Arts

‘The D’Amelio Show’ displays the harsh reality of being an influencer in today’s society

Shira Zeiberg ’22, Outreach Manager|September 25, 2021

“The D’Amelio Show” came out on Sept. 3 on Hulu and has one season and eight episodes. Each episode is unique and discusses what life is like for the D’amelio family.

As Charli D’Amelio wakes up in her mansion in LA, she reaches for her phone and opens up her social media apps to her 123.6 million followers on TikTok and 43.5 million followers on Instagram, with the numbers continuing to grow. One by one, she reads through her millions of comments: “Why is she even famous?” “She doesn’t deserve anything she has,” “Not worth the hype.” That is the negative start of everyday for this 17 year old tik tok star, and her 20 year old sister Dixie D’Amelio featured in “The D’Amelio Show” on Hulu.

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I think this show is a must watch as it shows how things aren’t always as they seem, and to treat people with respect because you don’t know what they are going through.

— Shira Zeiberg '22

The eight part Hulu series features the D’amelio family and their lives as new influencers. Parents Marc and Heidi left their jobs in sportswear business and personal training to move the whole family from Connecticut to Los Angeles in order to grow their daughters’ fame. The family explains in the show that they don’t know how this all came to be. Charli then explains in her interview that she has no idea why she is popular and that she believes it was “right place and right time” or “a vibe she gave off” Charli said.
Though it may seem being a TikTok influencer is an easy job, it is not for this star. Charli has such a busy work week that the CEO of her corporation has to “squeeze in” time just for hanging out with friends or dancing: normal teenage things that are limited due to her fame. Charli struggles deeply with the amount of pressure on her and is trying to find balance, which can be seen throughout the show.
“I’ve had a constant anxiety attack for the past four years,” Charli said. “It’s very exhausting to do this and always wonder what’s going to happen next. If I’m gonna wake up and everyone’s gonna not like me again.”
Dixie is dealing with her own battles as well; she has suffered with anxiety disorder for most of her teen life and the hate is no cure. Dixie has been using her platform in a different way: to make music. She has put out some hit songs, however, the hate overrules the love in the feedback from her viewers.
She receives the most hateful comments such as “she is only famous because of her sister,” “she looks musty” and “her voice and music are awful”. I think this show is a must watch as it shows how things aren’t always as they seem, and to treat people with respect because you don’t know what they are going through.One scene in the show zooms in on her having a breakdown crying and her parents consoling her. “I’m trying everything I can to better myself, and it just gets worse,” Dixie said.
The D’amelio’s rise to fame was not as simple as it might seem. In the show, it can be seen how they navigate the millions of hate comments and obstacles that get thrown at them. The only critique I have is the repetition and lack of entertainment compared to other reality TV shows that use more drama and suspense.
However, each episode gives us different parts of their lives and how they have changed drastically over the years. The Hulu documentary’s purpose was to exhibit how one comment you write on someone’s page could have such a dramatic effect on someone’s life. I think this show is a must watch as it shows how things aren’t always as they seem, and to treat people with respect because you don’t know what they are going through.