Culture

The teenager who brought us “on fleek” needs our help

Kayla Newman wants to start a cosmetics line.

Culture

Culture

The teenager who brought us “on fleek” needs our help

Kayla Newman wants to start a cosmetics line.

From the teenagers who gave us the short-lived “Damn Daniel” meme, to the guy who cheated on his girlfriend countless times, regular people who go viral are often able to cash in on their 15 minutes of fame. Whether it is through TV appearances or, in the case of the teens behind “Damn Daniel,” a lifetime supply of shoes, going viral often comes with a check.

Some viral creators, however, still live in obscurity, despite blessing the online world with inventive ways to be distracted.

Take Kayla Newman, the Chicago teen who, in 2014, coined the saying “on fleek.” Newman’s original Vine featuring the phrase was played over 30 million times and became a significant part of the way people speak online. Celebrities like Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj used the saying on their social channels, and Forever 21 printed the phrase on a t-shirt. IHOP went as far as to use the term to sell pancakes.

“I gave the world a word,” Newman told The Fader in 2015. “I can’t explain the feeling. At the moment, I haven’t gotten any endorsements or received any payment. I feel that I should be compensated. But I also feel that good things happen to those who wait.”

On Sunday, Newman launched a campaign to raise money for her dream of starting a cosmetics and haircare line. In the three years since Newman coined the phrase, she’s received no sponsorship and relatively little recognition. If the “Cash Me Outside” girl can become a bona fide celebrity, the internet should be able to do more for the progenitor of a phrase that brings nothing but joy.