Trisha Paytas is a Millennial Icon
For many people, the name Trisha Paytas will mean absolutely nothing. Even for those who are familiar with the massively popular YouTube personality, I’m sure few would agree with the idea of Trisha being labeled as an icon of any sort. But those people need to wake up and respect a legend.
The polarizing meme queen and perennial vlogger is known for her dichotomous YouTube channel that on any given day could feature a bubbly and energetic retelling of a fascinating life story, or a dramatic sobbing-on-the-kitchen-floor exposé of an ex who wronged her. Her mix of raw honesty concerning her internal struggles and her hilariously cringey meltdowns have made her a household name for millennials with over 3.4 million subscribers on YouTube.
Trisha started off her internet career in 2007, but really began to gain attention throughout the early 2010s by making viral trolling videos, one in which she questioned the existence of dogs’ brains.
At the time — and even now for many viewers — it was easy to write Trisha off as an idiotic ex-stripper (no shame here, this isn’t my opinion) who was drawing eyes for all the wrong reasons.
After working so consistently for years to build her following to the passionate community it now is, it’s clear to me that Trisha has always been a clever self-marketer who identified the obsession today’s youth has with the trainwreck reality star personality, adopted this persona and shrewdly applied it to the vlogging medium, capturing an audience that she could then mold into a fan base. In other words, a genius.
In late 2016, Trisha unleashed a magnificent tour de force that shall be immortalized in GIFs for all time. After discovering that her boyfriend might actually be gay, she did what she does best — have a complete meltdown, and capture its best moments on camera across multiple videos for the world to gawk at.
We are in awe of this woman for two somewhat contradictory reasons:
1. We witness the drama of her life and feel happy that we do not have to suffer the same tribulations; and
2. We relate to Trisha on an intrinsic level, understanding her heartbreak, regrets and loneliness
What social media allows for is the ability to find people with whom one connects and whom one would never meet offline. Trisha’s channel and other social media accounts — particularly Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat — stand as a collective beacon for young people figuring out their own lives to follow Trisha as she navigates hers. United in this interactive online relationship, no party feels all too bad about how their life is going.
Take, for example, her “mukbang” videos. In these oddities, Trisha literally sits and devours an obscene amount of food while making light conversation with the camera. I don’t think I’ve personally ever watched more than 10 minutes of one, but I can recognize their popularity. Unfortunately, many millennials are plagued by the same loneliness that Trisha has admitted to plenty of times before. In these videos, the gracious goddess invites her viewers into her home so that no one, in spirit, has to eat alone. Cue the single tear.
If you still haven’t, and even if you’re skeptical, subscribe to her channel and give her a follow on at least one other platform. If you want to explore a different facet of her career, respect her hustle as a rising pop star and check out one of her seven EPs on Spotify. Like so many before, you too are likely to get sucked into her mesmerizing vortex.
Some may disparage her by claiming she’s desperate for attention, and they are absolutely right. Aren’t we all? The truthful answer is yes. We millennials and Gen Z-ers stuff ourselves with The Daily Me, documenting our lives on social media for any attention from others we can get. Trisha just happened to slay the game so much better than we could ever hope to.
