Influencer Spotlight: Alx James
Every month, NeoReach will be holding an Influencer Spotlight where we will feature your favorite social media celebrities, the most innovative bloggers, and social media users with extraordinary stories. Today we invited the Vine superstar Alx James to take the center stage.
- With a whooping 6 million followers on Vine, you’ve become one of the Internet’s most loved personalities. Can you tell us a little bit about your path to fame?
I was raised in the small town of Black Creek, in North Carolina. The population was 747, literally. My first passion was sports, which led me to join the Junior Olympic Volleyball team. But as I grew older I realized that what I really wanted to do was entertain. Whether it was singing, dancing, comedy, I wanted to do it in front of an audience.
I applied to American Idol and made it to Hollywood! But on my way there I fell sick with mono and had to bail. Although it felt like a nightmare, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. That year, a friend of mine introduced me to Vine, and the rest is history.
- So much of Vine, and social media, is about carving your own voice. If you were to use one word to define your voice on Vine, what would it be?
If I were to choose one word, I’d say “Real”.
When I started my Vine, I wanted it to be who I am. My Vine channel is about what people say, do, and go through every day, but I’m the one who says it, and I put a comedic twist to it. As it turns out, a lot of people relate to what I say. That’s what I find gratifying from creating videos.
- Could you tell me a little bit more about that?
I do my best to stay away from recycled content. Everything I put out there is original, it comes from me. You see, I’m about showing people that being funny or popular is not about following the crowds, it’s about being you, having your personality, and your own way to look at stuff. Because of this, people come back and are like: oh what is he going to say this time, what is he going to say that time. That being said, what I say on Vine and who I am on Vine is an exaggerated form of myself. On Vine, I’m able to bring out who I really am, and exaggerate it times ten.
- What would you say is your most outrageous Vine?
All my waterbugs videos, no doubt.
- Talking about waterbugs, what does it mean and how did you invent that word?
One day while I was working, a cockroach was crawling on the floor. At least I thought it was a cockroach. But my coworker said: “that’s not a cockroach, that’s a waterbug”. While she said that, she was putting her big round glasses on, so I replied: “nah, b*tch, you the waterbug” and we burst out laughing.
Then I started thinking: people call their shades “hater blockers” and haters be like waterbugs to me…it clicked. I thought it was a neat way to take something serious – because hate is serious – and turn it into something positive and funny. Little did I know, waterbugs blew up and took on a life of its own.
Just type #waterbugs in Vine and you’ll see what I mean.
- Haha! That’s incredible! So after building one of the biggest fan bases on social media and adding a new word to the English language, what’s your next move?
I’m currently working on my very own sitcom with Collins Ave studio. I can’t say much about it yet, but if you like my Vine channel, you’re going to love this.
- Do you plan to make your way to Hollywood and the big screen?
I like the big screen and all, but my heart stays with the Internet. That’s where I started, and, honestly, that’s where everything is moving to. These days, kids treat us (social media personalities) like Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolies. We’re the A-list celebrities of our generation.
Personally, I get more excited to meet Internet celebrities than TV celebs. It’s a different type of relationship. On TV, celebrities are part of another universe, they are so distant. But on social media, I’m able to show my fans that I’m a real person too, just like them.
It’s real.
About NeoReach
NeoReach helps you find brands, products, and content you can get paid for sharing on social media. We work with the top internet celebrities, bloggers, and active social media users. Do you have an engaged following and want to start earning money from your social shares? Try it today: it’s easy, lucrative, and free.
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