HBO recently released a short teaser clip for The Last of Us season two, but there is no need to wait until 2025 to watch the end of days on television. Here comes The Influencer, a Korean reality TV series that pits online stars against each other in a bloodless Battle Royale of social media clout. It offers a bleak assessment of the future of the human psyche and it is horribly compelling. All that matters in the world of The Influencer is attention; how you get that attention is irrelevant. The world is doing its best to prove that, as a general rule, this is terrible news for us all.
There are 77 competitors, which means the first episode is an hour and 20 minutes long and half of it comprises introductions. These introductions are not unwelcome, unless you are already familiar with Korean influencers, and they demonstrate the wide range of ways to attract a substantial online following. There are hair and makeup artists, models and rappers, gamers and fitness instructors, but also a man who cooks meat, an “actual shaman” and a silent character, which prompts another competitor to ask why they have bothered giving him a mic.
