The TikTokification of the celebrity interview

Imagine: we are at the premiere in London Dune: part two And Chicken shop date‘Amelia Dimoldenerg has reserved a minute or two with actor Stellan Skarsgård. “What’s your favorite day on set?” she asks him, followed by “Do you have one that you remember that stands out” when Skarsgård answers with a blank stare. “It’s one of those TikTok questions,” the actor finally offers her, “You want a question with one short answer.”

You probably didn’t have to use your imagination too much to conjure up this chilling interaction. If you’ve ever scrolled through TikTok after, say, a premiere or the Oscars, you’ve seen video after video of celebrities being asked less and less important questions. Dimoldenberg is a prominent figure in this world, who is shoved down our throats in such a way that we easily forget that she was the harbinger of doom for this superficial form of journalism. Praised by many, she is the prestigious face of something that, at worst, manifests as someone like Harry Daniels – the man who foists a singing gig on every hapless celebrity he can find. When Daniels recently attended the People’s Choice Awards, he asked everyone from Barbie Ferreira to Halle Bailey whether they would rather have a “gay son” or a “dumb daughter.” Through these kinds of difficult interactions, it’s become clear that while the space for deep, meaningful conversations is shrinking, the space reserved for those with the potential for TikTok-ready soundbites is seemingly expanding.