A standout moment from the recent Golden Globes event didn’t occur on stage. Instead, it was a subtle interaction that ignited massive public conjecture, with singer Selena Gomez seen conferring urgently with her pal Taylor Swift, leading Swift to vividly express surprise and puzzlement. What was the topic of their conversation? Lip-reading enthusiasts on TikTok suspected Gomez was spreading rumours about actor Timothée Chalamet and his partner Kylie Jenner. Despite Gomez refuting these speculations, the interest remained high. The reading of celebrities’ private chats with their peers is becoming a new form of public interaction with celebrities, turning previously obscure TikTokers into influential figures.
Jackie Gonzalez (@tismejackieg), a Texan, is a TikTok creator followed by 119,600 users. She started creating lip-reading videos after her sister showed her one. As a deaf individual, she was instantly aware that the video was incorrect and based on gossip rather than reality. Gonzalez explains that her source videos come from various places—her sister, followers, and her TikTok “For You” page. However, she needs to find the videos captivating for personal reasons, and thus, she’d be very willing to attempt to lip-read Taylor Swift but not an unknown basketball player.
Another recognised creator on TikTok is Nina Dellinger (@ninacelested), who earned the moniker “lip-reading girl”. Dellinger was aware from her adolescence about her lip-reading skills, but she didn’t pursue it until she installed TikTok due to lockdown period. She has now gained a following of 1.3 million people. She states, “It’s peculiar. I feel like it’s an innate trait, because I never practised it earlier.” She also mentioned, “It gives me a chance to highlight the reality that numerous hard-of-hearing individuals and people in the deaf community depend on lip-reading daily.”
When questioned about the difficulty of lip-reading Irish accents, such as that of Cillian Murphy who is due to attend the upcoming Oscars, Gonzalez stated that, as an American, she finds it easier to read lips of those from her own country. Any foreign accent adds an element of complexity to the task. For Dellinger, recognising an accent is not always straightforward and can lead to misinterpretations.
The fascination with their lip-reading videos, according to both Gonzalez and Delliger, varies among their followers. Some viewers find the process of lip-reading intriguing, while some others enjoy the experience of being privy to their favourite celebrities’ interactions.
Gonzalez expressed that, for many, their videos provide an opportunity to feel like an unseen observer, something nearly everyone has wished for at some point. Dellinger, on the other hand, noted that for a specific audience, mostly younger viewers, it contributes to the thrill of imagining what the celebrity might be saying.
During the recent Grammy Awards, Taylor Swift, who astutely noticed the trend of lip-reading, carried a black fan to conceal her lips while talking. The creators understood the rationale, but Gonzalez admitted to being slightly disappointed.
This situation, however, raises an ethical question: should the public have the right to access the private conversations of celebrities, even if lip-readers can correctly decipher them?
Dellinger stated that she takes care with her posts, refraining from sharing content that might be considered too personal or defamatory. Regardless of the accuracy of her own readings, she cautions that professional lip-reading can’t always guarantee 100% accuracy.
Gonzalez maintains the viewpoint that stars are fully aware of the pact they’ve made with the press. If they desire recognition at events such as the Oscars or Golden Globes, they must anticipate the accompanying scrutiny.
“To have the ability to fulfil your dreams is a privilege not many can claim, this is the reality for celebrities,” asserts Gonzalez. “If the toll for this is merely speculation regarding your words, it is a minor expense for the reward of living your dream. If you determine that the cost is too high, then perhaps you’ve chosen the wrong field.”