Right at the start of HBO’s new series “I Love L.A.,” protagonist Maia, brought to life by the show’s creator Rachel Sennott, faces a classic frenemy moment. While scrolling through her phone, she stumbles upon a glamorous post from an old friend she’d been trying to sidestep. To make matters worse, this friend, Tallulah (played by Odessa A’zion), looks absolutely stunning and was paid a hefty sum for that very fashion campaign image.
Soon enough, Tallulah bursts into Maia’s world with a distinctive husky voice and a knack for making questionable choices. She’s undeniably irresponsible yet utterly captivating, quickly establishing herself as one of television’s most memorable influencer characters.
The term “influencer,” essentially a social media celebrity, only officially entered the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2019. Yet, characters embodying internet fame have graced our TV screens for years. Historically, these figures were often depicted as shallow and self-absorbed, serving as easy targets for mockery. “I Love L.A.” marks a significant shift, bringing unprecedented depth and nuance to its influencer portrayal, mirroring our evolving collective perception of social media’s profound cultural impact.
The Rise of the Proto-Influencer
From left in the foreground, Jennette McCurdy and Miranda Cosgrove in “iCarly,” a show that presented a refreshingly wholesome take on internet celebrity.
Back in 2007, the premiere episode of Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” introduced us to Carly, whose new live web show, “iCarly,” instantly captivated fans. When two girls approached her and her friend Sam (Jennette McCurdy) for autographs, Sam playfully warned Carly (Miranda Cosgrove), “You might get famous.” Initially hesitant, Carly’s doubts about online fame vanished when a charming boy asked her to dance, making internet stardom seem rather appealing.
Carly Shay embodied the influencer archetype long before the term became mainstream. In an era when Instagram was nonexistent and platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were just emerging, internet celebrity was a fresh concept. Her show began as a quirky creative outlet, and her endeavors maintained a pure, wholesome vibe. This innocence was partly due to “iCarly” being a children’s show, but it also reflected a time when the internet was seen as a realm of boundless creativity, largely unmarred by its eventual downsides. Even the 2021 reboot preserved this spirit, showing Carly largely unfazed by her early viral fame.
The Influencer as Social Misfit
Karen Gillan starred as a social media personality attempting to salvage her image in “Selfie,” a modern adaptation of “Pygmalion.”
By 2014, social media’s grip on society was undeniable, prompting ABC to launch the sitcom “Selfie.” This contemporary twist on “Pygmalion” reimagined Eliza Doolittle as Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan), an “Insta-famous” pharmaceutical representative. After a less-than-flattering viral incident, she enlists her colleague Henry Higgs (John Cho) to revamp her public image. Mirroring its source material, the series equates influencer status with a lack of refinement. This Eliza, however, sports vocal fry instead of a cockney accent and favors push-up bras. Naturally, Henry helps Eliza discover her better qualities, while she, in turn, encourages him to embrace a more lighthearted approach to life. Though romance flickered, the show’s run was brief, lasting only a single season.
The Influencer as Cautionary Tale
In “Ingrid Goes West,” Aubrey Plaza, right, portrays a woman consumed by her obsession with an influencer (Elizabeth Olsen, left).
A common theme in films and series featuring influencers is the deceptive facade of their lives: seemingly perfect on the surface, but far from it behind the curated filters. A prime example is the 2017 film “Ingrid Goes West,” where Aubrey Plaza plays a troubled young woman who develops an intense fixation on social media star Taylor (Elizabeth Olsen). As Ingrid integrates herself into Taylor’s world, she uncovers the fragmented reality of Taylor’s existence, and her spiraling obsession ultimately triggers her own mental collapse. This narrative offers no happy endings.
The superficiality of an influencer’s existence is also a central theme in the first season of the psychological thriller “You.” Here, the seemingly charming yet deeply disturbing serial killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) encounters Annika (Kathryn Gallagher), a flippant “body positive Insta-celeb.” Joe cynically observes that her success lies in her “shamelessness.” Annika’s carefully constructed world crumbles when a video surfaces of her making drunken, racist remarks.
By Season 3, Joe encounters Sherry (Shalita Grant), a “momfluencer” whose brand, as Joe dryly notes, is built on “humble-bragging and a false display of hard-earned wisdom.” While the murderous Joe is far from an admirable character, his profound disdain for influencer fakery is oddly portrayed as one of his more relatable qualities.
The Influencer as Cult Figure
The final season of “Search Party” sees Dory (Alia Shawkat, center) amassing a following of influencers, transforming them into her devoted disciples.
Influencers are frequently portrayed as shallow and laughable figures. Take, for instance, a 2019 episode of the showbiz satire “The Other Two,” where the aspiring actor protagonist (Drew Tarver) runs into a clique of “Insta-gays”—vacuous, attractive men who pose shirtless for photos and move around in an exclusive group. Yet, arguably no portrayal has been quite as scathing as that in the dark comedy “Search Party.”
In its fifth and final season, released in 2022, “Search Party” follows Dory (Alia Shawkat), a Brooklyn hipster who became a murderer, as she teams up with a tech mogul (Jeff Goldblum) to establish a cult. She preaches about a miraculous pill promising enlightenment and enlists a diverse group of influencers to be her first disciples to market her nascent product. Among her followers are a roller-skating sensation (Angela Trimbur), a face-painting artist (Grace Kuhlenschmidt), a man performing basic science experiments (Larry Owens), and a socialite (Greta Titelman). Each influencer possesses a distinct gimmick but little substance, depicted as hollow individuals readily embracing Dory’s dubious offerings – which ultimately turn out to be a drug transforming people into zombies. The show cleverly implies that influencers might already be a form of zombie themselves.
The Influencer as Marketing Tool
Lily Collins stars as the titular character in “Emily in Paris,” who unexpectedly becomes an influencer.
Netflix’s “Emily in Paris,” which premiered in 2020, offers one of television’s most earnest portrayals of an influencer. Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins, is a cheerful Chicagoan who inadvertently becomes a social media sensation simply by sharing charming photos of her life in France with cheerful, if somewhat unoriginal, hashtags. (For example, a selfie with flowers might be captioned, “#EverythingsComingUpRoses!”)
As a marketing professional, Emily appreciates her unexpected influence but isn’t actively pursuing fame; she’s merely documenting her charmingly picturesque life with an inherent flair for branding. However, the series consistently differentiates Emily from other influencers. In Season 1, for instance, at a makeup brand event, the other female attendees are distinctly depicted as catty, fame-hungry individuals, highlighting Emily’s contrasting, more authentic approach.
The Influencer as a Complex Heroine
Odessa A’zion in “I Love L.A.,” a show that realistically portrays influencing as the multifaceted and challenging career it truly is.
“I Love L.A.” introduces television’s most nuanced influencer character yet: Tallulah, a whirlwind of chaos who descends upon Los Angeles, disrupting Maia’s carefully constructed life. Though Maia is initially annoyed by her friend’s sudden return, she quickly recognizes a professional opportunity. As an aspiring talent manager, Maia believes taking on Tallulah as a client could be her big break, a chance to impress her boss.
Among the largely self-serving social climbers featured in “I Love L.A.,” Tallulah emerges as surprisingly the most naive. Her influencer status appears almost accidental; blessed with striking looks and undeniable charisma, she stumbled into the profession rather than meticulously planning her career. The series prioritizes exploring Tallulah’s complex personality over her curated social media feed. It’s the volatile combination of her impulsive nature and a profound desire for acceptance that consistently lands her in hot water.
“I Love L.A.” portrays influencing as the demanding, lucrative, and highly competitive career it has evolved into—a contemporary commercial endeavor that relies on a team of managers, stylists, and other supporting professionals. Despite her degree of success, Tallulah is not wealthy. Maia’s role encompasses everything from brokering brand deals to managing Tallulah’s public image amidst rival gossip. The show astutely recognizes that the world of influencing extends far beyond mere self-promotion; at its core, it’s a business driven by economics.