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What makes an influencer?
Why everyday voices — not follower counts — shape culture and conversation...
Tegan Lerm
September 08, 2025
Scrolling TikTok recently, I came across this video from Jamaal Burkmar, who has quickly become one of my favourite creators. He poses thought-provoking questions and digs into topics most others shy away from.
The context: Rolling Stone had just released their “25 Most Influential Creators of 2025” list — a line-up of streamers, podcasters, OnlyFans models and TikTok megastars (apparently) shaping culture right now. Without getting into the details (you can go down that rabbit hole yourself), Mr Beast (ranked 7th) tweeted this about Caleb Hearon (ranked 6th), which sparked online discourse about who really deserves to be called “influential.”
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Yes, it’s cringe…