HACK THE SYSTEM

TIKTOK'S RESIDENT HEARTTHROB IS MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE

It’s October 6, 2021 and a cluster of college girls gather just outside of the Inked headquarters on 22nd Street in Manhattan. After being tipped off by a social media post—the modern-day siren’s call—each had made the decision to skip that day’s classes to set up camp outside. They brace against the crisp New York air, each craning to get a glimpse of the man who’s stopped by for a photoshoot and a new tattoo. Could it be the next charted rapper or Hollywood’s latest silver screen sensation? Nope, it’s TikTok heartthrob Vinnie Hacker.

TikTok has lifted its elite content creators to celebrity status as the diverse platform offers limitless ways in which someone can accumulate a fandom. Hacker found his success by turning up the charm and leaning into the burgeoning thirst trap market. This earned him a legion of fangirls almost overnight but it has also led the 19-year-old to feel like his character is a bit misunderstood.

“I feel like people like to believe that I’m kind of a dick,” Hacker says. “I totally understand why they think that before they meet me because of the content I post. I can understand why guys might hate me because I seem super cocky. But in reality, I don’t even look at my TikToks after I post them. I don’t really look at them because I feel like it would be weird to make something like that, look at it, and be like, ‘Oh yeahhh!’”