“Heeeeeey,” Drew Afualo opens her TikTok movies. “We gotta discuss one thing hilarious,” adopted by her trademark giggle-laugh that strikes concern into each web misogynist.
The 26-year-old TikTok creator has made a reputation for herself by posting reactionary content material on the app. She pulls no punches when responding to misogyny and bigotry on-line — usually towards males hiding behind obscure usernames and nondescript profile photos — and subverts the concept taking the excessive street is the perfect and solely route. (It’s not.)
“I simply make enjoyable of horrible dudes on the web, which is an actual brief synopsis of it. The longer-form model could be that I primarily simply stick up for girls and lots of different marginalized teams,” she stated. “And switch the tables in the case of bigotry that’s so casually consumed on-line. It’s simply became a campaign, if you'll.”
Dubbed the “defender of ladies” by her followers — she has 7.7 million followers on TikTok — Afualo’s campaign has developed right into a cult following and her personal podcast aptly titled “The Remark Part With Drew Afualo.”
“Girls are anticipated to be quiet and calm within the face of any form of disrespect by any means. They're anticipated to take the excessive street each single time. ‘You need to be the larger individual. Why don’t you be elegant?’ That kind of mentality is rooted in misogyny,” she stated.
“For me, I’ve at all times discovered it odd when individuals are extraordinarily misogynistic, as a result of that’s not how I used to be raised.”
Afualo stated she has at all times been outspoken towards bullies. She detests when individuals “decide on others who would by no means swing.”
“I've an older sister and a youthful brother. Me being a center baby is sensible to lots of people too, as a result of center youngsters are typically essentially the most confrontational youngsters,” she stated. “I at all times really feel prefer it’s an consideration factor, too. We gotta present out or nobody’s gonna see me.”
Raised in a Samoan household from Southern California, Afualo grew up round sports activities her whole life, and her preliminary aim upon graduating school was to be an on-air sports activities expertise. She hustled because the sports activities editor for the College of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s pupil newspaper and labored for the varsity’s athletic division, making appearances at March Insanity, Pac-12 Convention video games and different massive sports activities occasions.
Regardless of sending reels, résumés and decks along with her clips to numerous employers, her first job after undergrad was in public relations for a building firm. A couple of years later, she landed a company function as a digital content material creator for the NFL.
“Once I lastly received my job there, I used to be like, ‘That is it for me. My life’s gonna take off. That is what I’ve at all times wished,’” stated Afualo, who was 23 on the time. “My expertise working there was lower than favorable. It was actually form of a nightmare. I used to be so disheartened, disillusioned as a result of I used to be like, ‘That is alleged to be my dream job. Why am I so unhappy on a regular basis?’”
And proper earlier than COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the world, Afualo was fired.
“The irony of me getting fired from there is among the causes they stated they fired me,” she stated. “They stated I couldn’t construct a platform. It seems I can.”
Then, the pandemic hit. A weird time when boredom and introspection coalesce, Afualo felt uncertain of the place she was going. Her boyfriend urged that she submit on TikTok for enjoyable, very similar to everybody else was doing. Afualo, who described herself as “solely a viewer” on the time, was hesitant.
“I believed I used to be too previous on the time. I hadn’t actually discovered anybody that was my age doing comedy or something like that, on the time. As soon as I actually received into it, I discovered many creators that I favored. It was simply one thing very nice to make use of as a inventive outlet,” Afualo stated. “I posted two movies in 2020, neither of which had something to do with my platform now. Then, I might say early 2021 is after I actually leaned into it. It simply completely exploded. Thank God now I do know that was by no means my dream job. That is my dream job. My goal in life is to do that.”
Her first TikTok video that turned an in a single day, viral success was a video she stitched — she mixed one other consumer’s video with one she created — about very particular pink flags in males. Afualo had a listing able to go, and elaborated simply sufficient.
“It invited a complete bunch of ladies and femmes who had been like, ‘That is so weirdly correct. I can’t imagine you knew that,’” she stated. “For instance, an apparent one I stated was if ‘The Wolf of Wall Road’ is his favourite film of all time. One other one which was extra obscure was if he’s obsessive about Tom Brady — not a Bucs fan or a Pats fan — however simply Tom Brady. He’s received issues.”
Regardless of the accuracy of her evaluation, Afualo was met with a wave of hate and accused of misandry. Fairly than shrinking away and turning her profile non-public, she cranked out 10 to 12 movies a day responding to the hateful feedback. Not solely did Afualo giggle on the stupidity, however she clapped again, crushing the expectation that girls and other people of colour ought to at all times reply to abuse or violence with composure and calm. That, she stated, is what made audiences begin listening to her.
“Misogyny and patriarchy brainwashes you into believing that you just’re going to be alone endlessly if you're loud, outspoken, assured, and know what you need,” stated Afualo, who was additionally posting movies about her boyfriend and the candy issues he was doing for her. “It brainwashes individuals into pondering that for those who don’t let males disrespect you, speak all the way down to you, or deal with you want rubbish, you’re gonna die alone — you gotta settle, otherwise you’re by no means going to search out anyone. Individuals actually noticed these two issues occurring without delay, and I’m residing proof that that’s not true.”
The following video that “actually kicked it into overdrive” was a video she made in regards to the archetypal “fitness center bros,” calling one consumer out for his internalized fatphobia, perpetuating the male gaze and propagating misogyny.
“My greatest followers!” she laughed sarcastically. “I used to be primarily defending males who are usually not constructed like that as a result of that’s who he was making enjoyable of. I made a video speaking about how consuming bland rooster isn’t going to persuade girls to be with you. This ‘fitness center bro’ tradition, aside from violent fatphobia, can also be simply this delusion that if I good my physique, I don’t want to fret about the rest, I don’t must have a character, I don’t have to be good. I don’t have to be respectful.”
Afualo was gaining 100,000 followers nearly each different day on the platform at that time. Whereas the web was new to Afualo’s character and clapbacks, her household at all times knew she had no drawback confronting others. Nevertheless, they didn’t understand her character would result in a full profession. Afualo attributes a few of her capability to craft a web-based neighborhood to astrology and the indicators.
She stated her Virgo solar is why she’s “so good at insulting individuals”; her Most cancers moon is why she’s at all times been pushed to guard others; and her Sagittarius rising signal ignites her combating spirit. But the most important affect for Afualo is her extremely supportive household. Her content material and character is reflective of the cultural values they’ve instilled in her.
“Girls are anticipated to be quiet and calm within the face of any form of disrespect by any means. They're anticipated to take the excessive street each single time. ‘You need to be the larger individual. Why don’t you be elegant?’ That kind of mentality is rooted in misogyny.”
- Drew Afualo
“Many Polynesian cultures are matriarchal, so that they heart, uplift and empower girls essentially the most,” Afualo stated, remarking that her dad has at all times elevated her mom, who empowered her and her siblings to be unbiased and to like themselves. “Girls in Samoan tradition are held in very excessive regard. They’re form of just like the solar of our household, like all of us orbit round them. That’s how I used to be raised.”
Afualo stated the truth that she will get to show individuals to Samoan tradition and its nuances is among the greatest elements of her platform. What she hopes her ascent indicators to Polynesian neighborhood members and her Samoan friends is that it's attainable to construct a life you need and want — and it doesn’t need to be predicated in your bodily look or capability. Her father, Tait, is a former NFL participant, and her grandfather, uncle, brother and boyfriend have all performed soccer. (American Samoans are overrepresented within the NFL for his or her proportional share of the U.S. inhabitants, in line with the Wall Road Journal.)
“Samoan individuals are so well-known for being such exceptional athletes, which is an excellent factor. However that’s actually the place it begins and stops. Once you ask individuals what’s their thought of Samoan individuals, they’re both soccer gamers, WWE wrestlers, or the Rock,” stated Afualo, noting that the Rock was each a wrestler and a soccer participant earlier than changing into a mainstream media star.
“That’s why somebody like him is so highly effective, as a result of he’s anyone who has transcended tradition,” she continued, “He’s been capable of attain audiences exterior of simply Polynesia. Usually what occurs with Polynesian creators and artists, it usually reaches Polynesia — and that’s it. I did an interview with a Samoan reporter for The Samoan Observer some time again, and she or he instructed me essentially the most highly effective factor about me is that I’ve been capable of transcend tradition with my humor.”
However visibility additionally features like a double-edged sword. Other than the onslaught of misogynistic movies males make about her, one of many greatest variations in Afualo’s life since becoming a member of TikTok is getting acknowledged in public, alongside along with her circle of relatives.
When she’s not on-line, the self-described “loud and proud Disney grownup” watches “Monsters Inc.” or “Ratatouille” to console her spirit. Not too long ago, Afualo has been venturing into hobbies that don’t contain social media. Her household does encourage her to step away from the cellphone to maintain herself sane, however the feedback accusing her of “being imply” are usually not what fazes Afualo.
What Afualo is extra involved about is criticism about her character, her integrity, her mind, and making certain that her feminism is intersectional. She additionally values constructive suggestions from viewers of marginalized backgrounds. As a rule, she is going to see movies of ladies — primarily white girls — relegating her to a “bully” and falsely equating her conduct to that of an aggressor, abuser or misogynist. They take up extra situation with how she responds to abuse than the abuse itself.
“99% of that critique comes from white individuals,” Afualo stated. “If you understand that your intersectional feminism is robust, then you definitely would perceive why I do it the way in which I do it. If life has taught us something, particularly with entry to social media inside the final three, 5 years alone, these individuals don’t pay attention. They don’t take heed to logic, cause, or emotion.”
She continued, “I might sit and cry and inform individuals why they shouldn’t say issues like that. You recognize what they might do? They’d giggle, name me emotional, name me a lady and say, ‘That’s what you all do.’ If that makes me the dangerous man, then so be it. No matter makes you shut up, that’s all that I care about. I’ve instructed individuals numerous instances that I’m not going to be good to you. I’ve instructed you for those who do that, then recreation on.”
As individuals all of a sudden lord their ethical superiority over Afualo, in the identical breath, they attempt to replicate and steal her content material. Afualo recalled that a few yr and a half in the past, one white feminine content material creator on TikTok stole her jokes, mannerisms, and her giggle, with out giving her credit score. The identical males who would accost Afualo on-line really applauded her impersonator.
“Racism performs an enormous function within the criticism of my content material and the individuals who don’t like how I do issues,” she stated. “What I seem like performs an enormous function. Racism is embedded in each system and on this nation. I used to be so upset, however on the identical time, I felt higher. As a result of I used to be proper.”
Nevertheless, for each impersonator and hater, Afualo receives 1000's of encouraging messages and testimonials about how her content material has positively impacted girls and femmes. She stated one of many excessive factors of her profession is attending to do her personal podcast.
“I get to platform those that possibly others haven’t heard of earlier than. I get to show individuals to all totally different sorts of creators. They arrive from all totally different walks of life, are totally different minorities, have totally different gender identities, totally different sexualities,” Afualo stated. “That’s one thing I really feel very obsessed with. It’s like persevering with to platform creators that may make a distinction for others, proper?”
Up to now, Afualo has chatted with content material creators like “Catfish: The TV Present” host Kamie Crawford, “The BBL Impact” pioneer Antoni Bumba, YouTube artist turned make-up mogul Jackie Aina and InStyle host Tefi Pessoa. Her hope for the longer term is that, in the future, she’ll be capable to return to her on-air roots, however in a manner that feels genuine to her.
“I might like to do a chat present. Attending to do extra respectable types of media on TV and even going into stuff like motion pictures, that’s what I’m gunning for,” she stated. “That’s like an enormous bucket checklist factor for me so hopefully, all of that's coming down the pipeline. I’m manifesting it.”
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