The Rise to Fame: An Interview with Joely Live

Joely Live, a close friend of mine and someone I work with all day, everyday for Young Hollywood, answered some of my questions to help explain how TikTok has completely transformed the immediate rise to fame that so many TikTokers have experienced. Joely is a host and producer at Young Hollywood, as well as a model and influencer (@JoelyLive). She has interviewed TikTok’s biggest stars, in addition to huge household names like Dua Lipa, Shaq, Saweetie, Migos, Zendaya, the cast of 'Riverdale' and 'Outer Banks,' and the list goes on and on. She has taught me so much about the world of social media and content creation, so there is no one better or more experienced to provide insight.

Source: Joely Live (Instagram) Young Hollywood Host + Producer

How much time do you spend on TikTok a day?

"Not going to lie, I spend way too much time on TikTok. When I wake up, I usually check TikTok and scroll for about 10 minutes or so. Then, throughout the day I try to post actual videos; so I would say that takes up another hour of my time. By the end of the day, I usually get caught up watching Tiktoks in bed for at least 30 minutes or closer to an hour. Plus, TikTok is part of my job so I would throw on two extra hours. My screen time is seven hours a day and I would say half is spent on Instagram and the other half on TikTok."

What’s your most used social media app for consuming or posting content?

"I use Instagram the most for posting, only because I feel like that is most important for my job. I really, really want to be a big host and for that, I feel like I need a really solid Instagram presence, which is basically like a 2021 version of a highlight reel of your work. I also love posting outfit pics on Instagram, so I’ve got to dedicate time to that!"

As someone who has over 700k followers on TikTok and over 4.5 million likes, do you feel pressure to be constantly pushing out content?

"Oh my gosh, YES. The pressure of 700k followers does not get to me in the sense that I NEED to post, but more so, the pressure of living in LA and trying to "make it” out here creates SO MUCH pressure to make sure I am posting. I feel the most pressure to post on TikTok out of all the apps I use… not because of the followers I have, but because TikTok is the biggest app to use to grow your other social platforms and gain a ton of followers fast."

What kind of things can TikTok users do to rise into TikTok fame? Does it take a certain type of personality?

"For TikTok, ANYONE and I mean anyone can get "TikTok" famous if they make one good video. For advice that I would give... coming from my content that really is solely based on creating content with other big users, if you know there is a trending topic or an unanswered question, make a TikTok related to a trend and LEAVE IT UNANSWERED. The internet loves a good scandal or something to comment on. Comments will make or break your TikTok fame. Yes, post any random content you want, but if you want to make it big on TikTok, my advice: stir up that comment section. I personally don't think it takes any certain kind of personality but I would say that I think you need to be creative and willing to really share yourself on socials. The more you express about yourself, even if it is really revealing, that is the content that blows up. People love real, especially when they can judge you for it."

On your page, you post a variety of different TikToks, from participating in trends, to interviews with talent, to showcasing makeup and fashion- what kind of content proves to perform the best?

"LOL, interviews. I always tell my mom, no one cares about me, they only care about the TikTokers I am with- which is very true. If I post a video with one of TikTok’s biggest creators, without fail, it will blow up. If I post one with just me, it flops. It drives me a little insane because it's like wtf but hey, at least I have viral ones on there lol. I talk to my best friend Dana before every single TikTok I post. We talk about how to word it perfectly so it blows up... we are a good team and it seems to work every time. It is VERY fun to watch a TikTok blow up.

Even though my best TikToks are with TikTokers, my favorites to post are TikToks talking about my love life... even though people don't love them as much as I do."

What social media platform influences you the most? (Fashion, makeup, trends, music, etc)

"This is an awesome question. COVID completely changed my life in many ways but one way is TikTok - which is insane. More people used TikTok so it became THE app vs. just a cringe app. It completely affected my entire life. A bit dramatic, yes, but true. There were so many dope girls with stye, makeup hacks, etc. I am not kidding when I say this: I buy every single thing I wear, clothes, makeup, hair, accessories, ALL because of my TikTok For You Page."

How has TikTok changed the way that people can become celebrities/ “famous"?

"Every day on the job I think about it, and as crazy as it is, TikTokers, or "influencers," bring the biggest numbers. If you are on a show like ‘Outer Banks’ or ‘All American,’ sure, you will get hella views… but Noah Beck, Addison Rae, Charli D'Amelio, they bring the numbers. They run the world, the social media world, and that is who everyone wants to see. I think TikTok really is making the next generation of One Direction’s, Paris Hilton's, Dua Lipa's. That is my opinion anyways... but when I text Dana about content we should post, we go with a TikToker before someone like Saweetie because we know with our fanbase, at least, that will drive more likes."

"I think that TikTok changed the entire world. How people think, act, make a living, and how we communicate with one another. It brings people together in insane ways and takes them apart. TikTok basically solved Gabby Petito's murder and figured out Kylie Jenner was pregnant. TikTok is a powerhouse."

If something were to happen and TikTok no longer existed, do you think that the people made famous on the app would still be able to stay relevant and how?

"If TikTok went away, I think the world would be a completely different place. I think the people who would stay at the status they are currently would be: Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, Addison Rae, and Noah Beck. Personally, whether they are huge or not, I think everyone else would sizzle out... at different rates, yes, but they would be down. The people I listed would stay relevant because they have more followers than a lot of people on the planet and they are too famous to go back now. They don't need TikTok to carry them anymore, they carry themselves."

Why do you think people love to hate on TikTok stars so much?

"I think people love to hate on TikTok stars so much because they are rich, famous, and seem to have the perfect lives for posting 15 second dance videos. If you put Noah Beck behind a TikTok screen, sit him in a random college class, and have him look at Noah Beck's life from the outside, he'd probably have a couple hate comments for himself too. I also think people are bored... TikTok is a very wild place."

What is it about the influencers who come up off TikTok today that makes them so popular? Do you think they would be as famous without having used TikTok? Were they destined for fame or just a product of their circumstances?

"I think what makes TikTok people so famous is because it is addicting to dive into someone else's life that's different from our own. I do it. Girls who are unreal and have great fashion sense, I stalk them a ton… not because I don't want to be me, but because I love their vibes and their style. People feel that same way about Noah, Charli, Addison; we are the reason they are famous because we can't stop watching. What makes them popular I think always comes down to looks. Certain people like certain looks but I think what originally created who is big is #1 their looks, #2 their content, #3 how cringe they are. I personally don't think any of them would be famous if they didn't use TikTok. I think a lot of TikTok is pure luck. Look at it this way: look at some of the biggest TikTokers’ lives before they got TikTok famous and just think if they hadn't used TikTok, would they have been able to achieve 40+ million followers from what their life was day to day pre-TikTok? Not saying it would be impossible, but just think of it that way."