Want to Go Viral? Tell Your Story in 22 Parts.
The New York Times
A Dickensian tradition finds a new audience on TikTok.
Time is money. That age-old aphorism is particularly true on TikTok, where holding onto viewers for even a single second longer can translate into greater algorithmic reach and, thus, higher earning potential.
It makes sense, then, that a content style has emerged that favors epic sagas broken down into shorter clips. If Homer were a TikTok influencer, Odysseus’ encounter with Polyphemus the Cyclops would cut just before our hero blinds the monster. For that, you’d have to watch the next video. And the next, and the next.
Creators have perfected the craft of offering just enough plot to keep viewers hooked and scrolling to find out what happens next. In February, Tareasa Johnson, better known as Reesa Teesa, captivated millions with a series entitled “Who TF Did I Marry?!?” Her creation, which comprised more than 50 videos, unspooled the many apparent fabrications of Ms. Johnson’s ex-partner, Legion, who Ms. Johnson said had lied to her about his career, family and wealth.
Scrolling through her account, the videos blur together into a grid of images of Ms. Johnson as she speaks directly to the camera in clips totaling over six hours of watch time. The clips, easily digestible dopamine hits, seemed to scratch a particular cultural itch in an era when attention spans are often short.
In the months since, a number of influencers and content creators have taken their cues from Ms. Johnson, stylizing their personal stories into multipart narratives. Recently, Brooke Schofield, the content creator who hosts the podcast “Cancelled” with Tana Mongeau, posted a series in which she accused an ex-boyfriend of telling a number of falsehoods during their brief relationship. Ms. Schofield’s former paramour, the musician Clinton Kane (best known for his song “Chicken Tendies”) has since rebutted with his own lengthy series of video clips. His series is titled “Who Did I Date Not Marry,” in a nod to Ms. Johnson’s opus.
Inspired by Ms. Schofield, the content creator Chris Olsen scored millions of views across a 19-part series about a negative experience in a past relationship. Haley Kalil, known online as @haleyybaylee, posted a similarly dramatic tell-all about an ex-boyfriend she claimed was a billionaire. (She has since deleted the videos and faced criticism online for the series, which some users believe she fabricated. Ms. Kalil did not respond to a request for comment.)
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