sophiahercules2054]

I was about to turn on a podcast and do my laundry, but first I refreshed my subscriptions and saw Hannah posted a video and I just slyly clicked on the video like “ok if you insist…”

[@lunaam9343]

What a shame you couldn't include Valkyrae in time 😅

[@melissa9734]

I'm hoping she makes a dedicated video since it wasn't included here

[@kikilo9647]

Blaming everybody and their families in the stream she did 😂😂

[@texaslyoness8537]

I remember Myka Stauffer doing close-ups on the Tide Pods when doing her laundry. Very suspicious to me. She never mentioned them though. Then most of the furniture in her newest home was from Pottery Barn & she raved about PB. She would always point out it wasn’t being sponsored. I quit watching her after that. There was something shady there. Also, does IG have different rules? I see people sponsored and not revealing it.

[@manifestationsofasort]

I don't think Insta has a rule against it, however the FTC does, and their rules trump any rules Instagram has. Those people are almost definitely breaking a law, and the FTC isn't doing anything because they have bigger issues to deal with.

[@melissaa2369]

The Zoella calendar was the first influencer scandal I had ever heard and I just fell down the rabbit hole from there.

[@mfuentes4961]

This video came in at the perfect time considering that the RFLCT controversy is still going on.

[@elleblythe8355]

Raes new skincare brand?? What’s the controversy omg what did I miss👀

[@zz100kk]

@@elleblythe8355 she’s selling skincare that claims to protect your skin from blue light from screens. which is literally a scam and she claims she “saw” the research and evidence with her two eyes but the brand literally refuses to show it on their website bc they don’t want it to be peer-reviewed. lol it’s a mess

[@elleblythe8355]

@@zz100kk I was just reading through it all! I’m really confused why people keep saying raes a victim of the scam as well since she… was apparently a co founder /co owner?? and had been working on this for years with the company?? In all that time, with all that supposed involvement, she never once questioned the legitimacy of the studies? Or maybe she wasn’t as involved as she said she was👀 Either way, she comes off as super disingenuous from all this so people saying she’s also a victim… idk I’ve also only done like two seconds of research so maybe I’m missing something🤷‍♀️

[@zz100kk]

@@elleblythe8355 valkyrae recently did a livestream and apparently she said that she saw the results on zoom and didn’t go to any labs which is troublesome. at some point she even asked her chat what a cofounder’s job description entails….. so yeah lol. she also claims that she wanted to create something that was “revolutionary” and that it had nothing to do with money which honestly seems like bullshit to me. it’s likely she wanted to get ahead of the market and create something blue light centric before any other brand does but the thing is that it will take decades to know if blue light from screens actually causes skin damage. i recommend dr dray’s video on valkyrae’s brand, she broke it down really well!

[@elleblythe8355]

@@zz100kk ahhh thank you for all this insight!! I’ll definitely check out that video too!

[@ML-of6sz]

I was on a roll with Cruel World's videos on influencers scams, so your video tops it off perfectly. I'd love to watch a video on how sponsorships work. You're always so balanced on these topics!

[@glacierblue456]

So good to see you in my notifications!! Have you ever had the Leaves candle from Bath and Body Works? I feel like you might like it!

[@jennifersalgado1681]

ooh...that is one of my favorite scents!

[@Tiorg-g1u]

Burning it right now, its so gorgeous and makes my whole house smell amazing!

[@chateau-clone9250]

Honestly so happy she's back, but also happy that she took a break in the first place, she deserved it.

[@babygirl222ful]

Oh my gosh your hair looks incredible!!! So glad to see you and hear you talk about this issue!!

[@Ali.G.B]

I was literally checking you channel for an upload a couple hours ago then I open KZbin to wind down before bed and I’m BLESSED with this video in my feed

[@michellem1013]

I am so happy you are back! Hope you are doing amazing ♥️

[@anta9406]

Well most influencers havent studied business economics or human ressources etc so how are they supposed to run a company, or know how to hire the right people to do it. It needs time and effort. Christine is a crime statistics analyst and she has a background in economics. So she was more well prepared than the average youtuber. If you take your time and get the right people to advice you then it can work like it did for Manny, but if you want to do it fast and get your products out there (not because of bad intensions) then we all saw what happens.

[@disneymama3162]

Missed you girl! Your video timing is always on point. Seems like every time you post, it’s when I’m having a rough mental health day ❤️ and they ALWAYS make me feel better. Thank you for the role play in helping me cope!

[@notchamama7571]

The stock market scam is called insider trading. Please keep talking about it. People need to understand. Your honesty is always refreshing!

[@devydoll]

Just what I needed this rainy Monday night. It truly was a bones day

[@danarenee2931]

I am soooo appreciative of your videos. I major in chemical engineering, I’m in my second year, and college during the pandemic has been so isolating, so I really enjoy getting to hear your thoughts, and especially on such a relevant subject! I bought a Fushigi ball (if anyone remembers those) when I was like 8 years old and it was $20, my mom paid for it, but I remember the disbelief I had when I received the product and it was NOTHING like the commercials. since that day, I have never bought something from a commercial or ad due to the embarrassment, so I find it so shocking how these influencers find the audience to sell these scams to, but it’s so clear to me that it MUST be children, which really should not go under the radar as much as it does

[@Max-ql2pv]

So glad to see a new video from you! Fall is here, and I hope you're thriving. Really good point about how Tana never restocks or tries again after a failed or glitchy launch. Nothing seems like a passion project or even a project she cares that much about. It's kind of sad to think about, actually. :/ If you ever felt like tackling this, I would love a video breaking down the various types of influencer-brand relationships. Like sponsorship vs affiliate vs collab, etc. and the level of disclosure that's ethically or legally necessary for each. I know you've touched on all these topics in other videos, but I think it'd be useful to have it all in a single video for reference.

[@queentrinicorn9441]

All day I was kinda bummed my YT subs page was kinda bare and uninteresting after a long disastrous week ....then Smokey Glow heard my prayers, and the drought was over 🙏🏾🙏🏾✨❤️ Love ya girl

[@shearsparkle]

Yes! Video on sponsorships! I would love to hear more about this!!

[@anne-marie339]

I’ve been rewatching some of your content recently so this video was perfect! To me it’s like any industry, you’ll have your hard workers and your go-getters and then you’ll have your scammers, grifters, and snake oil salespeople.

[@Mgmorris98]

i also think after influencers tell their “team” or whoever pitches to them to start making that thing, they see how easy it is to scam people. it’s like a guaranteed customer which is VERY rare in business and takes years and years when you could pitch one good idea and completely rip people off. it may not be 100% the influencers fault like you said I’ve always thought that. business people see influencers as dollar signs and not as people who have a reputation

[@rachelcampoli5780]

So glad you're back! I had such a shitty mental health day that when your video notification popped up on my phone I said to my husband, "Smokey Glow just knew I needed a video tonight." ❤

[@squidbizzle]

Loved this video! 🤧 it’s nice to just hear your voice as I crochet and do things around the house

[@aylishmorehouse666]

Its so comforting to see you pop up on my feed!!! Take care of yourself, I'm grateful for everything you give!