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| Sissy Sheridan Knows [Teen] Sex Rules On TikTok. She Plays The Game To Win. |
Nancy Jo Sales posted on Air Mail "The TikTok Star Who Hates TikTok: Sixteen-year-old Sissy Sheridan has 5.3 million TikTok followers [and a million on Instagram] and can’t imagine her life without the app. That doesn’t mean she likes it" (APRIL 3, 2021)
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| Sissy Sheridan's "Sink Video" |
You may ask: "How did Sheridan get so many followers?" Of course, she took advantage of the allure nymphets by posting a "sink video" where the 15-year-old sat on the edge of her bathroom sink and "unbelievably arched" her back to "[...] make her butt look [even] bigger":
She explains: “Before Playlist [an annual industry convention for YouTubers, TikTokers, and other content creators] I did this trend where you sit on the counter and make your butt look bigger,” which she calls a “sink video.”
After the sink video, Sheridan’s follower count climbed to nearly 800,000, and “I got invited to go to Playlist,” she says.
Oddly, Sheridan blamed TikTok for dancing, making her famous for being pretty, and having a ‘desirable’ body”:
Which was confirmation for her of what she already knew—that sexualized content is often what gets girls the most attention on TikTok, just like on other social-media sites. “You make little girls famous for dancing and for being pretty and having a ‘desirable’ body,” Sheridan says. Her first TikTok to get millions of views (6.3 million) was one of her and another girl dancing in crop tops in her bedroom.
But, after Sheridan's sink video went viral, she continued posting "sexualized content" (e.g., teen (cheeky) thong and teen twerking TikToks):
When the sink video “went viral for me,” she says, “I thought, I’m gonna keep doing this—it’s my thing.”
“So I’m 15, and I’m getting a lot of attention from this,” Sheridan says.
“At the time, all I’m thinking is it’s making my numbers grow. I have, like, a million followers now—I’ve grown 300K in a day. Fans are coming up and congratulating me. So I’m like, Holy crap, this is huge.
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| Sissy Sheridan with @charlidamelio & @avani |
Some may argue that Sheridan is engaged in a form of (softcore) teen prostitution, because fame wasn't the only item she received in exchange for her "sexualized content". Sheridan's income increased substantially, her free swag increased substantially, and she was afforded the opportunity to mingle with other famous teens:
(Generally, an influencer with five million followers can charge around $6,000 per Instagram story and $20,000 per feed post.)
“I come back from trips and it’s literally like Christmas,” she says. “If it’s a ‘gifting,’ they send it to me in the hopes that I’ll post something, but I don’t get paid for it.” She gets sent so much “it feels gluttonous,” she says.
Being famous on the hottest app around, having millions of fans who shower her with millions of likes (over 363 million total), traveling and hanging out with the biggest influencers—not to mention the “avalanche” of swag—isn’t this what kids supposedly want?
(Unsurprisingly) Sheridan shared (indirectly) that she's going to continue posting "sexualized content", because she can't do without the app. And she'll do "whatever" to be a successful actress:
“TikTok is such a big part of my life now,” Sheridan says, “I can’t do without it.”
“Acting is my main thing,” she says. “That’s what I want to do. So I’m going to do whatever I can to get my name out there.”
Interestingly, Sales wrote that sexualization gets fame, slut-shaming and empowerment. But shouldn't it be that self-sexualization gets fame, slut-shaming and empowerment?
She finds herself in a familiar bind: Sexualization gets fame. Sexualization gets slut-shaming. Empowerment is undercut by sexist haters. But haters also get you fame.
Lastly, Sales shared that 16-year-old Sheridan was in an age-gap relationship with Milessdespair - a 19-year-old influencer. #noworries The age-of-consent in Washington DC, Sheridan's residence, is 16.
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