Winta Zesu, the renowned model and TikToker, incited outrage on the internet by sharing provocative, fabricated videos of herself declining food and getting kicked from restaurants.
Zero Restaurant Etiquette
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Zesu's videos, in which she boldly sends food back for seemingly trivial reasons and gets kicked out of places, have gained immense popularity on TikTok, with viewers taking to the comment section to express both their shock and amusement at her unconventional approach to challenging restaurant etiquette.
Real or Fabricated?
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It’s hard to fathom someone being so entitled, and as Zesu herself has revealed, the videos are actually scripted and meant to be satirical.
Unexpected Fame
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"I was not expecting all of this to happen," Zesu revealed, expressing her surprise at the overwhelming attention her videos received.
"I really didn't think people were going to think it was real."
Viral TikTok Video on Eggs and Salmon Arrangement
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In one of Zesu's viral videos, she can be seen expressing discontent with her brunch dish, as one of her eggs was placed to the side of her salmon instead of on top.
Zesu, addressing the off-screen apparent waitress, says, "Can I please get a new one? I don't want to eat it."
Wiping Imaginary Tears
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She exclaims, "You're joking, right?" and then points the camera to her plate, saying, "I can't make this up. You guys see this egg that's not on here?"
Zesu plays up the situation by lifting a napkin to her eyes as if wiping away tears, and saying that she would leave.
It’s All Fake
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Despite appearing to speak to a waiter, Zesu herself revealed that there was actually no one present.
According to Zesu's own admission, she was portraying a character in her videos and her behavior wasn’t a reflection of her real-life persona, stressing that she would "never talk to someone like that."
Videos Leave Viewers in Disbelief
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Not everyone understood that Zesu's videos were satirical. In the comments, many expressed shock at her behavior, with one person asking, "Please tell me this isn't for real?" and another questioning, "Why would anyone behave like this?"
“Mean Girl”
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"It was literally just me and my friend making a funny video about complaining, you know, like this stereotypical influencer thing, like a mean girl," Zesu said, in an attempt to explain the seemingly entitled behavior displayed in the videos.
"I was looking up as if there was a waiter standing there, but there's actually no one standing there."
Acting Aspirations
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Zesu mentioned that she is aspiring to be an actor and saw these videos as a way to practice her improvisation skills, never expecting them to gain such popularity.
"People on the street approach me and say, 'Oh my God, I've seen your salmon video!'" Zesu shared.
Another Restaurant Drama
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Zesu shared a now-viral TikTok video where a waitress can be heard asking her to leave the restaurant as her manager said she was "not welcome," there.
Zesu questioned, "If I can't come here, where am I supposed to go and eat? Like, I'm not going to cook, so."
Aesthetic Exit
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In another popular yet provocative video posted by Zesu, she filmed herself waiting at her apartment building's door, insisting on leaving "the aesthetic way" when there was no one else around, angering her Uber driver who kept checking on the delay.
From Red Carpets to Unconventional Videos
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After the videos from red-carpet events gained widespread attention, Zesu made the decision to start posting videos that were a bit "out of the ordinary."
Not Bothered by Judgment
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"That's how my first video blew up, people were saying, 'Oh your hair is so not even done for a red carpet, why are you even there?' kind of thing," Zesu shared.
"I never really even cared, so I just kept posting what I did."
Resilience in the Face of Online Hate
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Zesu couldn't care less about whether her videos receive negative or positive responses; what matters to her is that she posts "whatever people react to," no matter what.
However, she never expected to receive online hate, as she believed that making similar jokes was not uncommon among influencers.
The Cost of Satirical Content
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While Zesu avoids reading the comments, she does express concern about how the negativity she received may affect the brands she has collaborated with.
"The hate is pretty bad right now," she stated. "They're commenting on Instagram saying like, don't work with this girl, all this stuff, because they think it's real."
Culture Clash
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Zesu recognized that her Ethiopian heritage might have contributed to her not fully comprehending the extent to which Americans are protective of the service industry, where even faking disrespect could offend some people
"I guess that really does upset a lot of people and it offends a lot of people," she remarked, adding, "I'll try to make my content a little less over-the-top."
The Real Zesu
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In her other TikToks, Zesu showcases a different facet of her personality, sharing more typical social media influencer content like vlogs documenting her day-to-day activities and product reviews aimed at earning commissions.
Paying for Everyone's Food
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If you've already judged Zesu as an entitled troublemaker, her Easter weekend video will pleasantly surprise you, revealing her opposite, kind-hearted personality.
The video features her asking a waitress if she can pay for everyone's food in the restaurant depicts her as anything but a troublemaker, demonstrating her caring and generous personality.
“I'm the Nicest Person Ever”
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Despite some provocative videos, Zesu's statement about herself, "People that know me, know I'm the nicest person ever," coupled with her enthusiasm for acting and continuous practice, suggests that she may actually be a genuinely good-hearted person, and not just a troublemaker as perceived.
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