Baddiewinkle
Baddiewinkle | |
---|---|
Born | Helen Ruth Elam July 18, 1928 Hazard, Kentucky, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Other names | Baddie |
Occupation(s) | Internet personality, model |
Years active | 2014–present |
Spouse | Earl George Van Winkle (1947–83) |
Helen Ruth Elam (born July 18, 1928), better known as Baddiewinkle or Baddie Winkle, is an American internet personality. Elam was born in Hazard, Kentucky.[1] She became an Internet sensation at the age of eighty-five.[2][3][4] Her social media tag line—"Stealing Your Man Since 1928"—has become a popular[citation needed] saying for teens and young adults.[5] She is known for her humor and for fighting against ageism through her personal style and messaging, characterized by wearing eccentric clothes, promoting the legalization of medical marijuana, and her innuendo. Winkle is an activist and influencer whose self expression is a statement of disapproval of the beauty industry and the false limitations it imposes on individuals, and especially on women.[6] She has millions of followers and views on social media, where she posts photos and videos of herself, often with suggestive clothing with peculiar prints, or little clothing in order to encourage body positivity and the celebration of the physiques of older adults.[7][8][9][10]
Career
Winkle has gathered a following after initially getting help from her great granddaughter, Kennedy Lewis, to upload an image to Twitter, while wearing her great-granddaughter's clothes.[11][12] She was subsequently followed by Rihanna, and now has a worldwide following.[13][14][15][16][17] In 2015 she reached one million followers on Instagram. She currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has appeared on The Today Show, Australia.[18][19]
In 2015, Grit Creative Group used her as the face of their website launch campaign, where she dressed as Kurt Cobain, Kate Moss and others.[20] Baddie helped kick off season two of Nicole Richie's Candidly Nicole on VH1.[21] She also appeared on the Red Carpet at the Netflix promotion for Orange Is the New Black.[22] She attended the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards as a guest of Miley Cyrus and MTV.[23][24][25] In 2016, she was in a national commercial for Smirnoff ICE Electric Flavors as part of their "Keep It Moving" campaign.[26][27] She continues to entertain with her pictures, videos, and collaborations with well-known brands and celebrities.[28]
References
- ^ Goorwich, Siam. "Baddie Winkle is the most badass grandmother in the world". Metro. Metro. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Rubanovich, Caryn. "Why Care About 85 When You Are 25?". The Common Reader. The Common Reader.
- ^ Romano, Nick. "See Miley Cyrus meet Internet sensation Baddie Winkle before the VMAs". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ Koman, Tess. "Baddie Winkle: All the College Kids Just Want Me to Be Their Grandma". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ Rose, Rebecca. "Baddie Winkle, Trill Weed Grandma, Stealing Your Man Since 1928". Jezebel. Jezebel. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ HARVEY, MATT. "8 times old lady "baddiewinkle" won Instagram". SneakHype. SneakHype. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Roy, Jessica. "Your New Favorite Fashion Icon Is This Trill Grandma". NYMag. NYMag. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Kobola, Frank. "Twerking Twitter Grandma Is a Fabulous Genius". Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Wesely, Tommy. "Baddie Winkle Is The Most Hardcore Grandma On The Internet". BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Hoffman, Ashley. "Baddie Winkle on Dealing With Trolls, Posing Nude, and How Being Internet-Famous Helped Her Through Grief". Styleite. Styleite. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ FANTOZZI, SIENNA. "Baddie Winkle Is Instagram's Most Hardcore Grandma — Prepare To Feel Totally Lame". Bustle. Bustle. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Rose, Rebecca. "Celebrate Grandparents Day with Badass Twitter Granny Baddie Winkle". Jezebel. Jezebel. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Rosenzweig, Mathias. ""THEY'RE BASICS. I PRAY FOR THEM:" A CHAT WITH INTERNET SENSATION BADDIE WINKLE". Paper Mag. Paper Mag. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Patton, Ben. "Meet Baddie Winkle; Twitter's Hippest Granny Who Is Taking The Internet By Storm". PopWrapped. PopWrapped. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ O'Neil, Lauren. "Twerking 86-year-old grandma 'Baddie Winkle' is an internet star". CBC. CBC. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ MURRAY, RHEANA. "Baddie Winkle Granny Finds Social Media Stardom". abc News. abc News. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Bleier, Evan. "Kentucky great-grandmother Baddie Winkle dominating on Twitter and Instagram". UPI. UPI. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Rose, Rebecca. "Baddie Winkle, Trill Weed Grandma, Stealing Your Man Since 1928". Jezebel. Jezebel. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Oldenburg, Katie. "Meet Your Latest Social Media Obsession: Granny "Badass" Baddie Winkle, "Stealing Your Man Since 1928"". The Frisky. The Frisky. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ Farmer, Brian. "Baddie Winkle Transforms Into Kate Moss, Michelle Lamy and Kurt Cobain". HighSnobiety. HighSnobiety. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ Black, Elizabeth. "Instagram Star Baddie Winkle Turned Nicole Richie Into A Bad Bitch". VH1.com. Viacom International Inc. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
- ^ Rose, Rebecca. "You Have Got to See Twerking Grandma Baddie Winkle at the OITNB Premiere Party". Cosmopolitan.com. Hearst Communications. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
- ^ Romano, Nick. "See Miley Cyrus meet Internet sensation Baddie Winkle before the VMAs". EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ Murphy, Shaunna. "MILEY CYRUS AND BADDIE WINKLE JUST FELL IN BAD GIRL LOVE AT THE VMAS: SEE THE PICS". MTV.com. Quantcast. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ Chen, Joyce. "Miley Cyrus Wears Fruit-and-Veggie Jumpsuit, Meets Baddie Winkle Before MTV VMAs". US Magazine. US Weekly. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ Caires, Kristen (2016-04-18). "Baddiewinkle Stars in National Smirnoff Commercial". People.com. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
- ^ Smirnoff ICE Commercial
- ^ "Sponsored Video – Keep it moving – 87 year old Baddie Winkle shakes her thing". Fluxmagazine.com. Flux Media Limited. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.