CREATOR ECONOMY NEWSLETTER
Issue 71 | September 29, 2022
Thereās one TikTok creator who has been creeping their way onto my feeds: Itzpsyiconic. Itās a welcome presence, as clips from his TikTok Live streams always crack me up.
The creator, whose real name is Kelon, amassed a sizable following with his cast of characters: the evangelical Christian southern belle Terri Joe, the goth Amethyst, and the BBL baddie Jeorgia Peach. Over the past year, Kelon has made a niche for himself baiting unwitting collaborators and going toe-to-toe with fellow trollsāincluding famous onesāon TikTok Live. From Twitter memes to viral TikToks, itzpsyiconic has become a staple in online culture, gifting us with iconic (no pun intended) one-liners, perfect reaction images, and, as Passionfruit contributor Kaiya Shunyata writes, unbridled queer joy. In their analysis of itzpsyiconicās content, Shunyata explores why viewers love the creator and what makes him stand out in the TikTok landscape.
– Daysia Tolentino, Passionfruit Editor
TOKWATCH
‘Are you a hommasexyuh?’: Itzpsyiconic is TikTok Live’s hilarious and bizarre rising star
āItās as if my life has meaning when I watch her.ā
By Kaiya Shunyata, Passionfruit Contributor
ONE GREAT TIP
āPeople are afraid of catering only to certain niches or alienating certain peopleā¦ But you actually end up attracting more like-minded followers and fans. Theyāre glad that someone is finally saying the thing theyāve been feeling.ā
āMaven co-founder Wes Kao on finding your audience. Read more in our May 2022 interview.
FROM THE INSIDE
Aron Levin, CMO and co-founder of payments company Willa, wants to make creators’ finances easier
āI really encourage people, find the tools that can save you the time.ā
By Grace Stanley, Passionfruit Reporter
THE HIGHLIGHT
āThey should have to give credit where credit is dueā: Blogger accuses food magazine of adapting her recipe without crediting her
“This is an issue in general with larger companies not giving smaller creators credit.”
By Grace Stanley, Passionfruit Reporter
IN THE BIZ
- While Andrew Tate remains deplatformed from many social media sites, families say āalpha maleā creators like Tate have already influenced their loved ones, who have adopted toxic, misogynist ideals. (via Buzzfeed News)
- Podcast companies are buying millions of listens through autoplay features in mobile game ads. (via Bloomberg)
- YouTube-based media company Jubilee has raised $1.1 million in funding and signed with WME. (via TubeFilter)
- VidCon has announced its first east coast event, VidCon Baltimore, will be held on Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, 2023.
- Instagram is testing a homepage without a shopping tab. (via the Verge)
- TikTok is rolling out a dislike button for comments. (via TechCrunch)
TIKTOK MADE ME DO IT
Fall outfit inspo!