On August 8, 2020, famous TikTokers Bryce Hall (right) and Blake Gray (left) disregarded city sanctions and threw a massive party during a statewide lockdown. Not only did they throw an illegal party in the middle of a global pandemic, they came up with the brilliant idea to share their “little” get together with their 19 million combined followers. Eventually, the police were called, who issued the boys a citation and a warning. Less than a week later, the two celebrities threw an even larger party for Bryce’s 21st birthday. Once again, the two geniuses thought their 19 million followers should be in on the action. They posted multiple videos across their TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram accounts., filled with strippers, intoxicated individuals, and minors without a single mask to be seen.
Again, the police broke up the party and issued them a second citation and court date. On August 19, the county and the mayor’s office shut-off power to the boy’s joint rental property to prevent any further gatherings because did nothing to deter them. Charged with misdemeanor offenses, Hall and Gray face up to a year in jail and $2,000 in fines.
I have searched far and wide trying learn more about Bryce Hall and Blake Gray’s punishment. I found dozens of articles about them being charged, but zero information about how much they paid in fines, whether they went to jail, or even completed any community service. But I couldn’t find anything.
It seems as though, after a brief period in which they were “canceled ” by the internet, the boys returned to TikTok, posting their usual content as if nothing happened. One would expect to see a substantial drop in followers and an increase in negative attention on their pages, right? Wrong. Hall and Gray gained followers! They went from a combined 19 million followers to 22.2 million followers on TikTok! Which makes me wonder: why the fuck are they getting away with this?
Sadly, this gained popularity for bad behavior is not uncommon for social media stars! TikTokers are get away with unspeakable things regularly. What about Paul, Hall, and Gray allows them to continually be tolerated and rewarded with followers regardless of their actions? Not to be rude or anything, but not a single one of these individuals has any talent whatsoever. They are not accomplished musicians or incredible cooks. They are not sports stars or revolutionary artists. Are they phenomenal dancers? Certainly not (need proof? Here!) So what is their skill? What has allowed the public to grant them leniency that is not rewarded to others? The answer: they are attractive. While attractiveness is subjective, the popularity of the “thirst” content they post on TikTok indicates that their followers find them attractive. They have nice bodies and beautiful faces that fans like to ogle and fantasize about. Pretty privilege has provided Hall and Gray advantages in every stage in life, so they built their brand on their beauty and their pretty privilege.
Sadly, a brand built on pretty privilege is hard to “cancel!” We could blame science and the halo effect. The halo effect allows a singular trait such as beauty to alter your perception of all other characteristics. If someone is perceived as beautiful, an individual will color their perception of this person in positive terms. You will assume they are smart, interesting, kind, an
d caring. The halo effect means that fans who find Hall and Gray attractive have already colored their perception of these individuals in a positive light. Fans forgive Hall and Gray’s idiotic actions because they believe that they are good people. The halo effect has made it nearly impossible to cancel individuals who have branded themselves using pretty privilege! We have seen this clouded judgement before! Let us not forget Jake Paul (right), a famous and provocative YouTuber and Tiktoker, looting and mall in Arizona during the national outrage over the killing of George Floyd. The Scottsdale Police charged Paul with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly misdemeanors. Beyond just the looting drama, Paul is consistently in negative headlines! Paul has been fired off of Disney channel, the FBI has raided Paul’s home and seized guns from his property, and has been sued for 2.5 million dollars in a class-action public nuisance lawsuit (click here for a full timeline of his controversies). Jake Paul has also been in hot water recently for a massive COVID party! And to make matters worse, guess who attended this party— Bryce Hall (see side images)! Like Hall and Gray, the internet “canceled” Jake Paul yet he boasts 13.5 million followers on Instagram and 11.7 million followers on TikTok!
Historically, we have seen beautiful athletes, models, actors, and politicians forgiven for their actions. Still, with the rise of TikTok and YouTube, there is a new type of celebrity that we are confronted with. Sadly, problematic, idiotic white children like Bryce Hall, Blake Grey, and Jake Paul won’t be going anywhere soon. As there TikTok stardom and their thirst content increases, the halo effect and their pretty privilege will make any of their future dumb and thickheaded stunts forgivable, creating never-ending cycle of security and immunity for beautiful people.
Sources:
Mock, Janet. “Being Pretty Is a Privilege That Nobody Wants to Acknowledge.” Allure, June 28, 2019, www.allure.com/story/pretty-privilege.
Williams, Ray. “Do Good Looks (Beauty) Give You an Advantage?” Primum Non Nocere: First Do No Harm, October 21, 2018, raywilliams.ca/good-looks-beauty-give-advantage/.