To be TikTok famous is to have 500K followers. Gemma Huck of Weston has 2.5M. A competitive dancer, Gemma, 18 this month, posts primarily dance and lip-sync videos with friends. Her fun, friendly, and often witty videos have inspired numerous “fanpages.” She heads to college this fall.
WLM: Why did you join TikTok?
Gemma Huck: “Before Tiktok, I was on Musical.ly where I enjoyed posting lip sync and dance videos. I started on TikTok in 2019 because it really seemed like a fun app to use. It gave me the opportunity to create a variety of videos to share first with my friends, and then later with a broader audience. I think most people know that Charli D’Amelio and I have been friends for a long time. Our friendship and watching her creativity and content, seeing what she does as an influencer, has definitely been a positive influence and motivation."
WLM: At what point did you realize you were TikTok famous?
GH: “I guess it was the first time I was recognized in public. The first few times were locally in Westport while out to eat at Bartaco and shopping in stores downtown such as Brandy Melville.”
WLM: What’s the best thing about having so many followers?
GH: "The best thing about having so many followers is the opportunities I’ve gotten that I most likely wouldn’t have without my platform. I’ve had the chance to create my own collection for an athletic apparel line called J80 Fit, be on The D’Amelio Show on Hulu, and film content for NFL.
“Also, my social media platforms showed me that there are people around the world that support me and what I do creatively. I’ve had the opportunity to meet some pretty great people who’ve been very supportive.”
WLM: What’s the worst thing about it?
GH: “Well, it really is all the haters that like to troll around social media. It’s just unfortunate that certain people will always make hurtful comments on videos and posts that you’ve done. It’s the worst part about it, especially if it’s something that you worked really hard on or feel really proud of.
“I try to avoid [trolls], which is hard because you want to engage with your followers. There are times that I won’t look at my comments. I’ve never turned off my comments before but that’s a way some people cope with it.”
WLM: Do you have any long-term plans for yourself with TikTok and social media?
GH: “Funnily, the answer is no, not really. Living day by day and just enjoying any opportunities that come to me is where my head is at right now.”
WLM: I love that you’re so popular yet your account is tame - high school girl dancing, no tiny outfits or provocative moves. Do you do this or do your parents impose rules? If your parents impose rules, what are they?
GH: “My videos truly express who I am as a person. It’s my choice of what I wear in videos and what dances or trends I’m participating in and I do what’s comfortable for me.
“My parents are very supportive and don’t necessarily impose ‘rules’ for my videos, however, they’ll let me know if they don’t feel comfortable with my doing a specific dance, using an extremely explicit song, or wearing a provocative outfit. To me, that’s just them doing their job as a parent.”
