Kim Kardashian West
TIME Magazine reveals its list of thirty most influential people on
the Internet. The individuals on the list were picked via their global
impact on social media and their overall ability to drive news. Here’s
who made this year’s unranked list:
Kanye West
The artist and entrepreneur has perfected the art of the Twitter
spree, sharing candid thoughts that are often just as provocative—if not
more so—than his music. His tweets can be controversial (see: his
comments on Amber Rose and Bill Cosby) and confusing (like his
revelation that he’s $53 million in debt), but many do offer
constructive criticism of the fashion and music industries. West also
used the Internet to shake up the idea of an album as we know it,
treating his latest LP, The Life of Pablo, like a work in progress by
refusing to sell it (it’s only available on the streaming service Tidal)
and promising alterations to its “final” version.
Casey Brodley
The crown jewel of this graphic designer’s online empire, which
also includes her popular lifestyle blog, is Pinterest, where Cho has
12.8 million followers. As the most-followed person on the platform,
she’s now able to garner big partnerships, including a photo-documented
road trip sponsored by Toyota and new lines of baby clothes and nursery
and home décor for Target. More recently, she was tapped to design the
souvenir eggs for the 2016 White House Easter Egg Roll.
James Corden
Even if you’ve never watched CBS’s Late Late Show, chances are
you’ve seen its host singing in a car with Adele. Or playing “tattoo
roulette” with One Direction. Or hijacking a tour bus with Jason Derulo.
This is a testament to how well the 37-year-old British comedian
understands how to be a late-night host in 2016, pushing celebrities
beyond their comfort zone to create the kinds of funny, feel-good clips
that thrive in the age of YouTube. Chief among them is “Carpool
Karaoke,” a semiregular series (now set for a prime-time special) in
which Corden chauffeurs famous artists as they bop along to their own
hits. The casual setup is more intimate than a studio set, which
encourages to guests let loose—and people to watch and share. So far,
more than 85 million have watched his outing with Adele, in which the
soulful singer wound up rapping along to a Nicki Minaj verse.
Laci Green
In an effort to provide a more approachable version of sex
education, the YouTube star offers sisterly advice on everything from
hookup culture to body positivity to BDSM. In sum, her videos have
amassed 122 million views, turning the 26-year-old, who was raised
Mormon, into a millennial Dr. Ruth. She’s now a go-to host (of MTV’s
digital series Braless) and ambassador (for Trojan’s “Consent. Ask For
It.” campaign)—with a rapidly growing fanbase.
Josh Holz and Daniel Lara
The beauty of the Internet age—or danger, depending on who you
ask—is that anyone can start a global phenomenon. Case in point: A high
school boy films his friend’s outfit and face each day while repeating
“Damn, Daniel!” in an alluringly weird accent, and suddenly the video is
everywhere. Josh Holz’s strange cinematic creation, originally uploaded
to Snapchat and stitched together into a longer clip, is the rare meme
to truly penetrate mainstream pop culture: Holz and Lara appeared on
Ellen (Vans gave Lara a lifetime supply of his signature sneakers that
he later donated to a children’s hospital) and in Weezer’s beachy music
video for “California Kids.” And while hackers eventually took over
Holz’s Twitter account and deleted the original video, it hasn’t stopped
fans from being back at it again with Daniel-inspired remixes, tattoos
and shoes.
DJ Khaled
Just five months after joining Snapchat, the music producer (real
name: Khaled Khaled) has become one of the social media platform’s
biggest stars and “a meme in human form.” His more than 20 million
followers are drawn to his relentlessly positive attitude and numerous
catchphrases—like “major keys to success,” or motivational humblebrags
that are often marked with the key emoji. But his influence has extended
well beyond Snapchat: Earlier this year, the 40-year-old also recorded
an inspirational message for Jeb Bush on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and starred
in a video promoting ObamaCare as one of his major keys to success. He’s
also been on the cover of Businessweek and made an appearance on The
Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Johnetta Elzie and DeRay Mckesson
Although there are no official leaders of the #BlackLivesMatter
movement, Elzie and McKesson have both helped meaningfully shape it
through the Internet. After gaining national attention for live-tweeting
the 2014 events in Ferguson, Mo., they founded WeTheProtesters.org, an
online hub and resource center for all #BLM activists. Together, they
command an audience of more than 400,000 people on Twitter, and McKesson
is running for mayor of his native Baltimore.
J.K. Rowling
More than any other author, J.K. Rowling has cast a spell over the
Internet, using Twitter and her website Pottermore to expand the Harry
Potter universe. Over the past year, she has revealed everything from
why Hagrid can’t produce a Patronus to the fact that Hogwarts tuition is
free to the history of North American magic in general (though some
criticized her for using details from existing Native American legends).
Rowling has also made headlines for fighting with a member of Scottish
Parliament, comparing Donald Trump to Voldemort and offering support to
fans with depression.
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (a.k.a. PewDiePie)
The Swedish gamer (born Felix Kjellberg) touts a record 42.7
million subscribers on YouTube, giving him a reach bigger than most TV
networks. Perhaps that’s why he’s starting his own: the 26-year-old
recently struck a deal with Disney’s Maker Studios to produce original
content for RevelMode, a new virtual network.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is redefining how political candidates use social
media, for better and for worse. Although supporters value his candor,
the GOP frontrunner has caught flack for tweeting insults at or about
his rivals—alleging that Megyn Kelly is a “bimbo,” for example, and
dismissing Marco Rubio as “Little Marco.” All of which bolsters Trump’s
virtual presence: the mogul touts almost 7 million followers on Twitter,
more than any other presidential candidate, including Hillary Clinton.
Lele Pons
At 19, Pons isn’t just the most-watched person on Vine (where her
six-second videos have been played 7.9 billion times); she’s one of the
most-watched people on all of social media. Fans flock to the native
Venezuelan, who is credited with coining the phrase “doing it for the
Vine,” for her practical jokes, which she plays on friends, family and
even strangers. But her profile is rising: In October, Michelle Obama
invited Pons to the White House to create a Vine advocating for
children’s education. And her popularity across multiple social media
platforms—including Instagram, Twitter and YouTube—has helped her make
ad deals with big-name brands, such as HP, DirecTV, Coca-Cola, Starbucks
and Guitar Hero.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Although the soccer star doesn’t post as often as some of his
contemporaries, he is far and away the most popular athlete on social
media and the undisputed king of Facebook, touting some 110 million
followers. He’s also only the third celebrity to reach 200 million
combined followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, joining
previous Time listees Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. His posts on
Facebook and Instagram, in particular, garner an average of one million
interactions each, helping Ronaldo earn $27 million a year in off-field
endorsement deals.
Caitlyn Jenner
When she came out as a woman last year, the former Olympic athlete
instantly became the most famous transgender person in the world—and on
social media. Four hours after joining Twitter (in sync with her Vanity
Fair cover reveal), Jenner had gained 1 million Twitter followers,
beating President Obama’s record. More recently, she’s sparked debate
online after making comments that offended some in their implications
about what it means to be a woman, even while exposing these complicated
issues to a wider audience.
Essena O’Neill
Ironically, the Instagram star only became even more famous after
she announced she was quitting the Internet. In a video that made
international headlines last November, the 19-year-old revealed to her
more than 500,000 followers that she was deactivating her accounts
because “social media is not real life.” Although many supported her
decision, the backlash from others was so intense that O’Neill entered a
period of radio silence. She re-emerged in January with a 6,210-word
open letter underscoring her decision; her latest Instagram photos now
have captions like “This is what I like to call a perfectly contrived
candid shot,” which are meant to illustrate how deceptive the platform
can be.
Narendra Modi
The leader of the world’s largest democracy is also an Internet
star, boasting more than 18 million Twitter followers and over 32
million Facebook likes. And unlike some of his contemporaries, he often
uses social media to break news and conduct diplomacy. On Christmas Day,
for example, Modi tweeted that he would visit the Pakistani city of
Lahore to wish Nawaz Sharif, the leader of India’s chief regional rival,
a happy 66th birthday. On Feb. 12, he also wished a happy birthday to
Afghanistan’s Ashraf Ghani. That tweet made headlines for the wrong
reasons, though: the Afghan President replied with his thanks, and a
polite note that he was actually born on May. 19.
Elise Andrew
If you’ve come across a Facebook post declaring the dawn of “a
mini–Ice Age” or the discovery of a new species of fish-eating spider,
chances are it came by way of Elise Andrew. The 26-year-old former
biology major is the brains behind I F-cking Love Science, a Facebook
page (and now a fully staffed blog) that has built an audience of 24
million, eclipsing more established outlets like Popular Science (3.2
million) and the New York Times (10.9 million). Its goal: to highlight
“the lighter side of science” in an effort to spark people’s interest.
At times, Andrew has been accused of oversimplifying complex issues and
promoting stories (like the mini–Ice Age item) that wind up getting
debunked. But those critics, she argues, are ignoring the importance of a
“staunchly pro-science” news outlet at a time when some presidential
candidates deny that climate change exists. “I’m not trying to teach
people about science,” she tells TIME via email. “I’m trying to give
people that moment where they say, O.K., this is interesting, and I WANT
to learn more.”
Ken M
There are trolls haunting every comments section on the Internet,
but none are as beloved—or perhaps, as prolific—as Kenneth McCarthy.
Online, the 35-year-old comedian, until recently known only by the
moniker “Ken M,” plays a good-natured dolt, posting hilariously inept
remarks to outrage people who don’t realize the joke is on them.
(Underneath an article on the perils of climate change, for example, Ken
M demanded that someone “tell obama to plant more tree seeds cause
trees convert sunlight into cool air.”) Now he’s something of a folk
hero, touting thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter and his own
subreddit. His aim, he has said, is to turn “toxic” spaces—as so many
comments sections tend to be—into “a source of belly laughter, so it’s
not gross anymore.”
Lilly Singh (a.k.a. Superwoman)
She may not have as many subscribers as PewDiePie, but the
Indo-Canadian vlogger is rapidly becoming one of the biggest stars on
YouTube, both on and off-screen. As alter ego Superwoman, she is equal
parts funny and motivational, which has helped her amass more than 8
million subscribers and over 1.1 billion total views. She recently
landed a national YouTube ad campaign and released her first feature
film, a documentary chronicling her 27-city world tour, on YouTube’s new
paid subscription service; it’s called “A Trip to Unicorn Island,” a
nod to her fans, known as Unicorns.
Matt Drudge
If we are indeed witnessing the biggest political media circus in
history, then Drudge is its virtual ringmaster. More than 15 years after
its launch, his news-aggregation site, The Drudge Report, remains a
traffic behemoth, logging some 8.7 billion page views in the past year.
That gives Drudge, whose own views skew conservative, an outsize
influence on the political news cycle—a fact doesn’t sit well with his
critics. But there’s no denying his ability to turn niche stories into
national headlines, especially if they allege that Hillary Clinton wears
a wig.
Angie Nwandu
As more and more of our own daily interactions happen online, so,
too, does celebrity drama. And Nwandu, 25, has made it her business to
capture it. Two years ago, she started The Shade Room, an Instagram
account and blog that aims to be like Page Six for celebrities on social
media: a chronicle of who likes whose posts, who comments on whose
photos, and who starts following (or better yet, unfollowing) each
other. Since then, TSR has become a burgeoning media empire, replete
with its own tipsters, staff (there are now four full-time employees),
and advertisers—all of whom serve an audience of 3.9 million. And
counting.
Andrew Bachelor (a.k.a. King Bach)
On Vine, the social network for six-second videos, 27-year-old
Bachelor commands 15 million followers, more than any other user. His
edge: a knack for relatable comedy. Many of his quick videos portray
everyday scenarios—like trying to get a woman’s number—gone awry.
Casting directors have taken note: he landed his first major TV acting
gig (on Showtime’s House of Lies) within months of his inaugural Vine in
2013. This year he’ll add four feature films to his résumé.
Kayla Itsines
“Fitspiration“—photos of leafy salads, inspirational quotes and
well-posed gym selfies—has become a social-media staple, and no one has
leveraged it better than Kayla Itsines. The 24-year-old Aussie trainer
has parlayed her line of digital workout and nutrition guides (a.k.a.
Bikini Body Guides) into a virtual movement on Instagram, on which her
supporters post before-and-after images using hashtags like #BBG,
#TheKaylaMovement, and #KaylasArmy. Itsines often shares the most
dramatic results with her 4.6 million followers, which both engages her
followers and evangelizes her brand. While some have criticized Itsines’
methods, her empire continues to grow; her Sweat with Kayla app, for
example, continues to chart in the health and fitness section of the App
Store.
Peter Bouckaert
For proof that a single tweet can change the world, look no further
than Sept. 2, when Bouckaert, the Emergencies Director for Human Rights
Watch, shared a photo of Alan Kurdi, a 3-year-old Syrian-Kurdish
refugee, lying dead on a Turkish beach. Within hours, the image (taken
by Turkish photographer Nilüfer Demir from the Dogan News Agency) had
gone viral, drawing attention to the human toll of Europe’s migrant
crisis—and perhaps even hastening a response. Two days after Bouckaert’s
tweet, the U.K. agreed to accept thousands more refugees.
Kim Kardashian West
Kim Kardashian West is one of the most-watched people on the
planet, with more than 120 million followers across Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram and Snapchat. Most recently, she made headlines for posting,
and then ardently defending, a series of nude selfies. “I am empowered
by showing the world my flaws and not being afraid of what anyone is
going to say about me,” she wrote. “And I hope that through this
platform I have been given, I can encourage the same empowerment for
girls and women all over the world.” The reality star also launched two
new mobile apps in the past year, including Kimoji, which features icons
of her famous derriere and “ugly cry” face.
Josh Ostrovsky (a.k.a. The Fat Jew)
Josh Ostrovsky’s outrageous alter ego rose to fame over the past
few years by sharing funny photos and memes with his millions of Twitter
and Instagram followers, often without attribution. (He also wrote a
book, Money Pizza Respect, and started a wine label, White Girl Rose.)
But his fame reached a tipping point in August. Shortly after news broke
that Ostrovsky had signed with talent agency CAA, several prominent
comedians—including Patton Oswalt and Chelsea Peretti—mocked him for
building a career off of stolen material, kicking off a debate about the
ethics of aggregating online content. Eventually, Ostrovsky apologized
and vowed to credit all his posts in the future.
Drake
More than perhaps any other artist, Drake understands the power of a
meme. Last year, he released a strikingly simple video for “Hotline
Bling”—most shots were of him doing goofy dance moves amid a neon
backdrop—that all but begged to be parodied. And the Internet obliged,
churning out countless GIFs, Vines and spoofs that helped make the song
his biggest hit to date. More recently, Drake tapped meme culture to
settle a score, using fan-made images to taunt rival Meek Mill during a
performance.
Tess Holliday
The average American woman is a size 14—which is why many people on
the Internet find it so maddening when the fashion industry applies the
label “plus-size” to models who appear to weigh less than a normal
woman. Among them: Tess Holliday, who created the hashtag
#EffYourBeautyStandards for social media users to express
dissatisfaction with societal norms and pride in their bodies. The
model, who has 1.1 million Instagram followers, is now the living
embodiment of her mantra: she’s the first size 22 model to be signed
with a major agency, she covered People magazine in May 2015, and
recently, she shared a photo of herself in a bikini at “6 months
preggo…& still slayin.”
Helen Van Winkle (a.k.a. Baddiewinkle)
It’s never to late to reinvent yourself, especially on the
Internet. For proof, look no further than Helen Van Winkle, the
87-year-old Tennessean whose newfound love of eccentric clothing—which
she says she uses to cope with the passing of her husband and son—has
made her an Instagram sensation. Two years after starting the
@baddiewinkle account (her great-granddaughter’s idea), she touts some
1.8 million followers, including Miley Cyrus and Nicole Richie. Now
she’s even started to nab fashion campaigns and invites to A-list
events.
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