What Would Alix Do?

Alix Earle has taken over social media, specifically TikTok in the last few months with her daily get-ready with me’s, makeup tutorials.

Earle is originally from New Jersey but is currently a senior at the University of Miami. She has been posting on Tiktok since 2020 but has had a recent boom because of her iconic “get ready with me” videos and real-life influencer content. These videos show Earle doing her hair, and makeup and picking her outfits while talking about her life. Her main reason for blowing up is that many people admire her makeup routine and glamorize her “party girl” lifestyle. She has influenced people to use products such as the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi drops, white waterline eyeliner, and Rare Beauty blushes through her own makeup routines which show how good each product is. 

Earle is the kind of influencer we don’t often see in the media. She is transparent about her looks and shows people that you don’t have to be perfect to have the life she does. She has made lots of content about her acne journey, choosing not to hide it from the media, but rather encourage others that it is normal to have acne and they shouldn’t be ashamed of it. It is also clear that the platform she has created and the content she produces doesn’t seem fame-motivated. She doesn’t seem to do something only for the viewers, as many influencers and celebrities currently do. 

It is no secret that Alix Earle is what some might call a “party girl.” She posts many videos about the numerous trips and clubs she attends while also continuing her studies at the University of Miami. Many wonder how she keeps up with her busy lifestyle and if she has fallen behind in school since her recent rise to fame. Although Earle has shown her viewers some of her school life, like papers she has due, she has yet to address the common question of if she has in fact fallen behind. 

We see many influencers come and go, and many go down at the hands of “cancel culture.” This is a process of collective shunning against one person who is in the media spotlight. Often it is because of mistakes or choices they made in their past whether it be supporting unethical causes, saying slurs, cyberbullying, etc. As of now, Earle remains untouched by the wrath of cancel culture but many think it is only a matter of time until she too takes a hit. 

Although Earle seems to be a nice girl just documenting her life online, as many people do, I can not help but notice that as a society we are putting another white, blonde, “basic” girl on a pedestal. There are plenty of diverse influencers in the media, but is it a coincidence that these girls lack that diversity and magically blew up? Despite all these criticisms, though, she has positively shaped the media in the last few months since she has been in the spotlight. People on TikTok have even started referring to people they look up to or admire as their “Alix Earle” to express that they are as obsessed with their idol as many are with Earle. 

By Peyton Louie