Progressive Voices

Are Influencers Dying? Why Brands Are Spending Billions on the New Creator Economy

The era of the influencer may be ending—but influence itself is bigger business than ever. Social media has changed dramatically, and the creators who once dominated Instagram, YouTube and TikTok are discovering that simply showing off a fabulous lifestyle isn't enough anymore.

So what happened to the traditional influencer—and where did their audiences go?

Social media began as a place to share photos, friends and everyday life. Then came influencers: creators who attracted enormous audiences, landed lucrative brand deals and turned online popularity into an industry worth billions.

But audiences changed.

Today, people increasingly want creators to teach them something, entertain them, offer expertise, build community—or be so compelling that they simply can't look away. At the same time, brands continue pouring billions into creator and influencer marketing.

So is the influencer dying—or simply evolving?

On today's The Karel Cast, Karel is joined by two guests who understand this transformation from very different perspectives:

Andrew Selepak of the University of Florida, an expert on social media, digital culture and communication, joins the conversation to examine how influencer culture has changed and what audiences and advertisers want now.

Alison Malone, a former television news journalist, podcaster and influencer, brings the perspective of someone who has worked in both traditional and digital media.

Together, they explore the changing creator economy, influencer marketing, social media algorithms, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, brand partnerships and online trends—and why influence reaches far beyond the people who actually follow creators.

Influencers can help drive everything from fashion and consumer purchases to major diet and fitness trends such as the explosion of interest in protein and creatine. And through partnerships with major companies, their influence can reach consumers who don't even use social media.

The influencer isn't necessarily disappearing. The definition of an influencer is changing.

Who wins in this new creator economy? What happens to traditional influencers? What are brands looking for now? And where does social media go next?

Let's talk about it.

Join the conversation in the comments. LIKE this video, SUBSCRIBE to The Karel Cast and SHARE it with someone who has an opinion.

Support independent media and The Karel Cast on Patreon:

patreon.com/reallykarel

Watch and subscribe on YouTube:

youtube.com/reallykarel

The Karel Cast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Spreaker and other major podcast platforms, and can also be seen on TikTok and Instagram.

LIVE Monday–Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific.

Karel is a history-making broadcaster, entertainer and commentator based in Las Vegas, joined by his little service dog, Ember.

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https://youtube.com/live/xG7qreP7OYU

Trump Isn't The Problem — Our Broken Institutions Are

Everyone with a functioning brain is disgusted by Trump — alienating our allies, unjust wars, prices at the pump and grocery store skyrocketing, and dodging accountability on Epstein. But here's the uncomfortable truth: it's not his fault.

So who IS to blame?

🔴 The voters who got conned — again — by a man who played their racism, nationalism, and grievance politics for a fool's game, blaming Biden, immigrants, and trans people for problems he created.

🔴 The institutions that keep caving. The Supreme Court just greenlit his ballroom project — even conservative Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, calling it likely illegal. Biden never expanded the court. Compromised justices stay put.

🔴 Congress, sitting on its hands. They could stop the tariffs, the wars, the Kennedy Center takeover — they won't even confirm whether one of their own members is still alive.

Trump is just being exactly who he's always been. It's the checks and balances that were supposed to stop him — and didn't — that are the real story.

👉 Join the conversation in the comments, LIKE this video, SUBSCRIBE to The Karel Cast, and SHARE it with someone who has an opinion.

Support independent media and The Karel Cast on Patreon:

patreon.com/reallykarel

Watch and subscribe on YouTube:

youtube.com/reallykarel

The Karel Cast streams LIVE Monday–Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Pacific, and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Spreaker, TikTok, and Instagram.

Karel is a history-making broadcaster, entertainer, and commentator based in Las Vegas, joined by his little service dog, Ember.

#TrumpNews, #PoliticalCommentary, #KarelCast, #TrumpAdministration, #SupremeCourt, #JohnRoberts, #CongressFailures, #CheckAndBalances, #AmericanPolitics, #NewsCommentary, #PoliticalAnalysis, #TrumpEpstein, #ImmigrationPolicy, #LGBTQNews, #Tariffs, #KennedyCenter, #DailyNews, #IndependentMedia, #PoliticalPodcast, #CurrentEvents, #USPolitics, #TrumpVoters, #DemocracyInCrisis, #GovernmentAccountability, #Trending2026, #NewsAnalysis, #PoliticalSatire, #Podcast, #YouTubeNews, #TalkShow

https://youtube.com/live/VDoIeQL1T4k

Iran Strikes, Nepal's Death, Trump's Lake, Rogue AI — Monday News Meltdown

USA attacks Iran again. Nepal's death toll climbing to horrifying numbers. Trump pettily trying to rename a lake out of spite. Canada refusing to bow to the Orange Oligarch. And AI quietly acting on its own without anyone's permission. Welcome to Monday.

You wanted a hopeful start to your week. Instead you got America — struggling, dying, fighting, and somehow still finding time for lake-renaming pettiness. No wonder everyone's wishing it was already Friday.

PLUS: you might be hurting yourself and your family in your own kitchen without even realizing it — and we'll show you exactly how to stop.

We break down these headlines and more on today's Karel Cast.

Join the conversation in the comments, LIKE this video, SUBSCRIBE to The Karel Cast, and SHARE it with someone who actually has an opinion.

Support independent media and The Karel Cast on Patreon: patreon.com/reallykarel

Watch and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/reallykarel

The Karel Cast streams on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Spreaker, and other major platforms, and is also on TikTok and Instagram.

LIVE Monday–Friday at 10:30 a.m. Pacific — wait, no, Monday–Thursday, 10:30 a.m. Pacific.

Karel is a history-making broadcaster, entertainer, and commentator based in Las Vegas, joined by his little service dog, Ember.

Hashtags:

#KarelCast, #TheKarelShow, #NewsCommentary, #DailyNews, #MondayNews, #PoliticalCommentary, #IranNews, #NepalDisaster, #TrumpNews, #CanadaPolitics, #AINews, #ArtificialIntelligence, #IndependentMedia, #NewsAnalysis, #CurrentEvents, #PoliticalNews, #WorldNews, #USPolitics, #KitchenSafety, #HealthTips, #NewsToday, #BreakingNews, #TalkShow, #Podcast, #DailyPodcast, #Commentary, #NewsRoundup, #PoliticalTalk, #LasVegasMedia, #LGBTQMedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3r1KxfcC5M

'BradCast' 8/31/2026: Encore -- Is the Zombie Myth that Repubs are Better than Dems on the Economy Finally Dead? by Progressive Voices

'BradCast' 8/27/2026: Will Dems Risk Being Called 'Election Deniers' If They Need to Challenge Midterms? by Progressive Voices

Green News Report 8/27/2026 by Progressive Voices

Dolly Parton’s LGBTQ Legacy, Texas Drag Ban Defeated & Hope for Uganda

Why did the loss of Dolly Parton resonate so deeply throughout the LGBTQ community? On this edition of “This Gay Week,” Karel and Scott Douglas Jacobsen of The Good Men Project examine Parton’s enduring legacy as an ally—and why the deaths of certain LGBTQ icons and supporters become defining cultural moments.

Karel and Scott also explore some of the week’s biggest and most surprising LGBTQ stories from around the world:

A Texas judge strikes down the state’s drag ban, cites Dolly Parton, and delivers a priceless response to the governor and other officials.

Help is reaching LGBTQ people in Uganda from an unexpected source in the United Kingdom, providing safe housing, food, community, and hope to people facing persecution.

And what exactly is a “Holy Phallus”—and why does it have France’s right wing so outraged?

Get the stories, context, history, humor, and outspoken commentary on “This Gay Week” with Scott Jacobsen and Karel.

Join the conversation in the comments, LIKE this video, SUBSCRIBE to The Karel Cast, and SHARE it with someone who has an opinion.

Support independent media and The Karel Cast:

patreon.com/reallykarel

Watch and subscribe on YouTube:

youtube.com/reallykarel

The Karel Cast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Spreaker, and other major streaming platforms. You can also watch on TikTok and Instagram.

LIVE Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific.

Karel is a history-making broadcaster, entertainer, and commentator based in Las Vegas, joined by his service dog, Ember.

#DollyParton, #DollyPartonLegacy, #LGBTQ, #LGBTQNews, #LGBTQCommunity, #LGBTQRights, #GayNews, #ThisGayWeek, #ScottJacobsen, #KarelCast, #TheKarelCast, #ReallyKarel, #DragQueens, #DragBan, #TexasDragBan, #TexasPolitics, #Stonewall, #JudyGarland, #LGBTQHistory, #Uganda, #UgandaLGBTQ, #HumanRights, #UnitedKingdom, #France, #FrenchPolitics, #CultureWar, #PoliticalCommentary, #IndependentMedia, #QueerNews, #Pride

https://youtube.com/live/Br32aU29yXk

'BradCast' 8/26/2026: Democracy is 'Kryptonite for Empires'; Guests: Heather Digby Parton and 'Driftglass' by Progressive Voices

Dolly Parton’s Death Raises a Big Question: Does the Public Have a Right to Know?

Dolly Parton’s death shocked millions of fans around the world. Within hours, the public learned that cancer was the cause. But increasingly, when celebrities, politicians and other public figures die, we hear that they died—but not necessarily how or why.

So where should the line be drawn between a family’s right to medical privacy and the public’s right to know?

On today’s The Karel Cast, Karel examines how reporting on death has changed in the age of instant news and social media. Sometimes determining an official cause of death takes weeks or even months. But in other cases, families simply choose not to disclose it.

Does being a public figure change the equation? Is cause of death legitimate news—or are we treating private medical information as something the public is automatically entitled to know?

Then, Meta agrees to a staggering $16.7 billion settlement involving allegations surrounding social media addiction and harm. If these platforms can cause serious harm—particularly to young people—who ultimately pays the price? Where does settlement money actually go? And if governments believe social media products can be dangerously addictive, why are the companies behind them still allowed to operate largely as they do today?

Karel tackles two questions about modern life that have more in common than they initially appear to: How much are we entitled to know—and how much responsibility should powerful institutions have for the consequences of what they do?

What do you think? Should the cause of death of a major public figure be disclosed? And have governments done enough to hold social media companies accountable?

Join the conversation in the comments, LIKE this video, SUBSCRIBE to The Karel Cast and SHARE it with someone who has an opinion.

Support independent media and The Karel Cast at Patreon:

patreon.com/reallykarel

Watch and subscribe on YouTube:

youtube.com/reallykarel

The Karel Cast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Spreaker and other major streaming platforms and can also be seen on TikTok and Instagram.

LIVE Monday–Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Pacific.

Karel is a history-making broadcaster, entertainer and commentator based in Las Vegas, joined by his little service dog, Ember.

#DollyParton, #DollyPartonDeath, #DollyPartonNews, #CelebrityNews, #CauseOfDeath, #CelebrityDeaths, #MedicalPrivacy, #RightToPrivacy, #PublicFigures, #MediaEthics, #Journalism, #BreakingNews, #NewsCommentary, #TheKarelCast, #Karel, #Meta, #Facebook, #Instagram, #SocialMedia, #SocialMediaAddiction, #MetaSettlement, #BigTech, #TechNews, #SocialMediaSafety, #OnlineSafety, #MentalHealth, #CurrentEvents, #NewsAnalysis, #IndependentMedia, #PoliticalCommentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdvueOhPZmE

This time on Code WACK!

What is medical debt? Let’s start with what it usually isn’t: spending too much on vacations, designer clothes, or other luxuries.

Medical debt often starts with something nobody planned for: an accident, illness, emergency room visit, or hospitalization.

This week, we’re looking at the hidden costs of getting sick in America, what happens when patients are left with medical debt they never expected, and why even having insurance doesn’t necessarily protect people from huge bills.

Joining us is Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League, the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization. This is the first of two episodes with Sally.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.