CREATOR ECONOMY NEWSLETTER
Issue #121 | March 30, 2023
Being controversial online has always been a lucrative way to brand yourself, and Adin Ross is taking it to a new level.
As reporter Steven Asarch shares this week, in early March, Ross was banned from Twitch for what the platform called “unmoderated hateful conduct.” His desire to consistently push the “edgy” envelope with misogyny and transphobia and his obsession with the ideology of Andrew Tate caused his star to plummet.
Now re-located to the new streaming platform Kick—notorious for its lack of content moderation—Ross seems to be going even more extreme with his stunts and antics.
Also this week, Elon Musk announced legacy verified accounts will lose their blue ticks starting in April. Read reporter Charlotte Colombo’s recap about the news and why she believes the blue tick status symbol is long gone. Rest in peace.
– Grace Stanley, Newsletter Editor
THE DARK SIDE
Adin Ross is the new defacto king of teenage edgelords
‘Fuck fame, it’s all about the money.’
By Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor
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ONE GREAT TIP
“There is that sense of wanting to stay viral and wanting people to think your videos are funny. … Realize that maybe your most vulnerable videos aren’t going to get all the traction you want, but also understand that those are very important and vital parts of your career.”
—TikToker Chrissy Chlapecka on balancing authenticity and virality. Read more in our March 2023 interview.
SEEKING A TREND
The rise and fall of Twitter’s blue tick
‘This MF paid for Twitter.’
By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor
THE HIGHLIGHT
Substack sparks debate after asking creators to invest in the company
A few well-known creators have already joined the investment round, while others are skeptical.
By Patricia Grisafi, Passionfruit Contributor
TOOLS REVIEW
Five ways de-influencers can make money de-influencing
De-influencing is the new influencing.
By Jen Glantz, Passionfruit Contributor
IN THE BIZ
- ByteDance-owned app Lemon8 may be creators’ backup plan for a TikTok ban. (via Insider)
- Twitter announced its new API price structures and was revealed to be secretly boosting the content of Elon Musk, MrBeast, and Dril. (via TechCrunch and the Verge)
- Digital database Famous Birthdays added a talent representation portal for the creator economy. (via Tubefilter)
- YouTube launched a metric showing reach across all video formats, including Shorts. (via TechCrunch)
- Bored Ape’s owner Yuga Labs is partnering with Gucci for a metaverse fashion project. (via Tubefilter)
- YouTube children’s series Cocomelon announced a Puma partnership. (via Tubefilter)
TIKTOK MADE ME DO IT
We’re chirping along to this trend.