This story appears in i-D 374, The Unknown Issue. Get yours now.
written by ALEX KESSLER
illustrations LUCAS MASCATELLO
You’ll know the impact of the internet’s faceless media. Because you probably learned about the latest political scandal, global crisis, or red-carpet blunder through a meme or facetious X post (you’ll hear it on Pop Crave before the evening news). Independent accounts run by semi-enigmatic “admins” now dominate popular discourse, turning the web’s hot mess into our collective watercooler. So who are the creators behind the screens, stirring up an online storm with their incisive (and divisive) POV? We might not be able to tell you who they all are, but at least we can talk to them.
Patia’s Fantasy World
Patia Borja, Alaina Berry, and River Moon
@patiasfantasyworld
Where cultural critique thrives in irreverent chaos, pushing the limits of online acceptability with brutal honesty. Patia’s world is one that says what you’re too afraid to say about gender, politics, sex, race, and more.
What are your earliest memories of the internet?
PATIA: I was on AOL chats lying about my age since the early 4chan days—controversial now, but the internet was so different back then.
ALAINA: My dad gave me a laptop at 3, in 1997, so I’ve been online forever. No rules, just me in chat rooms, lying about my age and talking to SmarterChild, one of the first AI bots.
RIVER: After moving from South Africa to the US in 2005, I found it easier to make friends online. By 7, I was on Myspace. By my teens, I was on Kik pretending to be 21.
Your first screen names?
R: SaintDeepThroat. I don’t claim the “deep throat” part anymore, but the “saint” stays. It’s still my Instagram handle because when I got verified, I found out you can’t change it.
A: KinkyBaby69.
P: Mine were like SexyGirl420 or 69, constantly making new ones to fulfill these weird porn fantasies as a kid, which
is fucked up.
“Remember Azealia Banks’ drag about Iggy Azalea? That’s me meeting River.”
Patia Borja
How did you all meet?
P: Remember Azealia Banks’ drag about Iggy Azalea, where she said she gave birth to her, wrapped her in a malanga leaf, and left her in a cave? That’s me meeting River.
A: Patia and I met properly in 2015, through
mutuals in New York.
P: Mutuals from Myspace, who will not be named.
What moment made the account go viral?
P: The anti-racism guide I made during the pandemic in 2020.
A: People didn’t realise we were all Black, and the comments got racist fast. We had to make it known.
R: It got ugly. People wanted to hang us at one point.
What have been some proud moments from the account?
P: None of us are easily gassed or shook by anything. Friends will say, “Oh, did you see this famous person follow you?” and I’m like, “Okay, but are they giving me money?”
R: I did gag when it was Channing Tatum, though.
A: It’s been nice when someone urgently needed money on a GoFundMe, and we could help them reach their goal almost instantly. But I feel like those days are over. No one wants to give anything anymore.
Do you believe in crediting memes?
P: Wild seeing how other accounts jacked the styles rooted in Black internet culture—like Facebook and Tumblr memes— and rebranded them.
A: The same people who rewrote memes now demand credit. Someone asked us for credit recently, and I was like, “Are they Black?” If yes, I’ll credit. Otherwise, no.
Is it better to be anonymous as a meme account?
P: I’ve barely posted myself, partly because I said I wouldn’t once I got a man—and then I did. But people know who we are.
A: I’m in med school, so I don’t need patients googling me and finding all my psychotic thoughts. I went private when the account blew up. I would never put my government name out there.
Who’s the worst person on the internet?
P: River Moon and Andrew Tate.
R: Our friend Remy from MTV’s Are You the One? He’s like a train wreck. You can’t look away.
Bald Ann Dowd
Alison Sivitz
@ali.sivi
A shrine for film and TV obsessives, delivering laughs with her deadpan style. Immediately recognisable with her signature bald cap avatar (actor Ann Dowd Photoshopped—you guessed it—bald).
Where did your interest in pop culture come from?
I grew up with young parents who were super open to my cultural interests. My first memory of pop-culture love was watching E! News at 6 and thinking, “Oh my god, I’d love to be on a red carpet someday.”
How did you start on the internet?
I made my Twitter at 11. It started as a Justin Bieber stan account, then became One Direction–focused, and eventually morphed into my personal account. Fandom culture shaped my entire adolescence.
What was your first screen name?
1DForMePlease. My mom came up with it. We thought it was hilarious.
“I was 11 with a Justin Bieber stan account. Fandom culture raised me.”
Alison Sivitz (Bald Ann Dowd)
Where did Bald Ann Dowd come from?
I was at a low point. My mom had just recovered from cancer, and then my parents flew me home to tell me my dad had it, too. I was lying in bed, miserable, watching True Detective Season 1—my favourite show. Ann Dowd appeared in the finale, and she lifted my spirits. On a whim, I joked on Twitter about Photoshopping her bald, and my friend Lachlan did it. I made it my profile picture, thinking it’d last a week, but people loved it and it stuck.
How do you feel about anonymity and the internet?
Growing up in fandom culture, you see how anonymity makes people say cruel things they’d never say in person. Sharing my face became a way to hold myself accountable and remind others I’m a real person who deserves respect.
Favourite accounts to follow?
Konbini’s Video Club on YouTube, where filmmakers explore what might be France’s last video store. Letterboxd’s Four Favorites videos hit the same vibe. I also love Ezgi Eren’s Substack.
Who’s the best person on the internet?
Doechii. Everything she does. She’s just cool.
On a Downward Spiral
SAM RHODEHAMEL
@still_on_a_downward_spiral
“Dumb silly shitposting :p” in Rhodehamel’s own words. Monotone, cynical, and, quite frankly, deeply relatable, with Target memes and hacky in-app editing.
How did you start on the internet?
I was kind of an “almond child.” I didn’t have unrestricted internet access, which surprises people. My first real introduction was running a Hunger Games fan page, which led me to Tumblr.
What was your first screen name?
Clove_DistrictTwo.
Where did On a Downward Spiral come from? Does it have anything to do with Nine Inch Nails?
People always ask, and it’s kind of a yes-but-no situation. One of the admins, Maria, had a knockoff UNIF backpack in 2016 that said “on a downward spiral.” It wasn’t even official merch. They also had a dead finsta with the same name, so we just reused it. The whole thing exists because of a fake Nine Inch Nails backpack.
What was the first meme you posted?
A one-eyed cat captioned, “Like this to support a cat with one eye.”
“The account exists because of a fake Nine Inch Nails backpack.”
Sam Rhodehamel (On a Downward Spiral)
Craziest interactions?
The page blew up during lockdown because of comment culture. Everyone was online and feral. There was “Courtney Lovegate”—when Courtney Love followed us, but it turned out to be her Gen Z manager.
Is anonymity important to you?
We started anonymously, but revealing myself during its peak brought too much attention. I went back to anonymity so I could post for fun again.
Favourite accounts to follow?
@gates_emily on TikTok—criminally underrated.
The Kimbino
Kim Daniels
@thekimbino
Based Down Under in Australia, so literally and figuratively always ahead. Her beat is curated archive shots, celeb style deep cuts, and vintage advertising—along with fashion industry hot takes.
How did you start out on the internet, and what was your first account?
I ran a Rihanna stan account called RihsNavy, and she followed me—on Twitter and my private Instagram. My fashion awakening came when I saw her in that custom Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci for the Diamonds World Tour.
Where did Kimbino come from?
The Sandlot. They talk about the Great Bambino, and I thought it was funny. My private account was The Great Kimbino, so when I couldn’t use that for my main, I just went with The Kimbino.
Wildest interactions because of your account?
Kanye West emailed me in 2019—it took me eight days to notice. He invited me to do research for a week, and on that same trip, Kim Kardashian insisted on meeting me. They cleared an entire Calabasas studio for her to come see me. It was one of the weirdest experiences of my life.
What’s your relationship with anonymity on the internet?
I live in this middle ground. Outside of fashion, most people have no idea who I am. But on Instagram, you can’t just stay the same. For years, I wanted to stay anonymous, but when your following grows and opportunities come—Fashion Week invites, collaborations—you can’t hide. I’ve found the balance—known in the right places but still chill.
“Kanye West emailed me—and it took me eight days to notice.”
Kim Daniels (The Kimbino)
Proudest moments so far?
My Harper’s Bazaar Australia digital cover last year. It was a big moment for plus-size Black women, especially Black Australian women. I almost said no because of anxiety, but I’m so glad I didn’t.
Favourite accounts to follow?
Rian Phin (@ThatAdult). Everything she posts gets me thinking.
Who’s the worst person on the internet?
Elon Musk.
Nymphet Alumni
Biz Sherbert, Sam Cummins, and Alexi Alario
@nymphetalumni
Podcast punditry, unpacking culture, Tumblr criticism, and style with sharp, academic wit—brought together across borders by Instagram DMs.
What were your first screen names?
ALEXI: LexiItalian—I made it after a summer in Italy. My dad’s Italian, so it felt very on-brand.
BIZ: PinkFlamingo4. I was in Florida wearing a pink rain jacket.
SAM: SamiKakes. My third-grade teacher called me that, and it stuck.
You first met online during the pandemic, right?
B: It started in DMs, but we were sending voice notes separately back then. I don’t think the podcast would exist without that specific lockdown vibe.
A: It was the moment when Instagram Stories were long, text-based rants instead of curated aesthetic posts. Early episodes were all nostalgia and reflecting on Tumblr-era trends. As things opened up, it shifted to the present and future.
S: We didn’t meet IRL until 2022. After six or seven months of virtual podcasting, we met up in Brooklyn and recorded episodes during sleepovers.
Where does the name Nymphet Alumni come from?
B: It started as a retrospective on youth trends but has evolved into something more academic, like students contextualising within a campus-like framework.
S: In the beginning, it was all about femininity and navigating online identity as young women during the Tumblr era. The nymphet aesthetic inspired it, but we’ve grown into a broader “alumni” perspective.
“We didn’t meet IRL until 2022. We recorded our podcast at sleepovers.”
Sam Cummins (Nymphet Alumni)
Proudest moments?
A: Having guests like Dr. Valerie Steele, a fashion studies pioneer, and Lexee Smith, who’s so cool.
Favourite accounts to follow?
A: Edward Preble (@TheRealEdwardPreble). He’s 19 and channels this Frank Sinatra crooner vibe. Obsessed.
S: M.T. (@TheGoldCoasterMT) on TikTok. She has a boyfriend named Moonchild and feels like an old soul in a young woman’s body.
Meltdown Your Books
SR
@meltdown_your_books
Retaining anonymity, creator SR collides philosophy and pathos with visceral, mind-bending expression. An existential clickhole.
What was your first screen name?
In middle school, I was obsessed with The Poisonwood Bible, specifically Adah, who only speaks in palindromes. I spent hours creating palindromic versions of my name and whatever I was into that week.
How did the IG account start?
A few years ago, there was a wave of pretentious philosophy posting on Instagram—Kant in-jokes, Reza Negarestani memes. My early posts were peak “academic esoterica” bullshit. Over time, I left that world behind and focused on expressing the tangled mess of feelings I live with.
“I told Arca I wouldn’t follow back unless she followed my band.”
SR (Meltdown Your Books)
When did the account go viral?
A “standing in the corner” meme riffing on Genesis: “We’re dust and will return to dust,” flipped into celebrating the gift of life and death. That meme is everywhere—I’ve seen it reposted
on every platform.
Proudest moments?
When Arca followed me in 2022. I told her I wouldn’t follow back unless she followed my band. She said she wouldn’t be “out-pettied,” unfollowed me, and I respect that. Collaborating with HMLTD on their 2023 album rollout was cool. Writing Empires Over Skin, my book on fashion, has been the most gratifying.
Do you believe in crediting memes?
No. Memes are untethered, shared ideas. Watermarking them? Just admit you want to be doing something else.
Worst person on the internet?
Those YouTube fashion bros with Wojak thumbnails and titles like “Why Your Accessory Game Is Shit.” Boys, it’s okay to like fashion. Just call it “How to Accessorise.”