Trophy Boy

Trophy Boy (short film) from EmCo Entertainment on Vimeo.


Well, this one is self explanatory. I read it's been doing the Festival rounds and that's really cool. It's both a comment on the Instagram/Snapchat/Facebook generation and on the stylized way we present ourselves in social media. There are many denizens that promote themselves nowadays online in diverse ways. Some go the way of the personal trainer and serve as 'inspiration' and some go the way of the lifestyle guru. And this is where youtube stepped in to let me know about these gents.

The youtube algorithm (that probably is counting my keystrokes right now) sometimes offers me some interesting choices. Take for example that it keeps giving me links to videos of 'influencers' because I like to watch the Milan or Paris or New York collections during Fashion Week. So now Google gives me all these 'suggestions' of videos on YouTube of 'influencers'. Some I click. Some I don't. Some I follow. Some I don't.

My favorites are:



He seems earnest and friendly and can definitely WEAR those clothes. I suspect he's straight, but his carefully curated delivery and presentation does not tell us anything else. He promotes heavily his Instagram (where the curation process is even more extreme, with carefully planned poses and filters) and I think I've seen him there with a girl who apparently is another influencer/fashion plate. He also has a line of clothing, or shoes. He's quite the entrepreneur.
He's adorable, though.



This one popped up and I had to watch. I don't follow him per se, but when his videos appear, I watch. Why, you wonder? Well, if you asked that question, you don't know me... LOL
He has a more rugged image and even though it appears laissez-faire bet it's as curated as Marcel's. He also dispenses advice and I'm sure some brands reach out to him to see their products reviewed. That's how 'influencers' get their coin.



This one is totally adorable. He's definitely an example of the Instagram/Youtube generation of influencers. He's chronicled the process he's undergone to be the handsome lad we see on the screen. Warts and all. Very touching. I do check his videos regularly. YouTube is a rabbit hole.
Oh, and he's got a coming out video. Totally cute.



Then there's Daniel. Cute, gorge accent, relatable and also in the in-between in what concerns sexuality, so I imagine he lets that dangle there to attract both male and female subscribers. He's also got the unmissable Instagram account but I prefer it when I can see these guys interact with the camera. It's when they're at their most seductive. They want the clicks, because they've monetized their channels. Besides, how else are they going to keep doing those hauls? God, I hope Zara is taking into account those clicks.

So you get the point. All of these men present a carefully curated, planned image to the world. And they are real people. So the Trophy Boy of the short film is not really a stretch. We would never know if these men, who dispense their advise through the algorithms what look over your shoulder when we type, are really THAT perfect. These three to me represent three completely different points of view in the influencer/wannabe world, but at the same time, they all share that urgency to make us like their videos, to follow them, to give them a thumbs up.

It's the age of the image. That Trophy Boy short is not too far from reality. Everything is curated. Even you and I.

xoxo