Netflix’s The Influencer should be called “The Deinfluncer” because of how terrible it is for a reality show. I’m already not the biggest fan of reality shows, but not only does this one not deliver on the drama that they’re so popular for, but it also doesn’t manage to teach us anything about influencing. But, hey, maybe there are a couple of Korean influencers I might go check out after watching this show, so in that sense, it might have somewhat succeeded. The first four episodes that dropped altogether didn’t even allow us enough time to learn about everyone on the show because it started off with 77 participants, which then got drastically cut down to 30. It’s a similar formula to the highly successful Physical 100, and the resemblance is uncanny, despite the completely unique subjects. Anyway, here I thought, “how bad can another three episodes be?” and then realized what disaster looks like.
Who Are The Top 4 Influencers?
The Influencer episode 5 begins with the rest of the photo challenge. As suspected, the first round was won by Jang Geun-Suk and MyBoo. A masterstroke was to grab attention by putting text on their picture. This obviously gets all the other pairs to try the same in the next round. The losing team is, as expected, the two people who might not have made it to that round at all, DaeDoSoGwan and DoHwaDoRi. Ironically, their superstimulating picture didn’t stimulate anybody. Unfortunately for Jang Geun-Suk, MyBoo’s plan for round two has the opposite effect, apparently objectifying the woman’s body doesn’t work as they thought it would in this day and age, but the winning picture is a comical one by Bbogumi and PaniBottle. I think this turn of events was quite a highlight in hindsight. In the final round, it’s Yong-Jin’s plan that doesn’t work, and I’m not going to lie, I was quite happy to see him go, but unfortunately, this means bye-bye for Eun-Ji, who has to leave because of his stupid strategies.
In the next stage of The Influencer, the top 8 have to sit at a round table, which is actually an octagon, and compete with each other for hashtags and then also have debates. This was honestly the most boring of the episodes, watching these influencers try to grab each other’s attention so they can get votes for which hashtag works for them best. Like, the whole idea is so meta that it’s giving me a mini existential crisis, and not in a good way. The first person to go is Junwoo, and no, I don’t remember who he is and what he does as an influencer. Also, this whole bit really made me realize how this show is not meant for a global audience who doesn’t know anything about these people, because it really doesn’t do anything to make you want to follow them; in fact, it might have the opposite effect on you, making you realize that what they do is basically just for numbers. I guess this doesn’t apply to the top 3 because we see them interacting with their fans and whatnot, but until then, it’s rather bleak.
The next round for the top 7 is a comments contest, and Kejimin loses this one, while Jang Ji-Sou manages to get 15K comments with a picture of his cat. I mean, fair enough, but who is this dude, and where did he come from? Eventually, the competition is between Risabae and Juice Seyeon, and they have to play a sort of guessing game to see which video has more views, and it’s Risabae who wins by putting her all in. It’s a genius move because she uses her influencer brain to figure out which of Juice’s videos did better. So, the top 4 of the competition are Risabae, Oking, PaniBottle, and Jang Ji-Sou.
Who Is The Winner?
The final round to decide the winner is live stages. There are more rounds within this final round too, where one person gets eliminated from the show and then the other three compete. It’s basically like one of those music festivals where you’ve got different artists, and as an audience, you can go wherever you like. So, basically, the person who gets the most people to come watch them is the winner. The second round is a little bit different, and in that case, the person with the most comments ends up winning the $300 million.
In all honesty, the only stage I enjoyed watching from under my sheets, at home in bed, was Risabae’s, not because her content is something I would be interested in, but because you can see her charming the audience with the way she talks and with the guests she brings on. Yes, it’s strategy, but it’s also plain fun. On the other hand, everyone knows Oking is the most popular of the lot, especially with young people. The other two are quite stuck, and right from the start you know they don’t stand a chance, which is why it then becomes just a competition between the top two, even though we’re watching four people battle it out. The first person to go is Jang Ji-Sou, who barely gets a fraction of the audience to watch him “expose” the show he’s on.
What I don’t understand is how it is fair for the participants to bring on guests for the final round. This obviously puts some people at an advantage over others. However, it’s only Risabae who uses a guest, a true influencer, choreographer, and dancing sensation, Aiki. Now, here’s an influencer I know of. In the final round, Oking decides to pretend to be a politician, whereas Risabae recreates K-pop sensation Jennie from Blackpink’s makeup, which is of course a massive success, and PaniBottle hands out alcohol and snacks for free, but it doesn’t work the way he expects it to. Additionally, they’ve got a “fever time” where each comment gets counted as double. Each of the influencers gets 5 minutes at any given time within the one hour of the round to use this fever time. The episode drags on for too long, and ultimately, between the three, one influencer emerges as the winner. This is Oking, who defeats Risabae by 3%.
I suppose popularity is truly what makes an influencer, and it doesn’t matter how you grab that attention; whatever field you are in, seeking attention is your biggest goal. Oh, maybe I did learn something from this show after all. With that said, I’m glad to say goodbye to The Influencer, and if it does end up coming back, I hope it’s far more interesting.
