Influencers Fake Private Jet Photos Cause Uproar About Authenticity
A recent discovery shows many influencers are using a studio in Los Angeles to deceive followers into thinking they are on a private jet and some people are not happy.
Editing and staging photos is nothing new to the influencer world yet, people have again found out that influencers are faking images of them and friends on a private jet when, in reality, it is just part of a rentable studio in Los Angeles. In a tweet that went viral (shown below) on September 24th a woman by the name Melissa called attention to the fact she had found out that many women are using a studio to take photos. This ‘breaking news’ is very reminiscent of an event in 2019 where Instagram travel influencer, tupisaravia, was called out on having the same clouds edited onto her photos using an app called Quickshot. The uproar about discoveries surrounding discrediting the authenticity of influencers is astounding but I question a few things: what is the truth behind this private jet and do these influencers deserve all the hate they are getting for simply pretending like they are on a private jet.
As you can see the impressions on this tweet alone are astounding and shows that many people are either intrigued or angered by this discovery to some extent. Many of the comments are filled with images and videos of an influencer using this studio for its intended purpose of looking like a private jet like this one from the7angels. Warning there is some vulgar language in this video
Here we see a group of women singing and moving to the sound of a song seemingly pretending to be on a private jet. Many people then connected this to other TikToks and Instagram models using this space many of which have been deleted or had their comments altered.
The reality of this space is that it is apart of a chain of (fairly cheap) rentable studios or locations by a person named Toma K. on peerspace. These diverse and visually appealing studios, ranging from $40–$113 USD are areas where photographer and influencers can come and use these sets for their photography needs. As a photographer myself I do not see anything wrong with having studio locations that people can pay for to create a visually appealing background for a shoot.
Here is a photo one of my co-workers took of me took we were on set for a shoot. Here you see me sitting in an apartment that isn't mine and was a rented space, just like the ones offered by Toma but here's the thing, you don't see anyone upset at me and calling me a liar for taking photos in an apartment that I don't own or Fake for editing these photos (yes these images were highly edited on an app called FaceTune). So what is the difference here?
In my eyes what it comes down too is authenticity, what some might call fake news, and the upset feeling people may feel from being manipulated into believing something about an influencer. In my post I’m not saying something along the lines of “wow new crib who this” while many of these influencer caption these fake jet posts with stuff like “wheels up” and “catching flights” which lead audiences to believe them.
As you can see these two influencers have since changed their captions in order to flee the assumable onslaughts of unhappy followers who now feel like their idol has been lying to them and hundreds of others. It’s obvious to see that people are interested in and engage with posts like this which is evident from the 2019 cloud incident and now this. But is all this rage, anger, and hateful comments really necessary? Are these influencers truly harming people or contributing to “fake news”?
The opinion you curate is up to you and you alone but I want to offer my own opinion as simply food for thought.
I personally believe that what they are doing in the short term isn't bad however, the effects can sometimes spiral into things that do harm people. Influencers are not bad people for purchasing a photography set and creating content for their community. In their world they are just doing their job. Where this becomes harmful, or more deserving of the title of fake news, is when people start claiming they own or did something when they do not. This is just straight up lying. There are studies out there that have shown that mental health and social media have a direct connection that can sometimes lead to depression and sometimes suicide.
That is the path where I can see why people are mad and how it can get out of control. When young people see these influencers claiming to have these lavish lives, they begin perusing these goals that aren't even real just because they want to feel loved and popular and the failure that is often associated with it can be hard to live with. When so much of self worth and confidence comes from what people say about you online I can see how easy it is to fall into the trap of wanting more and more.
In the end of this mystery saga no one really asked for we find out that this private jet scandal was, in actuality, one of many rentable photography sets in Los Angeles. In the end I do not think influencers should be getting death threats or so much hate they deactivate their social media because they decided to take a photo in a studio they paid for. Influencers jobs are to create the perfect image of themselves so that hey can sell themselves and their brand. I am also surprised at the fact that people still think that influencers posts are always real and credible and act like they discovered electricity when people expose them for being fake (it’s 2020 y’all come on). The downsides of this lying and deception used by influencers can be devastating in some cases but, I think a lot of it has to do with society as a whole accepting influencers as these holy tier beings and not as people who are their own business. As a society I think it is important to understand and teach others that not everything we see is real online and learn to question things before accepting them and making them part of ourselves too from politics to disasters to private jets photos. In order to combat this we need to be honest with ourselves as humans and make sure that younger generations learn how to navigate the internet safely and to be weary of making someone's reality your own personal goal.
To close I want to add a loosely interpreted quote from the film The Social Dilemma that I found interesting: Facebook and Twitter are only about 16~ years old and, comparatively, 16 years after the invention of automobiles we still didn't have seatbelts or emissions checks. As a society we haven't yet developed the seatbelts and emissions checks for social media and, until we do, there's no way to stop it. -Tristan Harris
