When you first come across the Pitman Sisters, on TikTok @thepitmansisters, your first inclination, much like a lot of the ubiquitous social media trending videos that appear on the platform, is to sit, listen, and learn. At first appearances, Hasley Pitman, Hope Pitman, and Halle Pitman, Jacksonville, Florida natives. And Southern California implants. Whom all happened to attend, either the prestigious, and highly vaunted and prestigious. Saint Augustine Archdiocese, Catholic finishing school of Bishop Kenny. Or the equally prestigious, and connected young Hollywood, and Broadway; singing, acting, and dancing pipeline, of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. May at first come off as less pretentious, and equally as relatable, as a number of young Hollywood, and social media influencers, are often want to be appreciated as. And, with their unique, and family anchored following, of over 3 million followers on TikTok, it becomes easy to find yourself agreeing, to a lot of the sentiments which they express throughout their TikTok, as well as YouTube videos.

@thepitmansisters

Full YT video out now 🤍

♬ original sound – Pitman Sisters

However today, my most earnest impulses were centering, instead, around a photo of a high school acquaintance which I happened to look for. It was in this impulsive environment. Google Image Search, Instagram, and TikTok, all open at precisely the same time, that I came across the Pitman Sisters. Their campy attitudes. Which bordered on victual, in there confessional gravitas. And, with their hierarchical state of needs more than met, I knew that the outermost appearances, of what I was witnessing, was just the beginning of a far more convoluted, and socially aggrandizing pit maneuver (pun intended).

In this, an unassuming TikTok branded video that featured all three sisters, Hasley, Hope, and Halle. Was a small clip, part of an inevitably more important story, which centered around their recent Vogue Magazine editorials.

In this video, and I have yet to see the actual photographs in Vogue. They, very casually speak about the naivete of having been “fortunate”, enough to have been photographed, while being seen, at a 2024 Vogue Magazine, Dior sponsored event, for New York Fashion Week.

This, the unmistakable hint, of a burgeoning “instafluencer” class of freshman. Is on its face, not the most stereotypical, and thus most plausible ways. To begin, what has, by now, become one of the most successful forays, according to their 3 million plus following, that I’ve ever witnessed, into this influencer lifestyle.

However, at this juncture, during the nearly three minute long “clips”, undertaking, I, at this moment have a crisis of existentialism, that I know has reached its apex, during the pandemic. For almost everybody. In this moment, while watching the video to its entirety, I’m quizzed within myself, almost plausibly, in several sincere instances, as to how to respond to the posting of this video’s messaging.

@thepitmansisters

Halle bday fit check ✨

♬ hot ppl only – sam

After all, I have been successful enough, as well, in my Instagram, and social influencing. To be able to garner quite a successful following myself. That numbers currently, at over 10k on the popular TikTok platform. As well as an additional 100k on Instagram.

Along with the success, from my studies in autocracy, my past incredulities in acting, and writing for Hollywood. As well as my nascent politics blog, kevinspolitics.com.

This, which on its outermost shell, appears as a facsimile, of the all too often cited, and stereotypical social deviance, which is presumed to come from the vainglorious, and all too cynical “media peddling”. That others have attached to the idea of social media, and social networking at large.

And, this idea, that I’m vain enough, while at the same time all too provocative enough, to “shade”, this, the Pitman Sisters, valiant, and all too real accomplishments. For the sake of my own following. Has, in our pandemic stricken world, and former environment. Become something, which speaks of an all too common reality, that harbors these unrealistic expectations.

While clicking through their collection of snippets, and other life changing discoveries. I happen upon their YouTube collection, which has garnered a similarly viral, albeit smaller amount of attentions. More than 20k subscribers.

A far cry from the, more than the 3 million strong Tik Tok viewership, they can collectively claim.  

Somewhere between this happenstance, their collection of YouTube enabled content, and their very seriously, uncontrived, socially climactic home videos.

I within that, lose my place. And become unable to research, my past acquaintances, recently, as yet undiscovered collection, of online memorabilia.

@thepitmansisters

happy birthday @halle pitman 💐

♬ No Bars – City Girls & JT

However, the Pitman Sisters, even though I lose my most parochial possession.

Are nonetheless, the sort of uncontrived, and content driven media, that I, maybe sought all along.

As I glean from them, and their surroundings, the success, of their creator, content journey.

I’m forever changed by the happenstance of where I’ve found myself.

I click.

I begin to like.

I become a part of their following.

Is it for the good?

Do they even know, or care, if I like their content?

All of this, I find all too trivial, as I spend the afternoon, getting to know Hasley, Hope, and Halle, and their quaint, and content driven normality. And that’s not the worst thing, I could’ve done at this time. Not the worst thing at all.