“Smarties, you know what’s up!”: curating a community and cultivating pleasure as a social justice influencer

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the Instagram postings of Blair Imani, an influencer who blends lifestyle content with social justice advocacy. Through an analysis of popular posts and follower engagement, I argue that Imani’s primary work is not to raise awareness. Instead, she cultivates a community of “Smarties,” tied together by a comforting style, positive emotions, and the shared pleasure of being an enlightened insider. This analysis indicates how the ostensibly positive account of a social justice influencer is another element of algorithmically polarized social media, where communities are formed and pleasure is derived via condemnation of presumed others.