“The Face” of Black Content
When we think of some of the most popular Tik Tok dances- The Renegade, Savage, Corvette Corvette- who comes to mind? Most of us will say Charlie D’Amelio or Addison Rae- some of Tik Tok’s biggest stars. It is interesting that our brains likley picture one of these white females performing the dances. Although these girls dance this movement well, they are so far from the cultural and social roots of this movement. So why, when thinking of these trending dances, don’t we picture the people who created these phrases or the community from which this movement stems…why don’t we picture dancers of color?
“The Hype House”- Some of the most popular Tik Tok Creators including Charlie and Addison.
To give you context, all three of these dances mentioned above were created by black bodies. The Renegade was created by a 14-year-old dancer named Jalaiah Harmon, Savage was originally choreographed by Keara Wilson, and Corvette Corvette was created by @yvnggprince (black male creator who does not expose his real name). These dances were not only created by black dancers, but embody movement rooted in black dance practices. But, for some reason, black creators and the black community get little credit on Tik Tok. For example, take a look at the “most popular” videos when pulling up the sound for the Renegade dance.
We have to scroll through nearly 50 videos before we find a person of color doing this dance.
This has everything to do with Tik Tok’s algorithm.
The algorithm decides who sees what videos, what videos “go viral,” and therefore what “the face” is of that particular trending Tik Tok dance. Although it is very hard for us to decode the algorithm, we know it has to do (*mainly) with one thing- money. And what is going to make the most money? A person who follows society’s beauty standard. So, bluntly put, you must be white to be highlighted in media, and because media determines the beauty standard, this creates a never ending cycle that reinforces “the universal love of white baby dolls, Shirley Temple, and Maureen Peals” (Morrison). Its a circular fallacy of representation that serves as a constant reminder that white means beauty. The cycle erases colored bodies from being popularized or even seen in their own cultural dance practices, making the tik toks even more vulnerable to appropriation.
I have not come on hear to bash on some of Tik Tok’s famous white creators. Many of them have good intentions, and their ability to make dance more accessible through social media has allowed for the joy of dance to spread across the globe. But, as these white users wish to engage in black culture, they must do so in a sensitive and selfless way.
Black users have the right to “continue to express ill effects of cultural appropriation they see online” in hopes of educating the media on the meaning and origins of the dances they are viewing and imitating (Walk-Morris). There has been efforts to try to make white viewers aware of the overwhelming role of African American creators and culture play in the creations of Tik Toks. In July of 2021, Black creators went on stike to protest a lack of credit for their work. They refused to make any dances until credit was given to where credit was due. But, this protest was not as effective as many hoped.
Right now, Tik Tok is a place where black content is only valuable when appropriated by white bodies- but it doesn’t have to be this way. As a society, we must work to emphasize meaning within movement and redistribute power in media.
Ideas stem from Bell Hooks’ Cultural Critism and Transformation, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and “Tik Tok’s Ditgital Blackface Problem” by Tatiana Walk-Morris.
