Belle Delphine
| Belle Delphine | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mary-Belle Kirschner October 23, 1999 Cape Town, South Africa |
| 🏡 Residence | Brighton, England |
| Other names | Bunny Delphine |
| 💼 Occupation | Model, Internet personality |
| 📆 Years active | 2015–present |
| 🌐 Website | www |
Search Belle Delphine on Amazon.
Mary-Belle Kirschner (born 23 October 1999),[2] better known by her online alias Belle Delphine, is a South African-born English online personality, most notable for her glamour and cosplay modeling on Instagram. Her posts on the platform are often influenced by popular Internet memes and trends, and feature a risqué aesthetic that has garnered media attention. Media outlets have also described Kirschner as a cross between an Internet troll and a performance artist.
Early life[edit]
Kirschner was born in Cape Town, South Africa and eventually moved to the United Kingdom.[2][3][4]
Online content[edit]
Early years and developing an aesthetic[edit]
Business Insider noted that Kirschner has had an Instagram account since 2015.[5] On 30 July 2016, Kirschner registered a YouTube account.[6] Later that August, Kirschner uploaded a makeup tutorial video, featuring her demonstrate how to do a cat-eye.[7][8]
Although she was previously active online, it was not until 2018 that she began to actively use the platform to upload pictures of her modeling and cosplaying.[4] Her Instagram modeling gained notoriety as it had a distinct, self-proclaimed "weird elf kitty girl" aesthetic, as well as the usage of accessories such as pink wigs, thigh-high stockings, and cat ears.[4] In March 2018, Kirschner launched her Patreon account, where supporters (called patrons on the platform) can pledge a monthly donation to her.[8] Her content has earned her over 4,400 patrons on the website.[5] Her Patreon account has garnered media attention, for its following, as well as its rewards. Depending on how much a patron pledges per month to Kirschner, they can receive various rewards including selfies, photosets, and videos, among other things.[2][5] Polygon noted that one follower spent $2,500 in exchange for a personal Skype conversation with Kirschner.[9]
In September 2018, she uploaded a second YouTube video featuring her giving a tour of her pastel pink room, while wearing fake braces and thigh-high stockings.[8] Rolling Stone noted that her aesthetic in this second video is more in-line with that of the one she later adopted during her rise to prominence on Instagram; the publication described that aesthetic as "alien Disney princess porn star."[8] Once she adopted this new online aesthetic, her Instagram account surged from 850,000 followers in November 2018 to 4.2 million in July 2019.[8] Her content has also featured a notable usage of ahegao facial expressions which are exaggerated, eyes-rolled-back expressions that signify an orgasm, and often featured in adult anime.[4][10] The expression Kirschner additionally produces cosplay content, as she has cosplayed characters such as Harley Quinn and D.Va.[8] Complex further described the nature of Kirschner's content, detailing that "along with her more traditional photos, she has posted clips of herself coyly eating a raw egg, shell and all. A scroll through her feed is just as likely to find colorful thirst traps as it is to see photos of her playing with a dead octopus."[10]
Pornhub account and GamerGirl Bath Water stunts[edit]
In June 2019, Kirschner posted on Instagram, promising to create a Pornhub account if her post reached 1 million likes.[11] Pornhub responded to the post, calling it "the best news."[12] The post quickly earned over 1.8 million likes; in response, Kirschner held up her promise and created a Pornhub account, which soon uploaded 12 videos to.[11] Reactions to this were mixed, as many of Kirschner's fans were disappointed as her uploads were troll videos that featured misleading titles and thumbnails.[8][12] Each of the videos received poor like-to-dislike ratios, ranging between 66% and 77% dislikes.[13] Harry Hill of Mashable commented that "Arguably the best video, 'PEWDIEPIE goes all the way INSIDE Belle Delphine,' is a minute-long clip of a cat ear-clad [Kirschner] eating a picture of YouTuber PewDiePie, winking throughout."[11] PewDiePie responded to Kirschner's video, continuing with its joking nature.[14][15] Later in 2019, Kirschner was nominated for a Pornhub Award.[16]
On 1 July 2019, Kirschner launched her online storefront, along with a product that was dubbed "GamerGirl Bath Water".[9][17] The product was marketed as the remains of her bath water and was priced at $30 (£24).[9] Kirschner stated that the idea to sell her bath water came from continued fan comments on her photos saying they would drink her bathwater.[4] Upon initially selling the product, Kirschner added the note: "This water is not for drinking and should only be used for sentimental purposes."[9] The product was a commerical success for Kirschner, as the first run of the bath water sold out in three days.[17]
Her selling of GamerGirl Bath Water was met with considerable controversy, media coverage, and Internet memes.[17][18] The response from general Internet users also included tangential hoaxes based around the bath water, as well as parody and knock-off products. Two days after the bath water product sold out, a website was created attempting to capitalize on its success, selling "GamerGirl Pee" for just under $10,000; this new website and product was confirmed to not be associated with Kirschner.[19] @BakeRises, a since-banned Twitter user, impersonated The Daily Mail as a means to fabricate a headline alleging that Kirschner's product caused a herpes outbreak.[14] Snopes debunked this claim, stating that " the 'herpes' twist to the story was no more than a hoax."[20] YouTube video responses also sprung up featuring individuals drinking, cooking, and vaping the bath water.[8][18]
EJ Dickson of Rolling Stone noted that the response from media outlets alternated between "deriding [Kirschner's] fans for their naïvete and applauding her for her marketing savvy."[8] Katie Bishop, writing for The Guardian, reported that the sale was "widely mocked."[21] In concurrence, the International Business Times wrote, "while some people were amused by the idea of buying someone's bathwater, others have said that anyone who bought the GamerGirl Bath Water was 'sad' and 'pathetic.'"[18] Patricia Hernandez of Polygon commented, "Perhaps this seems like a strange thing to do, but it's very similar to the phenomenon of sex workers selling intimate items, such as panties." Hernandez additionally opined, "What's curious about [Kirschner's] side hustle here is that it seems to be a mixture of business and next-level performance art. In the video advertising the bath water, she outright calls this a stunt. And if you look at her wider Instagram oeuvre, [Kirschner's] work is defined by her willingness to go there. The result is as strange as it is funny."[9]
In a July 2019 interview with The Guardian, Kirschner stated, "I'm lucky. I can do crazy things and get to see the world react to it, and there's definitely enjoyment in that, even if it's sometimes a little scary. I get a bigger reaction to my weirder content but I think that's only possible because I also make risqué content."[21] She added, "I think it's been amazing and fun, but it's time to move on to new things. I have a diary next to my bed full of crazy ideas. I'm not sure what will top this, but I'm looking forward to seeing what will come next."[21]
Instagram account ban and social media hiatus[edit]
On 19 July 2019, Kirschner's Instagram account was banned from the platform.[22] Business Insider reported that Kirschenr's account ban came "after a seemingly coordinated reporting campaign against her."[23] However, a spokesperson for Instagram told the outlet that her account was not removed due to the aforementioned campaign, but rather because it violated the company's community guidelines.[23] The specific post or reason that led to Kirschner's ban was not provided by the spokesperson, who cited privacy.[24] At the time of her ban, the "belle.delphine" account accumulated over 4.5 million followers, according to Business Insider and Social Blade, a social media analytics firm.[23][25]
On 1 August, she posted an update on her Patreon account, detailing that she was working with Instagram to restore her account.[26]
After her ban from Instagram, Kirschner utilized her Patreon and Twitter accounts to communicate with her followers. After a tweet on August 21, she became uncharacteristically quiet on her social media platforms.[27] This prompted many of her Patreon supporters to believe they were being scammed, as she previously promised upcoming special content.[27][28] During her hiatus, PewDiePie featured memes relating to her GamerGirl Bath Water product on his Meme Review series.[5]
On 4 October, H3 Podcast co-host Ethan Klein suggested that Kirschner may have gotten into legal trouble due to shipping her bath water product.[27] Days later, on 7 October, Kirschner tweeted an image claiming it to be her mugshot, with a caption detailing she was arrested.[27] The image contained a "Metropolitan Police" watermark, although there has not yet been any external proof of an arrest.[27] Kirschner later followed up the tweet, detailing that someone stole her pet hamster at a party and that her vandalisation of that person's car resulted in her arrest.[28][29] Online publications and users raised concerns over the validity of Kirschner's claims due to her previous trolling; in addition, some noted that Metropolitan Police mugshots do not contain watermarks.[28]
Online reception[edit]
Kirschner's Belle Delphine persona and her related content has garnered much curiosity and scrutiny from online users and media outlets alike. Various outlets, including The Cut, Business Insider, Kotaku, and Polygon have described her as a "troll", and several instances of her activity online as "stunts".[4][5][9][14] Many of those outlets also assert that there is a satirical and ironic layer to her content; Bishop wrote that Kirschner "has successfully tapped into an online subculture by creating content that exists somewhere between internet pranks and erotic modeling. For many of her followers, Delphine is a personality before she is a pornographic model."[21] Delphine's polarizing social media presence has also been noted, with London Evening Standard writing that she "has sparked a flurry of debate online, with fans branding her everything from a master manipulator to a harmful sexist stereotype of gamer girls."[30] Business Insider cited one fan response in particular, which likened Kirschner to a "2019 Andy Warhol".[5] Alex Galbraith, writing for Complex, commented: "Her exceptionally weird stunts that seem to be satirizing the whole idea of sexiness.[10] Citing her as "a surrealist troll that became too much for Instagram," Business Insider ranked Kirschner 89th on the 2019 edition of its UK Tech 100 list.[31] The list's purpose is to feature the one-hundred "most interesting, innovative, and influential people shaping the UK tech scene."[31]
Her association with a gamer girl image has been particularly emphasized by media publications. Kotaku has described her as a "peak self-aware egirl".[32] Rolling Stones's EJ Dickson described Kirschner's posts as being more "bizarre" and "ridiculous", rather than "overtly sexual", and opined that: Such content appears to indicate that Delphine is leaning into — if not overtly parodying — the perception of the ideal girl as a hot, innocent young thing whose desire to play Fortnite is only eclipsed by her desire for nerdy gamer boy dick.[8] After her GamerGirl Bath Water product went viral on the Internet, Kotaku opined that:
It is not a huge stretch to assert that [Kirschner], who has built up a body of work that can be read as satirical, might be in the midst of some sort of long-term joke here, especially given her long list of stunts that all tend to subvert or toy with well-established fetish tropes. Even the notion of 'gamer girl bath water' plays with all manner of stereotypes about women in games and how some men see them: as mythical unicorns to lust after.[14]
Lela London, writing for The Telegraph, opined that "for women to truly escape gaming's gendered grip, we need to raise more non-fetishized Gamer Girls to the top. [Kirschner] is proof there is still quite a way to go."[33] Aoife Wilson, Head of Video at Eurogamer has conversely commented positively on Kirschner's online persona and content, asserting that "[Kirschner] is an incredibly savvy businesswoman. She gained a huge online following through her love of cosplay and her ability to replicate real-life ahegao faces. She's kept that momentum going by engaging with her followers and trying new things, always skirting the line between sexy and surreal. She absolutely knows her audience."[33]
Her content has also been examined from the perspective of its connection with themes found in Japanese culture and media. Dickson wrote that the references to Japanese culture in Kirschner's content have garnered her some criticism, as she has been "accused of racism and cultural appropriation in her cosplay, as well as capitalizing on the eroticization of young girls."[8] Conversely, Japanese adult performer Marica Hase opined "I see her manga characters as more of an homage and not racist."[8]
On why Kirschner attracts much controversy, Dickson wrote that:
Delphine markets herself as a 'gamer girl', which engages with a very specific stereotype about women in gaming. In the gaming community, there's a longstanding perception of female gamers as desperate attention-seekers who sexualize themselves to get more views and capitalize on horny dudes' desire for nerdy female counterparts.[8]
External links[edit]
- Griggs, Mary Beth (12 July 2019). "If you bought influencer bathwater, could you test it for DNA?". The Verge. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
References[edit]
- ↑ "UCXvKUavCtDOlA8bT1i2tI3w (belle delphine) Monthly YouTube statistics". Social Blade. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sloan, Elizabeth (19 July 2019). "Belle Delphine: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ↑ "Belle Delphine: 12 Facts You (Probably) Didn't Know About The Online Star". PopBuzz. Global. 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Aggeler, Madeleine (19 July 2019). "Who Is Belle Delphine, the Gamer Girl Selling Her Bathwater?". The Cut. New York. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Leskin, Paige (10 September 2019). "Meet Belle Delphine, the Instagram star who sold her bathwater to 'thirsty gamer boys' and had her account shut down over a rules violation". Business Insider. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- Leskin, Paige (19 July 2019). "Meet Belle Delphine, the Instagram star who sold her bathwater to 'thirsty gamer boys' and had her account shut down over a rules violation [19 July 2019 archive]". Business Insider. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ↑ "belle delphine – YouTube about page". belle delphine. YouTube. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ↑ My everyday makeup! | Belle. belle delphine. YouTube. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 Dickson, EJ (11 July 2019). "Is Belle Delphine, a.k.a. Bathwater Gamer Girl, the Greatest Troll On the Internet?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Hernandez, Patricia (3 July 2019). "The woman selling that 'GamerGirl Bath Water' loves to troll her viewers". Polygon. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Galbraith, Alex (16 July 2019). "Instagram Model Sells Her Bathwater to Thirsty Fans". Complex. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Hill, Harry (21 June 2019). "Cosplayer Belle Delphine trolled her followers with the promise of a Pornhub account". Mashable. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Prokos, Hayley (21 June 2019). "Belle Delphine Fans Are Furious After Cosplayer Trolls Them With Unsexy Pornhub Videos". Newsweek. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ Crichton, Maddie (21 June 2019). "Cosplay Instagram Star Belle Delphine Trolls Followers With PornHub Account". Rogue Rocket. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Rivera, Joshua (10 July 2019). "The 'Gamer Girl Bath Water' Saga Keeps Getting Stranger". Kotaku. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ Lindsay Dodgson (2019-06-21). "Instagram star Belle Delphine trolled fans with meme videos on PornHub". Insider. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
- ↑ Dey, Kunal (18 September 2019). "PornHub nominates Instagram stars Tana Mongeau and Belle Delphine for awards although both haven't made any porn". Meaww. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Dodgson, Lindsay (5 July 2019). "An Instagram star put her own bathwater up for sale for $30 a bottle, and it sold out in 3 days". Insider. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Vivar, Maia (10 July 2019). "Belle Delphine's Bathwater Causes Backlash: 'Pathetic'". International Business Times. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ Sung, Morgan (9 July 2019). "Belle Delphine, who sold gamer girl bathwater, isn't promoting that gamer girl pee". Mashable. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ MacGuill, Dan (9 July 2019). "Did People Contract Herpes After Drinking Instagram Star Belle Delphine's Bathwater?". Snopes. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Bishop, Katie (12 July 2019). "Who is paying $30 for 'gamer girl' Belle Delphine's bath water?". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ↑ Molina, Brett (19 July 2019). "Belle Delphine, Internet star who sold her bath water, has Instagram account deleted". USA Today. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Kanter, Jake (20 July 2019). "The Instagram star who went viral for selling her bathwater has had her account shut down after people reported her". Business Insider. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ↑ Maxim Staff (22 July 2019). "Instagram Model Who Sold Her Bathwater to 'Thirsty Gamer Boys' Has Account Shut Down For Rules Violation". Maxim. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ↑ "belle.delphine Instagram Stats Summary Profile". Social Blade. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ↑ Belle Delphine (1 August 2019). "August Update: Instagram/Patreon/Snapchat <3". Belle Delphine. Patreon. Retrieved 3 August 2019. (Subscription required.)
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 Co, Franz (7 October 2019). "Belle Delphine tweets 'arrest mugshot' in response to conspiracy theories". GameRevolution. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Bryan, Chloe (8 October 2019). "Belle Delphine now claims she was arrested after vandalizing a car". Mashable. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- ↑ Song, Sandra (8 October 2019). "Gamer Girl Belle Delphine Says She Was Arrested". Paper. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- ↑ Hills, Megan C. (9 October 2019). "Who is Belle Delphine? From selling her bath water to being 'arrested' over a hamster theft, here's what to know about the Internet personality". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Hanbury, Mary; Hamilton, Isobel Asher; Wood, Charlie (10 October 2019). "UK Tech 100: The 100 most influential people shaping British technology in 2019". Business Insider. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ↑ D'Anastasio, Cecilia (26 July 2019). "Young Women Are Reclaiming The Slur 'Egirl'". Kotaku. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 London, Lela (19 July 2019). "Is Belle Delphine proof gaming culture can't escape its hyper-sexualised past?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
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