YouTube is widely known for its variety of content. From tutorials to vine compilations, YouTube has it all. I, myself, click on one music video and suddenly I’ve trailed off to some random suggested documentary and fallen down a rabbit hole. On the way down, a lot of people come across a girl that goes by the name of That Poppy. She has long blond hair, pale skin, and the voice of a Disney princess. The four white walls that surround her, mixed with her unconventional props, make for a pretty interesting video. If you haven’t seen Poppy’s videos, now is your chance to stop and speculate.
Poppy has been on YouTube since 2014, but it wasn’t until recently that she gained a following due to a “Kids React” video by the YouTube channel FBE. With her unique style and monotone videos, Poppy has also gained a lot of public speculation. Her strange videos raise a lot of questions that she refuses to answer. Nicole Haddow, author of the article, “Poppy: cult leader or pop star?” states, “A visit to her YouTube channel is an anxiety-inducing experience. The cartoonish sound of Poppy’s voice and the strange props she uses offer an off-putting tone and give people the creeps.” After discussing Poppy’s career, Haddow says, “The success of Poppy is proof that fame engineering has reached a pinnacle. With a cultivated marketing strategy and a long game plan, pop sensations are made, not born. And with every click, we enable it.” The author believes that Poppy is nothing more than proof that fame doesn’t have anything to do with talent anymore. I believe that Poppy’s career has nothing to do with fame and fortune, but it is meant to send a clear message.
Poppy, however, is not the mastermind behind this facade. As mentioned in the article, “Poppy is the Internet’s Biggest New Popstar, But Is She Actually Real?” by Emma Garland, Poppy’s videos are written and directed by a man maned Titanic Sinclair. Sinclair has a history of producing similar videos in the same artistic style. He directed videos with a friend who went by the name of Mars Argo, however the duo shortly parted ways. Once that project had finished, Sinclair cleared their YouTube channel and took on That Poppy. Garland goes on to discuss Poppy by saying, “It probably goes without saying that Poppy is a persona. We don’t know much about the girl who plays her.” In any interview Poppy has appeared in, she constantly refers to herself in third person and refuses to give up any information about who she is or what she is doing. Poppy keeps everything to herself in an effort to keep people guessing. The author mentions an interview with Racked where Poppy specifically states, “People, especially nowadays, are so obsessed with knowing everything. They’ll have to invest their time in finding it.” Garland discusses how the most interesting thing about Poppy is that there is no information about her.
At first sight, Poppy seems like a scary cult leader who needs help. No matter how ridiculous her videos are, if you listen closely to her words, there is a deeper meaning to everything she says. After watching the “Notification Squad” video, notice how Poppy refers to her audience. It sounds like she is talking down to her audience, but it is not because she thinks she is above everyone else. Poppy is mimicking modern celebrities and the way they praise their followers, knowing that they have an upper hand. Poppy’s whole character is an effort to open consumer’s eyes to the fact that celebrities have more impact than we think. The article, “That Poppy: The Internet is a Cult and She is Our Leader,” by Katelyn Landry, touches on the fact that Poppy’s entire career is one giant art project. It is a social commentary on pop stars, technology, and social media. Landry says, “I think Poppy is so meticulously manufactured that she perfectly exaggerates the fundamental makings of any modern celebrity. I am fascinated by the idea of Poppy because she personifies the internet and media so accurately that it’s unsettling.” Poppy so indiscreetly pokes fun at modern day pop stars that rose to fame by begging followers to constantly stay involved in their career and push them to the top. She also comments on the use of cell phones and how Youtube stars gain their momentum by keeping their followers actively subscribed. Poppy and her director, Titanic Sinclair, have no interest in Poppy’s fame, yet the odd style of videos they produce keeps people watching.
The article, “’That Poppy’: The YouTube Star Under Illuminati Mind Control,” by an unnamed author, goes into detail about a conspiracy theory that Poppy is under slave mind control. The author offers that Poppy’s videos are hints that she is being held captive and drained of life. The author references a video of Poppy called “Pink Outfit.” In the video, Poppy is wearing a pink dress that has lines going down the front and across the wrists. In the article, it is proposed that her dress is meant to be an upside-down cross, showing that Poppy is satanic. However, if you listen to the words of the video, you will find that it is possible that the video is a commentary on celebrity sponsorships and how many social media stars are walking advertisements.
All of Poppy’s videos are open for interpretation and extremely eye-opening for a conscious viewer. She raises the argument that pop sensations have too much authority over their audiences and how technology has become so vastly overused. In Poppy’s video, “I have ideas,” she states, “My telephone defines me. When it is dead, so am I.” This statement is very straightforward about how people have become so addicted to their cell phones. She brings issues like this to attention in ways that keep the audience considering their own life and habits. Poppy is important because she sends messages to her viewers in an effort to raise awareness that our modern way of living is too involved in social media. It is interesting that people have conspiracy theories that Poppy is a part of the Illuminati, because she is mocking the widespread beliefs that celebrities like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry are Illuminati members. Her videos portray her ideas so effectively that some viewers actually believe that she represents the community that she is making fun of.
Poppy may be strange and unconventional, but she definitely makes an impression. Though her method isn’t for everyone, the art she is projecting is worth appreciating. She and Titanic Sinclair came up with a unique way to portray a message that is evident in our everyday lives. Exposure to her topics, if nothing else, keep a viewer thinking and analyzing. The most fun thing about her videos is that you can interpret them in any way you want. She may be a mind controlled Illuminati member or a walking art project, but she keeps people talking.