LARP, or Live Action Role Playing, has been around since the 1970s and is a form of game where participants physically portray selected characters while interacting in a set environment. This form of LARP still exists, but a new definition has become popularized on social media: the practice of pretending to be rich is now known as “larping.”
A new breed of content creators whose content is entirely focused on showcasing a lavish, flashy lifestyle has emerged. These creators have no apparent source of income, yet they film videos featuring fancy cars, extravagant meals, and luxury clothing.
Sophomore Michael Couvillon shared his views on the trend, “I think the key to success is fake it until you make and to larp until people larp off of you.”
One of the most famous content creators who has used larping to amass hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views is Frederick Ballard, known online as calithekid.
His videos feature him bouncing in Maybachs, a feature of the car that was originally intended to help it escape soft terrain, traveling between Miami, Beverly Hills, and LA, and documenting what appears to be an extravagant lifestyle. His actual source of income remains a point of heated debate online, with Frederick himself claiming to own a clothing brand. Trending audio he uses in his content, like “We could go up,” “Blue bands,” and “Stay Schemin,” has amassed millions of streams because of its viral appeal.
“Impersonating other people who don’t larp is a big part of the job. Making yourself seen by the public and viewed in a certain manner, essentially being a con man. A con artist in the eyes of a deceitful master,” said sophomore Sterling Fisher.
Whether any of it is real or not is part of the appeal. Online communities have sprung up that are entirely dedicated to staging the appearance of a life that they don’t actually live. The saying “larp until you’re larped” refers to the idea that a person should pretend to be wealthy until they actually are.
It’s a phenomenon that says something broader about the social media era. Audiences have always been drawn to wealth and glamour, but platforms like Instagram and TikTok have made it easier than ever to convincingly perform a lifestyle without actually living it. A rented Lamborghini, a borrowed Rolex, and a hotel lobby that looks like a penthouse are all it takes to build a following. The line between aspiration and fabrication has never been more blurred.
