Oh, honey, TIME Magazine, bless their little hearts, just dropped their “very first” TIME100 Creators list. Yes, because clearly, the concept of “digital creators” is, like, SO brand new. Groundbreaking stuff, really. They’ve rounded up the “top 100 most influential digital creators” of the year, or as I like to call them, the people who figured out how to make bank while filming themselves eating spicy noodles.🍜 This list is apparently an “expansion” of their Top 100 series, which previously included things like, you know, actual companies that contribute something to society. But hey, who needs innovation when you can have another lip-sync battle, am I right? 🤳
Leading the charge of this digital revolution is none other than Twitch streamer Kai Cenat, deemed a “Titan” because apparently, yelling at video games requires Herculean strength.💪 He’s even gracing the cover of TIME, which is ironic, considering most of his audience probably can’t read. 📖 Sam Jacobs, editor-in-chief of TIME (who, let’s be honest, is probably panicking about declining readership), tried to justify this whole thing in an editorial. He probably had to explain to his confused board of directors why they were putting a guy who streams himself playing GTA on the cover instead of, I don’t know, someone who’s actually curing diseases. Just saying.🤷♀️
Jacobs spews some corporate jargon about how “people view institutions” and how the media is “challenged.” Translation: old media is dying, and they’re desperately trying to stay relevant by latching onto whatever’s trending. 📈 He claims these creators are “changing what we watch, how we spend our time, what we buy, and how we vote.” I’d argue they’re mostly changing how we waste our time, but hey, tomato, tomahto. 🍅
It’s totally true that creators have “completely reshaped” digital entertainment. Now, instead of, like, actual entertainment, we have people filming themselves reacting to other people’s content. It’s the circle of life, Simba! 🦁 Influencers like Kai Cenat are “household names,” as well known as any actor. Except, you know, most actors actually, like, act. 🎬 But who needs talent when you have a ring light and a “relatable” personality? ✨
This brilliant list was “developed in collaboration” with some “analytics firm” called #paid. Because nothing says “authentic” like data-driven influencer selection. They focused on individuals “who built careers natively through digital platforms,” meaning they figured out how to monetize their selfies and dance crazes. 💃 Because, let’s be real, that’s what the world needs more of. *eye roll*
The Top100 list is divided into five categories: Titans (the guys who yell the loudest), Entertainers (the ones who can lip-sync flawlessly), Leaders (the ones who can convince you to buy their merch), Phenoms (the ones who got lucky and went viral), and Catalysts (the ones who started a trend). 🗂️ It’s like a digital zoo, but instead of animals, it’s just people vying for your attention. 🐒
Cenat is joined by the likes of Jimmy Donaldson, aka Mr. Beast, who’s famous for giving away money (which, let’s be real, is a pretty foolproof business model), Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, the “comedians” behind Good Mythical Morning (I use the term “comedians” loosely), and Charli D’Amelio, the queen of TikTok dances (because apparently, dancing is a talent now). 👯♀️
Also gracing this prestigious list are Joe Rogan, the podcast host who’s never met a conspiracy theory he didn’t like, Theo Von, another comedian, Vivian Tu, a businesswoman, and Pokimane, another mega-streamer. Basically, it’s a who’s-who of people who managed to build an audience by exploiting the attention economy. 🤑
This “massive list” illustrates how creators “impact nearly every aspect of our society.” Or, you know, it illustrates how easily distracted we all are and how willing we are to spend hours watching other people live their lives instead of, you know, living our own. But hey, who am I to judge? I’m just a sarcastic internet troll. 😈
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
