What comes to mind when you hear the word “bimbo” in 2023?
Forget the derogatory connotations of the past as Gen Z is redefining what the term means to them, all thanks to #BimboTok.
Instead, a “bimbo” is someone who is “actually a radical leftist who’s pro sex work, pro Black Lives Matter, pro-LGBTQ+, pro-choice, and will always be there for her girls, gays and theys."
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At least that's what it means to 23-year-old Chrissy Chlapecka whose video definition went viral with 11.1m views.
She alongside fellow TikTok pal Griffin Maxwell Brooks, is one of the founders of #BimboTok.
Chlapecka has amassed over 5.2m followers on the social media platform with their witty relationship advice to their pro LGBTQ+, anti-capitalist and anti-Trump views.
@chrissychlapeckawho is the gen-z bimbo? here’s ur answer ? luv y’all xoxo #bimbo #ihatecapitalism #ily
These themes are evident in their music, tying a neat bow in their artistry that includes their latest single, Alpha.
With their bright hair, bold makeup, breathy voice and daring fashion sense (also not forgetting a love for all things pink) Chlapecka is unapologetic with their hyper-femininity online because it’s for themself – not the male gaze.
The social media personality, musician and activist – who uses she/they pronouns - told Indy100 the term “bimbo” is something they “definitely resonated with” since their youth.
“I think growing up I was always seen as like this ditzy, dumb blonde type stereotype like I was never I never excelled in school,” Chlapecka said.
Rather, music was their best subject as well as other important character qualities that did not fit into the academic mold.
“I myself knew my intelligence comes from very many things like street smarts, music and emotional intelligence.”
For them, bimbo doesn’t have to mean the stereotypical scene of a man shaming a woman, instead Chlapecka embraces an alternative meaning that she lives by – “it could just be like, ‘yeah I’m a bimbo and maybe the intelligence that you see, in me isn't what you want in society, but it's how I roll.’”
“Emotional intelligence is just as important to me,” she added.
“Reclaiming your body and being body and sex positive and claiming your sexuality in those ways are extremely important things - especially to people like me who have been through a lot and have experienced very difficult things and needed a way to reclaim themselves.”
This journey for Chlapecka began, like most popular TikTok creators, back in 2020 at the height of the Covid pandemic and quickly saw that their videos of “the super silly, fun version” of themseld were going viral.
“It totally took me by surprise,” the social media star admitted.
“I mean I was really posting for like the 10 friends from high school that were following me on there,” she added and was “very shocked” at the algorithm’s ability to share their videos to such a large audience.
This came at a transformational point of Chlapecka’s life, as their growing online presence improved their self-confidence.
“I was definitely in the midst of a lot of like changing myself at the time to like I had just gotten out of a really, you know, abusive relationship at that time.
“So I started posting online and being confident in myself and so it was a very validating thing for me to get a lot of love, and learning to love myself because that's a very important thing.”
Part of Chlapecka’s audience appeal is the humorously unhinged advice she gives to their followers on how to deal with men. She most recently went viral with the soundbite:
“He is not the love of your life, he’s literally just a guy. Hit him with your car,” which gained 10.3m views, and for the TikToker, the attention from the clip was unexpected.
@chrissychlapeckaLISTEN.
“So I filmed that in [the] three seconds it took to say and I was like ‘oh, this will not do numbers’, but I need something to put out. I really didn't think it would go viral and it did which was incredible.
“I love seeing what people are doing with the sound and now I'm doing my own little spin on it. You know, we brought a train into the mix, I'm telling them to steal their ex’s money.”
“It's like don't tell anyone I told you to do that. And I'm not condoning it,” they added as a disclaimer that it's all a bit of “fun.”
While Chlapecka entertains their audience with their humour and silliness, as a queer creator who is outspoken on political issues, she “always wants to be an advocate and to be a safe place for people to land.”
She believes “a world of difference” can be made by sharing a single post that you are an ally or to say you care about certain matters – “I think it's important and to do as much as you can.”
@chrissychlapecka#greenscreenvideo important talk. we need to protect trans people.
The current political climate in the US has seen the ban of most abortions in 14 states since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, along with a wave of anti-trans bills this year which no doubt affects a number of their 5.2m followers.
“I think like that is the most important reason why I post is to be like a safe space for people for anybody - especially with everything going on in the world right now,” Chlapecka said.
“I'm very honoured to be like, a space for people to go to and just to feel like they get to smile for a second even if I'm being silly or if I'm being serious, maybe resonate with some of the things I'm saying or listen to my music.”
“I do think it's very important for anybody with the big platform to speak up about these things.”
Music is another way Chlapecka is getting this message across, effortlessly making the transition from content creator to pop artist with their “exciting, campy but meaningful” hyperpop sound, and this singing career has always been the dream.
“Since I was a little, that [music] was really my form of therapy as a kid,” she said, being a member of musical choirs, bands, orchestras, musical theatre, you name it, at school and so sharing this side of herself online has been a “fun, vulnerable experience.”
With their first single “I’m So Hot,” released back in February, the singer makes a punchy statement of self-love, as the lyrics declare “I’m so hot I’d f*** myself.”
This tune gives serious early noughties club night nostalgia, comparable to the style of Lady Gaga and Britney Spears who are two of Chlapecka’s biggest musical inspirations.
“Gaga is a major icon of expressing herself in ways that you know others may think are strange and weird, but she does anyway and I really resonate with that.”
@chrissychlapeckai’m so hot by chrissy chlapecka ?
“I’m So Hot” also earned a viral moment with the track being used in over 15,000 TikTok videos.
“Yeah, I mean, it's been crazy,” Chlapecka said, recalling how “anxious” they were of sharing the new music that they had been working on since last year to their followers – so much so after posting a video with the song, they couldn’t look at the reaction until the next day.
“I was astounded the next day looking and seeing like a flood of comments and people just being excited, loving the message of the song for ‘I'm So Hot,’ and doing their own videos.”
Now that she has hit the ground running, Chlapecka is back with a second single 'Alpha' where she does not shy away from addressing their haters.
“Alpha is kind of like turning toxic masculinity on its head,” they said of their latest single released back in April.
“To me, a lot of my biggest haters online have been men who probably call themselves an alpha male or maybe a self-proclaimed incel or someone who calls himself an alpha male who was really an incel.”
“Men of that type are not big fans of me. So I figured, ‘hey, why not write about my experience I've had’ especially online and also experiences I've had with men in my personal life that brought me to the lyrics I've written.”
In January this year, Chlapecka put this idea to their producer David Burris and cowriter Evangeline Miele believing it could be a “powerful message,” given the rise of Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed “misogynist” who went viral with his controversial views.
“Especially with the whole like Andrew Tate stuff being all over the internet and the horrible abusive messages that men like him just spew to everybody,” she noted, and emphasised the harm this is doing to young boys who look up to him and inflict this onto young women in a “toxic cycle.”
The trio then noted all of the things they know about alpha males and did some background research on social media.
“We pulled up a Google Doc and were just writing down funny little things about alpha males like I've learned the term ‘soy boy’.”
(Soy boy is “slang used to describe males who completely and utterly lack all necessary masculine,” according to Urban Dictionary).
“We would go on Twitter and search some of these guys’ names, read their tweets and put them in the doc just for inspiration to go back to and it was really one of the funniest sessions I think I've ever had because the song, it's so ironic.”
Chlapecka’s personal experience with online trolls is clear to hear in the lyrics: “It’s just a little ironic you say ‘f*** you’ in my comments/But in my DMs you keep begging to f*** me (that’s embarrassing).”
Experiencing online hate was certainly a “learning curve” for the singer and social media personality.
“I think I got to a point where if men like what I sing about in my songs, they comment on my posts and say something. I'm gonna read that and most likely laugh like it doesn't bother me the way I think they think it does.”
“I know who my haters are; they already know that my account isn't for them. The content I make isn't for them and it's for people that I care about.”
Chlapecka was recently named one of "The Brightest Pop Stars to Watch in 2023" by Rolling Stone Magazine, as well as one of TikTok’s LGBTQ+ “Trailblazers."
The singer believes now is the “most pivotal moment” in their career and is excited that people see their future as a “pop girly” and “full-time pop star,” and has recently made the big move from Chicago to LA.
“I'm gonna like keep releasing music, keep feeding my audience and just keep growing like, like I said, like music is my number one thing that I have wanted to do forever and I am just so excited to continue that journey,” they explained.
Chlapecka’s latest single Alpha is out now on music streaming platforms.
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