Chris Bailey and Wylie Heiner both had very different journeys while on the social experiment Fake Famous now streaming on HBO Max.
Written and directed by Nick Bilton. The purpose of the experiment was to take three people in Los Angeles who all have relatively small social followings and then attempt to grow them into famous influencers. Using an army of purchased fake followers and bots to “engage” with their social media. The newly made “influencers” discovered the wonders and costs of this unlikely, immersive lifestyle.
Once separated into the “haves and have nots” – those that had talent were famous and those that didn’t weren’t. The requirements of fame changed with the rise and popularity of social media, and the once clear distinction became blurred.
Now, it seems almost anyone can become a “social media influencer” and skyrocket into the entertainment industry. The most intangible thing on this earth has also become the most sought after thing in existence.
For Wylie, fame had always seemed like something fun. That was until he had an encounter with one of the many downfalls of fame – online trolls.
For Chris, being famous on social media means nothing if the “creator” is not original and real. Authenticity is the only thing that matters. While everyone else prepares to play the game, Chris will play; by his own rules.
They both sat down with Muse TV to talk about their experiences, the lure of fame, what we didn’t see on TV, what the future possibly holds and what exactly was the issue with Chris’s bots.
