The Curious Case Of Baby Mama Discourse Online
Influencers are cultural behemoths of the digital age and their impact extends far beyond the social media haunts they frequent. See, digital creatives have effectively capsized traditional marketing and transformed the way multi-billion dollar brands connect with consumers.
This ability to transfix audiences through a mix of aspirational and motivational content has allowed many creators, specifically women of color, to reach economic heights once believed to be exclusive to highly-degreed careers or the ever-contentious Nepo babies. Regardless of how you feel about the creator economy as a whole, the influence of these women cannot be ignored.
So why is it that when these women are attached to rappers or professional athletes, all of their accolades get reduced to a mere byproduct of their partner’s success?
Any feats they accomplish are cloaked in the shadows of these men as if their influence and social prowess become less valuable because of who they are partnered up with.
Jayda Cheaves has been through this depletive ringer for the better part of a decade, constantly having her accomplishments attributed to her famous on again of again rapper boyfriend and the father of her son, Lil Baby. But to put it eloquently, Cheaves has always had motion. Her entrepreneurial journey started when she was just 16 and she allegedly touched a mil before she could even legally buy a drink.
So, calling her talentless or deeming her unworthy of her following and subsequent influence is not the humbling “gotcha” moment most people think it is.
If anything, her ability to monopolize her tangible influence into a multi-million dollar career, complete with not just brand collaborations but a thriving athleisure brand of her own, is a testament to her innate business capabilities.
Because, let’s be honest, the kept-woman route is an enticing life path for many as is, so these entrepreneurial endeavors are not wholly necessary unless it’s something these women are truly passionate about.
It’s not just faceless accounts and tea pages that are feeding into this misogynistic narrative that these women are talentless, though. Recently, rapper Toosii went on a rant disparaging rapper baby mamas, questioning why so many of them are famous and criticizing people who platform them.
The irony of this was quickly pointed out by many online because Toosii’s own baby mother, Samaria, is thriving online, accumulating nearly two million followers across platforms. The people love her! His tirade seemed like a projection of his own feelings of inadequacy when it came to the rise of Samaria’s star or others like her.
This idea that these women are “famous for nothing” implies that influencers without famous partners are somehow more worthy of their successes. But there are plenty of women with famous partners who enjoy their cushy lifestyles in the embracing shadows of private social media accounts.
Becoming an influencer is an intentional act that takes time and commitment, just like any other (admittedly privileged) career.
In any other context, disparaging a woman’s career success because of who she has had a child with would be quickly clocked for its misogynistic overtone.
But when it comes to WAGs, projections arrive in droves, and suddenly, it’s ok to minimize every aspect of their life to the achievements of their current or previous partners.
This is not to say proximity to fame doesn’t impact one’s ability to build a following, but to use the relationship status of these women to squander the very real influence they have is… odd.
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