🗣️ The Moment 🗣️
Issues that are at the forefront of online discourse— eurocentric trends
I recently got into the Copenhagen girl aesthetic.
The Copenhagen aesthetic is particularly appealing for anyone who wants to feel cool while wearing pajamas in public, there’s even a TikTok trending sound that says as much.
The Copenhagen aesthetic has roots in Danish fashion houses and the swift rise of a number of Danish designers, like GANNI, in the past few years. Unlike some micro-trends, there seems to be a little more of a sustainable focus and the trends seem less prone to become waste immediately. Just because there’s a reason for the rise of this trend doesn’t mean I’m not concerned about what prioritizing yet another ‘European’ trend means about our culture though.
Of course, this is nothing new. The Parisian girl was inescapable for decades. It wasn’t simply because of cultural figures like Brigitte Bardot, the very notion of ‘Frenchness’ was stylish. The fictionalized idea of French womanhood was even used to sell us diet books.
TikTok has a problem with eurocentrism though. Even when it comes to co-opting and appropriating trends previously deemed ‘vulgar’ or ‘ghetto’ (see: SATC character Carrie Bradshaw’s line on gold jewelry) whiteness is the ideal. The same ECO hair gel on a Black or Latina girl a couple of years ago was simply not viewed the way ‘clean girl’ white influencers are today.
This isn’t to say there’s something inherently wrong with emulating fashions seen on the streets of Denmark, or France. The issue is more about what becomes profitable, and how companies choose what to market. It is upon us as consumers, all the same, to be critical of the overemphasis of eurocentric standards.
The connections between popular notions of whiteness and femininity run deep. The perpetuation of eurocentric beauty standards and the elevation of European trends are connected to those notions. We have to be critical about what trends we promote and who we promote in the process.
🔉 Our Sound Highlight 🔉
Me and the Devil
Mood: 😈
Use this sound with a photo post of you and your greatest weakness.
👹 Effects Highlight 👹
This CapCut template is for moments of pure joy.
This template, in contrast, is for times of great sadness. Use this to show your audience what you miss.
Perhaps the most popular CapCut template of the last few weeks, this is a great template to use to show some gratitude for the people who always hype you up (deserved or not).
☕ The Zeitgeist ☕
Hot topics from across the internet
I don’t care if you’re over Halloween these were my favorite costumes on TikTok:
Dick Durbin called for a ceasefire in Gaza the first U.S. Senator to do so.
Food review influencer Keith Lee has left the Atlanta restaurant scene in shambles after reviewing several Atlanta restaurants. The restaurant The Real Milk & Honey even released an Instagram statement.
Amy Schumer was corrected by MLK’s daughter Bernice King, after the self-proclaimed ‘most successful female comedian of all time’ posted a clip of MLK to Instagram.
Australian journalist Andrew Bolt said Kenyans should be grateful to Britain for their colonial rule which as a granddaughter of Mau Mau members I can tell you is an idea based on a fantasy more elaborate than A Song of Ice and Fire.
🥡 The Takeaway 🥡
Are we sick of influencers?
Every day it feels like I see a new critique or parody of traditional lifestyle influencers. This trend has been growing for a while now. Audiences are increasingly asking for more substance from creators. TikTok creator @faganchelsea called for divestment from the influencer economy, specifically targeting luxury and lifestyle influencers in her critique of current influencer culture.
The deinfluencing trend was a step away from consumerist influencing. Deinfluenicng didn’t go far enough though. While it was refreshing to see creators move away from promoting the same products and being more critical of hyper-consumption, the message often drifted to “don’t buy this, buy this instead!” a line I can only imagine resulted in a salary bump for the marketer who came up with it. Gen Z doesn’t like consumption? Give them it in a different font!
We’re past deinfluencing on TikTok now. We’re at ridicule. For as many people enjoy tuning into ‘bland’ influencers’ content, there are tens of thousands, gleefully awaiting the end of videos where conventionally attractive white influencers get a single iced coffee.
Content that is an exercise in vanity and consumption just isn’t hitting for a lot of us. Are we meant to enjoy plotless unreachably privileged videos when the Department of Education is back to sending us payment reminders? When war is at the forefront of public discourse?
Many of us are craving what we came to social media for. Not to be sold another face cream or handbag but to hear from other perspectives and be engaged. Audiences want something more from creators. They want opinions, experiences, expertise, and humor. They want influencing to be about more than telling viewers to buy goods. As influencer marketers working in social impact, it’s heartening to see that appetite from TikTok audiences. This might not be the death of the influencer but now is the time to restructure what influencing is. In short— let’s get back to content, creators.
🎵 Top Sounds 🎵
Our curated picks of the top sounds on TikTok
What Are You Going To Do With That Degree? 🌝
This sound was trending a few months ago paired with a CapCut Template meme of Pedro Pascal, the sound is back this time paired with jokes about the use of different degrees.With the release of 1989 naturally Taylor Swift has a sound trending on TikTok. The horrors may persist but so does Taylor Swift.
What’s Wrong With That? 🤨
Challenge assumptions with this sound, which features a not-so-subtly homophobic question. You can also use the “So, what now?” part of this sound.If you appreciate space photography this is a sound you might enjoy exploring.
I’m Done 😪
When you’ve had enough and you’re ready to pack it in this is the sound you want to use.Can You See Me? 🔥
This sound is trending and is so versatile. Use this on everything from struggle videos to girl math photo slides.