A recent spate of news articles about content creators gone rogue has me echoing Marvin Gay and the 4 Non Blondes’ question: What’s going on? In December 2024 Charles Smith, a 27 year-old TikToker known as Wolfie Kahletti videoed himself spraying Hot Shot Ultra Bed Bug & Flea Killer on vegetables, fruit, and rotisserie chickens in a Mesa, Arizona Walmart. He has been indicted on two felony charges and three misdemeanor charges. In January, a 25 year-old man used a 3 month-old baby to wipe snow off his windshield for a TikTok video that went viral. His case was turned over to child protective services for child endangerment and is still under investigation. Anigar Monsee, a 28 year-old Pennsylvania woman, was also arrested in January for torturing and killing animals for views on her YouTube channel. She has been found guilty of four felony counts of cruelty to animals and could face up to seven years in prison when sentenced in July. However, it was the Kellie Tedford case that jolted my brain into thinking we are witnessing a trend and not just one-off examples of poor decision-making.
Tedford, a 23 year-old OnlyFans model, was first arrested in February after posting videos of herself urinating on organic food and various surfaces at the Monodock Food Co-op in Keene, NH. She was charged with two counts of felony criminal mischief. In April, additional charges were filed when videos of her urinating and defecating on items and surfaces in a Marriot Hotel room surfaced. Five additional felony mischief charges were filed. Investigators have uncovered video evidence of similar acts dating back to 2021. Based on New Hampshire law, Tedford could be facing up to seven years in prison and a $4,000 fine for her actions.
Although most of us know that influencers and content creators regularly engage in excessive behavior to garner attention, it is still a bit mind-boggling to realize that some of them are willing to risk jail and prison time for views. But, should it be? Research shows that everyone has a fundamental need for attention. In today’s visually oriented media society, we are thrown into a competition for visibility to meet that need. Businesses and individuals alike have been quick to recognize that “attention wealth” could translate into economic wealth through content creation.
According to the 2023 NeoReach Industry Report, the global influencer market increased from $16 billion in 2022 to $21 billion in 2023. It is projected to grow to $32.5 billion by the end of 2025. With reports of content creators such as Mr. Beast, Dhar Mann, Matt Rife, and many others raking in millions from their online presence, people of all ages are flocking to the internet with hopes of cashing in on the digital marketplace.
Rapidly growing competition among content creators has motivated increasingly outlandish behavior to garner views. Georg Franck contends that images that capture and maintain our attention hold great power over us. Not all images have the same holding power, however. Humans have a propensity toward a negativity bias in that we are more likely to pay attention to and dwell on negative events and images than positive ones. Thus, many content creators lean toward content that provides “dark leisure” such as true crime podcasts or prank videos.
Popular prank videos go viral and attract millions of views which can earn creators a hefty income. For example, Roman Atwood, a popular social media prankster is estimated to have earned a net worth of $30 million. The lure of big money and the increasing competition for visibility in a crowded field can partially explain why content creators post performance crimes. But it can’t fully explain why people are willing to risk jail or even prison sentences for views.
For argument’s sake, let’s suppose it never occurs to them that they are risking serious consequences. In the past, one had to display some kind of talent or skill to reach celebrity status, but today’s content creators can reach celebrity status through notoriety. It seems the more notorious someone’s behavior, the more likely they are to reach celebrity status. People who consider themselves celebrities often believe they are impervious to consequences. This presumption is not unreasonable since we have all watched as celebrities face little to no consequences for actions that could land a member of the general public in jail or prison. However, recent arrests and sentencing suggests that attaining celebrity through notoriety provides little protection against consequences.
Ultimately, whether or not the seduction of possible wealth and fame will override the fear of consequences remains to be seen. Perhaps recent arrests and sentencing will deter creators from future performance crimes. Nevertheless, I suspect that as long as we continue to grant celebrity status and monetary rewards for bad behavior, it will mushroom.
ENDNOTES:
1 Michael Gwilliam . 2025, Jan 24. What Happened to Wolfie Kahletti? TikToker Indicted After Chemical Prank at Walmart. https://www.dexerto.com
2 David Harris. 2025, Jan 27. Looking for Clicks: man who used 3-month old to brush snow off car in vira TikTok video likely to face charges, police say. https://lawandcrime.com
3 6abc digital staff. 2025, May 7. Upper Darby, PA Woman Convicted of Torturing Animals for Social Media Likes. https://6abc.com
4 Emily Crane. 2025, April 17. OnlyFans Model Who Filmed Herself Urinating On Grocery Store Food Busted for Hotel Room Pee Spree – Including On a Bible. https://nypost.com
5 Markus Schroer. 2013. Visual Culture and the Fight for Visibility. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior (44:2), pp. 206-228.
6 Neoreach Editorial Staff. 2023 Creator Earnings and Insights Industry Report. https://neoresearch
7 Statistica Research Department. 2025, Mar 21. Influencer Marketing Market Size Worldwide From 2015-2025. https://statistica.com
8 Mat Craig, Zaya Hasan, Alexandra S. Levine, and Alexandra York. 2025, Mar 4. Forbes Top Creators 2024. Https://www.forbes.com
9 Georg Franck. 2018. The Economy of Attention. Journal of Sociology (55:1). DOI:10.1177/1440783318811778
10 PBC. 2025, Feb 25. What Is Roman Atwood Net-worth 2025: Wealth, Salary & Finance. https://pennbookcenter.com
11 System Ent Corp. 2023, Dec 21. Beyond Talent and Accomplishment: Unveiling the Role of Notoriety in Celebrity Status. http://medium.com/@systementcorp
12 Nicole Biagioni. 2019, Apr 25. Celebrities and Crime: The Unfairness in Punishment Between Celebrities and the Public. https://dailycollegian.com