Social media influencers have not been deterred from spewing out content during the pandemic. Many are becoming even more famous on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. While many are stuck at home mindlessly scrolling through social media, these influencers are benefiting and give ‘working from home’ a whole new meaning.
Ondreaz Lopez has gathered 20 million followers on TikTok, with his first post on TikTok being in March of 2019. While the pandemic has altered everyone’s day-to-day lives, the entertainment industry has been strained with back and forth restrictions on when it was safe to begin filming again. Lopez recently released a new music video called “No Baila,” and within one week that music video has garnered over 1.3 million views. The director and editor of the music video, Brandon Chase, had a few words to share on what it was like to film during a pandemic and with Lopez.
Chase emphasized that everyone was required to fill out a questionnaire, and the main talent was required to take COVID-19 tests since they were not going to be wearing masks. Chase continued to say that usually everyone is watching a monitor and reacts to what is being filmed, the atmosphere is usually filled with people yelling and hyping one another up. Chase stated, “Normally the crew is kind of huddled around . . . but because of COVID-19 everyone had to spread out six feet apart.”
When Chase initially sent Lopez his pitch for the music video, Lopez returned it with no edits or corrections which was a first for Chase. “He lets the people he puts in creative positions actually be creative,” says Chase.
Other influencers have become more popular during the pandemic as well including Sarah Cooper. Cooper has gained popularity through TikTok by making fun of the president by using his own exact words. She has grown to almost three million followers between Twitter and TikTok and is blocked by the president on Twitter. TikTok’s audience is normally targeted at a younger audience, but Cooper has become popular with both younger and older age groups. She has even inspired older generations to download TikTok primarily to watch her videos. The comedian has gone on to host an episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and she has her own comedy show called “Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine” coming to Netflix this fall. “I like the idea that I’m inspiring the next generation to make fun of our president,” says Cooper according to GQ.
Claudia Conway is a different kind of influencer and is only 16 years old while being the daughter of Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump. Claudia Conway has made a name for herself by posting on TikTok and Twitter making her disapproval of her parents’ political views and her mother’s involvement with Trump abundantly clear. She even announced that her mother had COVID-19 on her TikTok. Shortly after it went viral, Kellyanne Conway tweeted a statement confirming her positive result. She has grown to nearly two million followers between Twitter and TikTok.
Creativity is not being stifled by the pandemic, and everyday people such as Lopez, Cooper, and Conway are having their voices amplified through social media. We are seeing new content from fresh voices during a time when we need either a laugh or a hint of normalcy. While the pandemic has placed many restrictions on businesses, it is safe to say that creativity has not been restricted and these influencers are evidence of that.