Kris Collins is surrounded by rubber ducks.
It started last summer when fans began sending her ducks. The bath toys arrived by the hundreds, then the thousands. At first it made for , but eventually the gag ran its course and now Collins is stuck living with what she figures is around 5,000 rubber ducks.
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 know what to do with them,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淗onestly, I have some on my counter right now. They乌鸦传媒檙e everywhere.乌鸦传媒�
This is the surreal life of the Abbotsford native and TikTok star , who has become the most famous Canadian you乌鸦传媒檝e never heard of.
In April 2020, Collins was stuck at home unable to operate her hair styling business in the early days of B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 COVID-19 lockdown. Her brother suggested she download the video app and within days she was hooked.
Collins乌鸦传媒� first video, which for living unemployed at her parent乌鸦传媒檚 home, was posted April 9. She kept it up and was soon updating her feed with a new video every day.
Nearly a year later, Collins has over 23-million followers, posted almost 1,000 videos and is building a new career as a social media comedian.
And if this sounds bizarre, that someone would find stardom while locked down in their parent乌鸦传媒檚 basement suite, then it乌鸦传媒檚 also not lost on the 24 year old.
乌鸦传媒淚f you told me this a year ago I would have slapped you across the face,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淏ut it乌鸦传媒檚 grown. I乌鸦传媒檝e created these characters and accumulated this community. It just feels like family now.乌鸦传媒�
Collins乌鸦传媒� timing turned out to be impeccable. Her brand of sketch comedy, which relies on simple but well-written re-occurring character, has thrived within the one-minute limits of TikTok videos that viewers have become addicted to during the pandemic.
American comedian went viral with her lip-synching of former President Donald Trump, which led to a Netflix special. found fame as a meme after posting a video of herself drinking kombucha for the first time. Even Hollywood stars such as have embraced the app.
Online personalities finding mainstream success is not a new phenomenon. Canadian launched a YouTube channel in 2010, which has led to a bestselling book and a late-night talk show on NBC.
Darren Blakeborough, an assistant professor of media studies at the University of Fraser Valley, says the accessibility of online platforms and stories like nine-year-old , who was YouTube乌鸦传媒檚 top earner in 2020 with $29.5 million, are a seductive to people who want fame and the wealth that follows.
That乌鸦传媒檚 easier said than done, but Blakeborough thinks Collins has found success because her comedy is genuine at a time when viewers need a laugh.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e all looking for an escape from whatever this is that we乌鸦传媒檙e doing right now,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淭he thing I love about comedy is it乌鸦传媒檚 not just an escape. It can be an escape, but it can also joke and critique and interrogate those things that are giving you anxiety.乌鸦传媒�
Collins乌鸦传媒� comedy relies on she thinks her viewers will relate to.
There乌鸦传媒檚 Janet, the tired mom of precocious Riley, and Katrina, who Collins says is inspired by a tough Russian woman whose hair she used to cut. Noisy neighbour Deborah, a more recent addition, is based off an incident when Collins says her real neighbour caught her filming from the roof.
Each character also has a signature prop. Chad, for example, wears a pair of wraparound sunglasses, while the kids each have their own toques to use with a pair of tiny hands. Collins says most of the props she uses have been sent by fans.
乌鸦传媒淚 had an optometrist send me like 50 pairs of recycled glasses one time and somebody just knitted me like 20 toques,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淚 think that乌鸦传媒檚 so fun that I can use the stuff that my followers think I could use.乌鸦传媒�
Her fans haven乌鸦传媒檛 just sent props.
In September, Collins was doing a livestream when a fan asked if TikTok was her full-time job. It wasn乌鸦传媒檛, she was still working as a part-time stylist, but that night donations started flooding in, which led to a the next day from a visibly stunned Collins.
By December she had enough income to quit cutting hair. TikTok is now her career 乌鸦传媒� and it乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of work.
A typical day for Collins starts with meetings (she recently started her own merchandise company), followed by time set aside to brainstorm ideas. Then she spends hours writing scripts for the videos, which she films and posts every day.
And that乌鸦传媒檚 just for TikTok. She乌鸦传媒檚 also started a YouTube channel and has begun streaming on Twitch as well.
乌鸦传媒淚 always looked at people who did this kind of stuff and was like, 乌鸦传媒楾hat乌鸦传媒檚 the easiest job ever.乌鸦传媒� This is the hardest job I乌鸦传媒檝e ever had,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 the coolest job I乌鸦传媒檝e ever had, but it乌鸦传媒檚 all you. You乌鸦传媒檝e got to put the effort in if you want to succeed. It乌鸦传媒檚 a crazy day that sometimes doesn乌鸦传媒檛 end until midnight, but I乌鸦传媒檓 so happy doing it.乌鸦传媒�
Whereas YouTube and Twitch allow creators to monetize their channels, TikTok doesn乌鸦传媒檛 offer that option in Canada.
Creators can, however, make money with sponsorship deals. Collins has worked with shoe and makeup brands and is open to more partnerships, but she乌鸦传媒檚 also leery of advertising that will turn away her audience. It has to feel authentic, or she乌鸦传媒檚 not interested.
乌鸦传媒淚 understand a lot of creators need to make money and I completely respect that, and viewers should respect that as well. But there is a point where it乌鸦传媒檚 just like, OK, are you on here to make money or are you on here because you enjoy it and you actually like doing this. That乌鸦传媒檚 where I try to draw the line.乌鸦传媒�
Her audience has also respected when Collins has drawn more personal lines as well.
Collins is frank about her mental health, both in conversation and in her videos. Comedy, she says, is a coping mechanism. Sometimes that makes her depression and anxiety of a video. Other times, she has filmed herself .
That乌鸦传媒檚 led to with her fans.
乌鸦传媒淚 have now 23-million people looking at me, waiting for things, hoping that it乌鸦传媒檚 going to be good enough,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淚 put that pressure on myself. I乌鸦传媒檝e made posts where it乌鸦传媒檚 just like, 乌鸦传媒楬ey guys, I乌鸦传媒檓 not doing that great,乌鸦传媒� and everybody乌鸦传媒檚 like, 乌鸦传媒楾ake a break.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
But until the pandemic ends, and Collins can actually meet her fans, she has a difficult time make sense of her burgeoning fame.
There乌鸦传媒檚 no autograph signings, no red carpets, no obvious trappings of her success. Is Collins famous? It probably depends on who you ask, and what apps are on their phone.
乌鸦传媒淚 feel like I乌鸦传媒檓 just a weirdo in my basement making videos and people are enjoying them,乌鸦传媒� she says. 乌鸦传媒淚 think Angelina Jolie is famous. I think I am internet famous.乌鸦传媒�
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| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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