Blythe’s remark sections, compared, are tame — though he does get some critically attractive personal messages. “I get very unusual emails, the place it’s like, ‘Might you therapeutic massage my socked toes?’ or one thing like that,’” Blythe recounted. “I don’t know in the event that they thought the socked half made the outrageous request extra regular, however one thing about that makes me chortle.”
Nonetheless, as 60% of Blythe’s viewers are ladies, he feels he has it simpler than most of his feminine friends. “I feel for those who’re a lady on the app that does pottery, you might most likely get numerous creepy messages,” he mentioned. Monaco — who will get feedback like “No person is wanting on the pottery” and “Everyone knows why we watch” — mentioned she doesn’t “suppose it’s too unhealthy.” She added, “Most of them are fairly humorous.”
Unfamous mentioned that influencers could also be reluctant to confess they’re purposefully thirst-trapping. “If you’re leaning into it, there’s a detrimental judgment that comes with that,” she mentioned. “There’s additionally a cringe issue that performs into it: It’s cooler to fake that you simply’re aloof, and fake that you simply’re above it, than admitting you’re doing it.”
Unfamous additionally informed BuzzFeed Information that, whereas she might admire the intercourse enchantment of pottery TikTok, thirsty viewers ought to be following the lead of influencers with regards to the feedback they make. “There’s a boundary. There are some folks which might be cool with [being sexualized], and there are others that aren’t,” she mentioned. “Viewers must take that critically when it comes to consent.”
For ceramicists like Pottery Boy, nevertheless, attractive feedback are a small value to pay for achievement. Whereas he didn’t admit to deliberately thirst-trapping his followers, he does welcome the eye that these sorts of viewers convey. In any case, they helped him to promote all of his $53 mugs in 40 seconds final 12 months. His IRL enterprise is prospering, too: He operates three pottery studios that appeal to 350 college students per week and has plans to open two extra this 12 months. “Enterprise goes actually, very well,” Pottery Boy mentioned. “However I don’t suppose my TikTok can take full credit score for that.”
“To be sincere, I am not too phased about how I am perceived,” PotterBoy mentioned. “I need to create content material that folks love to look at, and that brings extra folks to the game of pottery. I feel my movies are doing that, and that is an important factor. When you come for the pottery or for those who come for the intercourse enchantment, I welcome everybody.”
