Culture

Jojo Siwa Has Suddenly Become TikTok’s Most Unexpected Hero

"Her Hannah Montana moment is gonna blow up everything. I can’t wait."

by Michelle Rennex  21 May 2020
jojo siwa tiktok

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Over the last few weeks, teen megastar Jojo Siwa has become TikTok’s unlikely hero.

For those who don’t know, Jojo Siwa is a 17-year-old YouTuber turned singer, actress and social media sensation. Today, Jojo is most known for her glittery outfits, huge bows, expensive cars with her face plastered all over them, and for generally dressing like a six-year-old.

View this post on Instagram

I started taking normal pictures and then….. 😚

A post shared by JoJo Siwa (@itsjojosiwa) on

But this shtick has worked well for Jojo and has earned herself a spot as one of the most popular entertainer for kids around the world. With over 11 million YouTube followers, sold-out concerts across three continents, a Nickelodeon talent deal, every type of branded product imaginable and an overall estimated net worth of $12 million USD, Jojo Siwa is a force to be reckoned with.

However, as a 17-year-old, many people have found issue with Jojo Siwa “not acting her age” despite it literally being her job to act the way she does.

So Why Does Everyone Hate JoJo Siwa?

Often compared other 17-year-old’s in the industry — like meme turned rapper Bhad Bhabie and fellow-Dance Moms alum and Sia back-up dancer, Maddie Ziegler — Jojo Siwa has continuously been criticised for acting and dressing like a “giant toddler”.

Hell, even former-child star Justin Bieber commented “burn it” three times after West Coast Customs uploaded a photo of a then 15-year-old Jojo Siwa with her freshly wrapped BMW 4-series. He later apologised, but these words pretty much summed up general public opinion of the internet sensation.

But after being teased for her receding hairline, 5’9” height, and over-the-top personality for so long, Jojo decided to pen her own article in Today to address her haters.

“There’s been a lot of people who have said that they don’t like my hairline. But here’s the thing, when I look in the mirror, I know that my hairline makes me who I am, it makes me special,” Jojo wrote. “I love it, it makes me who I am and, it’s just, it’s my hairline!”

Yet, even with her note, the internet continued to hate on the Jojo, especially when rumours that the glittery teen managed to get a boyfriend started to circulate earlier this year.

Why Does Everyone Love JoJo Siwa Now?

But in some sort of a miracle, the internet has done a full 180 with their opinions on Jojo Siwa in the last few weeks. Perhaps it’s a result of boredom from the last few months in lockdown, but the public opinion of the kid’s star has shifted.

Using TikTok to share rare glimpses into the side of her personality without the bows and sparkly persona, people have begun to speculate that her own Miley Cyrus-esque ‘Can’t Be Tamed’ era is coming. That is, the post-Disney persona that allowed Miley to finally express her true self outside of her contractual obligations to be “family-friendly” and kid-safe.

This idea came from one video in particular, where Jojo Siwa took part in the popular Wipe It Down TikTok challenge — where a person wipes down a mirror to reveal an entirely different look staring back at them. For Jojo, this was changing out of her regular sparkles and bows outfits to reveal herself in regular clothes with a rare glimpse of her hair out of its signature ponytail — something Jojo has begun doing more and more on her TikTok account.

On the app, the video received over five million likes in just 48 hours. While on Twitter, the TikTok started the conversation around Jojo actually being fully aware of the act she’s been forced to play.

A quick glance of her TikTok account shows that she can take a joke about the persona she plays and even often reacts to videos that point out her hairline, height or the child-like way she acts.

In one video she even acknowledges that while she currently is under contract, she still loves what she does and controls her own life. But people on Twitter have taken this as a sign that Jojo is nearing the end of her contract and is — literally and figuratively — starting to let her hair down more and more.

But until that moment comes, those who hated her for the way she branded herself are now finding a newfound respect for the hustle. At just 17, Jojo Siwa was able to throw herself a totally Jojo-branded birthday party in her $3 million mansion.

“I’m just saying, it’s pretty cool to me that it’s my 17th birthday… and Jojo Siwa can have a Jojo Siwa-themed birthday. This is actually legit. I’ve got plates, napkins, cups, balloons, I’ve got ice cream,” she says in the TikTok. “All this stuff is available at Target, Walmart, Party City, you name it. It’s there. And that’s pretty cool.”

And she’s not wrong. Drinking Jojo juice and eating Jojo-branded ice cream while standing in front of party plates with her own face on them is a huge flex for anyone, let alone someone who isn’t even officially an adult yet. And you truly cannot knock that hustle.

You can follow the internet’s new hero on TikTok at @itsjojosiwa.