- Influencer Mikayla Nogueira became the momentary poster child of out-of-touch influencers this week.
- "Literally just finished working, it's 5:19 — try being an influence for a day, try it," Nogueira said in a viral clip.
Mikayla Nogueira, a beauty influencer who produces makeup content for 13.5 million TikTok followers in a thick Massachusetts accent, is at the center of an online controversy over comments she made about how difficult her job is.
A clip of Nogueira, partially taken out of context, has gone viral on the app this week. Uploaded by @ilovewater2001 on September 20, it shows Nogueira saying, "literally just finished working, it's 5:19 — try being an influence for a day, try it," before cutting to a slideshow of moments in which Nogueira showed viewers designer bags, shoes, and sunglasses. So far, it's been viewed 6 million times.
The full Nogueira clip, however, was originally filmed in reply to a comment telling the influencer to try working a nine-to-five job. (It appears to have been deleted from Nogueira's profile, though a recording of it was also uploaded by @ilovewater2001. The original video has been viewed 1.1 million times — markedly less than the version including the designer bags montage).
@ilovewater2001 Replying to @ilovewater2001 #mikaylanogueira ♬ original sound - Grub Assham
"Every single day, I get up at 6 a.m. I spend about five to six hours filming video content that ranges from three to four videos and then I spent a few hours editing that video content," the 24-year-old said in the original video, as she poured dressing over a salad. "Then I have to work on my other social media profiles, whatever it may be. It's f----- marketing. Then I'm in meetings from twelve to five."
"I literally just finished working, it's 5:19. Try being an influencer for a day. Try it. Because the people who say it's easy are so far out of their minds. Try it for a day."
@llaurynsimone I could write a thesis about how out of touch influencers are smh #mikaylanogueira #influencers #fyp @Mikayla Nogueira ♬ original sound - Grub Assham
Critics have focused on the soundbite of "I just finished working, it's 5:19. Try being an influencer for a day. Try it," portion, saying Nogueira's focus on getting off of work at 5:19 p.m. is outlandishly out of touch.
TikToker @llaurynsimone responded to Nogueira in a September 24 TikTok singing Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" song before noting that "most people getting off of work at five o'clock can barely pay their rent, but being an influencer is so hard y'all."
"The job is a lot, but babe you gotta be quiet," fellow influencer Anayka She captioned a September 25 TikTok. "Influencers complaining about their job is equivalent to white people complaining about being called a 'cracker.'" She said. "You're never gonna win, I'm so sorry."
She agrees that "being an influencer is a job like any other," but while "draining" and "tedious," the job isn't "hard" in her experience, adding that "the problems that I have now — being an influencer — are problems that I wish I had two or three years ago when I was working a regular job." She went on to point out that as a Black influencer, her number one struggle was simply trying to get paid what her white counterparts make.
@anaykashe ♬ original sound - Anayka She
"You just gotta know what things you can and cannot say. Yes, everybody has struggles… but that little clip was a little crazy."
Earlier this month, influencer and Only Fans star Tara Lynn was similarly criticized for a tone deaf TikTok in which she complained that "nobody wants to work anymore" and admonishing people to "get your fucking ass up and work."
Mikayla Nogueira did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.