The Tanacon Disaster
Well, well, well, what do we have here? You’re seriously missing out if you haven’t listened to our latest podcast Beauty and Chaos: The James Charles and Tati
Westbrook Feud & The TanaCon Disaster. Click here to watch.
In case you can’t tune in to our podcast right now, let me give you the juicy deets in a nutshell.
Naiya, my 18-year-old daughter and co-host, couldn’t wait to sit me down to tell me all about what she calls the “MOST ICONIC INFLUENCER BEEF”. As a 48-year-old mom, I can’t help but roll my eyes at the James Charles and Tati Westbrook feud. I may not be a beauty guru or even know how to properly contour my face. But I do know a thing or two about friendships. And let me tell you, James and Tati’s alleged falling out is giving me some serious middle school vibes. He said, she said, who cares? Pass me the popcorn.
From what I’ve gathered, James allegedly acted a whole fool at Tati’s birthday dinner, and she wasn’t too pleased about it. Then, she released a 43-minute-long video titled “Bye Sister” and all hell broke loose. The internet was in a frenzy, and James lost subscribers faster than I lose my reading glasses. But here’s the thing. How do we know James wasn’t just having a bad day? Maybe he accidentally spilled a drink in his lap, or his eyebrows looked like 4th cousins instead of sisters and it made him a bit grumpy.
I know from first-hand experience the latter always sets me off!!! I don’t know the full story, and quite frankly, I don’t really care. At the end of the day, this whole thing is just a reminder that influencers are humans too. They make mistakes, they have bad days, and sometimes they act like fools. But hey, it makes for some great entertainment, am I right?
As Naiya goes on and on about their drama, I can’t help but think back to my teenage years.
Back in my day, the biggest drama we had was whether we were cool enough to sit at the popular kids’ lunch table or if we were stuck with the band geeks. I was the President of the marching band in high school and let me tell you, I played a mean clarinet so guess which table I sat at? The struggle was real!.
Nowadays, it’s all about who said what on social media and who lost the most followers. I’ll admit, I’m happy to listen to my daughter’s interests and hobbies. And if that means listening to her tell me about the latest influencer beef, then so be it. Who knows, maybe I’ll even start following them on social media. Then again, maybe not. I’ll leave the drama to the young’uns.
My advice to James and Tati is to put their big girl panties on and pick up the phone. Have a conversation in private, make up, and move on. And if they can’t do that, then they can just take their drama to the playground where it belongs.
Naiya also shared with me the story of Tana Mongeau, an influencer who has had her fair share of scandals and drama. One incident that follows her is TanaCon. It was an event that’s supposed to be a convention for her fans. Unfortunately it turned into chaos due to poor planning and execution. The venue was too small to accommodate the large crowds, resulting in fans waiting in long lines outside in the heat for hours. Attendees also reported a lack of security, which led to chaos and unsafe conditions. Ultimately, Tanacon was shut down on its first day, leaving many fans angry and disappointed.
As Naiya recounted the events to me, I found myself taken aback by how something like that could even happen. But then I remembered the Fyre Festival fiasco that occurred 2 years before Tanacon, where the event turned out to be a complete dumpster fire due to fraud and incompetence. These kinds of things can happen, unfortunately. My hope is that Tana and her team learned a valuable lesson from this experience.
This is where the story goes from disaster to disturbing. During our conversation, Naiya mentions one of Tana’s story times where she lightheartedly describes a sexual encounter with a young man. Allegedly he used an inanimate object. While Naiya, Tana and Tana’s followers may have found it entertaining, I immediately felt uneasy. I couldn’t help but wonder if Tana had been assaulted and didn’t realize it. For me, It’s concerning that sex seems to be treated so casually nowadays.
As I shared my concerns with Naiya, she brushed it off and suggested that I may be overthinking the situation. I couldn’t help but wonder if we were even on the same page. Her nonchalant attitude towards the matter raised a huge red flag for me. As a parent, I feel it’s important to have open and honest conversations with our children about sex and to teach them to always prioritize their safety and well-being in any sexual encounter. We must ensure that we expose our daughters to healthy and appropriate messages about sexuality and intimacy.
While I understand that these topics can be uncomfortable to discuss, it’s crucial that we approach them with sensitivity and care. I can’t help but worry about the impact it could have on young and impressionable viewers. It’s important to remember that many young people look up to influencers and may take their words and actions as gospel.
As Eric and I have always taught our daughters, it’s important to have open and honest conversations about sex and relationships. But in a way that is age-appropriate and respectful. We’ve also emphasized the importance of boundaries, consent, and safe sex practices. We encouraged our daughters to always speak up if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe in any situation.
I empathize with young people who are curious about sex and experimentation, as I was also once young and curious myself. I just think it’s important that we set clear boundaries and expectations for appropriate behavior. As parents, it’s our responsibility to protect our children and ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate the complex world of sexuality and relationships.
It’s imperative that we approach these topics with sensitivity and care, particularly when it comes to young and impressionable audiences. We must remain vigilant and ensure that our children are receiving healthy and appropriate messages about sexuality and intimacy. So, help a mama out here. Am I overreacting or is this situation really concerning?
You might wanna read: 7 Reasons Why Being Yourself Is The Real Flex!
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