Tinx Wants You To Be Horny

Congrats on the book! You're back in New York now, right? Are you still splitting time with LA?

Kind of back here for good. I was in LA for the past five years, so I still go back and forth for work, but I'm mainly here now. I just moved back in November and forgot how down everyone is to do things in real life here.

The book is called Hotter in the Hamptons, but I’m curious — how do LA and New York shift your perspective or emotional state? Does one energize you more?

Yes, definitely. I missed New York so much. That’s why I moved back. But for a time, LA was great. I think cities go through phases, and right now LA’s going through a bit of a hard time. I’m obsessed with the 2000s — that era when LA was it. Like, paparazzi everywhere, the it-girls, the clubbing. All I wanted was to go to Hyde. And the fashion: Von Dutch, low-rise jeans, all of it was very LA-centric. I remember reading Us Weekly and being like, I’ve gotta get myself to Kitson, that's the coolest store in the world.

Things are changing. The strike, the awful fires, the influx of TikTokers and influencers. I totally cop to that, because I am an influencer and a TikToker. But it changed the fabric of the cit and definitely changed the going-out of it all. I could talk about this forever.

New York, on the other hand — if you love people, you’ll love it here. I’m someone who gets lonely, so the idea that I can walk outside at any hour and see someone, even if it’s not someone I know, is huge. And no one lives in New York passively. Everyone here made a choice to be here. That means you’re surrounded by people who are passionate — about something, anything — or even just passionate about figuring out who they are. That in itself is inspiring. I really love that. I love the type of person who chooses New York.

It’s so true that LA feels oversaturated with TikTokers now. I feel like I would've loved it more in the early 2010s YouTuber culture era.

I know. Those early days when vlogging was a real thing, and there were all those YouTuber crews? That was such an art form. It hasn’t totally gone away, but obviously TikTok blew up. Still, I love YouTube. I totally agree with you. There was something magical about it. The way they romanticized LA. I know that’s such a cringe word, but they really did. They made LA feel like the place you had to be. It was the time and the place.

TikTokers definitely changed that energy. I take partial responsibility for that, even though I never went to Saddle Ranch, so I give myself a tiny bit of credit.

I remember watching old YouTubers and thinking, I want to go to The Grove.

Same. When I moved to LA, The Grove was literally the first place I went. I walked around like, oh… okay. It’s not quite what it looked like in the videos. But I still love The Grove. It's iconic.

When did you first get the idea for the book?

I do an Ask Me Anything on Instagram every Monday and Thursday. I’ve been doing it for five years now. I talk to my community a lot, and they’re definitely my greatest source of inspiration. Over a year ago, someone asked, “Tinx, I’m straight but I watch lesbian porn. Is that okay?” And I was like, obviously, yes. Then someone else said, “I have to think about being with a woman to finish with my boyfriend.” And I said, what you think about in bed is your business. You should allow yourself free reign in your head.

That really got me thinking. I have a predominantly straight following, so I started running polls. And I realized this is a fantasy a lot of women have. At the same time, I used to do those “rich mom starter packs” on TikTok. I’d go through different cities and talk about what the rich moms would wear, eat, drive. It was some of my most popular content when I was deep into TikTok. Then I read an article about how romance novels are the only category of books that’s still growing. So I started reading a bunch and I liked them, but a few things stood out.

First, the protagonist was always perfect. She was either a princess or working at an animal shelter. No flaws, no mess. I couldn’t relate. And she always ended up with someone. It was always wrapped up in a neat little bow. But so many people in my community are single, or over 30 and single, and that felt underrepresented.

Also, some of the corniness in those books got in the way of me being turned on. So I thought, “What if I put all of this together?” A romance novel where the heroine is messy and layered, because we’re all messy and layered. She wears The Row. She lives somewhere cool. It’s set against this glitzy backdrop and it explores a fantasy that a lot of women have. That’s what led me to Hotter in the Hamptons.

You've built this whole brand on advice (being “TikTok’s older sister”) but this book is full of mess and messy decisions. Was it liberating to not be the voice of reason for once?

Yeah, definitely. I wanted to do something that felt fully creative. Being an influencer is so personal. You’re always talking about yourself. And at this point in my career, I’m kind of bored of myself, honestly. I wanted to create a world that people could escape into. We really need escapism right now.

So yeah, Lola, the main character, is super messy. She’s annoying at times, she’s not very thoughtful, not a great friend, and hasn’t invested in her friendships. It felt nice to make a character who’s imperfect, because that’s just more realistic. And it was also refreshing to create something that wasn’t me.

The book also explores perception and online personas. Would you consider it autofiction? How much of Lola's unraveling feels autobiographical?

Well, I’ve been canceled, so I definitely wanted to write about that. Sometimes you understand something better when you write about it. That part of Lola [the public fallout], that’s a piece of me. And obviously, I’m an influencer too, so her job is probably the most autobiographical part.

But as a person? Very different. Coming up on my five-year mark of being online, I’ve been thinking a lot about my role in the influencer ecosystem. I actually wrote the book before that whole “New York City influencers are boring” discourse, but it reminded me of the whole blandification thing in the novel.

The truth is, the longer you're online, the more you're incentivized to water yourself down. When I started, I would talk so much shit — say wild things about celebrities, go off on stories. It didn’t matter because I was new. But over time, you start thinking, “Well, what if that brand wants to work with me?” Or, “I could make this cool piece of content, or I could just phone it in and show my outfit today.” So I wanted to explore that through Lola because it’s something I think about a lot. I don’t have it all figured out, but I try to be conscious of it. I try to be a conscious influencer.

You started in 2020, right? During the pandemic?

Yeah. I got let go from my jobs —plural — and I was in LA at the time. I genuinely thought we were all going to die, so I downloaded TikTok. And I just stopped fearing judgment. I didn’t care if my old school friends judged me for making videos.

As soon as I started, I realized how much joy it brought me to connect with people. TikTok was so fun back then. You could spend two hours on the app and actually feel lighter and entertained. Now, I log on and leave feeling depressed and angry. It’s a different landscape now, but I was there at the right time. Everyone was on their phones eight hours a day, and I was just in my apartment making videos. It changed my life.

You talked about feeling bored with yourself. Do you think TikTok and the “influencer” is just running its course? Or do you think there’s a renaissance for artists and creators coming?

I worry that TikTok has already changed how we consume art in ways we can’t undo. I think about it with music all the time. Like, how many times have you seen an artist tease a 15-second clip of a song for weeks, and everyone’s obsessed, but when the full song drops, it’s disappointing? That’s how I feel now. I used to be someone who’d listen to full albums, no skips, and then form my opinion. Now I’m like, “Wait, I only like the little viral bit.” And that freaks me out.

We all do it. We’ll be like, “Oh, I read this article,” and it’s literally a TikTok. It’s changed how we engage with stuff that used to bring us joy. Even with movies — celebrities now have to do these wild press tours and jump on every trend. And I’m like, do we really need Amy Adams doing TikTok dances? She’s an actress. Just let her act. I don’t know what the solution is. I’m a deeply existential person, and I think about this all the time. I probably should just enjoy what we have until the aliens wipe us out. But it’s also why I keep pushing longform content. I share articles on my Instagram, talk about them on my podcast, I keep writing books. I care about that format. I’ll keep doing it until no one wants to consume it anymore.

Totally. Even for this interview and journalism in general. I’ll transcribe everything, write it up, but in my head I do wonder if people would rather just see a one-minute TikTok pulled from this Zoom, you know?

Yeah. People will look at the photos, maybe a quote or two, and that’s it.

Or the Pop Crave tweet!

Literally. Even look at something like Hailey Bieber’s Vogue cover. People saw the images, saw Justin’s comment on it, and moved on. No one read the actual interview.

I’m 34, so I’m firmly a millennial. And while I’ve definitely benefited from TikTok, there’s a sadness in watching the shift happen. I grew up on CDs and magazines and movies. I miss that feeling of getting a new CD, going to your room, listening from start to finish, and saying, “Track four is my favorite.”

What was the CD or album that really hit for you when you were younger? Something you bought that stuck with you?

You know what’s funny? I really loved Good Charlotte in high school. I had such a crush on Benji and Joel. Which is funny, because I’m a pop girl through and through. Other than that, it was definitely Britney. I really, really loved Good Charlotte though. It’s wild. I was actually thinking about them this morning, maybe because it’s raining and I was feeling angsty.

But yeah, all the Britney albums. I can probably still sing a good chunk of them if push came to shove. And now, I only know like three songs from most people. It’s just such a different time.

And now Hotter in the Hamptons is becoming a TV show. Congrats. You’re executive producing it, too. Did you always know this was where it was headed? Or was it a total plot twist?

Total plot twist. I mean, I hoped and dreamed, obviously, but I never thought I could take it this far just from making videos. I feel so lucky. Like I said, I’m a little bit sick of myself, so I’m really excited to work on bigger projects with year-long timelines, and to be more behind the camera.

I’m also just excited to learn. I’m learning very quickly how a TV show gets made. I don’t know what I’m doing yet. But I do know my audience, I know what kind of shows they like, and I know what they want to see. I’m hoping that’ll guide me.

It’s possible! I don’t know if you’ve seen Overcompensating, but [Benito Skinner] started online too, and now he has this massive hit. He understands what people want, and he’s funny, and he made something amazing that people are obsessed with. That really inspires me. I hope I can get there, too.

Okay, dream casting: Who would play Lola and Aly in the adaptation?

I have a few people in mind, but I asked my followers and they said Megan Fahey. I love that idea. I didn’t think of her at all while writing, but she’s perfect. She’s funny, has incredible comedic timing, and the right look. I really love that idea.

And my followers also said Margaret Qualley for Aly, which is genius too. I hadn’t thought of that, but it’s exciting to even be able to think about this.

Did you have a favorite book growing up? Like from those high school summer reading lists, or just a book that really stuck with you?

From that era? I loved The Sun Also Rises. The character Brett Ashley, she’s the ultimate hottie. Everyone in the book is obsessed with her. I went to an all-girls school and definitely didn’t get enough male validation as a young person, so I thought it was the coolest thing that all these guys were just clowning over her. There’s this line in the book, something like: “Brett Ashley had curves like the hull of a racing yacht.” I remember thinking, if anyone ever described me that way, I would die. I just loved it. Even though it’s about, like, alcoholism or whatever. I really do love that book.

Amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat. I heard the photos for this are on the wild side.

They’re all horny AF. Ass out. I’m so excited. It’s out of my comfort zone, in the best way. The photos are really beautiful. I’m pumped.

Let’s manifest the Pop Crave tweet.

We need the Pop Crave tweet! Should I say something outlandish at the end to help us get there?

Sure!

I want everyone to be horny. That’s my main thing with this book. I really believe that to be horny is to be alive. And it doesn’t mean you have to go have sex with someone. It can just be being horny for yourself. That’s the most important part. Everyone should read smut, listen to audio porn, be erotic — even if it’s just for yourself. Because with the political situation in this country and the world in general, it’s hard to feel horny. I get that. But we need to find at least one minute in our day to feel that again.

Didn’t they say Gen Z isn’t having sex anymore?

Yeah, the numbers are down. I think a lot of it is fear. Like, people are worried about sex being embarrassing. But also, maybe it’s because we’re in the end times. Who knows.

I’m kind of bored of myself, honestly. I wanted to create a world that people could escape into.

Photography: Sophia Liv Maguire
Hair: Valerie Vanessa
Makeup: Shadi Malek
Styling: Amanda Lim