Alix Earle Talks "Alix Earle Effect" And Opens Up About The Hate She Receives Online

You're a rare specimen if Alix Earle has never graced your TikTok feed. The blonde bombshell has taken over the platform, earning the title of "It Girl." The 22-year-old isn't just a pretty face – she's a hard worker and earned her degree in marketing this year from the University of Miami's Herbert Business School.

Earle was initially known for her former romance with Yankee player Tyler Wade (I didn't even know who he was until Earle), but later skyrocketed on TikTok because of her funny and unfiltered videos. Earle didn't bother with making curated content. Instead, she showed off her messy room, shared her situationships with fans on her "Get Ready With Me's," and showcased herself putting on a retainer at a club so her broken tooth didn't fall out – you get it. Unlike other influencers, Earle comes off as more authentic.

Her influence has become a force to be reckoned with. In one video, she shared with her fans how obsessed she was with one of the portable lights she got from Amazon. Soon after, the audience called it the "Alix Earle light," and the product sold out on the website. This phenomenon is known as the #AlixEarleEffect: If she buys and talks about any product, many will purchase it, with a chance it'll be listed as "sold out."

"That was when I started to realize the impact of things after I say something," Earle recalled.

Her success came with a lot of love...and hate. Subreddits dedicated to criticizing Earle's every move continue to grow: r/EalixEarleSnark and r/AlixEarleSnarky are just a few examples. When the influencer was asked about the hostility she's received, she told Elle it's been strange "to see people talk about me as if I’m not able to see the videos or read the comments. I’m sitting right there on my phone scrolling." It's sad how easy it is for internet users to forget they're saying words that could leave a long-lasting and negative impression.

She added, "I’m putting myself out there, so people are allowed to have their own opinions....I care about their constructive criticism, but not so much the hate."

One example of said constructive criticism was when Earle promoted clothing that she obviously wasn't into. "A lot of my followers were saying that they knew I didn’t like the outfits I was promoting, and they could tell because they know me," she admitted. "I realized that you can’t just be taking things as a money grab. I don’t like to promote anything unless it’s something I like, or that I think my followers would like. That was a big turning point in how I looked at things business-wise."

"I realized that you can’t just be taking things as a money grab."

Earle has also received backlash for her "unfair fame," with some attributing her stardom to being conventionally attractive, white, and blonde. Some black women have reportedly been asking, "Where's our Alix Earle"? According to Elle, many wonder why it's so difficult for black content creators to go viral for their "relatability." Earle's endorsement of a black-founded brand (Mielle Organics) led to its selling out, but POCs on TikTok also expressed their disappointment with its "gentrification" due to her promoting it.

"I always want to uplift other creators and support them, and help them in any way I can. There are a ton of other creators that I’m friends with and I met through work, which has been really cool," Earle shared. "I don’t know, I never really think of things like that too much. I just want to support everyone and lift them up, and do what other creators did for me when I was starting out, reposting or sharing my stuff, giving me advice."

"I always want to uplift other creators and support them."

Whether or not Earle's success is due to her "privilege" is debatable, but you cannot deny her authenticity, positivity, and confidence have played a big role in her success. It's these strengths that helped her shine naturally on (and off) camera. "It’s not the negative comments that bother me, but the ones that just aren’t true. You can’t control everything and what everyone thinks," Earle said. "It’s really just about being happy offline, and then you can be yourself online."

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