The Dark Side of Digital Activism: My Million-View Journey

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🎧 Show Notes

Woke-ish Wednesday | Sassy Politics with Christi Chanelle
📅 Release Date: April 30, 2025

Episode Summary:
Going viral should’ve felt like a win—but instead, it cracked something open.
In this deeply personal episode of Woke-ish Wednesday, Christi Chanelle peels back the layers behind her first 1-million-view TikTok: the adrenaline, the trolls, the unexpected grief. This isn’t just social media hype—this is political visibility in a terrifying new era. From fears of being put on a Trump regime “liberal opposition list,” to the ache of missing her mother in a milestone moment, this episode is a raw and honest reflection on what it really means to be seen... and what it costs.

Available On:
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you stream your favorite shows.

Follow Christi:
📱 @ChristiChanelle on TikTok, YouTube, Threads, and Instagram
🌐 ChristiChanelle.com

👀 Teasers for Upcoming Episodes:

🔥 Female Friday – May 3, 2025
The Medal of Motherhood: White Supremacy Wrapped in Patriotic Ribbon
What do Nazi Germany and Trump’s latest propaganda have in common? A medal for motherhood. Christi exposes the terrifying parallels behind the administration’s push to reward women for childbirth—and why it’s about more than just babies.

🧨 The Monday Breakdown – May 6, 2025
Because the news should come with a trigger warning
From chaotic headlines to constitutional red flags, Christi breaks down the biggest political stories of the week with clarity, compassion, and sass. Featuring the recurring segment 50 States of WTF, this is your unapologetic news breakdown with real talk and receipts.

Support the show

Watch the episodes on YOUTUBE: Sassy Politics
https://www.youtube.com/@Sassypolitics
Website
https://christichanelle.com/
TikTok- ChristiChanelle
https://www.tiktok.com/@christichanelle?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Facebook - Sassy Politics
https://www.facebook.com/SassyPolitics
Instagram- ChristiChanelle
https://www.instagram.com/christichanelle/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Wokeish Wednesday, where activism is
messy and I need to talk aboutit.
It's one of my favorite timesbecause I can be raw and real
and we're not necessarilytalking headlines, we're just
talking.
We're just talking shit.
I'm Christy Chanel and this isSassy Politics.

(00:21):
And this is Sassy Politics.
If I look tired, it's because Iam.
I filmed this yesterday and Iwent to edit today because I'm
trying to release it tomorrowand the sound is crappy.

(00:42):
So here I am recording again,not exactly cute, but I'm here
because I care.
Let's start the show.
I thought going viral would feellike a celebration and it did,
but it also felt like acountdown to everything to fear,

(01:07):
to joy, to grief, to missing mymom so deeply.
It knocked the air out of meand very unexpected, very
unexpected.
This isn't just about hitting 1million views.
This is about what happensafter the viral moment, when the

(01:29):
comments flood in, when thetrolls start circling, when your
name gets a little louder androoms you can't see are and
suddenly you're not sure if thatvisibility is a blessing or a
bullseye.
Let's talk about what it reallyfeels like to go viral for

(01:52):
something that actually matters.
The countdown to 1 million waswild, was wild.
I felt like I couldn't stopchecking, but I never thought my
video would go to the level itdid.
I released the original postabout the Save Act on April 10th

(02:16):
.
I hit a million 11 days later,so it didn't really start
spinning out of control untilthe 20th ish.
I woke up on April 21st.
That morning it was a Mondayand I looked at my.

(02:38):
I looked at first of all.
I had major notifications.
It was plus 150 notificationson my TikTok.
And so I open it up and I'mlike what is happening?
Why is my phone like blowing upon TikTok?
So I look at the views and I'mlike, oh my God, it's at 911,000

(03:02):
.
It's at 911,000.
I thought I'm going to hit.
I'm going to hit a million.
Today.
I felt like I couldn't stopchecking Refresh, refresh.
978,000, 998,000, hundredninety nine thousand.

(03:25):
I had a literal countdown goingon in chats.
In my chats I was so excitedand I just I was just looking
for somebody to share in thatexcitement with me.
You know I work really reallyhard, so when it hit I literally
freaked out.
I needed it, I needed it, Iwanted it.

(03:48):
I've been building thisplatform for over a year and a
half, pouring my heart intovideos and podcasts and posts
and this felt like proof that itwas working.
But here's the twist it wasn'tabout a dance trend or a book
review.

(04:09):
This, this, was real life.
This was about the SAVE Act,voter suppression, real women,
real women being silenced.
I went viral for using my voice,not just my personality, and

(04:29):
that's different, that hitsdifferent.
For a moment, it felt likepurpose was meeting momentum.
But then the trolls showed up.
And when I say trolls, I meanwaves of trolls, some of them
mocking, some of them cruel,some of them strategic,

(04:52):
gaslighting me, accusing me offear mongering, calling me names
, twisting my message.
And it's not just annoying,it's exhausting, it's an energy
vampire.
You start reading comment aftercomment and it eats away at
your spirit, your confidence.

(05:13):
I'm strong, but I'm also human.
And some nights I was afraid toopen the app.
And some nights I was afraid toopen the app Because I knew I'd
see something that would makeme question if this whole thing
was worth it.
But the real fear didn't comefrom trolls, it came from this

(05:41):
nagging voice.
What if they're watching now?
What if someone is tracking theaccounts that are speaking out
against Trump?
What if I'm added to a list, areal list, that this
administration could weaponize.
We're watching journalists getsued by the government.
We're seeing networks bendunder legal pressure.

(06:02):
The regime isn't hiding itsplaybook anymore and suddenly
going viral feels less like ahigh five and more like a target
on your back.

(06:24):
Last year I held myself backfrom posting too boldly because
of self-doubt.
This year I'm holding my breathbecause the danger feels real.
And then when that milestonehit, when one million flashed
across my screen, I didn'tscream or dance.
Well, I did in the moment, butafterwards I cried, because

(06:48):
every time something goodhappens to me, I feel the ache
of someone missing my mother.
I wanted to call her, I wantedto see her see this, to see me,
to tell her mom I did it, I'mfinally being heard, but she's

(07:11):
not here.
And that grief came rushing inlike a wave.
I didn't see coming and, tomake it worse, I couldn't even
tell my dad, not really Not inthe way I needed to tell my dad.
He watches Fox News.
He doesn't understand.
He doesn't understand why I dothis.

(07:32):
He wouldn't celebrate this kindof moment and I knew that if I
told him it might lead to anargument or, worse, a shrug.
That silence hurts more thanthe trolls ever could.
So yeah, going viral isn'talways a victory parade.
Sometimes it's a spotlight thatshows you every crack in your

(07:56):
armor and every hole left by theones you've lost.
But I'm still here, stilltalking, still fighting, because
this platform, this voice, thismoment, it's bigger than me and
if I've learned anything fromthe grief, the trolls and the

(08:18):
fear, it's that silence is notan option.
So if you're listening to thisand you've ever felt torn
between purpose and peace, knowthat I get it and you're not
alone.
Love you, miss you, bye.