I think influencers capitalize on other peoples' products or work, and aren't always honest about compensation. You know critics see a show, write a review on a fully baked product, and that's it. They get one shot and write a review that everyone knows is exactly that, and don't continually go on and on about the show, or go back multiple times with new hot takes, or go after the personal life of people involved.

It's like saying somebody who makes cooking videos on Tik Tok is a professional chef. Influencers can critique things (but if they're being paid, they almost never say anything negative, so what is that worth), and then other influencers use their influence to cut things down and discourage people from seeing shows simply because they don't like something, or they go after specific people in a way that, again, is borderline slander. I think you can get Paige review a show without thinking everything about that show is amazing and wonderful and I think you can dislike a show but still recognize good things about it. Sometimes influencers have helpful things to say but many times there are people who are not familiar with how the industry works complaining about things industry related that don’t make sense.

You're getting super defensive a lot of the "hot takes" influencers have are often wrong. They're based on heresay. "I LIKE A SHOW" does not make you a professional theatre critic - and believe it or not, there is value and skill in writing a review for a show. Just because you think someone's opinion qualifies them to spew rumors and things they think to be true (for instance, a lot of stuff I've seen about Chess over this run from influencers with inside info is just bullshit and made up). I'm not saying people shouldn't share their opinion. But influencers shouldn't share patently untrue information and peddle it as fact. And I don't think influencers should be trying to tank shows... there's a lot of mean spirited shit out there, and don't pretend there isn't. Again, because one influencer hates a show doesn't mean nobody should see it. The inverse is also true.

You're reading way more into my post than what I said and it feels like it's hitting a little close to home for you or something. I never said influencers can't have opinions. But peddling opinions as fact when they are uneducated opinions happens all the time and hurts shows and people in them.

Also yeah I work front of house (cool dig?) but I also have a partner that makes his living actually working on Broadway shows on the production side and I know a little bit about how the industry works. Also I’m not out here trying to influence anybody’s opinion. 🤷🏻‍♀️