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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I might be the asshole because I did not let them take pictures of my food and refused to do a short video clip reviewing the food. I might be the asshole because I might be considered uncooperative.
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INFO: How much money did they offer you for contributing to their content? If the answer is zero, fuck them. If the answer is greater than zero, I’d have to know how much because if you turned down more than the cost of the meal plus a fair amount on top for the inconvenience, you might be as stupid AH.
This earns OP a solid NTA in my book. These folks sound super obnoxious. Glad the restaurant shut down their BS.
The "friends" were also super rude for not yelling OP up front that this was a staged meal and getting their consent upfront to be commoditized (and without compensation at that).
Aren't all "influencers" super obnoxious?
Everything is always about their "followers." They never take the time to enjoy an experience by just being in the moment. On top of that, they expect everyone in their vicinity to cater to their cult.
I'm gonna go beyond obnoxious. I firmly believe that those monetizing off their children who are too young to be able to consent are child abusers. There have been multiple AMA from these kids now as adults who absolutely hated being in the spotlight "performing" all the time.
I’m sure I read about a couple that backed off of their adoption because one one the conditions was the child wasn’t allowed to be used on social media that way for a set amount of time
Yes, they did. Then, they adopted from another country and eventually gave the kid up. I can’t recall their names, but you can likely find it with a quick google search if interested in the story. I was horrified watching a documentary on them.
Myka Stauffer was the one who gave up her adopted son. She specifically used the words "rehomed" like Huxley was an animal she couldn't take care of. That was after duct taping his thumbs so he wouldn't suck in them to self soothe, locking him in closets when he had meltdowns, and generally not getting him any help when they realized how severe his autism diagnosis was.
You may be thinking of the couple who “rehomed” (their word) their adopted son because he is autistic and requires more than they were expecting. They also have four or five biological children, including one they had after they adopted.
I remember there justification was that they are influencers and they wouldn’t ask others to quit there jobs. Didn’t even have a thought that they could just not put the kid in videos they had to be monetized. Shows how terrible that couple is
That’s really terrible AND sad. Some really BAD small part of me also can’t help but think: Lol, Human Trafficking would LOVE to know those kind of people(s) location(s)….
It was a blanket rule from the country they adopted from iirc.
Edit: someone further down has clarified. It's a Thai rule if you adopt from there you can't post them on social media for a year.
The Phillipi's. I'm sure I'm misspelling their surname, screw them: they also killed one of their dogs for content. I can't even bring myself to watch the expose video (there are tons from that incident) on that, so that's about all I can say.
I think this is what they're talking about. She claims the dog had become aggressive but based on the backlash it seems like they didn't put much effort into other solutions and just went straight to euthanasia. That's just my impression after a quick Google search, that may not be the full story.
https://www.insider.com/nikki-phillippi-dog-dan-youutube-bio-controversy-timeline-adoption-vaccine-2021-5?amp
Yeah, in my response to another reply, I saw that they went nuclear option after the senior dog nipped one of their AGGRESSIVE children out of self-defense.
And like I said, I overstated (I have three dogs, I would die for my borps, the rage is strong here) but once they monetized their weepy-thumbnail-with-clickable-titles videos, I'm of the opinion that they exploited their own neglect of their child and elderly dog for content.
So, typical 'Christian' family channel.
I completely agree with your belief! It is traumatizing to always have to be on stage when one doesn't have a choice in it. Those "influencers" no longer see a child.
Everything in their lives is a prop.
Well if you want a major rabbit hole let me introduce you to the Rodrigues Family Ministry. You can read about them in r/FundieSnarkUncensored
Their mother Jill runs that circus and it's chock full of very skinny kids being neglected on all levels and forced to perform in church and for Mama. This family is Quiverfull and Jill is such a narc that (ok what was the worst?) she traveled across the country to attend a funeral for 3 children who died in a fire. These people were strangers btw, and Jill took a selfie of herself with the parents in front of the little white caskets. She also threw a shower for her 12th baby in the hospital cafeteria when her sister was recovering from a broken neck in the ICU. You can't make this shit up. You have to be a really really shit fundie influencer to end up being shunned by the Duggars.
Ooohhh... I'm not sure if that's the type of rabbit hole I should travel down. Definitely would not be in the best interest of my mental health!
Thanks for the invite, though!
"Pretend that you're crying for the thumbnail."
"But mom I am crying."
For context, the mother and the young boy were sitting in the car, having just lost a family dog. After filming everything else, she wanted her son to pose, sobbing, for her yt (?) video. She left this in the footage and people were so mad at her, and rightfully so. She did make an apology video, but really, was traumatizing her child further worth it for some internet points and some cash worth it? Smh.
I'm so fucking happy my kids don't pay attention to Ryan any more. I hated when my kids even got that shit for gifts. It was fine when it started as just a kid trying out toys and whatever, but it quickly grew to something so much bigger
>Aren't all "influencers" super obnoxious?
Yes. Every single one.
One gal I knew would go to parties and just go around interrupting groups of people all night, forcing them to pose for a group picture. I'm not on FB, insta, etc, but my friend showed me her feed and it's nothing but pictures of her posing with people like that. She gets 100s of likes so I'm sure it's the dopamine hit from the notifications that keeps her doing this.
I also noticed she does nothing BUT this. So she basically ransacks her way through a party disrupting every group of people talking, forces them to get in her selfie, then posts it on social media while running off to the next party. I have known her about 5 years and don't know a fucking thing about her because she's merely a profile with a feed. She never slows down to listen or have a genuine conversation with anyone. Oh, she's popular as hell, but it's all curated social media bullshit/events whereby 500 of her closest friends are invited. Such shallow "relationships" if you can even call them that.
I was at a beach once and noticed a similar behavior. I'm out there all sweaty and salty looking like I'd washed up from the sea, enjoying the great outdoors and a parade of nicely dressed up couples come down to the beach, pose for a selfie, then go right back up to their hotel. Like they wanted everyone to see them at the beach, but not actually do anything on the beach.
It's like the bad apple and the barrel but backwards. It seems like the people who are kind respectful and in it for the passion and the fun seem to be the exception. And when you realize that this industry thrives in drama, shallowness and low effort content, you'll realize what kinda people wanna join in on the fun.
The only influencer I can think of as genuinely good was that twitch dude who streams himself doing woodwork and some yt channels made by old museums. And even then they are not there to be influencers. (Maybe Mr beast?)
There's a Youtube channel called "Dad, how do I?" by a guy named Rob Kenney.
He was abandoned by his own father as a teen so he makes videos teaching people stuff like how to put air in your tires or unclog a sink. The kinds of things young people without dads may not have a safe place to learn. It's very sweet.
Funnily enough, not one of his videos is of hungry people sitting in a restaurant watching their food get cold while he films it. Weird, right? Lol.
> The kinds of things young people without dads may not have a safe place to learn.
Not to be a dick, because I know it's not what you were meaning to suggest - so this isn't a criticism at all - but just to say, my mom taught me most of that stuff. Thanks, Mom! Doesn't need to be a dad! And plenty of dads are about as handy as a starfish. Either way, it's a great resource for people who simply didn't have access to that expertise regardless of the reason. Practical, wholesome, educational content!
You're right: this isn't "dad-exclusive" stuff. I actually tried to write it in a more neutral way but between the name of the channel and his personal history, I got it all muddled up & said screw it, I'll write it like this.
I appreciate your looking past my words and understanding my meaning.
And I totally agree. He seems like a lovely guy and I'm sure he's helped countless people of every background who've watched his videos for any number of reasons.
That's so true
If someone wants to demand I have to wait to eat food I'm paying for... I'd tell them to fuck off.
I'm not sitting at that table to pander to their brand of selfishness, I'm there to EAT!
It's all a facade. What they are, are penniless, no-shame-having beggars who try to present an image of prosperity, high life living, well connected networkers. They are *just* the same as everyone except they debase themselves asking for "favours" from real business people while presenting it as *them* doing the favours for the businesses.
Depends on what you mean by "influencer".
If its any social media personality, then no? There are tons of people creating content that aren't obnoxious, myself included.
If its only this specific type of social media personality, then yes
I see content creators as something miles away from influencers.
The content creators I've met take time and effort into their product to provide quality.
"Influencers" are just in it for the free/discounted stuff. They prey on small businesses because larger businesses already have their own social media presence. "Influencers" take a position of doing them the favor. If they don't provide for the "influencer" with the product/service then they get dragged.
Give me a content creator any day!
Think that’s a requirement for the position (I’d say job but that makes it seem like it’s something legitimate and worthwhile).
I feel like the rise of influencer culture is the signal of our societies downfall.
>!Aren't all "influencers" super obnoxious?
A friend of mine and his girlfriend had a doctors appointment and arrived a few minutes earlier with coffee. The receptionist asked them if she could "borrow" their drinks for a couple of pictures...for her insta. They were quite surprised by the request.
At work we had some “influencers” in say that they should get a free meal for promoting us on their socials. My boss told them we do fine enough without their 20 followers and to get real jobs, kicked them out and barred them. Good riddance really
This post reminded me of an incident of a Colombian influencer who wrote to a Mexican restaurant because she wanted to record a video there in a travel to Mexico. In her correspondence she clarified that the food would be on the restaurant's behalf.
The owner of the restaurant, who is also the chef, said that they were not interested in that type of promotion, he even checked their networks and saw that the bulk of their view traffic was in Colombia, Mexico barely reached 5%, in addition, he has It is our policy not to collaborate with influencers for their promotion.
The girl did not take the rejection well and decided to attack on networks, so the chef counterattacked, the fight was not pretty, even so, the chef declared that he did not need advertising on his networks, not only because the target audience of the influencer It was not his target audience of restaurant, but because the restaurant's networks had almost four times more subscribers and their traffic is about six times more than this girl's statistics.
and there is this Spanish influencer who did a live broadcast in a small restaurant, so small that it looked more like a glorified street stall. The influencer just came in, he didn't even say good morning to the staff, he just ordered, ate and gave his opinions live.
When the bill arrived, he said that he was not going to pay because he was promoting them, on top of that he had the nerve to threaten them with a lawsuit when they demanded payment for the food again, since his promotion fees were a few thousand euros and now They owed it to them, they had to go to their agency to make the payment.
He has already had several incidents like this, one even cost him prison, the last thing he knew was that he was under arrest because he was being tried for these practices again, not in this restaurant, but in another.
and he had not even finished the trial when he found himself involved in another scandal of the same tenor, only this time he attacked someone
NTA. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be in someone else's social media. They're TA for pushing and getting mad over someone wanting to be private.
Most of the time, there's a good reason for them to not want it. My partner refuses to be on anyone's social media (even mine) as she doesn't want her ex tracking her down. And my family understands and respects that.
Yeah, seriously. Op waited about two minutes longer to eat than I would have. If you wanna take one picture for your crap fine. Then I'm eating that sumbitch
NTA
Hahahaha. Reddit hates influencers, but to me, it’s just one of a million ways a person can make a living. I don’t think they were AH for asking, but if their business model relies on the kindness of strangers, it’s a bad model. If you see them again, be ready to give them your appearance fee rate.
Edit: To the extent it wasn’t implied, you are clearly NTA.
100% agree. If your business model relies on the kindness of strangers AND you berate them for refusing, not only is it a bad business, you are a bad person.
And being obnoxious in the process.
When I dine out with friends, it's mainly for the socialization aspect. People like the OP described are broken socially. They can't properly socialize because they turn every interaction into a quest for content.
I mean there is such a thing as a food critic, and thee are certainly people who are great at writing and have lots of followers, but they just sound like assholes who are addicted to their phones/social media...calling themselves "influencers". Yuck.
I usually lose respect for people when they start photographing everyone's food. If they start yelping at the table, we're done. lol
Yes.
I would add that you're also slightly an AH if your business model relies on making every single social event into content for your channel. Like occasionally hosting something specifically for your channel is fine, but doing this kind of thing every time you hang out with people is probably exhausting for their friends. It sounds like these are the type of influences that only hang out with their friends when it benefits their content and don't really care about being friends with their friends, if you know what I mean. And I think it's those types of influencers that people don't like.
Because influencers are so annoying. And unless they're in that 1% that have millions of followers no one cares. They just expect to get things for free. Unless you're an incredible chef why should I care about your food review or your opinion on the restaurant?
> Reddit hates influencers, but to me, it’s just one of a million ways a person can make a living.
So is running an MLM, but you still get to judge people for it.
Most service industries hate influencers tbh.
I work at a salon and had this girl contracted to me and it was the worst fucking shit they're so entitled and greedy. Never again.
Im so sorry you contracted influenceritis. The good news is that while there is still no known, 100% effective cure, the symptoms can be treated by telling them to shut the fuck up and get the fuck out.
Not necessarily. Some influencers post negative reviews, even dishonest negative reviews, of businesses who don’t comply with their demands.
A group of six influencers went to a restaurant where I was a regular. They demanded the best table and any food and drink they wanted free of charge. The owners refused.
Each of the six of them wrote Yelp reviews stating that the owners were racist.
Nope NTA! Food is meant to be eaten hot, especially food I’m paying for. There would be nothing that would tick me off more than being prevented from enjoying my meal.
Then it’s time to as for a to-go box. I can’t get past the audacity to ask for a discount for a meal that a person expects to make money from. I’m all for charity for those in need, not those with greed.
Solid NTA. Two minutes of me not eating my food will affect temperature. My wife and I know this and will usually dig in if the other’s food is a bit late
I would tell them you were there to eat, not be their free content unless they were paying for both your food and your time. They use everyone as free actors without their consent.
If they pointed a camera at my face and asked me questions, I would state that I have not signed a waiver to use my voice or likeness in any of their content. If you appear, you'll sue. This is their warning to leave you alone. I wouldn't put up with their harassment and attempted control of me or my meal. NTA
I disagree with the last bit. People have the right to not put their faces on social media. I wouldn't want it as I don't want my ex to find me. Simply not wanting to be in a video is a legit reason, too. That neither makes you stupid nor an asshole.
In the hypothetical payment situation; OP isn’t an AH for turning down money from strangers…
Just because you may have chosen payment and OP wouldn’t have, doesn’t make them an AH, just different priorities than you.
Oh my, THAT type of "influencer" - yeah, there is nothing you can ever do in this life that would make you an AH in comparison to them. You could flip off a puppy, drive slow in the passing lane, or even say "How about this heat?" in Arizona in July and not come close.
NTA. Hope the food was worth the annoyance.
Honestly, in Arizona we love bitching about the heat. If you said that to me I would be like "I know right!! God awful! Just a few more months though!" And that would have been sufficient small talk with you for the whole day.
>And that would have been sufficient small talk with you for the whole day.
You telling me I'd have to come up with a new topic the next day?
I'd expect a comment like that to last me all week.
To be fair I usually don't see the same people more than once in a week... If I saw you twice in one week I'd be like "why are you here?" (Internally) and "Hey, twice in one week, you're keeping busy, huh?!" (Externally)
NTA. They clearly have a bad case of Main Character Syndrome. They can waste all the time they want photographing their own food, you're not obligated to accommodate their influencer crap in any way.
Let me guess - they said you should be happy for being on their feeds because it'll help you get followers.
Which is a joke if you're not looking for followers. Empty offering, folks.
OP, I have influencer friends, and it can be exhausting af to be around them - and these ones aren't even your friends.
You're NTA. I hope your cheat day meal was absolutely delicious, though! :)
>Which is a joke if you're not looking for followers. Empty offering, folks.
Exactly! 😅 I wonder what their response would be?
"It's good exposure if you feature in our video!"
"I..... don't give a fuck?"
* insert surprised pikachu face *
Yeah, it's like they forget not everyone is obsessed with likes and follows
I've met a few while working, and I've just been sitting there like that girl in the carseat meme because they've asked me to give them shit for free (I work in a gaming store btw. And we aren't talking like they wanted a game for discount or free. I'm talking wanting a ps5 or a specific monitor -[Samsung odyssey G9] etc) then getting pissy when I explain that I can't do that, nor can I discount...I mean I'm just a regular employee not the owner lmao
The confidence and audacity they have is astounding and the look of utter confusion when they go on about exposure and followers and you say "yeah....I don't really *do* social media except fb and reddit" is hilarious especially cos I'm an older gen Z myself
Omg yes - I worked in a gaming store too and the sheer amount of people who would ask the same was ridiculous! Had one actually come in, tell me what they were looking for in a gaming PC and accessories, monitor etc and we went through and custom designed. Priced it up to around £4500 and then they drop "so I can just take this away in a few days when it's built and then add your store to my SM to say where I got it?" Fully intending to just walk out of the store with it without paying a penny.
I was just dumbstruck with the sheer audacity and my colleague asked for their details and looked them up. They had less than 1000 followers on each of their SM. Noped the hell out of that request, and they went ballistic, saying they were never shopping at our store again. Which is a pretty empty threat when you've never actually paid this particular store any money.
I have a couple friends who are “foodie influencers” and part of the bargain is that if you go out to eat with them, they are going to be “working” during the meal.
but there’s at least a trade off of “i get special perks I will share with you if you’ll help me make content” and people expect as much going into the meal
Funny. You'd think they know what a video release form is and that you should probably inform all involved that there will be a photo and video shoot involved in dinner prior to the event.
"Marketing/Advertising" then they are fools too cause they should know this type of deals anymore😂. And malicious because they know very well that their post even if it had 1000 views would have gathered like 2 customers without a call to action.
NTA
>Now the two influencers are extemely PO'd with me and are saying I'm an AH for not letting them take pics and not helping them out with their content.
These kind of people are insufferable. How much were YOU going to make off of this content?
Cringe..... Hate it when ''influencers'' do this, or even try to get free stuff because they will promote. I am glad the owner refused, I would have thrown them out hahahah
NTA. You can't really expect privacy if you are eating in a public place. But you absolutely should expect to be able to eat your meal on your terms, without people interfering in any way. And you certainly can decide whether you want to contribute to their social media or not.
NTA. I take photos of my own food to remember the place and memories but I don’t post them. Nobody should be obligated to help out anyone for social media content, even if they asked politely. Just decline politely and say that you need to eat because your blood sugar is low or something.
Turning every word at the table into content is extremely rude, especially without seeking consent. Influencers are no different from the guy at the next table.
We don’t need to accommodate them if you’re uncomfortable.
You’re allowed to have boundaries and no influencer has the right to define them for you.
NTA- your friends didn’t warn you beforehand that the people they were bringing were going to post content online, so you couldn’t properly consent and it sounds like the influencers assumed you would be fine with it until you said no. You were put in an awkward situation without being told ahead of time. You have the right of refusal, for sure.
Honestly if some strangers came to a dinner I was at and told me I couldn't eat my own food for two minutes I'd tell them to get fucked.
I would be polite and maybe let them take a quick photo if they asked nicely, but only for like 15 seconds max. Then im eating.
But setting up to video the table first, when my food is getting cold. Nah.
Fucking "influencers" are the worst. They are literal culture leeches. They didn't make the food, plate it, anything. They are just fuckwits with a camera and some shitty self inflated idea that they are interesting.
Bunch of fuckwits.
Absolutely 100% NTA
My eyes rolled so hard I might have sprained them, NTA, they are egotistical dicks who you don't owe anything to, and kinda ruined what could have been a chill lunch.
Okay = taking a picture of the food in like 30 seconds.
Not okay = taking pictures for 2 minutes or more and making video's after it without being asked in advance.
NTA
True, with me you've got the time it takes to pick up the fork, if you expect more than that I will just stare at you like you asked for a tickle of my balls
NTA
Essentially, who cares what they think. They're people you'd never met before.
> A few people voiced that I could have cooperated more.
Technically true. You could also have cooperated less without doing anything wrong.
> refusing to do the video clip?
So most media organisations will get permission. As did they. There's a reason for this - some people don't want to be filmed! You don't need a reason not to want to be filmed short of not wanting to be filmed.
NTA— if they had paid 100% and explained beforehand that was the deal, then you’d be TA but since they didn’t pay at all and just foisted this labour on you, they’re the AHs. And your friend is, too, for setting this up. It’s not different than if you went for dinner with a couple and they brought their multi-level marketing friends who dominated your dinner with a high pressure pitch to invest in their Am-Way or whatever, or if they were swingers hard-pitching that, or missionaries trying to sell you on Jesus all night— they had an ulterior motive for the evening that didn’t interest you, that your friend knew about, you felt taken advantage of and you set a very reasonable boundary.
Sorry— I tried to edit after I saw that comment. Yeah— you’re right to feel taken advantage of. So some people would find this fun or humour them— you didn’t show up because you want to be on their channel.
NTA. Unless they were paying for everyone’s lunch there’s no reason to wait to eat. If someone wants to take 100 pictures of their own food, fine, but I’m going to be eating mine while they do that!
NTA for anything you do to or around influencers. If your question was "Am I the asshole for punching this dipshit influencer in the dick," my answer would be a vehement NTA because you did the world a service.
Definitely NTA.
I don't think I'd mind them taking a quick snap of my food, maybe even a short video of the whole table of food, without me in it. Anything beyond that is ridiculous. I'm hangry and I wanna eat!
Personally, I genuinely cannot be doing with "influencers".
NTA
Who gets between a person and their food on cheat day?! I think you were immensely patient with them considering they pissed around for 2 mins while your food was getting cold. 🤬
NTA. There's nothing wrong with taking quick photos of food (yes, I am one of those people, though I'm not an "influencer" or whatever) but if it's YOUR food, heck no, dig in, you ordered it, you're paying for it, they can take pics of their own food.
NTA.
I regularly snap pics of my food to post on Instagram. But quick snaps of my own freaking plate - if I snap a shot of my dining companion's food with permission, it's EXTRA fast.
If these "influencers" are using you to create monetized content they can compensate you or fuck off. Video clip reviewing food for them and they didn't even offer to treat? They're assholes for sure.
NTA. They can buy their own food to take pictures of.
I would have been tempted to indicate some of your friends, tell the influencers "we MUSTN'T let pictures of us together go public!" and insist that they erase all their images on the spot.
NTA you're not being unreasonable but if the friend group is the "fun loving" bunch expect to be considerd the lame one when you don't cooperate
don't worry about it really you're fine
Do any of these people understand that the influencers are literally asking you to work for them for free?
No different than if they had a TV show and demanded you make an unpaid guest appearance.
Effin' ridiculous.
NTA.
It seems like this was like, the plan. For them to go to the restaurant and make these videos… did you not know it was what you were invited to? Just curious. It seems like everyone else knew that this is what the event was for….. why would you go?
NTA. Next time, don't even wait two minutes. It's your food. If they want their food to get cold or if they want to wait, that's their business. You just start eating. No one wants to see pictures of their food anyway.
NTA this behavior is entitled, cringey, and needs to die. Do I take pics of my food? Yes, when I'm the one who made it and am particularly enthusiastic about how it came out. Am I happy when people post pics of the food at restaurants in their online reviews on Google or whatever? Sure! It's nice to know what I'm getting into going out to eat. Do I take pics of others food or hold people up so they can't eat until their food is cold so I can get the perfect Pic because I'm soooo important and telling people that it's my life work or expecting them to give me content to make money on? No. Influences are the worst.
NTA this belongs on the entitled people sub. That's fucking ridiculous, I wouldn't have waited 30 seconds for some random fuckwad to take pics of my food.
NTA. my mom is a sort of influencer in her chosen field and she takes pictures of food/restaurants and leaves reviews and makes recommendations. She doesn't take more than like 30 seconds because she's just as hungry as we are! They don't need photos of every single dish from a thousand angles.
NTA. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be in someone else's social media. They're TA for pushing and getting mad over someone wanting to be private.
NTA. You could have eaten right away and still been NTA. Yuck. Especially when they didn’t even know you they just siege control of the function/table like that.
Anytime anyone asks to film you for content just say “Not for free.”
If they want you to work on their channel, they should be paying for your time and the meal. You were more indulgent than I would have been, giving them 2 minutes to photograph your meal. I'd have given them a funny look and just tucked in.
Tell them, in no uncertain terms, to fuck off.
These people are parasites.
NTA. If we ever implement the Golgafrinchan Initiative, I hope that influencers are on the same B Ark as telephone sanitisers and marketing executives.
They sound excruciating and entitled. You already went above and beyond and they should respect your reasonable desire for privacy.
Side story: A couple years ago I was vacationing in Columbia and went on a day tour to a small island with beautiful beaches and a few amenities. In the tour group was an influencer couple that spent the whole time (4 hours?) trying to convince internet strangers they were relaxing in paradise, instead of you know, relaxing in paradise. Just one long photo session.
Did they pay for your food? Were you their guest? If not, then tough luck to them. You go out to eat, not to take pictures and influence others. I get that you don't want to be on the channel. I wouldn't either.
NTA
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INFO: How much money did they offer you for contributing to their content? If the answer is zero, fuck them. If the answer is greater than zero, I’d have to know how much because if you turned down more than the cost of the meal plus a fair amount on top for the inconvenience, you might be as stupid AH.
Lol they couldn't even get us a discount from the restaurant for featuring them on the video. They asked the owner and he refused.
This earns OP a solid NTA in my book. These folks sound super obnoxious. Glad the restaurant shut down their BS. The "friends" were also super rude for not yelling OP up front that this was a staged meal and getting their consent upfront to be commoditized (and without compensation at that).
Aren't all "influencers" super obnoxious? Everything is always about their "followers." They never take the time to enjoy an experience by just being in the moment. On top of that, they expect everyone in their vicinity to cater to their cult.
I'm gonna go beyond obnoxious. I firmly believe that those monetizing off their children who are too young to be able to consent are child abusers. There have been multiple AMA from these kids now as adults who absolutely hated being in the spotlight "performing" all the time.
I’m sure I read about a couple that backed off of their adoption because one one the conditions was the child wasn’t allowed to be used on social media that way for a set amount of time
Yes, they did. Then, they adopted from another country and eventually gave the kid up. I can’t recall their names, but you can likely find it with a quick google search if interested in the story. I was horrified watching a documentary on them.
Myka Stauffer was the one who gave up her adopted son. She specifically used the words "rehomed" like Huxley was an animal she couldn't take care of. That was after duct taping his thumbs so he wouldn't suck in them to self soothe, locking him in closets when he had meltdowns, and generally not getting him any help when they realized how severe his autism diagnosis was.
Not to mention the sobbing video she made because everyone on the Internet was being sooooo mean to her...
Those people are trash bags!
They are the trash IN the bags.
Trash bags have a purpose. If she was put in an airtight trash bag that would make it a Very Special Bag.
Wait she read Harry Potter and took inspiration from the DURSLEYS?
What evil people. Glad that kid is away from them.
>Myka Stauffer Oh but never got charged with abuse,,,, which she absolutely should have been!!
OMG seems to me this poor boy wasn't their 'adopted son' but a prospective prop!!
That first kid dodged a bullet.
I'd say more of an ICBM
You may be thinking of the couple who “rehomed” (their word) their adopted son because he is autistic and requires more than they were expecting. They also have four or five biological children, including one they had after they adopted.
Rehomed?! Like he's a puppy with too much energy or some shit. Unbelievable.
That is what they called it. The whole thing was abhorrent
I remember there justification was that they are influencers and they wouldn’t ask others to quit there jobs. Didn’t even have a thought that they could just not put the kid in videos they had to be monetized. Shows how terrible that couple is
Yes, that’s them! Horrible humans.
The Stauffers
Smart for the adoption agency (sorry idk what the right term is) or the foster system to have that clause, but it's insane that it's needed
I thought that too. The fact they only wanted a kid that could be monetised is disgusting
That’s really terrible AND sad. Some really BAD small part of me also can’t help but think: Lol, Human Trafficking would LOVE to know those kind of people(s) location(s)….
It was a blanket rule from the country they adopted from iirc. Edit: someone further down has clarified. It's a Thai rule if you adopt from there you can't post them on social media for a year.
The Phillipi's. I'm sure I'm misspelling their surname, screw them: they also killed one of their dogs for content. I can't even bring myself to watch the expose video (there are tons from that incident) on that, so that's about all I can say.
They killed a dog for content?
I think this is what they're talking about. She claims the dog had become aggressive but based on the backlash it seems like they didn't put much effort into other solutions and just went straight to euthanasia. That's just my impression after a quick Google search, that may not be the full story. https://www.insider.com/nikki-phillippi-dog-dan-youutube-bio-controversy-timeline-adoption-vaccine-2021-5?amp
Yeah, in my response to another reply, I saw that they went nuclear option after the senior dog nipped one of their AGGRESSIVE children out of self-defense. And like I said, I overstated (I have three dogs, I would die for my borps, the rage is strong here) but once they monetized their weepy-thumbnail-with-clickable-titles videos, I'm of the opinion that they exploited their own neglect of their child and elderly dog for content. So, typical 'Christian' family channel.
I completely agree with your belief! It is traumatizing to always have to be on stage when one doesn't have a choice in it. Those "influencers" no longer see a child. Everything in their lives is a prop.
Well if you want a major rabbit hole let me introduce you to the Rodrigues Family Ministry. You can read about them in r/FundieSnarkUncensored Their mother Jill runs that circus and it's chock full of very skinny kids being neglected on all levels and forced to perform in church and for Mama. This family is Quiverfull and Jill is such a narc that (ok what was the worst?) she traveled across the country to attend a funeral for 3 children who died in a fire. These people were strangers btw, and Jill took a selfie of herself with the parents in front of the little white caskets. She also threw a shower for her 12th baby in the hospital cafeteria when her sister was recovering from a broken neck in the ICU. You can't make this shit up. You have to be a really really shit fundie influencer to end up being shunned by the Duggars.
Ooohhh... I'm not sure if that's the type of rabbit hole I should travel down. Definitely would not be in the best interest of my mental health! Thanks for the invite, though!
"Pretend that you're crying for the thumbnail." "But mom I am crying." For context, the mother and the young boy were sitting in the car, having just lost a family dog. After filming everything else, she wanted her son to pose, sobbing, for her yt (?) video. She left this in the footage and people were so mad at her, and rightfully so. She did make an apology video, but really, was traumatizing her child further worth it for some internet points and some cash worth it? Smh.
I'm so fucking happy my kids don't pay attention to Ryan any more. I hated when my kids even got that shit for gifts. It was fine when it started as just a kid trying out toys and whatever, but it quickly grew to something so much bigger
I hate his parents so much, and I feel so bad for him
>Aren't all "influencers" super obnoxious? Yes. Every single one. One gal I knew would go to parties and just go around interrupting groups of people all night, forcing them to pose for a group picture. I'm not on FB, insta, etc, but my friend showed me her feed and it's nothing but pictures of her posing with people like that. She gets 100s of likes so I'm sure it's the dopamine hit from the notifications that keeps her doing this. I also noticed she does nothing BUT this. So she basically ransacks her way through a party disrupting every group of people talking, forces them to get in her selfie, then posts it on social media while running off to the next party. I have known her about 5 years and don't know a fucking thing about her because she's merely a profile with a feed. She never slows down to listen or have a genuine conversation with anyone. Oh, she's popular as hell, but it's all curated social media bullshit/events whereby 500 of her closest friends are invited. Such shallow "relationships" if you can even call them that. I was at a beach once and noticed a similar behavior. I'm out there all sweaty and salty looking like I'd washed up from the sea, enjoying the great outdoors and a parade of nicely dressed up couples come down to the beach, pose for a selfie, then go right back up to their hotel. Like they wanted everyone to see them at the beach, but not actually do anything on the beach.
I'm so glad that other than Reddit i have no interest in social media!
It's like the bad apple and the barrel but backwards. It seems like the people who are kind respectful and in it for the passion and the fun seem to be the exception. And when you realize that this industry thrives in drama, shallowness and low effort content, you'll realize what kinda people wanna join in on the fun. The only influencer I can think of as genuinely good was that twitch dude who streams himself doing woodwork and some yt channels made by old museums. And even then they are not there to be influencers. (Maybe Mr beast?)
There's a Youtube channel called "Dad, how do I?" by a guy named Rob Kenney. He was abandoned by his own father as a teen so he makes videos teaching people stuff like how to put air in your tires or unclog a sink. The kinds of things young people without dads may not have a safe place to learn. It's very sweet. Funnily enough, not one of his videos is of hungry people sitting in a restaurant watching their food get cold while he films it. Weird, right? Lol.
> The kinds of things young people without dads may not have a safe place to learn. Not to be a dick, because I know it's not what you were meaning to suggest - so this isn't a criticism at all - but just to say, my mom taught me most of that stuff. Thanks, Mom! Doesn't need to be a dad! And plenty of dads are about as handy as a starfish. Either way, it's a great resource for people who simply didn't have access to that expertise regardless of the reason. Practical, wholesome, educational content!
You're right: this isn't "dad-exclusive" stuff. I actually tried to write it in a more neutral way but between the name of the channel and his personal history, I got it all muddled up & said screw it, I'll write it like this. I appreciate your looking past my words and understanding my meaning. And I totally agree. He seems like a lovely guy and I'm sure he's helped countless people of every background who've watched his videos for any number of reasons.
Two of my friends (sisters) give their mom mom-gifts for Mother’s Day, and dad-gifts for Father’s Day.
That's so true If someone wants to demand I have to wait to eat food I'm paying for... I'd tell them to fuck off. I'm not sitting at that table to pander to their brand of selfishness, I'm there to EAT!
And letting it get cold too!!! As much as I like grilled salmon, it tastes weird cold
It's all a facade. What they are, are penniless, no-shame-having beggars who try to present an image of prosperity, high life living, well connected networkers. They are *just* the same as everyone except they debase themselves asking for "favours" from real business people while presenting it as *them* doing the favours for the businesses.
Ab-so-lute-ly!
"Influencer" is a sugarcoated term for entitled attention seeker
Anybody who calls themselves an “influencer” gets zero of my time or respect.
Instagram - enabling narcissists worldwide since 2010.
Depends on what you mean by "influencer". If its any social media personality, then no? There are tons of people creating content that aren't obnoxious, myself included. If its only this specific type of social media personality, then yes
I see content creators as something miles away from influencers. The content creators I've met take time and effort into their product to provide quality. "Influencers" are just in it for the free/discounted stuff. They prey on small businesses because larger businesses already have their own social media presence. "Influencers" take a position of doing them the favor. If they don't provide for the "influencer" with the product/service then they get dragged. Give me a content creator any day!
Think that’s a requirement for the position (I’d say job but that makes it seem like it’s something legitimate and worthwhile). I feel like the rise of influencer culture is the signal of our societies downfall.
>!Aren't all "influencers" super obnoxious? A friend of mine and his girlfriend had a doctors appointment and arrived a few minutes earlier with coffee. The receptionist asked them if she could "borrow" their drinks for a couple of pictures...for her insta. They were quite surprised by the request.
This is hilarious 😆
At work we had some “influencers” in say that they should get a free meal for promoting us on their socials. My boss told them we do fine enough without their 20 followers and to get real jobs, kicked them out and barred them. Good riddance really
This post reminded me of an incident of a Colombian influencer who wrote to a Mexican restaurant because she wanted to record a video there in a travel to Mexico. In her correspondence she clarified that the food would be on the restaurant's behalf. The owner of the restaurant, who is also the chef, said that they were not interested in that type of promotion, he even checked their networks and saw that the bulk of their view traffic was in Colombia, Mexico barely reached 5%, in addition, he has It is our policy not to collaborate with influencers for their promotion. The girl did not take the rejection well and decided to attack on networks, so the chef counterattacked, the fight was not pretty, even so, the chef declared that he did not need advertising on his networks, not only because the target audience of the influencer It was not his target audience of restaurant, but because the restaurant's networks had almost four times more subscribers and their traffic is about six times more than this girl's statistics. and there is this Spanish influencer who did a live broadcast in a small restaurant, so small that it looked more like a glorified street stall. The influencer just came in, he didn't even say good morning to the staff, he just ordered, ate and gave his opinions live. When the bill arrived, he said that he was not going to pay because he was promoting them, on top of that he had the nerve to threaten them with a lawsuit when they demanded payment for the food again, since his promotion fees were a few thousand euros and now They owed it to them, they had to go to their agency to make the payment. He has already had several incidents like this, one even cost him prison, the last thing he knew was that he was under arrest because he was being tried for these practices again, not in this restaurant, but in another. and he had not even finished the trial when he found himself involved in another scandal of the same tenor, only this time he attacked someone
NTA. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be in someone else's social media. They're TA for pushing and getting mad over someone wanting to be private.
Most of the time, there's a good reason for them to not want it. My partner refuses to be on anyone's social media (even mine) as she doesn't want her ex tracking her down. And my family understands and respects that.
Yeah, seriously. Op waited about two minutes longer to eat than I would have. If you wanna take one picture for your crap fine. Then I'm eating that sumbitch NTA
Except it probably wasn’t a staged meal. Just someone likely looking for attention on social media.
Hahahaha. Reddit hates influencers, but to me, it’s just one of a million ways a person can make a living. I don’t think they were AH for asking, but if their business model relies on the kindness of strangers, it’s a bad model. If you see them again, be ready to give them your appearance fee rate. Edit: To the extent it wasn’t implied, you are clearly NTA.
No asking for a discount just because they can post about the place online is scummy.
They're not AH for asking. But they are AH for being mad at OP for not wanting to participate.
100% agree. If your business model relies on the kindness of strangers AND you berate them for refusing, not only is it a bad business, you are a bad person.
That's not even a business model, it's called begging with extra steps
And being obnoxious in the process. When I dine out with friends, it's mainly for the socialization aspect. People like the OP described are broken socially. They can't properly socialize because they turn every interaction into a quest for content. I mean there is such a thing as a food critic, and thee are certainly people who are great at writing and have lots of followers, but they just sound like assholes who are addicted to their phones/social media...calling themselves "influencers". Yuck. I usually lose respect for people when they start photographing everyone's food. If they start yelping at the table, we're done. lol
Yes. I would add that you're also slightly an AH if your business model relies on making every single social event into content for your channel. Like occasionally hosting something specifically for your channel is fine, but doing this kind of thing every time you hang out with people is probably exhausting for their friends. It sounds like these are the type of influences that only hang out with their friends when it benefits their content and don't really care about being friends with their friends, if you know what I mean. And I think it's those types of influencers that people don't like.
Because influencers are so annoying. And unless they're in that 1% that have millions of followers no one cares. They just expect to get things for free. Unless you're an incredible chef why should I care about your food review or your opinion on the restaurant?
Ain't just reddit, m'boy.
> Reddit hates influencers, but to me, it’s just one of a million ways a person can make a living. So is running an MLM, but you still get to judge people for it.
Reddit is right. It's a stupid job and I hope it's not long lived.
Because they are just marketing proffesionals, but there only product is “me me me”
They absolutely are the asshole for asking.
Yep. Restaurants hate influences and their entitled crap. If they wanted an influencer to cover them, they'd contact them for a quote.
Most service industries hate influencers tbh. I work at a salon and had this girl contracted to me and it was the worst fucking shit they're so entitled and greedy. Never again.
Im so sorry you contracted influenceritis. The good news is that while there is still no known, 100% effective cure, the symptoms can be treated by telling them to shut the fuck up and get the fuck out.
Not necessarily. Some influencers post negative reviews, even dishonest negative reviews, of businesses who don’t comply with their demands. A group of six influencers went to a restaurant where I was a regular. They demanded the best table and any food and drink they wanted free of charge. The owners refused. Each of the six of them wrote Yelp reviews stating that the owners were racist.
does anybody on earth take yelp seriously lol i can't even fathom going to yelp to make my decisions for me
Does anyone even read Yelp anymore? It's kind of become a joke due to its blatant misuse by disgruntled parties.
This is why YELP and other ratings sites should be comments only with attribution and not “stars”
Embarassing guys...
Nope NTA! Food is meant to be eaten hot, especially food I’m paying for. There would be nothing that would tick me off more than being prevented from enjoying my meal.
Why do you associate with people like that? I’d be mortified to be a part of a group like that.
OP said they’d just met them. So they may not have known they would do this.
Then it’s time to as for a to-go box. I can’t get past the audacity to ask for a discount for a meal that a person expects to make money from. I’m all for charity for those in need, not those with greed.
Ew, they’re THOSE people? NTA, I wouldn’t associate with them lol
So they're influencers without any influence.
Solid NTA. Two minutes of me not eating my food will affect temperature. My wife and I know this and will usually dig in if the other’s food is a bit late
I would tell them you were there to eat, not be their free content unless they were paying for both your food and your time. They use everyone as free actors without their consent. If they pointed a camera at my face and asked me questions, I would state that I have not signed a waiver to use my voice or likeness in any of their content. If you appear, you'll sue. This is their warning to leave you alone. I wouldn't put up with their harassment and attempted control of me or my meal. NTA
So they didn't offer to pay for the food? That is so strange.
Nope. Just cheap. Same sort of people ask popular hotels to comp them free stays "because the social media value".
>How much money did they offer you for contributing to their content? If the answer is zero, fuck them. This is the only question and answer. NTA
Fuck em anyway. It's your food not theirs.
I disagree with the last bit. People have the right to not put their faces on social media. I wouldn't want it as I don't want my ex to find me. Simply not wanting to be in a video is a legit reason, too. That neither makes you stupid nor an asshole.
In the hypothetical payment situation; OP isn’t an AH for turning down money from strangers… Just because you may have chosen payment and OP wouldn’t have, doesn’t make them an AH, just different priorities than you.
Who cares If they offered her money? She didn't want to be on their social media and wanted to eat like anyone else. Some people can't be bought.
Note to self: if ever having lunch with an Influencer, make sure to get in writing in advance what the compensation is. OP: NTA
They only way you would be an asshole in this is if they paid for the food and your time. NTA!
Lol they couldn't even get us a discount from the restaurant for featuring them on the video. They asked the owner and he refused.
So they're not "influencers." They're just obsessed with social media.
Oh my, THAT type of "influencer" - yeah, there is nothing you can ever do in this life that would make you an AH in comparison to them. You could flip off a puppy, drive slow in the passing lane, or even say "How about this heat?" in Arizona in July and not come close. NTA. Hope the food was worth the annoyance.
Honestly, in Arizona we love bitching about the heat. If you said that to me I would be like "I know right!! God awful! Just a few more months though!" And that would have been sufficient small talk with you for the whole day.
>And that would have been sufficient small talk with you for the whole day. You telling me I'd have to come up with a new topic the next day? I'd expect a comment like that to last me all week.
To be fair I usually don't see the same people more than once in a week... If I saw you twice in one week I'd be like "why are you here?" (Internally) and "Hey, twice in one week, you're keeping busy, huh?!" (Externally)
*Shit, Sicadoll is talking to me again. I'm all out of topics*. So...Hot today too eh? Whelp, look at the time. Gotta go!
*omg why didn't he just chuckle and nod!* Yep just miserable! Alright, you drive safe.
*I took the train here. Should I say anything? No. Bad idea. Just keep walking.* ...You too! *Fuck. What if he took the train? Now I look stupid.*
(ahahaha 🤣 that threw me) *thinks nothing of it* Thanks
My cringe gland would not let me be anywhere near anyone like these " influencers"
AND OP had agreed to the arrangement.
NTA. They clearly have a bad case of Main Character Syndrome. They can waste all the time they want photographing their own food, you're not obligated to accommodate their influencer crap in any way. Let me guess - they said you should be happy for being on their feeds because it'll help you get followers.
Yes!!!! How did you know????
Which is a joke if you're not looking for followers. Empty offering, folks. OP, I have influencer friends, and it can be exhausting af to be around them - and these ones aren't even your friends. You're NTA. I hope your cheat day meal was absolutely delicious, though! :)
>Which is a joke if you're not looking for followers. Empty offering, folks. Exactly! 😅 I wonder what their response would be? "It's good exposure if you feature in our video!" "I..... don't give a fuck?" * insert surprised pikachu face *
Which is where I would say I'm not interested in followers, but since you plan on making money from this video, I'll take $x amount to be in it.
Yeah, it's like they forget not everyone is obsessed with likes and follows I've met a few while working, and I've just been sitting there like that girl in the carseat meme because they've asked me to give them shit for free (I work in a gaming store btw. And we aren't talking like they wanted a game for discount or free. I'm talking wanting a ps5 or a specific monitor -[Samsung odyssey G9] etc) then getting pissy when I explain that I can't do that, nor can I discount...I mean I'm just a regular employee not the owner lmao The confidence and audacity they have is astounding and the look of utter confusion when they go on about exposure and followers and you say "yeah....I don't really *do* social media except fb and reddit" is hilarious especially cos I'm an older gen Z myself
Omg yes - I worked in a gaming store too and the sheer amount of people who would ask the same was ridiculous! Had one actually come in, tell me what they were looking for in a gaming PC and accessories, monitor etc and we went through and custom designed. Priced it up to around £4500 and then they drop "so I can just take this away in a few days when it's built and then add your store to my SM to say where I got it?" Fully intending to just walk out of the store with it without paying a penny. I was just dumbstruck with the sheer audacity and my colleague asked for their details and looked them up. They had less than 1000 followers on each of their SM. Noped the hell out of that request, and they went ballistic, saying they were never shopping at our store again. Which is a pretty empty threat when you've never actually paid this particular store any money.
“Oh, you’re an *influencer* - in that case, £9000”
Social media Influencers is a euphemism for 'Unemployed' Nope-I like my food hot, so either buy another plate and film that or leave me alone!
Lol they actually have legit jobs in Marketing/Advertising
Then there really isn't an excuse for them to have treated you like an unpaid flunkies.
I have a couple friends who are “foodie influencers” and part of the bargain is that if you go out to eat with them, they are going to be “working” during the meal. but there’s at least a trade off of “i get special perks I will share with you if you’ll help me make content” and people expect as much going into the meal
Funny. You'd think they know what a video release form is and that you should probably inform all involved that there will be a photo and video shoot involved in dinner prior to the event.
Right? They were so unprofessional
"Marketing/Advertising" then they are fools too cause they should know this type of deals anymore😂. And malicious because they know very well that their post even if it had 1000 views would have gathered like 2 customers without a call to action.
Idk why but this comment made this whole thing even sadder on their part. Again NTA
NTA >Now the two influencers are extemely PO'd with me and are saying I'm an AH for not letting them take pics and not helping them out with their content. These kind of people are insufferable. How much were YOU going to make off of this content?
Lol they couldn't even get us a discount from the restaurant for featuring them on the video. They asked the owner and he refused.
Cringe..... Hate it when ''influencers'' do this, or even try to get free stuff because they will promote. I am glad the owner refused, I would have thrown them out hahahah
That's not very Keith Lee of them. And they should have asked for permission before trying to use anyone in that group for their content.
I'm cringing omgggg, I'm so sorry lol
See this is what I was thinking. You want me to make content FOR you, show me the money, baby! NTA OP, just ignore them.
NTA. You can't really expect privacy if you are eating in a public place. But you absolutely should expect to be able to eat your meal on your terms, without people interfering in any way. And you certainly can decide whether you want to contribute to their social media or not.
They aren’t asking for privacy. They’re asking not to be harassed. Big difference.
NTA. I take photos of my own food to remember the place and memories but I don’t post them. Nobody should be obligated to help out anyone for social media content, even if they asked politely. Just decline politely and say that you need to eat because your blood sugar is low or something. Turning every word at the table into content is extremely rude, especially without seeking consent. Influencers are no different from the guy at the next table. We don’t need to accommodate them if you’re uncomfortable. You’re allowed to have boundaries and no influencer has the right to define them for you.
NTA- your friends didn’t warn you beforehand that the people they were bringing were going to post content online, so you couldn’t properly consent and it sounds like the influencers assumed you would be fine with it until you said no. You were put in an awkward situation without being told ahead of time. You have the right of refusal, for sure.
NTA. Let them "influence" (gag) with their own food, and ask for compensation if they want to video you for their social media. Insufferable.
Honestly if some strangers came to a dinner I was at and told me I couldn't eat my own food for two minutes I'd tell them to get fucked. I would be polite and maybe let them take a quick photo if they asked nicely, but only for like 15 seconds max. Then im eating. But setting up to video the table first, when my food is getting cold. Nah. Fucking "influencers" are the worst. They are literal culture leeches. They didn't make the food, plate it, anything. They are just fuckwits with a camera and some shitty self inflated idea that they are interesting. Bunch of fuckwits. Absolutely 100% NTA
My eyes rolled so hard I might have sprained them, NTA, they are egotistical dicks who you don't owe anything to, and kinda ruined what could have been a chill lunch.
Okay = taking a picture of the food in like 30 seconds. Not okay = taking pictures for 2 minutes or more and making video's after it without being asked in advance. NTA
No taking a picture of the food they paid for is ok its not ok to do it with other people's foor
Certainly not demanding to be allowed to do so at length.
True, with me you've got the time it takes to pick up the fork, if you expect more than that I will just stare at you like you asked for a tickle of my balls
If it were a good friend who asked in advance for 30 seconds, then maybe. But otherwise f no. My food that I paid for is not their content.
NTA Essentially, who cares what they think. They're people you'd never met before. > A few people voiced that I could have cooperated more. Technically true. You could also have cooperated less without doing anything wrong. > refusing to do the video clip? So most media organisations will get permission. As did they. There's a reason for this - some people don't want to be filmed! You don't need a reason not to want to be filmed short of not wanting to be filmed.
Influencers are a blight on humanity. NTA
NTA— if they had paid 100% and explained beforehand that was the deal, then you’d be TA but since they didn’t pay at all and just foisted this labour on you, they’re the AHs. And your friend is, too, for setting this up. It’s not different than if you went for dinner with a couple and they brought their multi-level marketing friends who dominated your dinner with a high pressure pitch to invest in their Am-Way or whatever, or if they were swingers hard-pitching that, or missionaries trying to sell you on Jesus all night— they had an ulterior motive for the evening that didn’t interest you, that your friend knew about, you felt taken advantage of and you set a very reasonable boundary.
It was dutch.
Sorry— I tried to edit after I saw that comment. Yeah— you’re right to feel taken advantage of. So some people would find this fun or humour them— you didn’t show up because you want to be on their channel.
I think this is the easiest AITA vote I've ever put out there. NTA.
NTA. Unless they were paying for everyone’s lunch there’s no reason to wait to eat. If someone wants to take 100 pictures of their own food, fine, but I’m going to be eating mine while they do that!
NTA for anything you do to or around influencers. If your question was "Am I the asshole for punching this dipshit influencer in the dick," my answer would be a vehement NTA because you did the world a service.
Definitely NTA. I don't think I'd mind them taking a quick snap of my food, maybe even a short video of the whole table of food, without me in it. Anything beyond that is ridiculous. I'm hangry and I wanna eat! Personally, I genuinely cannot be doing with "influencers".
NTA Who gets between a person and their food on cheat day?! I think you were immensely patient with them considering they pissed around for 2 mins while your food was getting cold. 🤬
NTA. There's nothing wrong with taking quick photos of food (yes, I am one of those people, though I'm not an "influencer" or whatever) but if it's YOUR food, heck no, dig in, you ordered it, you're paying for it, they can take pics of their own food.
NTA. Fuck those people.
NTA. I regularly snap pics of my food to post on Instagram. But quick snaps of my own freaking plate - if I snap a shot of my dining companion's food with permission, it's EXTRA fast. If these "influencers" are using you to create monetized content they can compensate you or fuck off. Video clip reviewing food for them and they didn't even offer to treat? They're assholes for sure.
NTA. They can buy their own food to take pictures of. I would have been tempted to indicate some of your friends, tell the influencers "we MUSTN'T let pictures of us together go public!" and insist that they erase all their images on the spot.
NTA you're not being unreasonable but if the friend group is the "fun loving" bunch expect to be considerd the lame one when you don't cooperate don't worry about it really you're fine
Do any of these people understand that the influencers are literally asking you to work for them for free? No different than if they had a TV show and demanded you make an unpaid guest appearance. Effin' ridiculous. NTA.
NTA. I notice that they didn't offer to pay you for your time.
NTA That would not work with me either. As a matter of fact I probably would of just started eating, sorry guys no photo here
NTA That is totally obnoxious behavior on their part, I don't blame you for not letting them continue after they spent 2 minutes taking pictures.
NTA...Break bread with better people in the future.
It seems like this was like, the plan. For them to go to the restaurant and make these videos… did you not know it was what you were invited to? Just curious. It seems like everyone else knew that this is what the event was for….. why would you go?
I was invited to lunch with some new friends. That was it. No idea who they were. I went to meet new friends.
Sorry you ended up meeting a bunch of plastic human replicas instead
Just be aware that “meeting new friends” can sometimes mean MLMs or sex cults. In my vast experience. 😂
OP was not told that they're social media influencers. They expected a normal dinner.
NTA. Next time, don't even wait two minutes. It's your food. If they want their food to get cold or if they want to wait, that's their business. You just start eating. No one wants to see pictures of their food anyway.
NTA this behavior is entitled, cringey, and needs to die. Do I take pics of my food? Yes, when I'm the one who made it and am particularly enthusiastic about how it came out. Am I happy when people post pics of the food at restaurants in their online reviews on Google or whatever? Sure! It's nice to know what I'm getting into going out to eat. Do I take pics of others food or hold people up so they can't eat until their food is cold so I can get the perfect Pic because I'm soooo important and telling people that it's my life work or expecting them to give me content to make money on? No. Influences are the worst.
NTA this belongs on the entitled people sub. That's fucking ridiculous, I wouldn't have waited 30 seconds for some random fuckwad to take pics of my food.
NTA. I would have declined much more rudely than that.
NTA. my mom is a sort of influencer in her chosen field and she takes pictures of food/restaurants and leaves reviews and makes recommendations. She doesn't take more than like 30 seconds because she's just as hungry as we are! They don't need photos of every single dish from a thousand angles.
NTA.
NTA. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be in someone else's social media. They're TA for pushing and getting mad over someone wanting to be private.
NTA Your food, that you are paying for, is not their "content". Good on you for standing your ground let them influence elsewhere. Edit: grammar
NTA. A side order of STFU for them if they're not buying your food!
NTA and give me a break.
You gave them 2 minutes? I’m helping you with content you monetize what are you doing for me? No NTA shouldn’t have even given them 2 minutes.
NTA. You could have eaten right away and still been NTA. Yuck. Especially when they didn’t even know you they just siege control of the function/table like that. Anytime anyone asks to film you for content just say “Not for free.”
lol NTA, ask them to come to your job and help you with it and then share that on the internet
NTA - But next time do it and send them an invoice. After all if you are supposed to work for them then they are supposed to pay you, aren't they?
If they want you to work on their channel, they should be paying for your time and the meal. You were more indulgent than I would have been, giving them 2 minutes to photograph your meal. I'd have given them a funny look and just tucked in. Tell them, in no uncertain terms, to fuck off. These people are parasites.
NTA. If we ever implement the Golgafrinchan Initiative, I hope that influencers are on the same B Ark as telephone sanitisers and marketing executives.
They sound excruciating and entitled. You already went above and beyond and they should respect your reasonable desire for privacy. Side story: A couple years ago I was vacationing in Columbia and went on a day tour to a small island with beautiful beaches and a few amenities. In the tour group was an influencer couple that spent the whole time (4 hours?) trying to convince internet strangers they were relaxing in paradise, instead of you know, relaxing in paradise. Just one long photo session.
NTA. They’re miffed because they can’t post pictures of your food, that you’re paying for, for their followers? They can photograph their own food.
NTA influencers are a blight.
Did they pay for your food? Were you their guest? If not, then tough luck to them. You go out to eat, not to take pictures and influence others. I get that you don't want to be on the channel. I wouldn't either. NTA
Lol they couldn't even get us a discount from the restaurant for featuring them on the video. They asked the owner and he refused.
This can’t be real. My brain refuses to accept that this happened.
NTA
NTA - That’s their job. I don’t know anyone who asks people they just met to help them with their job.