Alix Earle rose to fame in early 2022 with her “Get Ready With Me” videos, clothing hauls, and “Day In My Life” videos on TikTok.
She was a college student at the University of Miami, and it looked like she had the perfect college experience. It was hard to see her in a different light than a stereotypical, rich girl influencer.
Then on Sept. 21, 2023, Earle released a podcast called “Hot Mess with Alix Earle.” She used her platform to talk about meaningful topics that she experienced and that so many women could relate to. Topics on the podcast include eating disorders, relationships, mental health, the ups and downs of college life and more.
It’s hard to see beyond the screen and realize your favorite influencer is a real-life person going through their own struggles. Podcasts have opened up a new world for audiences to connect with influencers they’re inspired by beyond a 60-second TikTok. It allows them to connect on a raw level with these people they otherwise wouldn’t know.
Although topics like mental health are more openly discussed amongst our generation, there is still stigmatization. It’s nice hearing Earle, who has a platform, share her experiences with anxiety and different mental health struggles. It lets us who don’t live a life like hers know that she’s just like us, and we’re like her.
Photographer: Madison Perkins // Models: Cassidy Dice, Mona Obeidat // Stylists: Livy Walleck, Maria Melucci
So many women respond with support of what Alix goes through and also comment on how she had made others feel seen through her episodes.
@mariagg123 on Youtube said, “Never resonated with an influencer so much. It feels like you’re my best friend and we’ve shared exactly the same experiences. Thank you for being like an older sister … you’re so real. Your life seems so perfect but you’re insanely relatable and so down to earth.”
@kaelawhitfield3543 on YouTube said, “You’re an absolute saint for sharing your story. Thank you for the vulnerability, I can totally relate right now. Had me in tears so thank you.”
As a woman who’s gone through the impacts of the media on our mental health, Earle referenced her overcoming her struggles with food and how she experienced that during high school during episode 3, “Overcoming My Eating Disorder”. Those issues are something many women go through and are normalized because there are so many girls doing those same damaging habits.
Earle referenced how her whole friend group had struggles with eating so it became second nature for her to take part in that, but how college and her friends really helped her realize that it shouldn’t be like that.
A strong-knit support system can really help with dealing with and overcoming your mental battles and other issues you face. It resonates with me because I never had that support system until college. Now seeing Earle talk about how college has made her open up, become stronger mentally, and care about so many more people is inspiring for someone who watches her podcast
It’s refreshing to see an influencer come out with content like “Hot Mess with Alix Earle.” She’s gained new supporters through her podcast and has opened people up to see what an influencer’s platform can be used for.
Alix Earle continues to come out with podcast episodes. To listen to “Hot Mess with Alix Earle,” you can find her through the platforms Bitly and Youtube.
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