TikTok fans are voicing their displeasure with the BFFs Pod co-hosts.
Earlier this month, Dave Portnoy, Josh Richards, and Brianna LaPaglia—better known as Brianna Chickenfry—spoke out on a popular TikTok about working a 9-5 job, and it did not go well.
Brielle, a recent college graduate, developed the TikTok in question. At the end of October, a video of a sad Brielle reflecting on her sentiments about full-time job went viral.
In the TikTok video, she criticises the corporate grind, wondering how people with a ‘9-5 schedule’ can find time for herself.
“This is my first 9-to-5 job since graduating from college… Brielle adds, “I’m commuting in the city, and it takes me f—king forever to get there.”
“I don’t have time for anything… I don’t have time or energy to cook dinner, and I don’t have the stamina to exercise…”
Brielle has released a number of follow-up films on the subject, urging a “reform of the 9-5 schedule” because “the only people who benefit [from it] are the people who run corporations.”
Brielle’s original video has received over 3.3 million views, indicating that her opinion has certainly struck a chord with many TikTok viewers. However, it hasn’t stopped some online users from accusing her of being “lazy” and telling her to “get used to it” – a view many people believe Dave, Josh, and Brianna conveyed on the BFFs Pod.
During the November 2 episode of BFFs Pod, the trio first looked into Brielle’s TikTok.
Brianna and Dave’s comments on Brielle’s video were later responded to. Brielle was “disappointed” with how the co-hosts seemed to brush off the matter, given that class differences are sometimes accentuated on social media.
“To sit there and say, ‘That’s life,’ when no one can afford doctor’s appointments, when people literally work from the moment the sun rises to the moment the sun sets… “You have no idea the difficulties that the majority of Americans face,” she says. “To sit there and not acknowledge that, with the platform you have, is so disappointing because that shouldn’t be life.”
She specifically objects to Brianna’s remarks, stating that the ability to choose one’s own hours and be self-employed is a luxury that many people cannot afford.
“To sit in your little influencer tower and be able to experience more in a year paid-for than the average American working will in their entire lives… to just sit there and laugh…” Brielle expresses her disbelief. “Do you have any idea how much it costs to start a business…?” The vast bulk of the working class cannot afford to pay for their medications…”
Brielle’s reaction was addressed by the BFFs co-hosts in the following podcast episode, with Dave even dubbing the TikTok developer “crazy” for her reaction.
“I’m not sure… “My parents worked double shifts and never complained once,” Brianna adds. “Everyone in that comment section is sitting there like we made fun of working people… all we said is that it is crazy to get on f—ing social media and like sh—t on us for it. It’s not our fault that this is our job.”
Many TikTok viewers have reiterated their belief that influencers are “out-of-touch,” with many full-time content creators unable to appreciate the modern challenges of working a corporate job and the demands of the 40-hour workweek.
“[Brianna, Dave, and Josh] are out-of-touch, you need help,” Chloe of the @fifthyearpodcast TikTok account stated in a recent video. “You want to sit here and say that everyone has the choice of where to work as if most people in America aren’t living paycheck to paycheck.”
Other TikTok users, such as @valiaandry1, are particularly upset with Brianna and Dave because they quickly went on the defence.
“They’re not even reacting to the debate… The idea is that the problem is not the 9-5. “The problem is that we aren’t reaping the benefits,” Valia explains. “The issue that everyone is feeling, right now in 2023, is that we are working those 9-5 [jobs] on top of other jobs and still can’t even afford healthcare, cannot afford groceries…”
Brielle comments on the current debate over the co-hosts’ commentary in her newest video response to the BFFs Pod. She wonders why Dave and Brianna were so harsh on her since their “ignorance” was well acknowledged.
“The strangest thing is, I didn’t even start the ‘out-of-touch’ thing, like all the comments did… Brielle comments on her BFFs co-host’s reaction to her answer video, “because they see it too.” “I’m not the only one who made this wild assumption…”
As the majority of TikTok users agree with Brielle, it indicates that the anti-influencer stance, which has been gaining traction in recent weeks, is not going away anytime soon.
