Cha-ching! Our theme for this week’s round-up is cashing in on your online fame. Being a creator is its own reward, of course, but we have to admit: the perks that come with it (like free trips) are pretty fun.
Just ask the “hawk tuah” girl or the “morning routine” guy who, respectively, are getting a documentary and brand deal off the back of their viral moments. Or, ask Kat Abughazaleh, who is planning to cash in on her internet fame by running for Congress.
So, if you want to be a more savvy creator this edition of Weekend Roundup is for you.
Left-Wing Populist Creator Kat Abughazaleh Is Running for Congress
Politics is getting a little bit of a shake-up. Recently, creator Kat Abughazaleh announced that she plans on running for Congress in the 9th District of Illinois. In the process, she’ll likely be facing off against Jan Schakowsky, an 80-year old Democrat Rep. who has held the seat since 1990.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk are dismantling our country piece by piece, and re so many Democrats seem content to just sit back and let him,” she said in her announcement video. “So I say it’s time to drop the excuses and grow a f*****g spine.”
Abughazaleh has previously worked for left-wing companies like Media Matters, but these days, she’s best known for her own political content. She has 230,500 TikTok followers and 38,000 Instagram followers — but will that be enough to cinch the seat?
To find out more, check out our full article here.
What Happens When Snark Takes Over Your Community?
If a creator becomes popular, a “snark” subreddit is, at some point, pretty inevitable. But can this snarking go a little too far? That’s the primary question explored in this piece by Steven Asarch, which comes amid Ethan Klein’s claims that snarkers called CPS on them.
In this piece, some of Klein’s most active “snarkers” shared their stories with Passionfruit. Multiple snarkers told us that they used to be fans of H3H3 Productions, which, while surprising for some, actually makes a lot of sense. As they say, the line between hate and love can be blurry, and as snarkers continue to occupy this grey area, this article provides a glimpse into their psyche.
You can read the full piece here.
What Is the Cost of a Free Trip?
Undeniably, one of the biggest perks of being a creator is the free stuff — and free trips are the peak of that. But while you don’t have to worry about the price tag, that doesn’t mean the trip doesn’t come without its costs. In this piece, which draws upon her personal experience, Liz Plank looks at exactly how creators are expected to pay it forward when it comes to free trip content.
As Plank explains, her trip was subject to certain conditions. Posts related to the trip needed to stay up for a fixed period of time, and she had to give an interview about her experience. In the piece, she also shares her experience navigating FTC rules, before going on to advise creators how they, too, can not only get free stuff, but also take advantage of it as a business opportunity.
You can find out more here.
We’re Getting a ‘Hawk Tuah’ Documentary
No one can surpass the rags-to-riches tale of Hailey Welch — or, as you might know her, the “hawk tuah girl.” After being catapulted to fame in 2024, it was clear that Welch was making the most of her new status. But then, things got… messy.
She launched her own “hawk tuah” crypto coin in December 2024, but after the value of that coin plummeted, she was accused of orchestrating a pump-and-dump scam. We haven’t heard a peep from her since the usual Notes App-style statement on X.
As she broke her own social media silence, production company Bungalow Media + Entertainment announced that they’re making a documentary of her. The film is set to “chronicle how Welch, a young woman from a small town with no active social media presence, unknowingly created a viral moment that gave way into a global phenomenon.”
As one of the stranger cases of sudden internet fame, we’re pretty curious of how this documentary will pan out. To learn more, check out our article here.
Saratoga Sparkling Water Is Seeing the Benefits of Ashton Hall’s Viral Morning Routine Video
Arguably, the biggest talking point of the week was a certain creator’s morning routine. Influencer Ashton Hall went mega-viral on X after sharing his bizarre daily ritual, which includes waking up at 4am, using banana peels as a face mask, and consuming an obscene amount of Saratoga Sparkling Water. I mean, he dunks his head in a bowl full of the stuff.
This could’ve easily been just a viral fad — but things went one step further than that. Primo Brands, the company behind Saratoga Sparkling Water, saw its stocks temporarily rise by 16.2%.
Google searches for the brand increased by 1,379%, and, according to the company, its social media following increased by 10%. With Hall now in talks for a potential brand deal with the company, it just goes to show that you never know where gimmicks might lead you.
For more, check out the full article here.
Passionfruit on YouTube: The Reactorverse Episode 51
We had a reel-y good time on the Reactorverse podcast this week. Host Eric Rodriguez sat down with Bryce, Rob, and Zuff: the masterminds behind Reel-Time.
The Reel-Time YouTube channel, which has 193,000 subscribers, features reactions to all kinds of pop culture staples, including The Vampire Diaries, Abbott Elementary, Severence, and Yellowjackets. The trio also have their own podcast series: Mail-Time With Reel-Time.
To learn more about Reel-Time, check out the full video above, in which we discuss their origins, journey, speed bumps, and aspirations.
