'Rinsing': Is The New Social Media Trend Exploiting Vulnerable Men?
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| DailyMail |
Lucy, 28, Sophie, 26, and Stacie Brooks, 25, from St Albans, have revealed the secrets of their luxurious lifestyles. They claim that they have received laptops, iPads, clothes, jewellery and even furniture from their admirers as a result of their online 'wishlists' - Amazon pages filled with items the girls desire that their fans can choose to purchase for them. Each sister highlights a link to their wishlist in their Twitter bio, and prompt these purchases more than 'likes' or re-tweets.
Lucy received her first gift in 2010 when she started sharing pouty selfies on her Twitter account @lucy_anne. She said: 'It all started quite innocently. Someone sent a bottle of Marc Jacobs perfume.
'Then more men asked if they could treat me. Some asked if I had a wishlist on Amazon. I thought, ‘why not?’ I won’t lie, I want a nice life.' She has now racked up a hefty 95,000 followers on Twitter.
The online trend is not a new one; first receiving its début back in 2012 on the Channel 4 documentary 'Sex, Lies and Rinsing Guys', which reported on three women who deploy their womanly charms to coerce men into buying them gifts. The women were brazenly derogatory about the men and how easy it is to effectively exploit them. Even back then social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook were said to play a big part in the idea: one of the girls featured - Danica Thrall - suggested that her constant posts on Twitter were engaging her fans and inciting them further to make expensive purchases.
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| HelloU |
There's likely two different types of men who choose to gift these glamorous women. Those who genuinely do want to make them happy, and those who want something in return. However, the girls involved remain insistent that the latter is never going to happen. One of the sisters said: "Some want to chat. I flirt, but there is a line they can’t cross. I never give the impression we’ll do anything but talk. I spoke to one man after his wife had died. He said I helped him through a tough time. He insisted on buying Vivienne Westwood bags and shoes. It made him feel good."
The trio believe that their success on social media with these generous men is the respect they show, unlike those seen in the Channel 4 documentary. However, the girls have revealed that its not all sunshine and roses, as living your life out online can pose a security risk. One overly zealous fan who attempted to approach the girls in person at their salon caused them to call the police and impose a retraining order against him.
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'Rinsing': Is The New Social Media Trend Exploiting Vulnerable Men?
Reviewed by Unknown
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Wednesday, November 25, 2015
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Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Rating:
Unknown
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Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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