COMM 372T Media Curation 2

The Goddess Boys: Adrian & RJ

For my second media curation and Instagram feed analysis, I’ve selected @thegoddessboys, a pair of best friends named Adrian and RJ. They post a lot of reels using trending audios and are always seen together, as this is their joint page with 1.7 million followers. They each have individual pages, but these have less followers; Adrian has 232,000 and RJ has 171,000.

It’s unclear as to what exactly their profession is. Though they rarely speak in their videos, they post a lot of content wearing maximalist outfits and makeup, and oftentimes going out to eat at fancy restaurants. One might guess they are models or influencers (or both) from the extreme attention to detail and aesthetics, but their bio doesn’t share any booking details or list an agency to make it clear. The only things in their bio are tags to their individual pages, a location pin to show they live in California, and a link to a jewelry collaboration they’re doing with Brooklyn Charm.

I have come across them in a makeup product ad on my regular Instagram feed (just not on their page itself), so I would be inclined to guess they are indeed influencers. The lack of booking information in their bio is likely to maintain the illusion/aesthetic that they are rich and successful, and don’t need to do labor to enjoy their luxury. However, I would say there is a non-zero possibility that brands are reaching out to them through Instagram’s direct messages instead of email. A makeup brand, Colourpop Cosmetics, is one of the first comments to pop up under one of their posts.

The post I’ve chosen to analyze is a pinned post advertising the charm bracelet they’re collaborating with Brooklyn Charm to create. In the caption, they explain that 100% of the proceeds from the bracelet’s sales will be donated to The Center for Disaster Philanthropy: CA Wildfires Fund. This depicts them as charitable and compassionate, aiding their Californian community by raising funds to help the less fortunate recover. The tone of their regular posts reflect this compassionate identity as well – many of the reels are positive and inspiring, intended to make the viewer feel uplifted and motivated, as though they are your friend.

Whether or not this carefully curated identity of a pair of rich, kind, and beautiful friends is true off-camera is impossible to know. It is also impossible to know whether they are a couple, as they sometimes seem intimate with one another, but have never outright addressed it. For a page that posts often, there is little they reveal or let slip about who they really are. The mystery of their true characters may just be a part of the allure.