[imagesource: Khaby Lame]

To make it on social media, there’s a school of thought that going overboard will work.

But quite a few social media stars are showing us how a genuine, uncomplicated approach is far more effective.

We just touched base with Emily Mariko, one of the more ‘plain’ TikTok stars out there, who showed us how to turn simple leftovers into a delicious new meal.

Her minimalist compositions and style can be credited for her success on the platform.

Likewise with Khabane “Khaby” Lame (seen above), the second most-followed person, and the most popular man, on TikTok at the moment.

Lame (pronounced Lah-MAY) has over 114 million followers, second only to Californian teen dancer Charli D’Amelio who has 125 million followers.

You may recognise him from his videos where he out-logics and mocks the often ridiculously complicated life hack videos that flood social media platforms.

For Lame, silence speaks volumes. He doesn’t even talk in his videos and uses only his famous gestures and deadpan humour to make a point.

CNN explains more:

In one video, Lame peels a banana with his hands in response to a video of someone gingerly slicing open a banana with a cleaver.

In another, he reacts to a video of a woman noisily peeling a cucumber with her teeth by using a vegetable peeler to accomplish the same task.

His reactions personify the term “shaking my head,” or SMH in internet shorthand. After his common-sense approach to a task, Lame extends his arms with his palms facing upward, as if to say duh.

Sometimes he throws in an eye roll or a shake of the head.

Here’s a quick compilation of his best work from the past year:

Lame says he started making his videos during Italy’s lockdown when he was sitting at home unemployed.

He came up with the idea as he likes bringing simplicity to the world and his silence was the best way to connect to as many people as possible:

“Maybe because my facial expressions are funny and they make people laugh, this simplicity makes people laugh and I love it,” Lame said.

One marketer says the popularity of Lame’s videos show how nonverbal communication can transcend language barriers and make connections across cultures.

“You don’t need to speak to be seen or understood,” said Christina Ferraz, founder of Houston-based marketing agency Thirty6five. “His exasperation is relatable, and feelings are universal.”

His background is a little less simple, though, as a Senegalese man trying to get citizenship in Italy where he has lived for most of his life.

Besides being a meme star with his stoic facial expressions reposted in various reaction videos on social media, Lame also has various partnerships with international companies.

These include Netflix, Italian food company Barilla, and Indian fantasy sports platform Dream11.

For social media influencers and brands alike, collaborations like these are often built on visible online credibility. Platforms like Facebook, for instance, play a significant role in shaping this presence. Some creators even choose to buy Facebook likes to boost their reach and establish initial authority, ensuring their content gets the visibility it deserves in competitive algorithms.

Despite the money that these deals are sure to be making him, Lame isn’t a big spender, saying that he only bought himself a new iPhone 12 to capture better videos.

His dream is to work with Will Smith in a movie one day, which I’d watch as long as Lame appears as himself.

These are our top five favourites from Lame, starting with that banana one:

@khaby.lameIg:@khaby00♬ suono originale – Khabane lame

@khaby.lameAll right, just let me brush my teeth.🤣Ok fatemi lavare i denti!! 🤣 50 million followers Thanks!##learnfromkhaby ##ImparaConTikTok ##LearnWithTikTok♬ suono originale – Khabane lame

@khaby.lame⏩⏩⏩⏩🤷🏾‍♂️🤲🏾##learnfromkhaby ##imparacontiktok ##stitch♬ suono originale – Khabane lame

@khaby.lame🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️##learnfromkhaby ##LearnWithTikTok ##ImparaConTikTok♬ suono originale – Khabane lame

@khaby.lameSorry guys I didn’t realize there was a hole in my sock 🙈😂🕳🧦♬ suono originale – Khabane lame

Obviously, a lot of the “hack” videos are jokes to start with, but still, Lame’s point about simplicity stands.

[source:cnn]