Social media customers like to add posts during which they really feel they’re objectively in the fitting and would love public affirmation (see: Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass tweeting earlier this week {that a} flight attendant requested his pregnant spouse to select up the popcorn mess his children made on a airplane, solely to face a backlash). That is the headspace Kylie Allen, a cake decorator from West Virginia, appeared to be occupying when she uploaded a TikTok about one of many “worst shopper experiences [she’s] ever had.”
Within the video, she says the shopper ordered an eight-inch, six-layer rainbow cake with vanilla buttercream and the phrases, “Completely satisfied Birthday Trilby.” In keeping with Insider, the shopper paid $83.97. Allen mentioned the shopper was upset concerning the cake as a result of it had rainbow sprinkles and he or she appeared to imagine it wouldn’t have any, and when Allen tried to speak with them, the shopper grew to become “tremendous defensive and really impolite concerning the worth of the cake.” Allen additionally mentioned the shopper “bashed us on her Fb web page.”
The video since gained greater than 5.4 million views, owing to the truth that many viewers agreed with the shopper: the product didn’t justify its price ticket. And thus was born the TikTok drama du jour. The creator turned off the feedback to their video, however that didn’t cease a firestorm of response movies and feedback on TikTok, together with a number of from TikTok cake decorators who confirmed off how they’d make the identical cake.
The client was quickly revealed to be a lady by the title of Ashleigh Freeman, who uploaded her personal TikToks to inform her facet of the story. The primary was a slideshow of the cake with audio of a recorder struggling to play “My Coronary heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion (a generally used sound for movies displaying issues which can be underwhelming). The second TikTok was a duet of Allen’s video with textual content that reads, “I’m an fool. I didn’t need to smash her enterprise, tried to squash the meat, and he or she mentioned no. She desires to be TikTok well-known, not a foul thought. However I can really make first rate content material.” This video additionally options screenshots of their heated trade on Fb Messenger.
The third was a video responding to a remark that requested, “Woman, why did you not make your individual cake? Coulda saved $83 and a headache.” So Freeman did. The outcome was, properly, arguably superior.
Different cake-decorating creators joined in to touch upon the drama. @Trashyqweenz, a TikToker with near one million followers who is thought for his sassy voiceovers, chimed in and uploaded a video of how he would have made the cake in a different way. A number of different creators uploaded movies reacting to movies that Allen uploaded prior to now of muffins she’s adorned.
The web page for Kylie’s Kakes on Google was flooded with pretend critiques, greater than 20 one-star critiques inside the previous 24 hours. Some had feedback like “impolite and unprofessional,” whereas others had no remark in any respect. It is a frequent incidence for enterprise homeowners whose merchandise are criticized on social media.
Allen pushed again in opposition to the skeptics who claimed that she had used inventory photos of muffins to advertise her personal creations. The West Virginian baker uploaded a video on Monday (with feedback disabled) and addressed the controversy. “I’m not offended by your guys’ feedback as a result of, I imply, take a look at a few of you,” Allen mentioned within the TikTok. “It’s pointless, your effort and time.” She addressed the allegations that she makes use of different individuals’s cake images and mentioned they’re for the cake-decorating lessons she teaches.
Now, Allen is attempting to push previous the drama and “unfold positivity” in a brand new video she posted at this time selling a brand new product: rainbow sprinkle cupcakes.
Write to Moises Mendez II at moises.mendez@time.com.
