Rynn Star (@rynnstar) joins 2Old4TikTok this week! Dena and Melissa start the show talking about the Inauguration, the viral Bernie Sanders photo, Amanda Gorman, and Al Roker.

Rynn Star Interview ~5:45

Rynn tells us about her TikTok journey, starting with Musical.ly and growing a following with her posts on social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. We hear about her viral video about over-policing in Black neighborhoods, and how celebrities like Ben Platt, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Jonathan Van Ness, Benj Pasek, Cynthia Erivo, and Sarah Silverman have engaged with her content. We ask Rynn about “shadow banning,” censorship, and TikTok’s new program for Black Creatives. We all wonder why she doesn’t have the blue check mark yet. Rynn tells us about sponsorship opportunities and working with brands like The Coldest Water and MAC Cosmetics. We talk about celebrities on TikTok and how random people are just more entertaining. She tells us what’s on her For You Page, lots of comedians mixed with politics, media, music, linguistics, and current events.

Political TikTok ~29:00

We get into Political TikTok, discussing how TikTok covers the spectrum. And how much of “Political” TikTok is just about human rights. There’s a level of accountability that comes with the personal video recording on TikTok, versus on a blog post, that hopefully encourages empathy. Political TikTok is more about learning about others first-hand experience and culture, rather than political systems. Rynn mentions content creators in the Native American community. She tells us about her experience with “trolls” that she was able to turnaround. We hear more about her crack fic of Tucker Carlson, Chris Cuomo, and Don Lemon.  

Lightning Round ~42:00

Rynn reveals her favorite TikTok trend: The Buss It Challenge. Least favorite TikTok trend: Twerk For Me / Stand By Me. Advice for TikTok creators. Thoughts on Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License.’ And favorite accounts: @human_espresso, @daejahtalkstv, @jordxn.simone, @daniellekirk731, diamond_dog74, @geronimo.warrior, @feminist_fatale, @mavrlous.

Find TikTok videos from all the creators we mention on our blog (2Old4TikTok.com) and Instagram (@2old4tiktokpod).